The next day I was getting ready for school. I was in the bathroom styling my hair (not that there isn't that much to style) when I hear a knock at the front door. "Hey bro can you get that?" Rufioh yells from across the house. "I'm in the bathroom." I called back 'I know your only fixing up your locks just go check." I rolled my eyes "what did I tell you about going commando while you sleep." I called back in annoyance. Without another word I walked out and to the front door. The first thing I saw was my friend's goofy double smile "Hey Tav." I quickly push him and walk out quietly closing the door behind me. "Gamzee what the hell do you think you're doing here?!" I whispered. He lazily smiles at me "I'm walking to school with you like always" he says as if it was common sense "did you forget about my brother?" he just shrugs, flipping his bangs covering his indigo eyes "he doesn't know me, and just look at me. He will think I'm a Hood." I sighed, "Alright fine." I open the door and walk back inside "just sit on the couch and let me finish getting ready." He stares down with a smirk on his face "and you should really put some pants on Tavbro." My eyes widen as I shoot a look down, I was still in my orange boxers. I walk away without even looking at Gamzee trying to hide my blushing face; I quickly walk into my room and slip on some faded back jeans. When I hear my brother yelling "Who the fuck are you!" "Look man put the gun down I don't mean any trouble." I heard Gamzee stutter out. I quickly run out of my room into the living room to see my brother pointing his gun at Gamzee who had his arms in the air "Bro what the hell! Put the gun down he's a friend of mine!" I said as I walk towards him. He glares at Gamzee and doesn't even look at me "are you a Hood or one of those HIGHCLASS SNOBS!" he yells as he clicks the safety off his gun. I run right between the two 'bro look at him! He's a Hood put the fucking gun down he's a friend of mine." I said as calmly as I could when I have a gun pointing to my chest. All he does is cock an eyebrow as he puts his gun back into his pocket. "Alright but next time tell me when you have friends over you know I shoot first and ask questions never." He says. I sighed in relief; I look over my shoulder to Gamzee who just gives me a small unsure smile. My brother walks down the hallway 'just get goin I'm going to go meet up with some buds and reminisce." Rufioh says as he walks into his room. I grabbed my backpack and walk out the door with Gamzee by my side. I walk out of the driveway and down the street "that was close." I sighed; I turned to Gamzee who was just staring at me "he could have killed you Gamz." I said with worry in my eyes
tHAT WAS TOO CLOSE, iF RUFIOH FOUND OUT HE WAS AN UPPERCLASSMEN HE WOULD HAVE HIS HEAD,,, aND MINE FOR DEFENDING HIM
when we walk beside an empty ally way Gamzee stops to look around before he grabs my wrist and takes me into the ally. He pushes me against the wall and just stairs at me; he looked too serious which was something you weren't used to. Even when he was jumped he didn't have that face. "Uhh…g-Gamzee?" he just leans in closer till is nose is just an inch away from mine. I started to blush and try to look down but he instantly brings his hand to my face to make me look at him in the eye
"don't you ever, EVER no matter what get in front of a gun for me again, I know that was your bro but it still scared me" he quietly says. He hugs me tight and my face is completely red "I don't ever want to lose you man, you're my best friend. I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you." He whispers "just promise me to never get in front of a gun again." He hugs me tighter, I hug him back just as tight "I promise" I whisper back
wOW,,, I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM THIS SCAIRED BEFORE,,,wHAT IF HE,,,? nO HE CANT POSSIBLY,,,,dON'T GO AND FOOL YOURSELF nITRAM HES JUST YOUR FRIEND,,, aND THAT'S ALL HE SEES YOU AS
He lets go of me and we walk out from the ally and towards our school, we both walked in just as the bell rang. I walked over to your classroom when I hear a loud bang. I looked over and see two Upperclassmen beating a Hood into a locker, one glances at me and I quickly run into the classroom.
oH GOD THERE GUNNA GET ME NEXT!...
(everyone knew that if someone witnessed a beating and were caught would be the next to be beaten, none of the teachers or anyone else did anything to stop it)
I quickly sit at a desk next to a girl with long raven black hair, I have talked to her a few times but she never really has anything to talk about, her name was Aradia and everyone knows she's the one that has it the worst. Her parents fight all the time and take it out on her, her sister committed suicide after one of her friends were killed for walking to close to the rail road tracks that bordered the two gangs, she's been beaten so many times because she was always at the wrong place at the wrong time and just three years ago she was nearly stabbed to death by an Upperclassmen named Cronus. I looked down at my desk and notice a folded piece of paper, I glanced towards her and she just stares at me then back down to the paper. I unfolded it
"they saw y0u didn't they 0_0?"
