Sitting at lunch, I pushed my food around on my tray, not really in the mood to eat anything, so much had changed so quickly, I swore I had whiplash, first with dating Arthur, then moving into uncle Roderich's house, Gilbert being put in the hospital, the more frequent visits to Antonio by request of the school, and the growing torment from the other students. I don't think I can wrap my head around it all. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes, plus I have been having trouble sleeping, cause my mine just won't shut off at night anymore, I'm so used to life with Gilbert that... None of these good things happening in my life seem real, I feel like I'm still in the past, hating my life. When a wad of paper hit the back of my head, I sighed, keeping my eyes down on my food, ignoring the laughter I heard behind me.

"Hey faggot!" Glancing back briefly, I noticed Alfred sitting at the table with the rest of the football team, only he wasn't laughing, glaring at the other, he stood up with his tray and walked over to the table I was sitting at.

"God they're such dicks sometimes! Sorry Lutz, I tried to stop them." I waved it away, taking a small bite of the pizza I had halfway destroyed with my fork, Al chuckled, and shook his head, looking down at his own food. "Do they do stuff like that often?" As I nodded, he sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"It started the day I returned from the hospital, but I'm getting used to it." He didn't say anything, instead he just took a huge bite of pizza, probably to give him time before he had to talk, otherwise he'd be talking with his mouth full, like normal.

If Gilbert can't do it, someone else will. You're life is so pathetic, no matter where you are, someone will torment you, like everyone should.

Times like these, I kinda missed the other voice, at least it made me feel a little better. Looking up as Feliciano and Kiku sat down at the table, the Italian grabbed a napkin and started brushing at his shirt with it, making Alfred give him funny look, Kiku sighed.

"Someone threw food at him..." His dark eyes shifted to something, then got wide, turning in my seat, I noticed that Arthur's path to the table had been blocked by two of the biggest members of the football team. Al looked back too, when the look on Arthur's face turned to fear, we both scrambled out of our seats and over to them.

"Yo! Assholes! Leave my bro alone! How many times do I have to tell you?!" As they turned and glared at Al, I moved over to Arthur, who looked up at me, then away quickly, sighing, I put my arm around his shoulders, walking with him to the table. Feli and Kiku looked at each other, then over at the Brit sadly, for some reason, he was still their favorite target, even though he wasn't as flamboyant as Feliciano.

"Ve... What did they say this time?" He sat silently, just staring at the table, putting my hand over his, he turned his head, shifting his gaze over to me, he smiled a little, then sighed.

"It was just the normal shit... About how I'm disgusting, a freak of nature..." He didn't normally looked scared when they said stuff like that though, there was something he wasn't telling us, squeezing his hand a bit, he shrunk back a bit.

"What else did they say...?" He shook his head, keeping his eyes down again, something defiantly wasn't right. "...Did they threaten you?" He hesitated, then nodded slowly, barely looking up as Alfred sat down with Matthew right behind him.

"You okay Iggs?" He nodded, and I sighed, seeing him like this was torture in itself, he would do anything to help someone, yet all these other students treat him horribly, he could turn around and use being Student council president to ruin their clubs, cut funding to sports, or ever shut them down altogether, yet he doesn't. Mostly because they have him scared that if he does, they'll beat him up, or do something to him, and I hate seeing him so terrified.

Walking out of the lunch room with Arthur, I gently pulled him down a hall and into one of the smaller less used guys bathrooms, checking around to make sure no one was there, I turned to him, and sighed.

"Please, tell me what they said." He just shook his head, I just watched him as he leaned up against the wall, shifting uncomfortably as he glanced up at me, then away quickly.

"Don't worry about it Lud... It's not something that should bother you..." Moving over till I stopped in front of where he stood, I put my hands on either sides of him, he looked up at me, somewhat shocked.

"Arthur, I'm not just going to sit back and watch those idiots do this to you. I didn't agree to go out with you just to see you be miserable." Suddenly he wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my chest, with I sigh, I slid my arms around him as well, startled to find he was shaking.

"I-I just don't want them to know I'm afraid!" Resting my uninjured cheek on his head, I felt his grip on the back of my shirt tighten. "I-it's getting to the point, that I'm almost afraid for my life... They're getting more and more violent with their threats and they're starting to say they'll hurt Feliciano, Kiku, or you... I can't take much more!" Jumping when the bathroom door burst open, we both looked over quickly, shocked to see Alfred there, looking frantic.

"Dude! Lud! I need your help! Now! They've surrounded Feliciano and Kiku!" Glancing over at Arthur, I ran out of the bathroom after Alfred, noticing my friends in the middle of the mass of football players. They were both on the ground, but Feliciano had his arms around Kiku, protecting the smaller Japanese teen from the onslaught of punches and kicks they were being dealt. Running faster, I pulled some of the football players away, knocking one back on his ass, Alfred and I fought our way through the group, shoving them away as we went till finally they had backed away. Arthur ran over to us, kneeling down by Feli and Kiku instantly, the Italian looked up at us with unnaturally wide eyes, tears running down his cheeks, and trembling. Noticing the football players starting to get closer again, I blocked the three on the ground from one side as Alfred blocked from the other.

"Hey! What is going on here?! Break it up! Break it up!" Recognizing Veta's voice, I looked over quickly as the group slowly moved on, she walked over to us quickly, then sighed. "...Get them up and follow me..." Helping Feli and Kiku up, they were both shaking and crying, Veta glanced over, noticing Matthew off by himself, staring shocked, then turned to Alfred. "You stay behind, it looks like someone else needs you right now." Al nodding, then rushed over to Matt, seeming to make sure he was alright and that he hadn't gotten caught up in any of the attack. Shifting my gaze over to Arthur, he was staring at the ground sadly, almost guiltily, putting my hand on his shoulder, he looked over, then sighed.

