"Shit!" Sanji cursed as he slammed the front door of his apartment shut. He leaned his back against the door, slowly sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. He reached up and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the table next to the door and pulled his lighter out of his jacket pocket. He knew he wasn't allowed to take smokes to school but he might just have to break that rule if he was going to have to spend every day around that Mosshead. He always carried his lighter on him, it was a present from his foster father, Zeff. Even if he didn't use it, he would stick his hand in his pocket and toy with it every once in a while.

Sanji missed the old geezer now that he wasn't around. He would never admit it to anybody but himself, even then, it would only be in the privacy of his own mind. He was forced to leave the house so suddenly, without preparation. Anybody would have lingering feelings after that. There were many things Sanji wished he had had the chance to say to the old man, face to face. He knew he would have the chance eventually, but it felt like centuries away.

Sanji sighed as he ran a hand through his blond hair, pushing it out of his face and looking around his apartment. He stuck a cigarette between his lips and looked back down at his lighter. The old geezer had always been tough on him. Sanji knew it was exactly what he needed, it kept him in line when he wanted to go wild many times, and he owed so much to him. The lighter Zeff had given him before he left the country was one of the few things the old man had ever physically given him, besides a good kick in the ass whenever he was out of line.

The lighter had obviously been custom made, just for him. It had a wooden texture to it. On one side of it, there was a skull and cross bones wearing a chefs hat. The left side of its face was covered by the hat and above the eye on the right sat a curly eyebrow. There was also a bit of stubble carved into the chin. On the other side, there was a message carved into it. "I'm proud of you Eggplant. –Zeff" Every time Sanji looked at it, it brought tears to his eyes. He would wipe them away as quickly as they came, but he tended not to turn the damn lighter around when he used it.

Sanji flicked open the lid and hit the flint, setting the flame. He brought it up to his cigarette and soon, the stick began to glow a dull amber at the end. After a second, he pulled it away again, letting go of the switch and shaking it until he was sure the flame was smothered before closing it back up. He let his head fall back and thunk against the front door as he inhaled deeply, enjoying the way his lungs burned as it filled with the earthy smoke.

"I wonder what they would think if they could see me now…" Sanji grumbled to himself before he pushed himself off the floor and made his way to the kitchen.

Sanji grabbed a tie off the counter and reached behind him, tying up his blond hair that was currently sitting at his shoulders in a messy ponytail, leaving his bangs in front of his face. He almost always put his hair up but today he had forgotten because he was in such a hurry to get to school. Even though he had gotten there early anyway.

Sanji went through the fridge until he found the pot filled with last night's stew. It didn't take him very long to find it, mostly because there wasn't much food in there. He couldn't afford much at the moment, but he hoped that would change soon. Sanji pulled a ladle out of one of the drawers and scooped a heaping of stew into a bowl. He stuck it in the microwave and took another drag of his smoke. Sanji looked around his one bedroom apartment. It was pretty empty at the moment. The only furniture he had was what came with the apartment. A couch and a coffee table, a table with a set of two chairs, and an old TV. He couldn't afford cable at the moment though so the TV sat uselessly on its stand at the moment. His room was no better either. Just a bed and a dresser. Not like he had a choice though. He'd already spent all his money and he couldn't afford luxuries for himself.

Sanji rented the place because it was cheap. Apartment number four of six in the Mary District. The first three apartments were multiple bedroom apartments, the last three only had one. Guess that means that Mosshead is living with somebody. A roommate, maybe family? He could be living with a girlfriend, no, they would probably share one bedroom then. Sanji shook away from the thought and turned back to his meal.

*Beep. Beep. Beep.*

Sanji grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around his hand before reaching into the microwave and pulling out his bowl of stew. He set it on the counter and pulled out a spoon, putting out his cigarette in a nearby ash tray. He dipped the spoon into the steaming bowl and withdrew it with a chunk of meat sitting in the middle. Sanji let his thoughts derail again as he ate in silence. That caveman Mosshead couldn't even use a spoon when I offered him my food, Well, I guess I never offered him one but I didn't expect him to just start drinking. Did he even enjoy it? Of course he did, I wouldn't have offered him any if I didn't think it was good. So why did he pretend like he didn't like it? He's just an asshole, that's why.

Sanji finished off his soup and stuck it under the faucet. He turned on the hot water and went about cleaning the dishes, adding the thermos from lunch to the pile. He dried them off before putting them back in their respective cupboards. Sanji plopped himself on the couch and pulled his laptop out of his bag. He turned it on and typed in his password, opening up his email first thing and checking for any news from Zeff. Yup, the old geezer had messaged him.

