Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only the original characters listed in this fic.

I accept constructive criticism. c:

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"Damn Milhouse, hurry up! It's 7:30 already!"

"Hold on, Bart! Oh man, why'd I drink all that Monster this morning?!"

"Because you're a dumbass, that's why. Speed it up or zip it up!"

Getting a noncommittal grunt in return, Bart rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall in the boys' restroom, folding his arms across his chest. The duo had been on their merry way up to homeroom when all of a sudden, Milhouse's bladder decided that it was at full capacity on the third floor. The Simpson boy would've just went ahead to class but knew that his best friend would get lost in the hallway, what with his dumb luck. And so here Bart Simpson was, spending his morning in the restroom.

After hearing a flush and the sound of the faucet turning on, he pushed himself off the wall and poked his head around the corner. "Can we go now?"

Milhouse rolled his eyes and shut the water off before grabbing some paper towels. "Yeah, now we can go. I'm sorry my bladder has a mind of its own."

"Milhouse, you know energy drinks go through you like crazy, why the hell did you do that on the first day of school?"

The blue-haired boy threw out the soiled sheets after his hands were dry and grabbed his backpack off of the floor. "Because I couldn't sleep last night and I only slept for four hours…"

The blond raised an eyebrow before opening the door and walking out with the other in tow. "Aw man, don't tell me you were nervous? It's just school, dude."

"Uh, it's our last year of school. Then we have to go to college, which will be brutal!" He adjusted his backpack before giving his best friend a side eye. "Besides, you should be more worried than I am. You didn't even tell me what you plan to major in or where you're gonna go."

Bart bristled a bit as one of his least favorite topics came up. One would think that with his cleaned-up act that deciding on something like that would come easier but that definitely wasn't the case. He examined all kinds of colleges (with Marge and Lisa helping a ton) and read into all kinds of career fields but he could not make a decision. It was frustrating, to say the least, and led to a few arguments between him and his parents as they tried to get him to pick something as common as engineering and go from there. But he didn't want to give in and just go along with their wishes for the sake of pleasing everyone; he wanted to wait for that day where he knew with his heart what his true calling was. Until then…

"Eh, I'm working on it. I've still got a few months before I have to send out applications."

Milhouse's face expressed incredulity at Bart's flippant tone. "Bart, you really should take this seriously, man!"

"I am! It's just, well…I don't know what I wanna do yet."

The other teen's lips pressed together as he tried to comfort his friend's uncertainty. "Hmm…well, if you can't figure it out, you can always get your core credits at the community college. Just to hold you over, ya know?"

Sighing, the blond shrugged. "Yeah, that's always an option. Hopefully my paycheck doesn't get lighter-"

"Skipping class on our first day of school, boys?"

The two teens froze in their tracks and cringed as a haughty and deep voice sounded a few feet behind them. Reluctantly turning around, Bart's face scrunched in distaste while Milhouse's twisted in worry as the last person they wanted to see was there.

Principal Melbaum was a large, imposing man who ran the high school for the last six years. His background as a former Marine showed not only in how he held things down but in his appearance as well. He was at least six feet tall and had a head of closely cropped chestnut brown hair with multiple strands of gray mixed in along with cold blue eyes, usually narrowed as they followed your every move. The man had a large array of suits but always stuck to browns and grays paired with white button-ups, only giving a pop of color with his ties; today was a green tie day, it seemed. His black loafers were shined to the nines and topped off his ensemble, showcasing his importance.

"No…"

"No? Well, I can't see any other reason why you gentlemen would be loitering in the hallways at this time."

Milhouse spoke up with hesitance. "Well, uh, I had to use the bathroom, sir. We lost track of time and uh…it's kinda my fault. Sorry."

Melbaum raised an eyebrow while folding his arms across his chest. "Is that so, Mr. van Houten? Are you being honest or are you merely covering for your friend there?"

Before Milhouse could speak up in defense of the other, Bart cut in with his own quip. "Nice try, Melbaum, but he's telling the truth. You really thought you were gonna catch me slipping on the first day?"

