"Ivan, what the hell was that all about dude?" Alfred asked when Ivan arrived in the gym. They still had few hours before school started, and Alfred decided that now would be a good time to be proactive and start planning out his ideas for the back to school party coming up.
The room was extremely large, and like the rest of the school, wall papered in flags from all over the world. The many trophies and other awards the school had collected over the years either hung on the wall or were stored inside a trophy case at the right corner. One that Alfred proudly boasts he has accidently (although he claims he did it on purpose prove how unreliable it was) broken a grand total of sixteen times.
"I do not like him" Ivan said simply, sitting on the bleachers to the side of the center court. "He is sneaky and I do not trust him."
Ivan didn't want to say exactly why he didn't trust him, because then Alfred being Alfred will laugh, walk right up to Arthur and declare his love simply to annoy him, so it would be best to hide his cards for now.
Alfred rolled his eyes at his friend's overdramatic behavior, but decided not to comment. He needed help in here today so he can't mess with him too much.
"Whatever dude, your just weird" he said to the other. "But anyways, I was thinking that we could add a bouncy house this year."
Ivan gave him a skeptical look, and Alfred sketched off a large, square area with bright red white and blue duck tape.
"I was thinking it could go there. I've got a friend of my dad who owns a bouncy house store, so we could get a really cool one. Maybe we can make it Dragon themed so this way we can make the dance medieval."
"Oh are better yet" he continued. "Why don't we have the theme be super heroes and have a comic book themed bouncy house."
Ivan leaned on his pipe like a cane and commented "Or we could just have a normal dance without a bouncy house. Like one for mature seniors, not twelve year olds."
"Hey!" Alfred glared and shouted to the other. "that's cruel!" The nerve of Ivan, he is just trying to help out.
"Alfredka I already told you, we have comities for this sort of thing."
Alfred groaned and said "Dude, I told you to drop the 'ka' off my name ages ago. My name is Alfred, not Fredka, or Alfredka or whatever. My name is Al-Fred."
"I will drop the 'ka' when you start pronouncing my name correctly. It is Ee-van not I-van."
"That's different." Retorted the American. "I just do that to annoy you."
"And why do you think I do it?" Ivan raised a brow. Let's see what outlandish, childish excuse he comes up with this time.
"Because you are a mean commie who thinks by adding 'ka' you can destroy my American spirit. I am onto you. You cannot break me, I am Captian America!" Alfred ranted to the other, using his jacket like cape.
"A proud patriot who cannot be destroyed any villain. You cannot bring me down."
"I believe that name is already taken" Ivan said, just to aggravate the other. It was so much fun when he was on the offensive instead of the defensive. A rarity in their friendship. If only Yao were here right now, this would be perfect.
"Shut up." Alfred whined. "Just let me have my moment."
Ivan rolled his eyes but didn't stop the others rant. It is just esier to let him do what he wants while Ivan gets some actual work done.
He pulled out some files from his red, white and blue (but not in the American pattern, really those colors belong to the motherland) Russian flag themed bag. He had gotten it as a gift along with his scarf when he was getting sent off to highschool in America.
His sister also gave his younger one, Natalia, a bow, which she wears too. She just refuses to admit where it came from.
He sometimes misses his family back in Russia. His mom and dad and older sister stayed there, and sent over him and his sister (currently going to Hetalia Middle) over to the states to go to school.
But he doesn't regret it in the slightest. Despite being in New York, the winters here were still practically tropical compared to where he grew up. Alfred teases him all the time for going out in sandals.
"Hey Alfredka."
"Alfred!"
"Fine, Alfred" Ivan corrected obviously annoyed. "Instead of setting up bouncy houses and childish games, why don't you help pick out the commitie for the dance."
Ivan was scanning over the long list of names, while Alfred looked off into the distance, stroking his non existent beard and saying "maybe".
Ivan sighed and put down the file. What is it this time.
"What do you want."
"I'm on the commitiee this year." Alfred stood firm.
Ivan looked paniced for a second his he shuted "Nyet. Never again, not after last time."
Last year, after much debate between the three of them, Alfred had been allowed to join the party comintee. All had went fine in the beginning. He was a calm and helpful member, at least until some kid yelled at him calling his ideas stupid and useless.
So in retaliation, the night before the party after everything was already set up, he burned it to the ground and placed a sign that fit what his old theme was, the apocalypse.
