(Ally's Notes: my feels...)

Stranger: It was odd, as much as people talked about him before, now it was ten times worse. Everyone making guesses, assumptions about what he freaked out about. The odd part about it was realizing that for all they knew about him being a flirt, for him being the social butterfly he was, and as much as he talked to people, no one really seemed to know anything about him. Not where he lived, not what his family was like, not where he went when he wasn't at school or a party, like beyond the mask he wore there was nothing and no one seemed bothered by that at all. He came in sitting in next to Arthur seemingly nervous but not nearly as trigger happy as he had been yesterday, though he had that same exhausted look to him, and was still limping. "...we need to talk Arthure." his voice soft enough only he could hear, but urgent.

You: Arthur looked up from his careful holding of a delicate egg. Francis wanted to talk? He put the egg on a balance before wiping his hands on a paper towel. "What about?" He asked and turned to him.

Stranger: "Its personal, i'd prefer not to do it here and now." he muttered out quickly, actually intently focusing in on their work. "Roderich went home earlier, the music room after class. Its important."

You: This was weird. From what he had seen from Francis so far, he had never seen him this serious about something. But everyone had their different sides. He went back to work and nearly spilled the water. What did he want to talk about? He tried to calm. There was a lot of subjects... God! He didn't want to beat him up did he? Was he going to sick the football team on him? He shouldn't go. But he didn't want to make him an enemy. That was a rule! He sighed. He had to go. Maybe he could arm himself with a pen or something. Just in case. Now, put the egg in the water and cover it.

Stranger: He stayed quiet, and disturbingly focused on his work. Not a word from him, not even to flirt with the people trying desprately to get his attetntion. He hadn't even brought his art or his writing today it seemed. Standing when the bell rang starting to head to the door when amanda stopped him scowling to her quietly. "I am really in no mood today dear, If you could find a less troublesome time to talk to me, that would be wonderful." alot more straight forward and less sugar coated than he usually gave her but it was more than obvious to anyone he was out of sorts.

You: Arthur was getting a little disturbed. He wasn't flirting? Must be serious... Now where was the music room? He had never been there before. He stopped Kiku to ask him where and the Jap pointed him in the right direction.

Stranger: Francis was standing in the doorway, waiting there for him. Fingers tapping nervously on his arm, keeping his head low. "Come on Arthure, don't ditch me like this..." he grumbled softly. Looking up seeing him on his way, letting out a long relived sigh.

You: He didn't say a word to him as he walked in. He reached the piano before he turned around to face him. His arms crossed and he raised an eyebrow at him. "What's this about?" He asked with a piecing green glare.

Stranger: He shut the door after he entered, turning to face him, nervously bringing his fingers through his hair over his shoulder. He let out a long shaky sigh looking up towards Arthur remaining silent for a while, his own eyes meeting with those harsh green orbs that seemed to stare straight through him. Straight through his plastic smiles and social masks. "...what do you know about me?"

You: "What do I...?" He stood confused for a second. "You're a French guy who seems to be somewhat bipolar from my point of view, you care what people think about you, you have some built up anger, you hide yourself behind a mask of flirting and you like to draw." He paused to take a breath. "Why?" He was still a bit confused as to what he meant by this seemingly meaningless conversation.

Stranger: "Bipolar? Anger? I wish it were that simple." he muttered quietly shaking his head slowly Though he didn't deny the fact he was hiding or liked to draw. "non, I don't believe you. What did you find out about me? How did you know?" he seemed scared senseless that he could even possibly know anything about what he might be hiding.

You: "How did I find out about you? Well let's see, the entire school talks about you! The teachers know you by first name. Jeeze it seems like you run the school! And how did I know about your stupid mask? I took a guess based on the facts around me. You make it seem like I want to work with you but when I take a glance at you again, you seem almost relived that you are working alone. Your eyes look like you are constantly lying." He took a breath. It felt good to let out his anger sometimes. This was one of those times... But he didn't feel like staying here for much longer.

Stranger: "my...my eyes?" he seemed confused by that slowly looking away from him staring outside even though he remained in the doorway. "...No one else bothers to look that close." he muttered out softly.

You: "Because you never let them that close." Arthur concluded. He shifted his weight, and when he took too long to reply, he spoke again. "Can I go now?"

Stranger: "Thats not it Arthure..." he laughed weakly shaking his head stepping towards him. "All they see is...just some pretty boy with everything in the world going for him. They don't care, none of them do. No one cares to even try to get close..." looking to him. He didn't know why, he couldn't explain it but...for some reason he...he wanted to tell him. Wanted to...to let him in. Maybe because he actually bothered to find the cracks in his mask. "If someone even bothered to look for more than a glance they...they'd see what you did..." pulling his hair away from his shoulder, a deep scar that cut down along his neck and ran down the back of his shoulder. "...they'd see the cracks."