The principal fixed his stern gaze on the blond now, taking the challenge his words had expressed. "Hmph. Don't think I won't go easy on you, Simpson. This may be your last year but you're not exempt from discipline." Bart merely rolled his eyes. The authoritarian had it out for him since he first stepped foot through Springfield High School's doors; the teen's reputation had preceded his arrival and left many staff dreading his presence. Melbaum had made it his personal mission to make sure that any mischief the Simpson boy caused was swiftly dealt with. In an ironic way, Bart credited him with being the one to give him the much needed wake-up call a couple of years ago with the incident that nearly cost him his freedom; the man let him have it after he had caught him. The boy would've had some gratefulness towards him for the eye-opener had he not immediately called the cops before contacting his own parents. Had it not been for the secretary intervening, Homer and Marge would've pulled up and had to watch the police lead their son away in handcuffs. Since then, the two had a special grudge towards each other and could not wait for the end of the school year.

"Whatever man. We'd love to stick around and chat but we've got a class to get to…I'm sure you would love to give me detention but it ain't happening today."

Bart's lips curled into a smirk as Melbaum's face began to turn red at his defiance. His best friend didn't feel the same way and wrapped a firm hand around his arm, leaning in close to hiss in his ear. "Bart, are you trying to get us in trouble?!"

He looked at him from the side of his eyes with nonchalance. "Hey, don't lump yourself into this, I wouldn't let you take the fall."

"You…ugh, you're missing the point!"

"Hmph."

A grunt from the principal pulled their eyes back to him as he adjusted his tie, his face turning back to its yellow pallor as he composed himself. "Your sharp tongue will only hold you back, son. I'm warning you, Simpson, it may be your final year here but we have a zero tolerance policy for repeat offenders this time around." At the two boys' looks of confusion at his words, his lips curled upwards a bit. "Oh, were you not informed? There was a form sent home during the break, you two really should have double checked your mailboxes."

Bart racked his brain for any mention of a form but he was pretty sure Homer must have tossed it in the trash by accident…or on purpose. "Well, since we obviously don't know what the hell you're talking about, enlighten us."

Ignoring the slight profanity, Melbaum cleared his throat and placed his arms behind his back before raising his strong chin, looking down at the duo. "This zero tolerance policy we've implemented, it involves students who have more than five strikes on their permanent record. Said strikes include but are not limited to write-ups, detentions, in and out-of-school suspensions and unexcused absences. Now, we're not cruel so records prior to enrolling at the high school do not count. However…" At this pause, he gave a piercing stare to Bart. "Those who have a history of causing trouble here will be watched closely in order to keep the peace."

Shoving a hand into his right pocket, Bart returned his stare. "Is that so?"

"Indeed. I could provide a detailed explanation to you two but it would be wasted, no?" The duo pursed their lips at the subtle dig. "Anyways, we will be keeping a close eye on repeat offenders and letting them know that for the rest of their time here at Springfield High School, there will be a three strikes system. Like I said before, the offenses I mentioned will count towards this system and will determine whether a student will continue their studies here. To simplify it for you two, three strikes will result in immediate expulsion."

There it was. Bart and Milhouse swallowed as the policy's consequences were laid directly in front of them. The blue-haired teen wasn't too worried for himself, he mostly kept out of trouble and could only think of having two or three strikes on his permanent record. No, he was more worried for his best friend as he could suffer the most from it. It was obvious to them that Bart was the inspiration for the new rules and was already on thin ice from multiple offenses. He knew how badly the other wanted to graduate and although he wasn't an angel, he improved his behavior for the most part.

Said boy gathered his nerve and narrowed his eyes at the older man. "Expulsion, huh? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Melbum but you're not gonna see me on that system. I'm gonna bust my ass and make sure I leave in June, along with my classmates. Promise."

Melbaum's eyes had narrowed into slits at this point and as soon as he opened his mouth with a retort, the first bell had rung throughout the hallway. 'Saved by the bell!'

Regressing into his detached expression from before, the authoritarian grumbled under his breath at the interrupting of the lecture he was going to give the outspoken teen. "Well, looks like you two should be getting a move on. Wouldn't want to be late on your first day, no?" Fixing his tie once more, he began walking towards them, forcing the boys to split apart to let him through. Stopping between them, he placed a hand on Milhouse's shoulder and gave him a small smile (Milhouse gave a nervous one back). He did the same to Bart but leaned in close enough to whisper lowly.

"Watch your step, Bart Simpson. One toe out of line and I'll be on you like a hawk."

