*Yay, I actually got around to writing the fifth chapter!*

"You two get down from there NOW!" the janitor shouted, Jordin looking down to her soaked clothing in disgust.

"Oh, God, this is NASTY!" she said shrilly, waving her hands to be rid of the slop as though it were acid. Ruby rushed forward, cautiously patting her back and putting an arm around her shoulders while leading her back into the school.

She threw her head over her shoulder. "You guys go on home; I gotta take her to the nurse."

Freddy and Elliot nodded, walking outside. Some of the substance that hadn't spilled on Jordin had splattered on the concrete stairs. It smelled wretched. Elliot could've sworn he saw stick cloud forming above it.

Lesley and Vicky (against their will) climbed down the ladder they had set up, hopping down next to Leon. He took firm hold of each of their wrists, pulling them back inside after Jordin and Ruby to the principal's office.

Freddy let out a breath, trekking along down the sidewalk with Elliot. "What's wrong?" he asked curiously. Then he took a moment to reconsider. "Well, other then the fact we were nearly sludged with lunch leftovers."

Freddy cracked a grin. "If you can call it lunch," he chuckled. "But... I can't help thinkin' Connor set that up for US."

"Possibility," Elliot agreed with curt nod. "Very strong possibility. I don't doubt it."

"I know." Freddy looked at is boots, tightly hugging his book bag to his chest. "That's what I'm afraid of. When he finds out it didn't work AND that his girlfriend got busted, he'll kick both our asses into next semester!"

Elliot set a hand on his shoulder, halting them both. "Calm down. I have an idea-"

"Is it a good idea?" Freddy interrupted, caution in his tone.

Elliot gave him a stern look. "Are you honestly asking that question?"

"Yeah, I'm honestly asking that question. Is it, a good idea?" Freddy repeated.

"Why?"

"Well, if its not, it could either backfire, kill us, or place us in emergency care."

A pause. "You know, you're lucky you made complete sense saying that."

Freddy grinned. "I know.

"Yes, its a good idea."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Positive?"

"Absolutely one hundred percent."

"Fucking positive?"

"Yes, Freddy."

"I want'chu to say it is."

"I don't want to."

"Why not? 'Cause its a bad idea?"

"Because I don't curse," Elliot admitted.

"You don't curse?" Freddy asked.

"YES," Elliot repeated for the umpteenth time.

"Why?" the burned boy questioned.

Another pause. "Why're we even talking about this?"

Freddy shrugged. "I dunno, but its time wasting. And on my part time wasting is good."

"I'm not asking why," Elliot told him, eyes rolling as he continued down the sidewalk, Freddy in tow.

"Good," he breathed, staring down the street to the stop-signed corner. Redish-orange leaves had already gathered in small piles underneath the near barren trees, billowing off somewhere every time the wind blew.

"What was that?" Elliot said, stopping momentarily to let Freddy catch up, not quite hearing what he had said.

He just shook his head, saying, "Its nuthin'."

Of course, Elliot didn't believe him, but he was not the persistent type, and left it alone. He changed the topic back to his idea. "If you ask permission you can come over my house tonight. I could tell you there."

"Why not tell me now and get it over with?" Freddy complained.

"Because I like to hold suspense over people's heads," Elliot answered sarcastically. "You never know who could be eavesdropping out here. One of Connor's so-called 'friends' or Connor himself."

"True..." Freddy admitted.

Elliot cocked his head to the side. "How come you ask so many questions?"

Freddy grinned again, shooting back, "How come YOU have so many answers?"

Elliot blanked. "... touch '."

"Mmhmm," Freddy said with slight pride.

"Are you always like this?" Elliot said.

"Wha'da you mean?" Freddy said, brow raised.

"I mean, are you always so..." Elliot struggled to find the right word. "Pigheaded?"

"Huh?"

"... you haven't the slightest hint what 'pigheaded' means, do you?"

Freddy shook his head. "Nah. Language Arts ain't what I do. I'm more of a science, chemistry, blow-things-up kinda guy."

"I figured." Elliot sighed. "Stubborn. Why are you so stubborn?"

"What are you talkin' about? I ain't stubborn!" Freddy protested with narrowed eyes.

"I'm NOT. I'm NOT stubborn," Elliot corrected. "And yes; you are. For the most part, anyway."

"And why would you say that?" Freddy demanded, arms crossing, book bag now slung over shoulder much like Elliot's.

The pinned boy snapped his fingers. "See, you just did it again?"

"Did what?"

"Be stubborn."

"How?"

"You're doing it AGAIN."

"How am I being stubborn?- or pigheaded, as you say."

"By asking one too many questions," Elliot told him.

