Monday passes, all of us slogging through it as all teenagers do: by complaining the entire time, then crashing after completing the ridiculous amount of homework that teachers believe assigning to us...even though it's a Monday.

When I wake up Tuesday I have a brief moment of panic when I realize we have only two more days to work on our song to perfect it for class. I'm getting so anxious that I have to force myself to calm down.

Kicking off my blankets, I force myself out of bed and stumble to my dresser to grab a hoodie with this strangely shaped (that almost looks like blood dripping from a slash wound) red paint splatter on the black material. I pull it over the t-shirt I had worn to bed, slipping into jeans as well. My mom opens the door with a look that says 'if your ass isn't out of bed I'm going to yell at you' which vanishes once she sees I'm awake, and she smiles at me while she closes the door.

After I complete my routine morning rituals, I notice that I've woken up earlier than usual, and since I usually skip breakfast, I decide to work on the guitar part a bit for the song. I feel like I need to perfect it, even though everyone keeps insisting that I could be the guitar player for Get Scared and they won't notice a difference. I'm a paranoid and generally pessimistic person though, so I just work on it till it's time for me to walk Nepeta to school. By then my fingers are starting to hurt from holding the strings down for so long.

It's finally starting to cool down a bit, which I'm thankful for as I walk Nepeta, although I'm even more thankful that I'm wearing my hoodie, the wind is cold enough to send a slight shiver down my spine. Despite the fact that the sun is out (more accurately to describe as rising) it seems unnaturally cold.

After dropping her off then heading off to my school, I meet up with Sollux on the walk over (he seems a bit out of it, or at least annoyed) and the two of us talk about the song. Honestly, I doubt we'll be talking about much else until after we actually play.

We meet up with Gamzee and Tavros at the front, and the four of us proceed to (barely) survive through a majority of our classes.

Although lunch is an obvious blessing, we have it with a few classes of underclassmen and it's so much fun messing with them. That, or we proceed to have the most fucked up and random conversations ever thought of, that we usually end up forgetting by the end of the week. This week we're making food sculptures out of the almost inedible feed they serve in the lunch lines.

"Dammit Gamzee I was going to use those fries!" I complain as he steals a few and uses one to stick on top of the stale crackers they give for salads and eats the others. Sollux then snatches a few more and used the glue-like substance the lunch ladies call peanut butter (but tastes like cardboard) to form the fries into a "II" structure he manages to balance on top of empty plastic fruit containers.

Tavros has been supplying materials to Gamzee's sculpture, so he's just watching and laughing as we attempt to beat the height of each-others food models. Before we can completely finish the masterpieces and snap quick pictures with the phones we keep in our pockets (even though we aren't supposed to) we have to throw our trash away and head to the next class.

We trudge through the rest of the day until it ends, then while we're waiting outside, Sollux warns us that he won't be able to practice tonight because he has to stay with Mituna while his dad is gone.

Not like any of us really felt like working on it anyway, plus we're all given a ridiculous amount of homework. My backpack is weighed down with four textbooks and two of my binders. Ugh.

Returning to each of our respective houses, we communicate through text, especially for our homework since we all have a majority of same classes. At one point I have to have Sollux assist me with math because math is impossible. I hate math. I wouldn't have cared if the math book spontaneously burst into flames.

I don't really know what to do after I finished the homework so I just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, feeling like I've been rather productive the past few hours with all of my notes and homework spread across my bedsheets. I'm beginning to drift off to sleep when I jerked awake by a knock on my door: just my mom alerting my to dinner.

I blearily eat dinner and force myself into a shower before returning to my room, haphazardly gathering all of the papers and somewhat arranging them according to subject before falling back onto the bed and allowing myself to sleep.

bzzzz

Bzzzz

BZZZZZZ

I roll over with an annoyed groan and look at my phone, growling as I answer.

"What the fuck Sollux it's 2am!"

"KK a bunch of Mituna'th friendth are here I can't thleep," he whines. I do hear alot of voices in the background, but I'm infinitely more annoyed that he's woken me up.

"It's a freaking Tuesday night," I groan, sitting up and clicking on the lamp. I rub at my eyes a few times, trying to wake up a bit.

"My dad ithn't home till morning and they won't lithten to me," He sighs, and I can hear him moving around. His voice sounds exhausted, and I can hear the exasperation in his tone. A pang of pity runs through my chest, and with my sleep-clouded mind I decide not to hang up on his ass and slide out of bed.

"Do you want to crash here?" I ask, moving to my dresser to pull a shirt over my head, somehow keeping the phone by ear to hear him speak.

"Pleathe? I'm theriouthly dying over here, and oh my god thomeone elthe jutht arrived," a door slams open somewhere and I hear loud shouting, but it isn't angry or anything, more of celebration.

"I'll be waiting downstairs for you," is all I say, hanging up and pulling on the jeans that I wore earlier today. I keep my feet bare so that my mom won't hear me, which she's a really light sleeper, I'm risking alot for Sollux.

