I read the comments last night and I started crying y'all are so sweet. Also, in regards to the story~~ I'm homeschooled, so my interpretation of public school might not be completely accurate. I'm also American, so this is completely new terrain for me.
Ciel woke up on Monday morning and wondered if running away to Norwich was still an option. Deciding he'd wait a little longer until he put that particular plan in action, he started getting ready, not bothering to wake Alois.
He knew Alois was awake when he heard muddled cursing from their room ten minutes later. "Six in the fucking morning," he heard him grumble before he started banging on the bathroom door. "Oi, hurry up your damned shower! I need to pee and I don't feel like going downstairs."
"Lazy arse." Ciel muttered, turning off the water.
"My therapist says those who constantly put others below them do so because they have low self esteem." Alois replied from the other side of the door. Ciel rolled his eyes. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He grabbed his eyepatch and walked out of the bathroom as Alois walked in.
"Boys!" He heard the dad walking up the stairs, what was his name again? Richard? "Breakfast and then bus!" He opened the door right as Ciel was tying the knot to his eyepatch. He silently cursed himself for being old fashioned and not having a sticky eyepatch.
Richard started at him for a cold moment. "I didn't notice you had that eyepatch yesterday. I usually don't like being this forward, but what's it for?"
And they say chivalry is dead, Ciel thought to himself.
"Nothing. I was born without it. People find empty eye sockets a bit disturbing. Problem with that?" He challenged. Richard put his hands up in mock surrender, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him. Ciel sighed. Alois chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom.
"Seriously? That's the excuse you use for the Faustian contract?" Alois giggled.
"Shut up..." Ciel grumbled, packing his backpack.
Richard stood behind the closed door of their bedroom. "Faustian contract, huh...?"
•••
Ciel and Alois didn't think places like this existed anymore, but there stood Weston Academy, proving them wrong.
"I hope they didn't turn my manor into a bloody school." Alois mumbled to Ciel. Ciel nodded. He'd sold his manor to be made into a museum back in the twenties right before the Great Depression hit. His kids were furious, but since he couldn't die and leave it to any of them anyway, they didn't object.
"How do modern schools work again?" Ciel asked. A few passerby looked at him strangely. Alois shrugged.
"I dunno. In the movies they go to the front office first and get their schedule. Then they usually go over their schedule with their friends—we can skip that part—find their locker, and go to class."
"So the front office. That's where we enrolled yesterday, right-"
"Ah, you must be the new students!" Ciel internally groaned. A young man with shaggy blond hair and bright green eyes stood in front of them. "I'm Mr. Finnian, your guidance councilor! Need any help?"
"How's the investigation going?"
"Why, yes! We do have a Japanese course! You can sign up at the front office, I'll take you there now!" Finny said loudly, glancing to the side. Richard, who had decided to drop them off himself, was still parked there in his sleek black car, watching them.
"That the foster dad? Seems like the serial killer type." Finnian said once they were completely out of earshot.
"Wouldn't be surprised, guys been watching us like a hawk since we arrived." Ciel muttered.
"Here's the front office!" Finny said, stopping suddenly. Ciel ran smack into his shoulder and Alois started laughing.
"Bloody hell, Finny!"
"Sorry, young- I mean Ciel. Here's the front office! Just go inside and ask for your schedule. You can come see me during free period." He chuckled, straightening his brand new navy blue bow tie. ("Young master, I've never had a bow tie before! Can I please? It'll be perfect for the new teacher disguise!")
Ciel and Alois walked in and retrieved the schedule, and when they came back out the halls were empty, Finny gone.
"Huh. Must've missed first bell." Alois shrugged, looking down at his paper, then comparing it to Ciel's.
"We have lunch and history together, god forbid we already lived through history." Ciel said.
"Alright, first class is Science—because apparently I haven't been dealing with that for over a century—I'll see you for second period then! That's when history is, right?" Ciel nodded.
"I have science. Oh, shit, we have to find lockers. I forgot about that. Okay, mine is..." he looked up. His was right down the hall. "Right there."
"Aw, mine's in the other direction. Anyway, I'm off. See you!" Ciel nodded Alois goodbye before stuffing his bag into his locker and running to where he guessed the classroom was. He walked in, chest heaving, right before the third bell rang.
"Ah, our newest student is late already." Ciel groaned internally. A tall, lanky old man with wiry brown-gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses stood in front of him. Looking around the classroom at all the students, Ciel vaguely considered grabbing Alois, Sebastian, Finny, and Hannah and booking it to Norwich.
Ciel really wanted to give him a piece of his mind, but he'd learnt to hold his tongue after over a century of people looking down on him because of his physical age.
"Before you take your seat, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" Ciel scowled. He didn't see the point in doing this, but he stood by the teachers desk anyway.
"I'm Ciel. I'm from London." He sat down at the only seat available, the one farthest from the window. The kids surrounding him were much bigger than he, not that that had ever intimidated him. It might be inconvenient if worse came to worse and he had to fight his way out of this hellhole.
The teacher grinned at the class. Ciel could tell this was one of the nicer ones, despite the rude first impression.
"Alright, who's ready to blow some stuff up?"