I know I'm updating this one kind of fast, but I'm on a role. XD
I've always wanted to write about my expirences in High School, so now is the perfect time to impart on you, some of my knowledge...or something like that. DX

Thanks for the support...even if only one (Or two) of you is reviewing. (Give the rest of my readers an evil eye)

I notice that regardless that if I ask nicely or not, you people still don't review...hmm, what's up with that? o.O

Anyway, Here's chapter 3. Enjoy.

Chapter 3 - Followers and Leaders

"And that's the gym, the cheerleaders usually all hang out up there during the lunch hour, so we tend to avoid them. Not like there's any intelligent life up there anyway." Leo scoffed.

Ed sweat-dropped. "I'm sure they're not all that bad."

Russel laughed out loud for a second. "...Sorry, that was funny. Plastic's are pretty stupid. They say they're more social and well adjusted, but really, they're not; they keep secrets from each other all the time and stab eachother in the back. And that queen bee who hangs out with them is irritating."

"Queen bee? Winry?" Ed asked.

Leo shook his head. "No, Winry's not all that bad, when the preps yell profanities at us, she doesn't. I really don't know what her deal is, why she doesn't bug us, she is a plastic, right alongside the rest of them. But the one Russ is referring to is Clause. She goes out of her way to make our lives hell. I mean, I can deal with it, it's just Aria I'm worried about."

"Another friend of yours?" Ed inquired.

"Yeah, we went to middle school with her, she's really nice, but she takes being picked on pretty rough. Shame she's out sick right now. Oh, and then there's Bunny. Her real name's Paninya, but she got the name Bunny somehow. She's helping out her home room teacher for the rest of the dayso she's gone for now." He shrugged. "It use to just be the four of us, but now that you're here...that means we have a car load." He smiled wide and tapped Russel in the shoulder.

Russel snapped a finger and pointed at him. "You're right. We can tell your mom you can't take your cousin now."

"Huh?" Ed was confused.

Leo smiled. "We're going on a camping trip this weekend, and we were going to take my younger cousin, but now that you're here, I can get out of taking that little shit with us." He fixed the collar of his long coat. "This is great. And it'll get us some time to get to know you a little better. Good thing you reminded me Russ."

Ed was quickly spun around to come, nearly, face to face with Clause. "I don't know what your deal is." She began in the rudest tone she could muster. "But you better stay the hell away from us."

"What are you talking about?" Ed seemed to be a few steps behind everyone that day.

She planted her fists on her hips. "I saw what you did to him. So unless you want every sports team in the school, and me, after you, I suggest you back the fuck off." She gave him a shove, not too rough, just enough to make him stumble backward.

"Yeah, you better leave him alone. Freaks." Another girl antagonized.

"Know your place." The other followed up with a side to side head motion.

"Hey, here's an idea." Leo pushed his way in front of the girls. "Piss of and leave him alone, he didn't do anything to you. I don't even think he knows you morons. Besides, you're the ones who always bug us."

Ed spoke from behind Leo. "Also, Al's a big boy, I'm sure he doesn't need a scrawny little twit like you fighting his battles for him." He nodded.

Leo agreed. "Well put. Now stop bothering us."

Clause stood up on her tip toes and got really close to his face. "What are you gonna' do if I don't?" A smug expression on her face.

"This." Leo smirked and proceeded to make a 'hawking' noise in the back of his throat.

Clause backed down and covered her ears. "Eww! That's disgusting!" He got even louder. "Fine! I'm going. But remember what I said. Keep your distance." She began walking off.

"Hey Clause!" Leo yelled out.

"What?!" She turned only to hear a loud gulping noise. "Your repulsive!" She stormed off, her little sheep following behind her.

"That was so gross." Russel shook his head.

Ed couldn't help but laugh. "But funny. I take it that's the 'Clause' you were referring to."

Leo nodded. "Yeah...that's probably not the last we've heard of her." He turned back to Ed and Russel. "Anyway, back to what we were talking about before we were so rudely interrupted. Want to go with us? It's for the whole weekend. Aria said that she'd be going too, along with Bunny. We got separate tents just in case the folks are worried about anything 'bad' happening." He did little quotation marks in the air with his fingers at the mention of the word 'bad'.

Ed nodded. "I'm sure they'll have no problem with it, but I do have to check with them first."

"That's cool." Leo smiled.

"Your last name." Clause began, yet again, trying to capture Al's attention. "What nationality is it?" 'Hohenheim' wasn't a very common last name, so she was justified in asking about it.

"Oh, it's German. My parents are originally from Germany. Actually, mom's parents lived in this country, moved to Germany and mom was born there. When she grew up and met dad, they decided to move back here for work, where Ed and I were born and raised." He smiled. "If you ever meet my mom and dad someday, you'll notice that they still have a bit of an accent."

"What part of Germany?" Winry inquired.

Al smiled. It was one of the very few responses he got from her all lunch, and time was growing short. "Munich."

Winry nodded. "That's cool, my parents and I visited there two years ago, it's a really nice place."