Hey Eggplant,
The restaurant is doing fine without you. I knew you would be worrying about it so I thought I would just tell you. Patty and Carne won't shut up about how much they miss you and I have to give them a good wallop almost every day now. They know why you left. I know you tried to hide it from them but they aren't stupid. I'm sending you over the rest of your cooking equipment and clothes so don't suddenly go switching addresses. You and I both know this is only temporary but I still think that you should try and make some friends. I don't need you being alone in another country, and don't get in any damn fights!
-Zeff

Sanji groaned and began typing back a response.

You old Geezer,
Quit worrying about me and focus on the damn restaurant. If that place goes belly up while I'm gone I'm gonna come over there and kick your shitty old ass. And tell those two morons that it doesn't matter why I left, the point is that I'm gone and I'm not coming back. Thanks for sending me all my shit. I would have brought it all over myself but your cranky old ass wouldn't give me enough time to. Don't have a heart attack on the way to the post office. And don't worry about me making friends, I've already been dragged into a group of people that don't seem to want to let me go.
-Sanji

Sanji looked the email over, nodding once he was satisfied and hitting 'send'. He closed down his email and moused around his desktop until he found his spreadsheets. He spent the next few hours sorting out his expenses. It was a long and grueling process, but it needed to be done, and he was the only one in the house after all. He couldn't just make somebody else do it for him like he really wished he could. Once he was satisfied with his work, he closed everything down again and shut his laptop, plugging it into the wall and allowing it to charge.

Sanji shuffled to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, staring at his reflection in the mirror as he did so. Curly-brow, huh? Sanji traced a finger over his eyebrow, following the swirly path it took with his index finger. He growled angrily as he thought back to his fight and turned his head to the side. He eyed the nasty bruise that now sat where his jaw met his neck. It was a deep purple and since he had gotten it, it had throbbed with pain. He probably should have gone to the school nurse to at least get some sort of pain meds, but he didn't want to risk running into that Mosshead getting patched up.

Speaking of Mosshead, Sanji seemed to be stuck with him. They shared two classes together and they're also stuck living three doors down from each other. It's almost like I'm being punished. In no way did that mean that Sanji had to be nice to him though. But that Luffy kid seems to have other plans… Sanji thought back to the people he'd met at school. They were good people that much he could tell. What were their names again… Sanji wracked his brain as he tried to remember because he was sure he would be dragged back to their circle tomorrow. The beauty with the orange hair was Nami~. Mosshead's name was Zoro, or something like that. Then there was Luffy and his poufy haired friend Usopp. What was the last one… the kid… oh yeah, Chopper. It's not that Sanji was looking forward to spending his next lunch with them, he just didn't want to be rude and forget their names.

Sanji finished up brushing his teeth. He walked across the hallway to his bedroom and changed into a pair of pajama pants. When he looked back over at his clock, he was disgruntled to see it was still only seven at night.

"I guess I can practice my Japanese… or maybe I can look online for some new recipes to try out…" Sanji murmured to himself as he looked around his room. The carpet was an ugly green colour and it clashed with the blue-striped wallpaper. Then again, you couldn't really be picky when the rent was as cheap as it was. He could probably save up enough money and as the landlord if he could replace it. All that aside, the room was still pretty empty so he didn't have to clean it, and he didn't have to work until tomorrow. Today was probably going to be one of the few relaxing days he would have. Sanji would have liked to have been able to just fall asleep or lay down and watch and watch some DVD's on his laptop, but he just couldn't sit down. His mind was always reeling and he constantly had to be doing something.

Lunch! He still had to make tomorrow's lunch. What to make, what to make. Sanji paced around his kitchen as he thought up what he could make that would still keep within in his budget. There was still plenty of stew left, and he wouldn't allow himself to waste food. He was probably going to get sick of stew pretty fast, but there was no helping it. Food's food and it has to be eaten. If he didn't want to keep eating it every day, he shouldn't have made so damn much.

Okay, stew would be the main meal. What would he have with it then? There were already carrots and potatoes in the stew so it would just be overkill to pair either of those things with it. Sanji spent the next twenty minutes trying to think up what to pair with his stew before settling on making rice. He'd been smart enough to buy a rice maker before he ran outta money, rice was real cheap and damn easy to make. But he would have to make that tomorrow morning, rice didn't keep well for very long.