In the nurses office, Veta did a quick check over Kiku and Feliciano to make sure they weren't to badly injured, then went into counselor mode.

"Boys... Can you tell me what happened?" Kiku sat there silently, the Italian looked over at him, then up at Elizaveta, his normally closed eyes still wide with fear.

"Ve. We had just walked out of the lunchroom, talking with Alfred and Matthew, and then the football team came over, and started giving Al a hard time because he was hanging around us. They started saying things like, if he didn't stop talking to us, they'd get him kicked off the team, or that they'd get ride of us themselves." He paused a bit, and I noticed Kiku shyly grab onto the others hand, still staying silent. "Then when Al stood up for us, they suddenly pushed him and Matthew away, and, starting attacking Kiku and me... When they wouldn't listen to Al telling them to stop, he must have run to get Lud to help him." She nodded, then looked over at Arthur and me, seeming upset.

"Did Alfred run and get you?" I nodded, and she hesitated. "You are all friends, why weren't you with them?" I glanced over at Arthur, he took a shaky breath then looked up at her.

"We were in the bathroom talking... Trying to avoid the same people that attacked them..." Now she looked a little confused, and as Kiku finally spoke, she turned to him.

"They've been giving arr of us troubre for a whire now, but mostry Arthur, today was the first time they had ever even done anything besides throw things at us..." Feli nodded, and Veta sighed while playing with her hair a bit, which it something she did when thinking.

"Since it's a first offense, the worst I can do is give them all Friday Night Schools, maybe cut the football season short but... That may just make things worse... I'm sorry to say that most of the students in this school aren't open to people who are different than them, so, I can't say that while you're in here, things are going to get better." Glancing over as Arthur slid his hand into mine, I could see the fear hidden in his eyes, if things got much worse, someone was going to be really hurt... "I'm not asking you boys to change, because, I think it's great you aren't afraid to be yourself, I really do, but, maybe, for the sake of your health, you should be careful of what you do in the school. Tone down a little bit, until the others can learn to except you, I'm afraid to say, things aren't going to be easy. You can go to class now, and, be careful." Standing up, I pulled Arthur to his feet, he smiled a little bit, then sighed, almost at the door, I glanced back as Veta said my name. "Ludwig, could you stay behind for a moment? I want to talk to you." I nodded, then looked over at Arthur, he sighed a bit, pushing him softly toward Feli and Kiku, he laughed and hurried to catch up with them.

"Ja? What is it?" She shifted some papers on her desk around, then looked up at me, shaking her head, seeming to be a mix of anger and sadness.

"Trouble just follows you around doesn't it?" The small smile I had slipped away as she stood up, and moved over to the door, closing it, then turning to me. "You finally get out of one hell, and jump right into another, Ludwig, what are you thinking?!" She grabbed my arm, pointing to all the scabs that were starting to turn to scars. "Are these not enough?! Okay, you're dating a boy, that doesn't bother me, and you know that wouldn't, but, letting a school full of homophobic students and staff know? You're just asking for problems!" I pulled my arm away from her, understanding what she was saying, and that it meant that she was just worried about me, but I couldn't believe she was saying it.

"I shouldn't have to hide that Arthur and I are dating, it's not my fault that they have a problem with it! It's not right that they can walk down the halls, holding their girlfriends hands, or that they can kiss them in the hallways, when, one of us gets within a foot of our boyfriends, and we have to worry about being beat up-!" She held up her hand to stop me, becoming more angry than anything.

"That's not exactly what I'm saying! If you're not the one being attacked, then you should stay out of it! I get that they're you're friends, I do, but you've been hurt enough!" I was horrified by what I was hearing, when I was younger, she always taught me to stand up for my friends, but now, she's telling me to let them be hurt?!

"No! I didn't stand up to Gilbert, and look what happened to me! I will stand up for my friends! They don't deserve to be hurt! Just like I didn't!" Yanking her office door open, I stormed out, knowing I'd get hell for it later, but I didn't care, she wasn't going to tell me that I can't protect my friends because she's scared of me getting hurt. These assholes weren't family, I had no problem knocking them out.

Look what you're doing. Causing problems for everyone again! Jeez, how many lives are you going to screw up? While you're here, ruining lives, someone else could be living, helping them instead. Just admit it, you're the worst thing in everyones lives!

Shut up already, you're more annoying than normal today.

Roderich and Elizaveta were happy without you around, and now they're doing everything they can to make you happy.

God, just shut up!

Alfred has to work hard to protect his spot as quarterback on the football team cause he's friends with you.

That's not true...

Feliciano and Kiku are afraid of doing something to send you off the edge again.

Stop lying...

Arthur is being tortured now that he's completely come out because he's dating you.

...

See? You're nothing but a burden. You thought surviving your brother and your suicide attempt was a good thing? Think again. It's a curse to everyone. The world would be better off without you. Everyone you care about would be better off. No one needs you. No one wants you.

Closing my locker, I headed toward Study Hall, sitting down at one of the empty tables, Alfred looked over curiously, then moved over to sit with me.

"Yo, dude, why did you sit here? I was just over there?" Looking up at him, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Sorry... I didn't see you..." He gave me another curious look, then looked down at the PSP in his hands, opening the book I head grabbed to where I left off, I scanned the words, not really even taking in what they were saying.

Was the voice lying? I couldn't tell anymore...

You're not even worth the time it takes to make up a lie.

Authors Note:

Yay! Back to long chapters! Well, to anyone who thought the story had taken a turn for the better, I hate to burst your bubble, but, it didn't~. Leave a review and let me know what you think! It really helps me out!