You: His eyes widened slightly as a frown overtook his face. He was tempted to take a step closer, but didn't dare. He blinked, trying to make sense of it. "What happened?" His voice was barely audible. He had never seen an injury so great. Why was he showing this to him? What was to be gained?

Stranger: "Dad goes nuts. Gets a knife,mom and me end up in the hospital, he gets life. Mom doesn't make it...you fall though the system and end up living on your own for the next five years." shrugging sheepishly a weak smile coming over his face. "You can imagine the questions people would start asking if they bothered to look."

You:Arthur took a step towards him. He most likely doesn't want his comfort or his pity. "Don't you have any relatives? " what happened to don't metal in people's personal lives? Wasn't that a rule? No? He should have made it one. Just by coming to this room today he found out more about Francis then he ever intended to. Who knew someone could be so messed up? On the outside, he looked like he was getting through it fine. But he had to be hurting.

Stranger: "Non..." he murmured out softly shaking his head quietly. He didn't pull away as he stepped towards him like he always thought he would if this ever happened. Then again he never imagined flat out telling someone about it like this. He always figured someone would just...stick their nose where it didn't belong or, go looking into things and confront him about it. Never did it play out in his head like this. "it...gets lonely but I've managed." 5 years...he'd been on his own since he was eleven if that was the case.

You: "And you have been by yourself all this time?" He said as he was tempted to take another step closer. Francis looked so alone where he stood. A tragic prince. He felt the urge to comfort him. To embrace him and tell him everything would be okay, like he would do with his kid brother. But that would seem awkward. Two boys of the same age... Very awkward.

Stranger: "...yeah." he mumbled going over sitting down at the piano bench by where Arthur stood, bringing his hair back around to hide the scar again. "I have my art and my work but thats about it. If you don't count all the sheep." he snorted the last part out like it disgusted him. "You...were right about me, what you said about the mirror."

You: " I knew I was." He said clearly as he looked down at him. "Sheep?" He mumbled quietly as he didn't understand what he meant by 'sheep'. A silence lingered between them before Arthur turned fully towards him and crouched to meet his eyes. "You know, you aren't the only person in the world that has lost a parent."

Stranger: "I am well aware, I can't think of many who can say they walked in on their father sodomizing their mom with a knife then got slashed up themself to keep them quiet about it." he scowled softly. That and there were about a million and one other problems with him he'd rather not get into- one thing at a time. Sighing softly looking him him smiling weakly. "though...that sounds like the voice of someone whose lost someone too."

You: "My father. I loved him deeply." Well, Francis opened up so he had to the same. "And his death was my fault." He swallowed and looked away before continuing. "We were driving home from the library. It was my first time going and it was just me and him. I was reading a book to him as he drove, but I got to a word that was troubling me. I had him look at it, and he picked up the book. And his hands were hardly on the steering wheel, his eyes weren't on the road. Suddenly, a car comes towards us on the left and... He was gone." He fought back tears. "I was six." Just old enough to build a bond with someone.

Stranger: He remained quiet for a moment or so, at first not sure what to say. "I...I know for a fact the last thing anyone wants to really hear in this situation is 'im sorry' and other things that really mean nothing..." a hand going to his shoudler absently rubbing it a bit. "What I can say is that...I do understand. My mother was everything to me...I know that pain you must have felt and...that weight you still carry." reaching out gently thumbing away a single tear that started to escape. "Would you...maybe want to come over for a bit, it might be less weird than just hiding out in the school music room after hours." blushing a bit as he offered.

You: He thought about it for a moment. It does seem wried that they were here at this hour. But... To his house? With no one there? What if this had been his plan all along? To make Arthur feel sorry for him so that he would follow him home while he's vulnerable? Then take advantage of him... He shook his head. "I have to get home and make dinner." He said quietly, trying to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

Stranger: "alright." he nodded quietly a weak smile coming over him. "Hey uh...im sorry for, getting so hostile with you before I just...it was new to me. I've never known anyone to bother to see past everything and I thought..." just laughing a bit shaking his head. "Hell I don't know what I thought."

You: "Well at least you didn't get violent. I had a pen on me." He said with a smirk. He was making a joke of course. He had shoved the pen into his backpack a while ago. "Would you like to walk out with me?" He asked, seeing as he was okay with that, but not going to his house. Walking, they were out in the open, where he could scream and run away if the need arose. One could blame him if he had trust issues.

Stranger: "The pen is mightier than the sword is the saying non?" Laughing a bit at that smiling the first real smile he'd felt come over him in five years now. "I'd like that. I'd like that alot." it was odd but...maybe he could consider him an...an actual friend?

You: Arthur nodded as he picked up his bag and motioned for Francis to do the same. This wasn't so bad. Seems that one can not always trust first impressions. Opening the door, it seemed that the halls were empty. Well it was the weekend. Why would someone want to stay at school on the weekend? Looking through some classroom windows, some teachers were still hard at work grading papers. It was late enough that the sun had started to set. An orange glow came through all the windows, giving it a warm and almost safe feel.