So far, ever since that incident in the cafeteria, Wade hadn't acknowledged Evan's very existence. Which was fine by him but in any case, he knew Wade was just sitting back in the shadows waiting for the right chance to strike. And if that was how he wanted to play, Evan will patiently wait for the attack.

School in general was a whole other story. So far he was thoroughly enjoying his stay here, surprisingly enough. The students, minus Wade and his army of undeniably helpless followers, were actually pretty cool. Well Evan's definition of cool being 'they leave him the hell alone'. The teacher...minus Mr. Brooks, where also pretty cool. Admirable actually.

Home life on the other hand, well, maybe we should just get on with second hour.

It was a usual day in Edge's class. Notes, Evan didn't waste his time to copying down, along with work sheets he half assed. Maybe he should have took Edge's advice and dropped out. Why stay in a class that was just complete and utter malarkey to you. Though no matter how many times he thinks this, the same answer would chime loudly in his head. "Because it just wouldn't feel right." What wouldn't feel right though? Nothing's ever stopped him before. Was he weird? Because he was beginning to think he was weird. ..He was so weird.

"Well guy's I believe it to be project time." Even though Edge's voice was full of enthusiasm, the word 'project' didn't sit well with the students he was dedicated to teach. "Why all the long faces? Come on I promise it won't be bad. Many of my last students loved this project." Grabbing a new pileof papers, the normal routine of passing them around began. "You're all gonna do a little research project, but before I get anymore sour expressions it's not a three page essay filled with Wikipedia fun facts. I want you to go out into the wonderful world of society, and I want you to mess with the minds of it's inhabitants."

"Are you saying we get to run amuck! Have I ever told you how much I love this class...?" Well it wouldn't be a good day without a little douse of Vitamin J now would it?

"Pardon my friend but he seems to be a bit on the slow side today with a dash of affection." Evan explained as he stroked John's hair, only it was slapped away almost immediately before damage could be done to whatever hair he had.

"Hey, hey, don't touch the do."

"Alright boy's, settle down." Even though Edge's voice was strict, his smile gave away his true enjoyment of the two teenager's shenanigans. "Maybe I should be more specific. I want you to observe a group of people using the 3 forms of observations that we have learned. First you must form some sort of hypothesis. For example, a few of my student's from last years class hypothesized 'people will stare if you walk in dressed as a wizard, but not if you dressed in normal street clothes.' Testing their theory they went to a ordinary restaurant. Once they were seated they began chanting spells to try and make the glass from their table float, or yell spells at the waitress to try and get her to disappear. They took pictures of their actions, which is what I also want you to do and, or record it, then at the next restaurant they just dressed and acted normally. Recording their data on that they came up with the stunning conclusion that people tend to look at you a bit strange when you're dressed like a wizard while chanting Wingardium Leviosa."

After the explanation, those once sour faces actually looked pretty amped up for the on coming project.

"There's also a second choice if you don't wish to be Harry Potter, even though I don't see why you wouldn't want to be... But in any case if this just doesn't seem like your cup of tea then you can just go ahead and do a small little survey. It only has to be about five questions long and you can ask any questions, but only if they make sense along with your hypothesis." He paused for just a moment to catch a breath. "So, today I'm going to let you brain storm and come up with with whatever your mischievous little minds want to come up with, you can partner up with whoever you wish, they can even be from outside of class, just as long as they don't take my sociology class. Lastly some time this week I want to see your hypothesis so I can approve it. I don't want you kids going out and getting yourselves arrested, because if that happens...I don't know you."

A large portion of the class chuckled as Edge walked back to his desk to do more of his teacher-ly duties.

"Hey Ev, how 'bout we discuss this more after school. With everyone talking at once I get distracted."

"Well whats new there?" The junior teased, only to receive a nice little smack in return for his antics. "But yeah we can do tha-" Wait... Dammit he was getting to comfortable around John.

"What is something wrong?" It was just a simple question, but, the simplest of things can easily break a person if not careful.

"Yeah I'm fine. So where are we gonna go to discuss this?"

"Just the awesomest park ever! Do you know Green Bay park? Yup we're totally going there, their park has the best playground..."

"Is this your 'subtle' way of telling me you're just a lazy bastard right now?"

"...Possibly..."

/AFTER SCHOOL/

After exiting the school Evan, of course, met up with John. Though, something was very off. What was off you might ask? Their was no Randy in sight!

"Whoa, where's Randy at?" Just to make a point about his already obvious confusion, Evan looked in all directions, even going as far as to twirl around.

"Hardy Har Har." Pooching out his lips in a displeased action, he glared half-heartily at the ebony haired 'comedian'. "He went to hang out with his friends Ted and Cody today. We don't do everything together ya know."

"Well I see that now. And here I thought you surgically attached yourselves to each others hip."

"I'm starting to think if it was possible, Randy would actually want to go through with it."

They both shared a nice laugh at the expense of the possessive, angry teen. Evan stopped first as a great feeling of dread washed over him. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to poke fun at a guy who could easily bend you, back first, into his leg and snap you spine right in half. "So are we still going to the park?"

"Sadly, no. So used to Randy taking me to school and home that I never think to far ahead in my planning when it comes to transportation. If you don't mind, we can talk over our plan here?"

Evan shrugged in a sluggish fashion. "I don't care man, mind if I still call my house real quick?"

