Title: Another Brick in the Wall

Author: Lea of Mirkwood

Disclaimer: No change.

I RETURN! But block has hit, and block has hit hard, so this chapter isn't as original as it could be.

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Time had passed. Casey was slowly growing accustomed to not having his mother around. There was a slow, awkward period when he didn't know what was going on, or what he was going to do without his practical, caring, overprotective mother around. But the feeling passed somewhat. There were still mornings when he instinctively glanced out the back window to the seat in the back yard where Mrs. Conner drank her coffee, but as spring break came and went, he became too distracted by impending graduation to think about it. One thing he wasn't used to was the occasional appearance of Vicky. Her blond effervescence was repulsive to him. She tried to be nice and understanding, but it was pointless to him. The sounds emanating from his father's room at night were enough to make him wish for her to die. The only thing he worried about was his grades, his graduation, and the location of the senior trip. It still hadn't been announced, but Mr. Tate promised that he would tell them on the first day back from Spring Break. He had been in touch with Kit over the break, many times, and Gracie as well. He had grown much closer to Gracie over that time, since Kit had spent most of the week off in Wyoming. She came back Sunday with an even tan, calluses on her hands and a bruise in the crook between her arm and shoulder from practicing with the Winchester. However glad he was to see her, Casey still had a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Monday, he thought uneasily, would not be a good day.

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The bus ride was uneventful. He sat near the front for his own personal safety and emotional security. A few bumps in the ride, literally, didn't deter him from his determination. No matter what he thought today would be like, he was going to face it head on. He'd learned from past experience that when his wonderful and kind classmates had a break from school, they came back kicking. Kicking hard, and that kicking generally involved a long metal object called a flagpole. Casey sighed and looked down at his camera. Good luck, camera. I hope you and me make it back in one workable piece.

"Aw, fu-uck!" came a long, drawn out protest from the back of the bus. "It's the school!"

Casey's head turned slightly, the motion completely involuntary, and looked out the window. Yes. That was the school. Tall, yellow, with dead grass out front and his best friend the flagpole. As the bus slowly ground to a halt in the loop by the front lawn, Casey gathered his things together and made it off the steps third or fourth in line. He glanced around slightly nervously, and when his eyes were turned the other way something hard slammed into his nose and he fell backwards, his backside slamming into the concrete sidewalk with a jarring thud.

"Sorry, my fault," muttered Casey, waving a hand at his attacker. A hint of sarcasm was present in his mostly passive statement, but the undertone was completely lost on whoever had decided his face would be a perfect place for their elbow to go.

"Crash and burn, Casey," said Stokely with her usual taste for dry wit. Lately that had become her favorite phrase, and she had been saying it for weeks. Casey smiled ruefully and started to pick himself up off the floor, to the sound of a car crash from across the street.

"Casey!" cried a voice from behind him. Pulling himself fully upright, he turned to look in the direction of the call. Kit was running towards him at full tilt, the sun making her lime green tank glow. Her hair was plaited tightly into two braids, and they bounced on her shoulders as she ran.

"Hey, Kit!" he replied, lifting a hand in greeting. She caught up to him and threw her arm around his neck, making both of them stagger.

"How was spring break?" she asked breathlessly, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag over her tanned shoulder. Casey shrugged.

"Fine, I guess. Nothing special."

"Cool," remarked Kit. She patted his shoulder absently. "Well, I have to go ask my guidance counselor a question about my GPA, so...see you in Tate's?"

"Yeah," said Casey listlessly. "See you, I guess."

Casey watched as his best friend jogged up the steps to the school, pausing only once to wave to him. The second the doors closed behind her Casey felt a strong grip around his thin bicep.

"Good morning, Casey!"

Casey turned around to see Gabe's smiling face.

"Ah, shit."

Why did I come to school today?

"NO, NOT THE POLE!"

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Mr. Tate walked unsteadily to the front of the classroom and adjusted his glasses, in the end smudging the lenses worse than they would have been had he left them alone. He took a deep gulp from the opaque mug on his desk and looked at his senior history class.

"Class, I have unhappy news to give you," he said, leaning back slightly and groaning. "At the staff meeting last night, the verdict on out senior trip was given. I'm sorry kids, but New York is out of the picture."

Stokely groaned and let her head fall down into her hands. That was the last hope for fun in her entire high school career. Kerplunk. Down the tubes.

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There ya go, a chapter.