Sanji looked back to the clock that he kept on his kitchen wall. Only 7:30. Right. Now what to do…

Eventually, he decided on finishing whatever unpacking he had left. He had only brought three or four boxes and a luggage bag with him so he didn't have much, Zeff was sending him the rest. He pulled the last box out from behind the couch. It wasn't labelled, but he knew what was in it. He knew because he had been avoiding opening it since Zeff had packed it away. Sanji stared at the box for a while before slowly pulling away the tape that held it shut. He pulled open the cardboard flaps and reached inside, removing the plush toy. He held the bear up by its armpits and stared into its black, button eyes. His grip tightened and he pulled his elbows in, bringing the bear closer to his body as he dropped his head. It had been years now, he should be fine to at least touch the thing, but it still felt like it burned every time. Sanji forced himself to stand and carried the bear to his room, placing it on his dresser and laying down in his bed.

Sanji stared up at his ceiling. It was just a ceiling, in no way interesting. But somehow, he felt like it deserved his attention for as long as he could give it. For as long as he could go without looking back at the toy that now sat in his room. He would have left it in the box. Hell, he would have left it back in France. But that wouldn't be right.

Sanji let out a ragged sigh as he felt the tears well up in his eyes. He pulled his pillow out from under his head and buried his face in it, biting his lower lip so hard he tasted blood. The taste reminded him of the fight from this morning. Watching the Mosshead spit pink after getting clocked in the face with one of his kicks, but still refusing to go down. He was definitely going to be feeling that kick to the ribs in the morning, he'd aimed that one especially well. Sanji laughed weakly through the tears that were now spilling down his face. I'd like to fight that guy again if I can. Now that I think about it… it helped me forget for a little while.

Sanji threw his pillow away from him and started to drag his fingertips soothingly over his chest. The feeling never failed to calm him down whenever he would get upset. He had no idea how he came across it, he just started doing it once after an especially bad day.

What time was it now? Eight? Maybe nine? He'd gotten so lost in his thoughts and his moping that it had probably been at least an hour. It didn't matter. Anytime was late enough to go to sleep at this point. It had been an exhausting day, running around and trying to find his classes, getting in a fight on the first day. He just needed to sleep it off at this point. Sanji reached behind him and pulled the ponytail out of his hair, curling up under his blankets. Where the fuck is my- oh yeah… Sanji didn't need a pillow to sleep anyway…

He woke at six when his alarm went off. He would have loved to have just gone back to sleep for another hour, but he had too much to do that morning to risk sleeping in. Sanji threw his blankets off and shuffled over to the bathroom, starting up the shower and allowing it to warm up before he jumped inside. The hot water gliding over his skin was a welcome feeling compared to how sweaty and cold he had just been feeling moments earlier. It had not been a good night's sleep. It never seemed to be anymore. But there was no point in dwelling on it right now, he had shit to do and he couldn't focus on all his stupid drama.

Sanji grabbed his citrusy shampoo from the shelf in his shower and poured a small amount into his hand. He ran it through his hair and revelled in the sweet smell. Who gives a fuck if it's girly, it smells good and anybody who says otherwise can say it to my foot. After he'd soaped up and washed his entire body, he turned off the shower and stepped out wrapping a towel around his waist and looking himself over in the mirror. That bruise that Zoro had given him was still horrifically prominent. Purple and swollen, it looked a lot more painful than it actually felt though. He brushed the knots out of his hair and then got work on cleaning his teeth, washing out the morning breath with every scrub. His jaw locked open and he could have sworn he felt one of his jaw muscles spasm, it hurt like fucking hell to pop his mouth shut again and he massaged his jaw in small circles with his free hand. Okay maybe it does hurt as bad as it looks. Shit, if I could afford painkillers, I probably would have taken at least seven by now.

Sanji went back to his room and threw on a pair of jeans and a waffle shirt, T-shirt combination. He walked over to the kitchen and started to make the rice for his lunch. He ladled a serving of stew into his thermos and packed it in his lunch bag. One the rice was done, Sanji seasoned it and scooped it all into a Tupperware container and put it in his bag along with a bottle of water and some utensils. He reached a hand up and checked his hair, satisfied with how dry it was, Sanji put it up in a ponytail. He'd considered cutting his hair a few times, but he never got around to it. Now was probably as good a time as any though.

Sanji threw the rest of his school supplies in his bag and grabbed his keys off the counter. He grabbed a muffin that he had made the other day and buttered it, sticking it in his mouth as he walked to the front door. He scuffed on his shoes and took one last look around his empty looking apartment before walking outside, closing and locking the door behind him. He looked around outside and noticed the chaos unfolding in front of apartment number one.