The apartment is almost creepily silent and I feel my ears twitch slightly when a noise reaches my ears. I don't know what it is, but it makes me move into the kitchen and crouch by the door. I see my mom stumble from the doorway and look around a bit, rubbing at her eyes tiredly before returning to her room. I take that moment to unlock the door and slip out, slowly letting the door click shut before running down the hall.

My bare feet thud against the floor but I don't really care at the moment. I rub at my face to try and keep myself alert. My phone buzzes against my hip and I take a moment to slide it out to see he had texted me.

TA: ii ju2t letf ten miin at the le2at

Noting the spelling mistakes I come to a stop in front of the glass doors. It's really dark at 2am, it doesn't really help that the moon is blocked by a rather large front of clouds. Backtracking, I sit down on the stairs with a small sigh, resting my head against the side-rail. I kinda realize how tired I am now that I'm not running down the hallway. My eyes begin to fall shut and I try to keep them open, but it's a losing battle.

"KK, hey,"

I mumble under my breath and open my eyes the minimal amount to see Sollux looking down at me, wearing pajama pants and a loose t-shirt plus two different shoes. He looks kinda guilty, but I don't dwell on it, just growl and return to my leaning position.

"Come on KK," he sighs, leaning down to wrap an arm under my shoulders and another under my legs. I'm tired enough that I barely protest to this action. "Fifth floor right?" He asks once he carries me up a few flights. I nod into his shoulder and I feel him laugh quietly before continuing to walk.

When he walks down the hallway leading to my apartment, I squirm out of his grasp and stumble to the door, forcing myself to stay awake enough to listen for my mom as I lead Sollux inside, gripping his wrist and motioning for him to stay quiet. When it's still silent by the time I get to my room, I allow myself to fall halfway asleep as I stumble to fall onto my bed, sighing into the blankets but easily falling asleep after a few minutes.

:Sollux POV:

I feel bad for waking up Karkat but I don't really want to go to Gamzee's or Tavros's, and since Mituna's friends weren't listening to me, I just accept the fact that I wouldn't get any sleep unless if I called Karkat. I was a bit shocked to find him asleep on the foot of the stairs; I decided to just save him the trouble of walking because he seemed pretty beat. Besides, it wasn't like he protested.

And he wasn't that heavy really, it was easy to carry him all the way to his apartment.

Looking at him asleep once more, I laugh a bit before pulling the blankets from under his legs to put them over him. He just sighs and turns away from me, facing the wall.

Left to make my own sleeping arrangements, I go to his closet and find a few blankets, which I use to make myself a nice space on the floor. A few movie cases fall down, and when I inspect them I kill the urge to laugh.

Oh my God seriously KK? Chick-flicks?

Putting those back, I decide to just use my shirt as a pillow since I didn't see any. It didn't take me long to follow Karkat's example and fall asleep.

:Karkat's POV:

When I wake up to my alarm, I almost forgot that Sollux crashed here, which is why I yelp in a rather high-pitched manner when I see him sprawled out on the floor, still completely passed out.

"Jesus Christ," I whisper to myself, then giggle at the way he's sleeping. The few blankets he had borrowed from me (shit...he had to make his own sleeping arrangements...oh well, he's the one that woke me up at 2 am) are everywhere but under and over him, giving me a good look at his shirtless self. I realize that his shirt is instead under his head.

Kneeling beside him I shake his shoulder, earning a mutter and small glare in response.

"Wake up fuckass, you're the one who crashed at my place," I huff, shoving his shoulder, getting greeted by a groan, but he sits up and rubs at his head.

"Dammit, time?" He mutters, running his fingers through his hair as he looks around a bit. He seems a bit confused before seeming to recognize my room.

"Uh, only 6:30, my mom isn't up yet, you need to get your own clothes I'm assuming because to be frank I'm alot smaller that you are and I doubt my jeans would fit you," I'm babbling, dammit.

"Yeah, good athumption, I need to get homework and thtuff anyway," he sighs and stands, grabbing his shirt to pull over his head before grabbing his phone from the bedside table. "Thankth for letting me thleep here, I honethtly believe that Mituna'th thtill talking to hith friendth, the idiot, probably didn't even go to thleep" he grimaces as he slips his shoes over his feet, and I see that he had grabbed one black Converse and a white Vans apparently on the way over.

"Sorry dude, if you need to crash here again tonight you're welcome to, I might as well pay you back for the week I crashed at your place," I feel a lopsided smile on my face as he chuckles and nods.

"I'll probably be taking you up on that offer KK, thankth, thee you," he slips out, and I hear the small click of the front door opening and closing. Before I can move to begin getting dressed, my mom is leaning against the door with a small, sly smile on her lips.

"So, boyfriend?"

I feel my face and neck burn a bright red, and I cover my face with my hands, hearing my voice crack in my shouted reply.

"WE'RE NOT DATING!"