I glance up, the teacher was just going on about magnets
"yEAH,,,i JUST HOPE THEY DON'T JUMP ME,,,"
I passed the note back to her, she quickly writes something down and passes it to me
"y0u kn0w they will, unless y0u skip class and hide fr0m them"
"i CAN'T DO THAT I HAVE AN EXAM IN MY NEXT TWO CLASSES,,,i GUESS I WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE BEATING, i JUST HOPE MY BRO WONT FIND OUT OR HE WOULD GUN THEM BOTH DOWN,,,"
I pass it back and she quickly replies and just gives one glance to the teacher to see if he's noticed
"well g00d luck then 0n0"
I didn't want to write back, I just felt sick to your stomach just thinking about what's going to happen later on. During lunch I sat with my friends Sollux, Karkat and Nepeta
"You thould be careful you know thoth thnobth are going to beat you into a coma or thomething, ethpecialy thince they know your brother ith Rufioh." Sollux mumbles as he takes another bite of his pizza. "Are you sure you don't want to take my blade just in case?" Karkat asks. "That will just be a bigger reason for them to carve him like a turkey!" Nepeta interjects. I took one last bite of my burger "Look I'm just going to take it like a man ok I don't need a blade and I don't need help that will just cause more trouble.' I mumbled out. Karkat just looks at me, I know he's scared because he's been beaten a good few times before too and he still had a bruise on his lip from last time. "look Karkat I'll be fine it's not like my bro didn't teach me how to fight I know how to defend myself I might look like a wimp but believe me you don't want to see me when I'm angry." Nepeta giggled as she drank some apple juice "okay Hulk whatever you say." "Nep he could get seriously hurt." Karkat loudly whispered to his younger sister. (Karkat and Nepeta were with foster parents since they were little when their parents were in a car accident. They have different foster parents but thank god they live in the same town). After lunch I walked over to my next class, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a figure following me, instead of looking back I just started walking faster but so did whoever was following me. I started to panic, I kept walking faster and just looked down trying to look casual, until I slammed face first into a wall. The impact made him fall to the floor he looked up to finally see who was stalking him "Tavbro you okay?" Gamzee said as he reached an arm out to help pull Tavros up, Tavros sighed in relief that it was an Upperclassmen he wasn't afraid of. "Tav are you okay? Why didn't you stop when you saw me walking towards you? You're acting weird today bro." Gamzee said in a worried tone. Tavros looked across Gamzee's shoulder to make sure no one was watching, other people might have thought Gamzee was a Hood but everyone in school knew he wasn't. Thankfully everyone had already walked into their classes. I turned back to him "yeah I'm fine, uh, just a little, uhh, startled." He looks me in the eye, like if he knows I'm lying "it's just, uhh, I'm just nervous about exams, you know?" I said to break the silence, he gives me one more look then he stands up straight "yeah I guess a motherfucker should be nervous and stressed about that shit." He says as he pats my shoulder. He grabs my backpack from the floor and hands it to me "now hurry on up were late for class." He says with a smile. He gives me a hug then walks away to his next class as do I. The rest of the day was a relief, there was no sign of the Upperclassmen that saw I, but I still wasn't going to take it easy, I didn't even bother waiting for Gamzee afterschool and just started to walk home (I didn't wait for my brother ether because every time he goes to 'reminisce' he means he's going to be out drinking all day with some old friends or just other Hoods) I was halfway home when I see a dark blue 1986 Camaro drive up towards me and comes to a complete stop beside me, I see the Upperclassmen who saw me in the driver's seat opening the door. I start to panic as I started running but he quickly catches up to me tackle me to the ground. I tried to scream for help till he gagged me with a blue bandana, he had me pinned down my arms pressed roughly against my sides, he's holding them together with his knees when he pulls out a blade from his pocket and presses it against my face "I know you" he snarls "your Rufioh's Kid brother, you know that asshole pounded my cousin's face in before he went to jail, I think I should do the same here." He snarls pressing the blade tighter to my cheek; I could feel a small trickle of blood run down my cheek as I tried to hold back tears. I close my eyes shut just waiting for him to slice me, until I hear a grunt and feel the weight pulled off of me, I shoot my eyes open to see Gamzee throwing the guy to the ground, stomping on his hand with the blade till he let go. He kicked the Upperclassmen roughly on his side and snarled at him "what the fuck do you think you're doing!?" the guy looks up at him "that Hood saw me in action, you know the drill." He spat back which just made Gamzee even angrier, he leaned down and punched the Upperclassmen "you do NOT hurt HIM!" he yelled as he punched him again. The Upperclassmen tried to cover his face to deflect the punches "What's with you man! What makes this Hood any different than the other trash?!" Gamzee grabbed the Upperclassmen's wrist and twisted his arm; I could swear I heard the bone pop "HE IS NOT ONE OF them!" he accented the last word with a growl. The Upperclassmen finally got up and ran towards his car, Gamzee just chased after him till the guy got into the car and quickly drove away. Gamzee quickly turned back and ran towards me "are you okay bro?" he whispered as he wiped the drying blood off my cheek with his sleeve "Gamz how did you find me?" "I realized you were in trouble when you didn't wait up for me like usual, so I just walked over here till I saw him tackle you down, I was so afraid man, I thought he was going to kill you." He answers in a worried tone. "And he would have if you didn't get in the way." He chuckles "I guess we both saved each other's asses today." He helps me up "Come on man let's get you home and clean that shit till your brother finds out."