"You MORON! I'm not lying this time! It's almost eight and you need to get your ass to school. Now GET. OUT!"

"And why the HELL should I believe yo- GAH!" Zoro's protests were cut short when his sister, what was here name again… Kuina, kicked his ass out the door and threw his schoolbag at his head. Sanji cringed as he watched Zoro rub at the back of his head. Zoro looked around him and saw Sanji looking in his direction. He glared at the blond and made his way down the stairs, rubbing at his eyes sleepily and turning down… the wrong direction..?

"Oi! Mosshead! The school is the other way!" Zoro stopped dead, his right foot still mid-step and he turned around in a half circle, stomping off in the other direction. Sanji followed behind him and watched the muscle head try multiple times to go in the wrong direction. Sanji would shout at him every time, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt a couple times to point him where to go.

"If you get this damn lost all the time, why don't you have written directions?"

"They're on my phone and I forgot to charge it last night, now quit following me you damn Curly-brow!"

"I'm following you to make sure you get to school on time you shitty Mosshead!"

"I didn't ask for your help!"

"I can't stand to watch a dying animal struggle so just suck it up and follow behind me!" Zoro grumbled angrily under his breath but slowed down, allowing Sanji to pass him so he could follow behind.

"Do you want to hold my hand so you don't wander off?" Sanji raised his eyebrows and turned around to look at Zoro, whose face was turning bright red. His fists were clenched and he looked like he was about to swing for the blonds head but Sanji ducked out of the way and took off running. Checking behind him every once in a while and laughing hysterically as Zoro chased him all the way to the school.

"COME BACK HERE YOU CURLY-BROWED BASTARD!"

"YOU HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST MOSSHEAD! LUCKY FOR YOU I LIKE PLAYING HARD TO GET!"

"I'M NOT CHASING TAIL YOU MORON! I'M KICKING YOUR ASS BACK HOME!" Sanji howled with laughter, running as fast as his long legs would carry him until he made it to the front gates of the school. Sanji leaned on his knees as he caught his breath, laughing in between each gulping intake. I hate that asshole… but damn is he fun to fuck with. Sanji looked back up and saw Zoro standing almost right next to him, balled over and trying his damn hardest to breathe properly. He reached a hand out every once in a while to attempt getting a hit on the blond, but it never landed. Sanji straightened up and looked over at Zoro, smiling down at his work. Damn, he looks exhausted.

"Well! Looks like we got to school early.. again. I'm gonna have a smoke." Zoro looked up at the blond quizzically. He didn't look at all surprised, which didn't shock Sanji. He knew his voice was a bit raspy now thanks to his habit, you'd have to be pretty dumb not to notice that much.

"You shouldn't… smoke… in school…" Zoro lectured the blond in between gasping breaths.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the heads up mom." Sanji murmured around the fresh stick in his mouth. He pulled out his lighter and flicked it open, hovering a hand over the flame as he set the end of the cigarette ablaze. He inhaled the smoke and let it fill up his lungs before blowing it back out into the crisp, morning air. Sanji looked back over at Zoro and chuckled, Zoro just rolled his eyes and knocked the dirt off his pants. A lot of people found it weird that he could laugh directly after smoking without coughing up a lung. Sanji didn't know how he did it either. Probably because he'd been smoking practically his whole life, since he was at least twelve.

The two stood silently for a few minutes while Sanji smoked. Sanji had half expected Zoro to make a move to attack him again during the moment of silence, but when nothing came, he allowed himself to relax and lean against the stone wall that sat outside the school, separating it from all the trees. Sanji took the moment to look around and take in the scenery.

Sabaody High was situated on top of a hill. Not a very steep hill, but a hill none the less. It was almost on the outside of town and right next to Rouge Park, so there were plenty of trees and small wildlife that you didn't see deeper into the city. The road that led up to it was wound around the hill multiple times and the Sanji could almost see his apartment from where he stood. Not much of it, just some of the roof really, but it was there. He'd gotten really lucky with finding an apartment AND a school so close to each other for so cheap. He was also lucky that he'd transferred at the beginning of the second semester.

It was late February out, it was still a bit chilly but there was nothing he could do about it. Sanji rubbed the palms of his hands together as he let his smoke warm him up from the inside out. Sanji took another drag of said cigarette, closing his eyes and enjoying the silence that was so comfortable between the two of them.