Al's eyes widened. "Wow, really? Do you travel a lot?"

She nodded. "Travel? No, I just dragged all over the world with them. I'd much rather stay here."

Clause looked offended. "You got to go to Cypress a few years back. I'm jealous."

Winry raised an eyebrow. "I'll see if you can go in my place this year, I really don't want to visit Japan."

"Japan?" Al exclaimed. "Why not?"

She referenced her hair. "I'm tall, blond, blue eyed, and pale skin, I'll feel so out of place." Five foot six wasn't too tall by their country's standards, but in Japan, she would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll find plenty of places to shop to keep your mind of your freakish height." Clause discarded what she said. "Anyway, lunch is almost over, we should show Al to his next class."

Winry nodded. "English right? It's in the art room, we'll show you where it's at. Come on."

Alphonse's mood brightened. Winry was opening up more and more, he was really hoping to go out with her sometime after school.

"This is where I should go." Clause spoke up before they moved. "I'm on the other side of the school, I don't want to have to sit at the front, I should get there early." She smiled at Al. "See you later, Al."

"See ya'." He waved and immediately turned to face Winry. "Let's go." The other girls had taken off behind Clause, leaving Al and Winry alone; aside from all the other people in the hall, which wasn't a whole lot. "Where is the art room?"

Winry began walking. "Behind the stage. It doubles as storage when we have plays at the school, but it's an art room the rest of the time."

Al followed behind her, silently for a few seconds, but then quickly piped up. "What are you doing after practice?"

She looked over her shoulder briefly. "Why do you want to know?" She asked before turning back.

"Well." He began. "I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat at the mall. I'm still not familiar with the set up...and I was hoping you could help me out." He said with a self-satisfied grin.

Winry shook her head. "Sorry, I have a previous engagement."

"That's cool." Al was unshaken, he figured that she was still a little shy around 'the new boy', so he nodded. "I do want to invite you out somewhere sometime. So next time you're not busy--"

"I'll have to see." She kind of cut him off and turned around. "Here it is." She pointed up the stairs. "The regular English class is in room 202 most of the time, but that room is taken up by one of the school committee's for now, so the teacher will tell you when it changes back, ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah, great." For some reason, Winry's instruction was not only straight forward, but it was kind of scary. This was probably the reason for her being the captain of the cheerleading team and still only being in grade ten. She, from what he gathered from the girls talking, completely overthrew the last team head, and got win after win for their school in the competitions. Only three months into the school year and already at the top of her game, it was no wonder the girls followed her so loyally, and was a well respected team captain at that. "Thanks."

"Sure." With that, she walked off, not letting him get another word in.

Walking down the hall that lined the gym, she rounded the corner only to bump into Edward who was on his way to chemistry in room 101, thus knocking the binder he was carrying under his arm. "Sorry." She said as she picked it up and handed it to him.

He nodded. "That's ok." And he began walking around her when he stopped. "Winry." He called out to her, as she too was walking away. "I almost forgot." Ed wanted to see if her personality was different from the other girls like Russel and Leo said it was. It was only a small test, but it was worth a shot.

"Yes?" She walked back up to him.

Ed had looked the lab over and noticed some errors in it and was going to point them out to her. Removing the papers from his binder, he handed them to her. It was then that he actually caught a good look at her face. She had really pretty blue eyes, much like his own, and a really nice face, he was then stuck for words; he really was no good talking to girls.

"What is this?" She took the papers from his hand. "My bio lab? Where did you get this?"

Ed stuttered. "Y-you dropped it-it in the lunch room." His words were jumbled.

She smiled. "Thanks...was that all you needed?" She smiled sweetly.

He blushed and shook his head. "Well...I...It's uh. Just that, the uh...lab."

Winry frowned and took his shoulder and, with her free hand, gave him a swift knock in the forehead, not too rough though. "Confidence! Show some." She said with a smirk and rested to a position with her fists on her hips. "Start again."

Ed was shocked, he didn't much like being hit, but he knew she meant well. Taking a deep breath. "I noticed a few errors on your lab and wanted to help you fix them." He said in one fell swoop. He cringed and waited for her to laugh.

"Ok." She said with a nod.

"What?? Really?" He was really expecting her to laugh in his face or even brush him off, not to accept his help.

"I said, ok. I'm no good at bio, but I have to take it. Are you busy after school? You could show me after my cheerleading practice today." Winry asked with a smile.

Ed was nearly in shock. "Of course...great." He nodded. "Is the library ok? We'll need a printer to print off a good copy."

"Sure. I'll see you after practice, it's only for a half hour today, so you won't have to wait too long...is that ok?" She was quite polite to him, he was surprised to say the least.

Giving her a nod, he smiled. "Fine. I kind of wanted to look around this place anyway. I'll see you then." He waved and smiled.

She smiled in return. "Right. See you."

Ed held his binder tightly to his chest and sighed deeply. That went a whole lot better than his introduction at the beginning of the day. He was relieved; but with all that out of the way, he continued to his class.

Oooh, the lies. :P

Good news though, I've already got chapter four started. XD
Review please.