After that, no one dared to even loosely question his ideas. So for the end of year dance, instead of some classy, easy to do theme like under the sea or stairway to heaven; they ended up with 'Ninja puppies in Halloween costumes singing Christmas carols to the captain America theme song.'
Needless to say, Ivan and Yao forbade him from joining the committee again. They let him pretend he has a say by sending him off to take measurements and writing something down when he comes up with a (usually ridiculous) idea, simply so they do not have to deal with another catastrophy.
"Come on" Alfred whined. "That was year ago, I was a little kid."
"You still are a little kid." Ivan retorted. Getting back to the files.
"I am not! I'm only two years younger than you, and i'm in most of your classes."
"But you have the personality of a four year old drunk on root beer."
"Dude!"
"End of story Alfred." Ivan warned. "You may help out with the dance, maybe visit the meetings every once in a while, but you are not joining the commintee."
Alfred pouted, but stomped over and looked at the file anyways. Whatever. As awful as it probably was, he could just send Kiku or Toris or someone in to do his work for him.
"Now you may chose six, and I may chose six." Ivan instructed the younger.
Alfred rolled his eyes at the thought that Ivan had any what so ever power over him, but decided to play alone. Mostly since he had an idea to really get to him.
Ivan scanned over the list of names to find some good suiters. The first he wrote down were the obvious, the three boys he likes to keep around. They were useful and reliable, plus he never had to worry about them not doing what he wishes.
Next he added the German in his math class, stoic and shifty as he is, and as much as Ivan personally distastes him, he does have high work eithic so he should be able to get the job done.
He added the Swiss exchange student after that. From the two or three meeting he has attended, he realizes that they need someone who while being neutral, still stands up for common sense.
As for his last slot, as much as he may hold discontmept for him, Francis would be the right choice. It would add yet another reason why Alfred is not allowed to go to meetings (Ivan and Yao had made a pact as soon as Alfred and Francis met that Alfred was not allowed within ten feet of the other unsupervised.) and when it comes to making things elegant, no one was better at the job.
Alfred on the other hand was more concerned with ways to annoy Ivan and get his way on the committee than actual skills.
He picked his old friend Gilbert, Ludwigs older and much cooler brother who Ivan especially despises.
Antonio because Yao and Ivan find him annoying.
Kiku because he's his best friend other than the two he is currently trying his best to agrivate.
And Feliciano because despite the fact he is a coward, he can throw a mean party. Plus it would make Ludwig happy, since he is pretty sure Ivan will be picking him, and third, he's out of ideas and why not?
As for the last slot he was stuck. He didn't particularly have anyone that he could control, or that would annoy his friends. He scanned over the list of students until his name came to the K section.
'Perfect' he thought to himself as he scribbled down Arthur's name on the sign up sheet. If anyone was going to get on Ivan's nerves so much that he'll kick him off and send Alfred in to replace him, it would be Arthur.
Alfred doesn't know why Ivan has such a discontentment against the British boy. All he knows is that whenever Ivan throws his pipe at someone, it generally is not a good sign.
Plus worse come to worse, maybe Arthur will be a new friend or something. And the dance is definitely going to have some awesome music.
He ripped the sheet of paper out of his notebook, hastily titles it 'committee nominations', folded it and handed it to Ivan.
The two had made an agreement when Alfred was kicked off the committee that when electing new members, they weren't allowed to see the others paper or reject the person.
Thinking back, Ivan realized that this was an incredibly stupid agreement to make, but it was the only way to get Alfred to resign without a temper tantrum that could have ended up in the explosion of the school.
Now, while he would not be held responcible for the others actions, the student body would still expect somebody to pay for it and Alfred could talk black into white. It didn't matter what evidence was against pointed him, somehow through psychology even he doesn't get, Alfred manages to mess with the other's head so much that they end up pointing their finger at whoever is closest to him. Therefore Ivan and Yao.
So yeah, better to just make sure it doesn't happen. Regardless of the fact Ivan could threaten, and Yao buy their way out of any of the troubles pinned on them by the youngest member, it still was exhausting.
So Ivan placed the two papers in an Envelope and sealed it. Yao opted out of getting involved this year in parties, instead focusing on the budget which he complaines is ghastly overblown.
The bell rang and Ivan and Alfred got up, well really more like Alfred hopped, and walked to their first period, only stopping by the office to deposit the papers, which should be handed out by lunch.