Before his hand could be shaken off, Melbaum removed it and went on his way. His absence caused the two teens to let out breaths they didn't realize were being held before looking at each other.

It was only 7:40 but they couldn't wait for the end of the day to come.

~•~•~•~

In room 407, students were already seated, catching up with their friends and examining the new faces surrounding them. At the head of the room was a lean man of average height with a head of curly black hair, organizing his materials on his desk. He had today's lesson plan memorized down to a T but he liked to write his notes down in case he forgot something or a student needed extra help. Once he was pleased with his piles, he scanned the room once more, lips quirking at some of the familiar faces in his class. It seemed like everyone was accounted for until he noticed there were three empty seats.

He tilted his head before looking down at his Casio. It was 7:43; he hoped the missing bodies would show up in the next two minutes. He never really liked having to write these kids up, especially on the first day of school.

As if some entity up above was listening, the door nearly slammed open as two boys ran in. They hunched over once the door closed, huffing as they tried to catch their breath; the blue-haired one looked like he was going to pass out. "S-Sorry we're-" He coughed. "Sorry we're late!"

The one with spiky blond hair regained his breath faster and straightened up. "We uh, we got held up by Melbaum and-" He finally laid eyes on what he assumed to be an irate homeroom teacher and who he saw made his jaw drop to the floor.

"Wait…Mr. Seppel?!"

The other boy managed to compose himself and looked up at the teacher, his jaw joining his friend's. "Holy crap…is it really you?!"

The man hummed before shrugging. "Well, unless you know someone else named Jarod Marcus Seppel, you're looking at him!"

Bart and Milhouse couldn't believe they were looking at one of their favorite teachers from seventh grade right now. Back when they had entered their Geography class the first day, they were already planning on how to give the unfortunate teacher hell for the rest of the year. The man, who went by Mr. Seppel, was all smiles and jokes with the class though and quickly won over the hearts of his students, Milhouse included. However, Bart was stubborn and refused to give up on his pranks, labeling his teacher as a tough nut to crack; even the sweetest ones couldn't take his behavior. And so he continued, pulling every prank from the Manual of Mischief and using every piece of his Lil' Hellraiser Troublemaking Kit but to no avail. At his wit's end, the Simpson boy ran up to Mr. Seppel after class one day and demanded to know why he never yelled at him, gave him detention or labeled him a colossal failure. The man frowned in concern at the boy's words and sat back down at his desk, clasping his hands together. To Bart's surprise, he didn't flip out or tell him to get out of his face; he merely asked if that's really what he wanted from him. Such an unexpected response left him speechless for a minute before he replied with a quiet 'no'. His teacher shot him one of his famous smiles and said 'well, then I'll continue treating you the way a teacher should'. From that day on, Bart came into his classes a few minutes early to chat with Mr. Seppel and did his best to pay attention and answer questions; he ended up finishing Geography with one of his first A-'s ever.

"Wow…you're gonna be our homeroom teacher this year?"

Mr. Seppel nodded. "Sure am. I'm also going to be filling in last minute for Mrs. Weskits for the rest of the year. Poor lady threw out her hip last month and is in no condition to teach." It made sense now why his schedule still listed her name as instructor and not the man in front of him. This was good news to Bart; that crabby old bat had it out for him and would've failed him for the most minor of issues. "Damn, that sounds too bad. Guess you'll be stuck with us for most of the day, huh?"

The older man sighed dramatically and shook his head with a mock grimace. "It appears so."

BRIIIIIIIING.

He looked down at his watch before returning his gaze to the teens. "Alright boys, I'd love to keep chatting but I've got roll call to do. There's not many left but take whatever seats you want."

Nodding at their teacher, Bart and Milhouse looked for the open seats and were pleased to find two next to each other in the third row. They quickly walked over and took their seats, setting their backpacks onto the floor as Mr. Seppel pushed himself up from leaning on the desk and clapped his hands together.

"Alright folks, welcome to your first day of school! I'm your homeroom teacher Mr. Seppel but you can call me whatever in the classroom. Mr. Seppel, Jarod, Mr. Jarod, Seppel, whatever, I'm not much for formalities. I'll also be substituting for Mrs. Weskits for the rest of the year so if you're scheduled for Geography with her, I shall be seeing you later today as well." This caused an array of pleasant murmurs to spread through the room. "Now, I don't really have many rules for homeroom, not much to do in fifteen minutes. All I ask is that you keep the peace and psych yourself up to have a good day. Talk to your friends, eat something, take a nap, pick your poison. Are we all in agreement?" A mix of 'yes sirs' and eager nods came in response. "Nice! Then let's do this roll call quick so you guys can have a moment to yourselves."

