A/N: ^_^ Yay! I got reviews! Not nearly enough... But, I suppose that's something we can work on, eh? ::ahem:: Anyhooters, the chapter titles will probably all be random (or maybe not so random) Evanescence lyrics. ^_^' Mostly cause I can't think of anything better... ::whistles innocently::
~*~
After the Applause Dies Down
by Wolfie
~*This Truth Drives Me Into Madness*~
The school days seemed to drag on for eternity, each class longer than the last. It had been a week since Todd noticed Pietro's strange behavior. A week since he'd mentioned it to Lance. A week since Lance had waved it off as 'Pietro being a weirdo'.
He still couldn't place the odd feeling he was getting, couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with the snowy haired teen. Only that something *was* wrong. Very wrong.
He had neither the intestinal fortitute (1) nor the self assurity to actually ask Pietro himself. He didn't think the speedster would answer him honestly, anyway. He'd talk his way around it, out of it, and leave Todd more confused than he was to begin with.
Which was why he'd gone to Lance. He needed only to ponder the situation for a few minutes to come to this conclusion. Lance was much closer to Pietro, and was able to decipher 'Pietro speak' better than anyone, but the rock-tumbler had merely shrugged it off.
"Eh. He's just bein' a weirdo. Like usual."
The thought made Todd frown. Did Lance not care? Or maybe he was just reading too much into Pietro's actions. Maybe he was wrong about the whole thing. Maybe...
Maybe he had no idea.
~*~
Lance yawned, stretching back in his seat before looking back toward Pietro. They shared only one class over the course of the day- an advanced class for Pietro, and a repeated class for Lance- and didn't really see one another otherwise, except for lunch. But there had always been after school. Pietro was normally downstairs, in the kitchen or living room, chattering incesantly and driving them all nuts.
But... he hadn't been lately. And during school hours- Todd was so right- he seemed like he was trying too hard to be cheerful. The grin he always flashed the girls in the class was forced, Lance could tell easily, even if those idiot girls couldn't. But he'd denied it when Todd brought it up. Why? Because he was afraid it might've been more serious than the younger mutant could even imagine.
A small piece of paper bounced off of his forehead, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to glare at the offender, only to find Pietro smirking over his shoulder. With a frown, he picked up the little projectile and unfolded it.
'Hey- I know I'm gorgeous and all, but if you don't stop staring, the teacher's gonna notice and we're both gonna get detention.'
He blinked, then glanced back at Pietro. Stupid little brat. He quickly scrawled 'fuck you' over Pietro's neatly written words, and then tossed the paper over onto the younger teen's desk.
~*~
Todd dropped his backpack just inside the door, thankful to finally be out of that horrible school. But... Pietro. He was still worried. And, despite his earlier apathy, he could tell that Lance was too. Fred hadn't seemed to take notice, but he'd realized that more often than not, Fred noticed a lot more than anyone else.
"'M gonna go take a shower," He heard as a gust of wind passed by. He barely registered the sound of the floor at the top of the stairs creaking before he heard the bathroom door slam shut. He bit his lower lip. For some reason, he didn't have a good feeling about this.
~*~
He stepped under the warm spray, letting the water run over his chest and stomach, down his long legs, before slumping against the tiled wall, the softest of sobs spilling from his full lips. He slid to the floor, drawing his knees up to hischest and hugging them tightly. The very center of his being ached, a dull throb that seemed to have no beginning and no end. And yet, he was numb all over. Numb in a way that words could never explain.
And he tried. Oh *God*, did he try. His bedroom was overrun with notebooks, all filled with his attempts at explaining. To them, to himself... To *anyone*. If only for the sake of understanding. Because heaven knew he didn't understand. He didn't understand at *all*.
Another sob escaped him, shaking his slender fram, tears streaming down his cheeks. He hugged his legs closer, hiding his face in his knees. He hated crying- *loathed* crying- as much as he hated the pain that had seemed to coil itself around him and now refused to let go.
His already trembling fists tightened, blood dripping form one as the razor hidden there bit into his palm. He felt no pain, only the odd sensation of cold metal slicing into his flesh. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers, bloody palm upward as he revealed the small blade. The hot water made the fresh wound sting, and he hissed, relishing the pain- the feeling of physical hurt that had become so foreign to him.
He lifted the razor, held it close to his face for examination, his choked sobs dying as he stared at the sharp little piece of metal. Dark sapphire eyes glistened strangely, shifting from the blade in his hand, to his exposed wrist. It would be so easy... So fucking simple to just cut into that alabaster flesh, spill the blood in the blue veins beneath.
Before he could give it a second thought, his hand moved of it's own volition, and a sharp pain elicited a gasp from somewhere within him. The blood poured down his arm, flowing in rivulets of dilluted crimson over his skin to pool around him and then swirl down, into the drain. An odd smile lit his elfin face.
"This is it..." He heard himself whisper, almost unable to recognize that voice as his own. Another slash and the already scarlet water darkened. A third, a fourth... He watched in awe, morbid fascination at his own life's essence spilling from him. It was so simple... so fucking simple.
"Pietro?" A tentative knock at the door. He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound would come. Instead, he found his vision blurring, his head feeling light. The last thing he remembered before the darkness englufed him completely was Todd's worried voice, "Pietro? You been in there a long time, yo. You okay?"
...
"Pietro?"
...
"LANCE!!"
