A/N: Again, this is NOT a pairing story. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please review and let me know what you think! :D
~Penelope
Theme: Separation
"What the h***!?"
"Master Nightray, please, calm yourself," said the headmaster calmly, steepling his fingers as he leaned his elbows on the desk, light from the window reflecting on his silvery hair – what was left of it. But Elliot had no intention of calming himself; they couldn't do this! They had no grounds to do this!
But of course, if he went too far, he'd get suspended, or worse, expelled… "Sorry, sir, but no! This is ridiculous!"
The headmaster shook his head while lowering his hands to clasp firmly on the desk top. "I'm afraid you're the one being ridiculous, Master Nightray. There's no need to get upset."
"There's perfect need to be upset, sir! Leo's my friend, but what's more, he's my servant!" Elliot tried his best not to scowl at the headmaster. "It's his job to stay with me all day!"
"But too much time and reliance between friends can create an unhealthy dependency on that friendship. So that it makes it difficult to be apart, and as you grow up, which you will, you will not always be together. This school does the same thing with siblings and twins; we separate them so that they have time to meet other students and socialize."
"We socialize just fine!" Elliot insisted, but the headmaster just shook his head.
"You and I both know that isn't true; most of the other students avoid you two, and you two are content to avoid the others, the teachers have told me so. Besides, that's not the point. The point is to ensure that you each can take care of yourselves on your own."
"But I can!" Elliot spat, trying to get the headmaster to understand that everything was fine. But the elder would not be swayed.
"There's no discussion; your schedules and classes will be altered so that you two have time apart. You will also be on separate teams in racquetball and riding."
Elliot sighed, barely clinging to his temper. "How long is this for, sir?"
The headmaster shrugged. "Indefinitely, Master Nightray."
Clenching his teeth, he felt the tension in his shoulders and knew that he had to get out of that office, or he'd explode or something. He stared at the floor with an intensity that belied his controlled exterior.
"Is that all?" he uttered darkly. The headmaster waited a moment before nodding.
"Yes, that is all; you may go."
Elliot spun on his heel and marched out of the office, hands balled into fists at his sides and back rigid. He shut the door behind him with a sinister quietness. For the longest moment, he just stood there outside the headmaster's quarters, glaring at the floor, hand hovering over the doorknob. Then slowly, he stalked down the hall, and around the corner…
Then the volcano erupted. He slammed his fist against the wall, wanting to feel something crush under the force of his knuckles as he growled out his rage in a stream of loud curses. His punch left a dent in the lovely wallpapered wall, and then he felt the pain, the consequence for his blow, a pain that made all the bones along his hand throb and ache. He yelled through clenched teeth, and clasped his other hand over bloodied knuckles, and rested his forehead on his thumbs, shoulders sagging.
Stupid teachers.
Stupid rules.
Stupid people.
Stupid social norms.
There were times he hated being a noble, despite what his pride told him. Sometimes, he just wanted to be a normal student, without rumors soiling his family's past, without a temper that rivaled Vesuvius. Without a surname that scared almost everyone away, and a temperament that made sure those that weren't deterred by 'Nightray' steered clear as well. A normal student with a normal life and normal friends who also had normal lives.
Stupid normal.
"Elliot?"
He jumped, and looked sidelong at his servant, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Or at least, from around the corner. Sighing, he tried to hide his hand behind his back.
"Leo – where'd you come from?"
Leo didn't even miss a beat. "What'd you do to your hand?" The noire's gaze was then drawn to the hole in the wall. "…And the wall?"
Elliot had the decency to look apologetic. "It was… an accident."
"The punch, or the hole?"
"Um… the hole. I expected…"
Leo cocked a brow. "What? That the wall would be harder?"
Yes. Elliot just stared at him dryly, before taking notice of the piece of paper his friend held in his hand. "What's that?"
Leo glanced at it as well. "Oh – my new schedule. I, uh… had a talk with the headmaster. I assume, with the wall and everything, you did too."
Elliot scowled in response, bringing his hands in front of him and slowly lifting his good hand away to inspect his wounded knuckles. That was answer enough, he figured. Leo was smart enough to figure it out from there.
True enough, Leo sighed. "Thought so… Hey, who knows; maybe the headmaster's right. This is probably for the best. And if anything, we'll meet some new people."
"Yeah, right, that's the last thing you want, and you and I both know it. If you'll recall how you so gracefully introduced yourself to me…"
"You were in the same boat, Mr. Noble."
"Oh… shut up."
Leo snickered. "So we're both bad with people. That's the whole reason for this, right? To get better at it."
Folding his arms over his chest, Elliot tucked his bleeding knuckles under his arm to try and cease their stinging. "Couldn't he just… tell us to get better at it without splitting us up like we did something wrong, d*****?"
"I think his reasons are good ones, Elliot. It'll do both of us good to get along alone for a while. That doesn't mean we can't hang out during our free time, and we do kinda live in the same house. You're not gonna die because you have to go through classes alone."
Elliot just chewed on the inside of his cheek and glared at the hole in the wall. He didn't like when other people were right.
He heard Leo sigh, and then his friend slugged him in the arm. "Quit moping, you baby. Come on; classes are over. Let's go to the music room." With that, Leo headed down the hallway, tucking the paper inside the book he was carrying. Elliot whirled around, eyes fiery, and darted after him.
"HEY! I'm not a baby!"