As Mr. Seppel began roll call, Bart glanced around at his fellow classmates. He saw a good mix of new and old faces; Üter, Wendell, Jaffee, Whitney, among a couple of others. There were a few acquaintances and friends missing but he figured he'd run into them sooner or later. The roll call was soon finished, Bart and Milhouse raising their hands at their names, and Mr. Seppel left everyone to their own devices, sitting down to look over some upcoming lesson plans.

A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening brought some conversations to a stop as the figure who stepped through caught some students' attention. Bart was one of them as his eyebrows raised in appreciation. The figure was a teenaged girl with lightly tanned yellow skin, jet-black hair that fell to the small of her back and slanted jade green eyes. A white turtleneck, hidden under a cropped lavender V-neck sweater, covered her ample torso and led down into high-waisted light-wash jeans, showing off her long, curvy legs. His lips twitched a bit as he eyed the pristine purple Vans on her feet; she had good taste in footwear. The girl adjusted her pink headband a bit after the door shut behind her.

'Wow, what a babe…she looks a bit familiar though…eh, my mind is probably playing tricks on me.'

Mr. Seppel grinned at the newcomer and ushered her over as she remained by the doorway. "Hello there, miss. Nice of you to join us!"

The girl's cheeks darkened as she ran over to the desk. "Sorry for being late. I had to have my schedule fixed and stop by the nurse's office to drop something off." Bart's ear itched a bit at hearing her speak; that voice sounded like one he may have heard before…

"Heh, no worries, young lady. It's the first day, we're just taking it easy in here before first period begins. Can I get your last name for roll call?"

She nodded and mumbled her name but he seemed to have not heard it as his brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, you said Lugjohn?"

The girl sighed before speaking louder, fixing her gaze on his face. "No, it's…Lovejoy. Jessica Lovejoy."

A few of the students gasped as the mystery girl revealed herself; none of their reactions could compare to Bart's own. His jaw dropped the furthest it's been today and butterflies filled his stomach but they weren't the excitable kind; they were the dreadful kind that threatened to make your food come back up. The girl he had fallen for in his youth, the girl who had manipulated and turned nearly everyone against him, was back in town. Back in his life.

The ten year-old boy was taken by her beauty back then but was always rebuffed by her in the beginning, attributing her behavior to that of a sheltered minister's daughter. She quickly showed her true colors once she caught wind of Bart's bad behavior, taking to performing all sorts of pranks and misdeeds with the Simpson boy. But as the antics escalated from minor inconveniences into morally gray acts, he began to realize that this girl was in a league of her own. Then came the day where she stole money from the church collection plate and had him framed, labeling him as a criminal in everyone's eyes. Thankfully, Lisa came through for him and exposed Jessica, leading to Bart's innocence.

He never forgave her for what she had done and the lack of remorse she had shown, even after she confessed to the crime. It sickened him even now that he never had the balls to rat her out himself and had to have his own little sister step up to the plate. His lovesick attitude morphed into bitterness that permeated every time he saw her in church and school afterwards; he made sure not to be anywhere near her. Bart began seeing her less and less until she stopped showing up completely. It was then that he overheard his mom talking to Helen Lovejoy after a service one day; Jessica had been sent off to a new boarding school.

It was a big weight off his shoulders back then but now it had returned and felt like double the mass.

"Ah, here you are, Jessica! Thank you, there's an open seat behind Adrian you can take."

Jessica nodded and followed his finger as it pointed to the desk behind a lanky boy with Coke-bottle glasses. She just so happened to make eye contact with Bart as her gaze wandered, eyes widening and mouth opening in a silent gasp. Within a split second, the blond ripped his eyes away and pretended to be intrigued by his worn desktop. He didn't need or want to look back up; he could hear the murmurs of the students, wondering who she was or why she was back in town again.

"Bart, I can't believe she came back! I thought I heard that her parents weren't allowing her in public school anymore…she's supposed to be at boarding school, right?"

Bart looked at his best friend with a deep grimace. "So did I Milhouse. So did I."

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