I'd like to apologise for the whole chapter thing. I wasn't paying attention in the slightest and it just... happened. and thank you for telling me about it. Here's the chapter.

Ivan Braginsky was a sophmore. Not that much older, but he held a good extra 2 feet over Alfred. His build was hard to explain, and it was hard to decipher whether or not he was fat or just well build, and honesty Alfred didn't care. Alfred didn't care at all.

Ivan was nice, and for some reason Alfred came to realize that a lot of teens and even teachers were severely intimidated by him. It was funny and if given the chance, Alfred could burst out in hysterical laughter to how absurd a teacher of all people could be so afraid of a student. Ivan smiled, and when he smiled at him in 6th period, it made Alfred feel warm inside.

He swore up and down that he wasn't staring. Staring made people anxious and Alfred tried to make people as warm and as comfortable as possible. It wasn't hard to smile and wave, Alfred just didn't like doing it because it felt fake – unreal.

During the school day, there were a couple things that were the hardest.

One, Alfred went into 3rd period expecting to participate in gym just like the other students. But it seemed their Cuban gym instructor caught a whiff of Alfred's medical problems and decided to halt his physical participation and make him sit out. And for Alfred to achieve his credits for this class, he had to just change his clothes.

That wasn't too bad. All they played was dodgeball.

Two, instead of being able to eat his lunch in the library with the math teacher (a way to woo him into giving him more work to finish early.) He now had to eat with Mr. Vargas in his art room. He didn't like it in there because Alfred wasn't used to Feliciano being quiet for 45 minutes, considering the fact that in a split second his room suddenly had the atmosphere of a boisterous man. It was deflecting, and Alfred felt cheated.

Third was the fact that Feliciano was forced by his parents to monitor whether or not Alfred actually ate something. But instead of being able to give the excuse 'school food sucks dad!' his Papa decided to pack a lunch that was good for his calories intake, and that was slightly more insulting than it should be.

But the worst part was when Mr. Vargas was actually WATCHING HIM, and of course Alfred noticed when the bell rang and he phoned his dad. He could hear that stupid accent through the phone.

So if you were to ask If Alfred was bitter, then yes, he was.

Dinner was probably worse though.

"You didn't eat anything at lunch." A small piece of chicken was place on Alfred's plate with green beans and corn. Nothing too exciting.

"Okay?" Alfred replied dragging his fork around the plate that was sitting in front of him, and Matthew looked like he could easily devour the meal and utensils that came along with it.

"Papa won't be too happy." Arthur seemed to mumble.

"Cool." Was the last sarcastic reply before he was sent to his room for the night, only to be forced down later to eat, (which he just barely did.)

Alfred didn't not like eating because he was fat, he didn't like it because eating could make you tired. When you're tired you can't work. When you can't work you fail, and when you fail, you disappoint.

Alfred didn't like to disappoint.

Although his night was horribly interrupted when there was a rapid loud knock at his bedroom door (at nearly 4 in the morning, so 'night' is a very loose term for him), and when it was flung open, a plate was shoved in his face and he was forced to eat it all. This left a very tired papa, and a very angry Alfred. (Oh yeah, Francis was pretty angry too, but why would he show it?)

He forced himself to sleep through breakfast, and when the tedious phone call to his parents happened after lunch he was sent to the school counselor.

"Alfred, what's going on?"

"Whaddya mean?"

Eliza grimaced, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I really, really don't."

Elizabeth had great timing and patients for students and teachers. She's had to put up with preppy teens and their crushes. A conglomeration of issues, from drama within a friends group to serious bullying issues. Nothing could crush her everlasting amount of patients.

Except sarcasm and the 'I don't give a fuck' personality.

"Then let me recap for you. First period you decided to get mouthy with one of the assistant teachers, telling them – and I quote- 'You better change your major now, or else your life will remain as pointless as everything else.' – That's serious, I could suspend you for that."

All Alfred could do was shrug,

"Then second period you told Carlos to – and I quote again – to fuck off, under your breath."

"He heard that?"

Eliza slumped with a heavy sigh.

"Listen, I'm not going to tell your parents, but you have to promise me to apologize to them."

He groans and limps in his chair, "Fine."

"And come to me if you need anything, talk, or just vent." She handed him a slip of paper. All Alfred could do was look at it in disgust.

"Anytime you need to talk, you put down your name and what period you'd like to take off, and slip it in the basket right outside my door." She explained with a struggled smile and she looked very sociopathic if you were to ask Alfred.

But when he got out of eye range, he opened his backpack, and shoved the paper down to the bottom of his bag, crippled and seemingly useless.

"Do you want to be my science partner?"

Alfred looked dumbfounded, "What?"

"My science partner, would you like to be my science partner."

Alfred stared silently for a moment, and Ivan fidgeted. It was cute.

"Yeah. I'd love to be."