She giggles and walks into the room, patting my shoulder gently.

"Alright champ, whatever you say, warn me when you're bringing a guy over though, I don't want to walk in to wake you up and trip over him like I did," she doesn't give me time to reply as she almost sprints out, slamming the door behind her.

"FUCK!" I shout in embarrassed frustration, angrily brushing the hair out of my face. I try to accept the fact that everyone who doesn't personally know us will think that me and Sollux are dating. I yank on a clean shirt and jeans, grabbing a jacket as an afterthought since it's been chilly outside lately.

Nepeta is already awake and has a mischievous grin on her face as her legs swing from the edge of the kitchen table. Her backpack is beside her on the table and I guess that my mom had gotten her ready and everything.

"Morning Karkitty~" She purrs, leaping off the table to hug around my waist. I can practically feel her smile against my torso.

"Uh...morning...why're you so happy?" I inquire, a bit nervous as how she will answer.

"Heard you had a nice night," her eyebrows waggle and I have to fight down the warmth in my cheeks.

"DAMMIT NEP!" she releases me as I cross my arms over my chest, earning a giggle from her as she grabs her backpack from the table.

"Heheh! Karkitty, take me to school please," her underlining tone saying 'so you can see him', making me scowl in annoyance.

While dropping her off, I see Mrs. Kanaya giving Rose a quick kiss before running into work and I feel the pieces in my mind click. I smile softly, the two women are a well-fitted match to be honest.

"Bye Karkitty! Have a good day at school!" Nepeta shouts at me, and I get flustered before waving quickly turning away and walking toward my own school.

We're sitting in biology when one of the office workers comes in with two yellow slips. John thanks them and looks at the sheets with a confused expression.

"Uh, Sollux and Karkat, you guys are signing out," I glance over at Sollux with a bewildered expression and he does the same to me. We gather our stuff, getting some other confused looks from our classmates. Once we're out into the hallway, we sprint down to our lockers to grab our backpacks.

"Ok who would sign us out?" I question, placing the Algebra book in my bag and reaching for biology.

"I don't know, there'th nothing that we were going to do today right?" He's already gathered all of his stuff and is waiting by my locker.

"No…oh wait…you said Mituna had all of his friends there right? Even the one they couldn't get into contact with?"

He seems to realize what I'm implying and he scowls, slamming the heel of his hand against his forehead.

"I thwear if Mituna pulled uth out he better have a damn good reathon!" he growls, beginning to walk down to the office, using his long legs to his advantage and making me jog to keep up. We run into Gamzee and Tavros, who both give out surprised yelps as we trip over our own feet, falling into one big dogpile.

"Tavros!? Gamzee?!" I yelp, standing and rubbing my shoulder from where I've tripped.

Before they can reply Roxy sprints past us, then backtracks, jumping onto my shoulders in a sort of half hug.

"Kar! I thought I was like in trouble or somethin! But if you guys are here then it can't be just me!" She exclaims loudly, stepping away and watching the other three stand up and brush off their jeans. The five of us have to quiet down because a teacher passes by, giving us a weird look, then we start walking in a group toward the office.

Waiting there for us is Kankri and Cronus, both of them grinning like Cheshire cats. I become wary, and the office staff seem hesitant to sign us out, but do so nonetheless.

"Before you start askin' questions, let us say it wvasn't completely our idea," Cronus smirks, interrupting me from my question asking position. I snap my mouth shut as Kankri continues.

"Yes, although we did agree to it so if anything we are also guilty by default, but we kind of figured you'd enjoy this more than sitting through school the rest of the day," Kankri smiles wryly, looking a bit out of character for his normally serious self.

"Ok, why the hell did you pull us out of school, on a Wednesday, at 10 am?" I ask once they both shut up.

"Wve don't have a real valid reason to be honest, but telling the office wvorkers that we were meeting up with 'family' didn't seem to wvin them over," Cronus answers.

"Oh my God, are you guyth theriouth!?" Sollux bursts, sounding annoyed, "Are you thaying you literally jutht pulled uth out to meet up with your friendth!"

"Yes and no, we already know that you know everyone Sollux, but we wanted to introduce everyone else, and hey, you guys got pulled out of school, be happy that we thought of you guys," Kankri responds, leading us out of the parking lot and bypassing all the cars. Apparently they've walked, which I'm ok with since it's nice out and we don't have a shitload of homework today.

"I'm cool with this," Roxy proclaims with a large grin, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and another around Tavros's since she's walking in between the two of us.

"This sounds motherfuckin' fun, thanks for gettin' us out of that hellhole," Gamzee gives a lopsided smile and hugs Tavros to his side. I look over at Sollux, who's on the other side of me and laugh as I force him to lean down a bit so I can throw an arm over his shoulders.

"C'mon Sollux, anything's better than sitting in school," I say lightheartedly, trying to convince him to smile. His scowl fades slightly and he chuckles lowly, nodding.

"Yeah I guess you're right."