Freddy scoffed. "Yeah, okay. Maybe I'm just curious."

"Oh yeah," Elliot said with sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Just curious."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"No, not at all."

"Way to be blunt, El."

"Thank you."

"Sarcasm, dude."

"And now you're being stupid."

"Not cool."

"Deal with it."

"No," Freddy stated.

"Fine," Elliot said carelessly.

"Good."

"Perfect."

"Wonderful."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"You know what."

"Nuh- uh!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Lies!"

Elliot shouted in frustration. "Okay, just... go home, alright? Ask your parents if you can come over later. I live on Redwood Street, 1506. PLEASE don't bring your attitude with you."

Freddy smirked a metal- mouthed smirk. "No promises." His smirk gradually fell. "But I don't think I'll be able to come tonight."

Deciding not to ask considering that'd be 'intruding into others' personal lives' as his mother put it Elliot said, "Tomorrow?"

Freddy shrugged, looking to his boots. "I dunno. My... dad-" It sounded as though he regurgitated the word 'dad' and swallowed it again. "-is ah.." He couldn't finish the rest of his sentence, and stared hard at the ground.

"You're free on Saturdays, right?" Elliot questioned, and Freddy nodded. "Come over then. We would have the whole day to plan it out."

"Is that a good thing?" Freddy asked.

Elliot smiled. "It a great thing."

~The Next Day~

"What's your favorite color?" Elliot said abruptedly in the bus, sitting up front next to Freddy as before.

He gave him a slightly surprised look. Elliot caught it. "What?" he asked, confused as to why Freddy was shocked.

The burned boy shrugged it off. "Sorry. Its just... no one's ever bothered to ask me that. Or anything else about me, for that matter."

"Why not?" Elliot's head tilted to the side, and he instinctively pulled the hood of his navy blue sweatshirt down over his eyes, shadowing all of his face.

"Ah, I'm not a very interesting person," Freddy told him. "Um... blue."

"What kind of blue? Indigo, turquoise, the sky-"

"Are you always askin' for details?"

Elliot nodded. "I like knowing as much about people as possible.

Freddy began thinking. "Teal, I guess." He looked to Elliot. "You?"

The fourteen year old pulled his hood to the top rims of his spectacles, pointing to his eyes. "Deep violet." As quick as he'd done it he swept his hood down low again, frightened anyone other then the boy sitting next to him would see his suppose 'facial deformity'.

Freddy noticed this immediately, but mistook that Elliot felt sick to his stomach considering he'd let out a long breath, sinking into the seat as Freddy was, trying to disappear in the material.

"You okay?" he asked with concern, an eyebrow quirked as he looked over Elliot's figure for signs of struggle to breathe or skin paler then usual. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary other than his slightly strange behavior; he was usually calm, unnaturally so for a teenager such as himself under stress and such.

Elliot glanced to the side at him, catching the intense look of worry on his charred features that he was unsuccessfully trying to hide due to the fact any of Connor's cronies could see it and call him a pussy. Elliot knew Freddy hated being made fun of, and he himself hated it, too.

The pinned boy sighed heavily, looking to his converse. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Y- yeah, I'm sure."

Freddy was about to retort, obviously disbelieving, when the vehicle lurched to a stop in front of the school. Children were swimming amongst the building, lingering outside the door and meandering on the grass under the shadows of the near leafless trees.

He stood, snatching his bag from the floor. "C'mon, we better hurry 'fore we get nailed. Again."

"Freddy, you have GOT to use better grammar," Elliot told him, getting to his feet, his own book bag thrown over his shoulder.

"'Grammar' ain't my forte," Freddy admitted, following Elliot out into the isle, past the driver, down the stairs, onto the concrete sidewalk with the golden brown leaves crackling under their feet.

"ISN'T. ISN'T my forte," Elliot corrected. "And just to be honest, I'm rather surprised you know what the word 'forte' means."

"Hey!" Freddy exclaimed, eyes glaring lightly. Elliot merely chuckled with a soft smile.

"Well, well, if it ain't tweedle dumb and tweedle idiot*."

*Last line taken from episode six of Total Drama Island, courtesy of Duncan. Damn my now idea filled brain- ("Got that the fuck right!") -shut it, Joanne! ("Make me!") ("Here they go again...") ("Oh shut your trap, Jodie! You're just upset you can never get in on the arguments!") -sighs- That's my brain, alright. Four voices. Joanne's my imagination, Jordin (Ryder)'s my DarkSide, Jodie's my GoodSide, and Juliana's my Conscience. Its very hard to concentrate wit them yelling and arguing in your head all the time. REVIEW.*