~tbc~
::cackles:: ^_^ Getting *right* into it here, eh? Yup yup. Blood an' all that. Fun fun. Ooooh, but what will happen? ^_^ Review an' I'll get the next chapter up ASAP. ::waves:: Ta~
(1) Guts, silly. Guts.
~*~
After the Applause Dies Down
by Wolfie
~*This Truth Drives Me Into Madness*~
The school days seemed to drag on for eternity, each class longer than the last. It had been a week since Todd noticed Pietro's strange behavior. A week since he'd mentioned it to Lance. A week since Lance had waved it off as 'Pietro being a weirdo'.
He still couldn't place the odd feeling he was getting, couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with the snowy haired teen. Only that something *was* wrong. Very wrong.
He had neither the intestinal fortitute (1) nor the self assurity to actually ask Pietro himself. He didn't think the speedster would answer him honestly, anyway. He'd talk his way around it, out of it, and leave Todd more confused than he was to begin with.
Which was why he'd gone to Lance. He needed only to ponder the situation for a few minutes to come to this conclusion. Lance was much closer to Pietro, and was able to decipher 'Pietro speak' better than anyone, but the rock-tumbler had merely shrugged it off.
"Eh. He's just bein' a weirdo. Like usual."
The thought made Todd frown. Did Lance not care? Or maybe he was just reading too much into Pietro's actions. Maybe he was wrong about the whole thing. Maybe...
Maybe he had no idea.
~*~
Lance yawned, stretching back in his seat before looking back toward Pietro. They shared only one class over the course of the day- an advanced class for Pietro, and a repeated class for Lance- and didn't really see one another otherwise, except for lunch. But there had always been after school. Pietro was normally downstairs, in the kitchen or living room, chattering incesantly and driving them all nuts.
But... he hadn't been lately. And during school hours- Todd was so right- he seemed like he was trying too hard to be cheerful. The grin he always flashed the girls in the class was forced, Lance could tell easily, even if those idiot girls couldn't. But he'd denied it when Todd brought it up. Why? Because he was afraid it might've been more serious than the younger mutant could even imagine.
A small piece of paper bounced off of his forehead, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to glare at the offender, only to find Pietro smirking over his shoulder. With a frown, he picked up the little projectile and unfolded it.
'Hey- I know I'm gorgeous and all, but if you don't stop staring, the teacher's gonna notice and we're both gonna get detention.'
He blinked, then glanced back at Pietro. Stupid little brat. He quickly scrawled 'fuck you' over Pietro's neatly written words, and then tossed the paper over onto the younger teen's desk.
~*~
Todd dropped his backpack just inside the door, thankful to finally be out of that horrible school. But... Pietro. He was still worried. And, despite his earlier apathy, he could tell that Lance was too. Fred hadn't seemed to take notice, but he'd realized that more often than not, Fred noticed a lot more than anyone else.
"'M gonna go take a shower," He heard as a gust of wind passed by. He barely registered the sound of the floor at the top of the stairs creaking before he heard the bathroom door slam shut. He bit his lower lip. For some reason, he didn't have a good feeling about this.
~*~
He stepped under the warm spray, letting the water run over his chest and stomach, down his long legs, before slumping against the tiled wall, the softest of sobs spilling from his full lips. He slid to the floor, drawing his knees up to hischest and hugging them tightly. The very center of his being ached, a dull throb that seemed to have no beginning and no end. And yet, he was numb all over. Numb in a way that words could never explain.
And he tried. Oh *God*, did he try. His bedroom was overrun with notebooks, all filled with his attempts at explaining. To them, to himself... To *anyone*. If only for the sake of understanding. Because heaven knew he didn't understand. He didn't understand at *all*.
Another sob escaped him, shaking his slender fram, tears streaming down his cheeks. He hugged his legs closer, hiding his face in his knees. He hated crying- *loathed* crying- as much as he hated the pain that had seemed to coil itself around him and now refused to let go.
His already trembling fists tightened, blood dripping form one as the razor hidden there bit into his palm. He felt no pain, only the odd sensation of cold metal slicing into his flesh. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers, bloody palm upward as he revealed the small blade. The hot water made the fresh wound sting, and he hissed, relishing the pain- the feeling of physical hurt that had become so foreign to him.
He lifted the razor, held it close to his face for examination, his choked sobs dying as he stared at the sharp little piece of metal. Dark sapphire eyes glistened strangely, shifting from the blade in his hand, to his exposed wrist. It would be so easy... So fucking simple to just cut into that alabaster flesh, spill the blood in the blue veins beneath.
Before he could give it a second thought, his hand moved of it's own volition, and a sharp pain elicited a gasp from somewhere within him. The blood poured down his arm, flowing in rivulets of dilluted crimson over his skin to pool around him and then swirl down, into the drain. An odd smile lit his elfin face.
"This is it..." He heard himself whisper, almost unable to recognize that voice as his own. Another slash and the already scarlet water darkened. A third, a fourth... He watched in awe, morbid fascination at his own life's essence spilling from him. It was so simple... so fucking simple.
"Pietro?" A tentative knock at the door. He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound would come. Instead, he found his vision blurring, his head feeling light. The last thing he remembered before the darkness englufed him completely was Todd's worried voice, "Pietro? You been in there a long time, yo. You okay?"
...
"Pietro?"
...
"LANCE!!"
~tbc~
::cackles:: ^_^ Getting *right* into it here, eh? Yup yup. Blood an' all that. Fun fun. Ooooh, but what will happen? ^_^ Review an' I'll get the next chapter up ASAP. ::waves:: Ta~
(1) Guts, silly. Guts.