Mark slowly walked through the halls of his school toward the main office. The vice principal was standing by the door waiting for him.

"Good morning Mr. Cohen."

"Morning Mr. Greene."

"We have a new student, and you have privilege of giving him a tour of our fine school."

"What? I never signed up to do that."

"I know, but he requested you. Mr. Davis," He said as Roger walked out into the hall with a big smile on his face. "Here's your schedule, and please put your tie on. Mr. Cohen will give you a tour and then direct you to your first class. Have a good day." He said before turning and disappearing into the office.

Roger glanced down at his schedule and then back up at Mark. "Bet ya never thought you'd see me again."

"No." Mark answered, still sort of shocked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I moved in with my grandparents last year. Then I kind of got kicked out of my other school, so now I go here. This uniform blows by the way, do I really have to wear this thing?" He asked holding up his tie.

"Yes. Do you know how to tie it?"

"Do I look like I know how to tie it?"

Mark grabbed the tie out of his hand. He reached out and flipped up Roger's collar, accidentally brushing his hand against the side of his face. He had to bite his lip to keep from smiling.

"How'd you know I went here?" Mark asked tightening Roger's tie. He brought his hands back down to his side a little slower than he probably should of, but Roger didn't seem to notice.

"I saw your picture on the wall in the office. Student of the month, eh?"

"Yeah." Mark laughed, slightly embarrassed. "What class do you have right now."

"Study hall, you?"

"Photography. I was just down in the dark room developing stuff."

"You know, I bet looking at pictures is way more interesting than study hall."

"I'm sure it is."

"Think your teacher would mind? We need to catch up."

"No he's cool. Come on." Mark said as the started walking down the hall.

"Have you lost any more battles with your basement stairs?" Roger asked playfully. Mark just glared at him. "Listen, I know everything that happened to every kid in that house. Thin walls. People talk. Does he still hit you?"

"No." Mark said quickly. "I do what I'm supposed to. I get good grades. He doesn't hit me anymore."

"At least all you have to do is get good grades to make him happy."

"Yeah….well, you're certainly more upbeat that the last time I saw you." Mark said, changing the subject.

"They gave me pills. They're supposed to make me happy. They do make me happy. Really happy. You want one?"

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"Fine. What?" Roger asked, noticing Mark giving him a weird look.

"I can't believe that you actually remembered me. We only talked like twice and you were pretty…off, both times."

"I'm good with faces."

Mark nodded. "Here we are." He said walking through the open door of the photography classroom.

A few minutes later Mark and Roger were sitting at the end of one of the long tables in the room. Mark was looking at some negatives while Roger sat across from him flipping through a photo album.

"Is that your sister?" Roger asked holding up the album and showing Mark. There were 8 pictures on the 2 pages, but he knew which one he was talking about.

"Yeah, with her husband Eric from the uh, last night of Hanukkah I think."

"Hanukkah huh?"

"Yeah."

"You know, you and your sister are very Hitler youth looking, I don't think the Nazi's woulda cooked ya."

"What?" Mark asked looking up at Roger.

"When the Nazis killed all the Jewish people during like, World War 2 or something, you know?"

"The Holocaust, Roger? Yes, I've heard of it."

"Well, I think you and your sister would of survived, had you been alive back then and stuff."

"That's a very comforting thought." Mark said, trying not to laugh and going back to his work.

"So, what are you doing?" Roger asked after he finished looking through the album.

"Trying to find some good pictures for my portfolio. Sorry if it's boring you. I'm sure I could help you find where ever the hell your study hall is."

"Nah I'm good. Are you gonna be a photographer or something?"

"I wish. That or maybe a director, or a writer, or…I dunno."

"Then why don't you? I mean, your pictures are pretty cool."

"Cohen men aren't fairies." Mark said glancing up at Roger.

"Huh?"

"Something my dad has always said to me. He doesn't want me to become some faggy cross-dressing painter. I'm uh, going to Brown in the fall. Maybe major in Political Science or something."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic about that."

Mark shrugged. "My dad seems to think it's a good idea."

"You don't always have to do whatever your father wants."

"You've seen what happens when I don't."

"Yeah well, you're going to be 18 soon, right? Just tell him to fuck off."

"It's not that easy." Mark said standing up to put all of his stuff away, class ended in a few minutes.

"So uh, how am I supposed to find my next class, seeing as you never gave me that tour?"

"I give pretty good directions." Mark said sitting back down and grabbing Roger's schedule out of his hand. "Calculus? You take AP calculus?"

"That I do. Did you think I was a complete dumbass?"

"Yes."

"Well, I am usually, but I'm good with numbers."

"I have it next too, just follow me." Mark said handing the paper back to him.

"Aw, we can be study buddies Mark."

"Why did you get kicked out of you old school?" He asked, still sort of shocked that Roger took AP calculus.

"I punched out my gym teacher."

"Why?"

"'Cause he was giving me this weird look."

"You punched him for looking at you?"

"Yep." Roger said as the bell rang. "Well, I guess we best be off." He said standing up. Mark laughed as he stood up and followed him out the door.