"No problema~" Fishing into his pocket, John pulled out his cell and tossed it to the younger, who caught it with ease.

Dialing his number he pressed the cell to his ear, as he began his silent chant of "please don't answer."

"Who the hell is this?" A gruff and irritated sounding voice answered from the other end.

Fuck, looked like someone wasn't on his side today. Evan maneuvered his body so he could give John a "just one moment" hand sign before turning away once more and walking silently away so he wasn't in ear shot range. "Hey dad it's me..."

"Evan? Where the fuck are you calling from? 'Borrowed' it from a classmate no doubt. Where did I go wrong..." The last part was said in such a hushed tone, Evan almost didn't catch it...almost.

"I didn't steal anything! I um, I'm using one of the staff member's cell's. Their having a problem with their electronics."

Derek huffed, not once even taking his son's words into consideration. "Then why are you calling." It was more of a demand then a question.

"I got into a fight." Evan lied through his teeth without a bat of an eyelash.

"A fight huh?" Derek took the phone away from his ear to chuckle dryly. "Ya know, I told your mother that changing schools wouldn't make a deference. Once a little thug always a little thug huh? But she never wanted to believe her little "baby boo" could do such things, other children MUST be manipulating my poor baby. Oh me, oh my if only she knew the truth, right boy?" Evan seethed, but remained quite. "She'll never listen to a word I say when it comes to how worthless her son really is. I swear, sometimes I married a brain dead of a women."

"Don't fucking talk about my mother like that!"

"And don't you talk to ME like that you fucking piece of shit." At his father's sharp tone he instantly shut his mouth. "What time should I tell your damn mother to come pick you hopeless ass up."

Breathing slowly through his nose Evan looked down at his wrist watch to catch the time. "About a quarter til four." Just as the words passed through his lips the line went dead. He stood there for a moment longer, just taking in the, annoyingly, constant beep.

If we're gonna be honest here, Evan wasn't surprised in the least at what just occurred. Clicking the end button he calmly strode back to his previous destination.

"Thanks." He mumbled with a half smile as he handed the cell back to it's rightful owner. "Now if you don't mind, lets hurry up and get this stupid project over with."

Sighing at his friends behavior, John went to sit at the bottom of the schools entering steps. "You're such a little fuddy duddy, sometimes I wonder why I put up with you."

Again came a shrug. "I was wondering that the first time you even said anything to me." His serious tone surprised John, he certainly wasn't expecting something like that. Snapping back into reality, Evan caught on to his own tone and word of phrasing. So he did the only sensible thing, he laughed it off and played it as a bad joke. John didn't believe it for one second, but unlike many of the other times he's caught on to anything of the other, he actually said something.

"You know if somethings bothering you, you can always talk to me."

There was nothing but silence. Evan processed the words; he would love to get a lot of things that was on his mind out in the open, but he just couldn't risk losing the strange friendship he had with both John and Randy. After you've had a taste of childish freedom, you'll never want to go back to a life of total lonesomeness and bottled rage.

"I know... Maybe...maybe one day I'll be able to actually talk to you about certain things. But for now, how about we work on getting this project finished."

John only nodded with a compassionate smile. "Well then here's my two cents on the project, I say we go into James Town Mall first, and go in acting like lovers-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone! Ya know I love you, but I don't really want to die by the hands of Randy just so we can get a project done!" Evan bellowed dramatically while flailing his arms for what he likes to call "emphasis".

"Come on don't be such a lady! Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted . We act like lover's and we look for an engagement ring while secretly recording the reactions of whoever's selling. Then we go to-"

"Wait, secretly record them? How do you 'secretly' record someone?"

John gave his friend a devious smirk. "That's for me to know, and for you to never find out my friend."

Time passed without either boy's notice. And before Evan knew it, his ride had come strolling through the front gates.

"Well time to shove off I see." The ebony haired teen murmered. Picking up his handy dandy backpack, he slung it casually over his shoulder. "You gonna be catching a ride soon?"

"Yeah, one of my parent's will come pick me up. But for now I'm going to sit here and enjoy the silence."

"Oh har har." Laughing softly, they said their final goodbyes.

Evan opened the passengers seat of his mothers car, instantly he froze. His mother wasn't the one in the divers seat like he expected. No, it was the man he so ever had the honor of calling father. Quickly getting over his initial shock he stepped into the car, slamming the door shut right after. "Why are you driving moms car?"

"Who was that boy you were talking to?"

God, he absolutely hated it when his father asked a question right when he asked one. "It's no one. Now why are you in mom's car?"

"Didn't seem like no one. And I believe I can drive whatever the hell I want. You should just be lucky I didn't just leave your ass at school and make you walk home. Though your skinny enough; don't need people thinking you're like one of those anorexic broad's."

"Trust me it was no one! And I'm fine in weight!"

"Then why were you smiling at him?"

Evan's mind raced with a million thoughts per second, he needed to come up with something, anything! "It was a mocking smile. I thought you of all people would know the difference between real and cynical smiles. That fucker's the one who threw me in detention."

"Don't you mean your the one who threw HIM in detention." Derek corrected as he finally put the car into drive.

Why did it always have to be his fault. He never started anything! He wasn't worthless...was he? "Can't you ever just leave me alone..." Wrapping his arms around himself, Evan looked out the window , only to meet the reflection of his fathers signature smirk. Biting his bottom lip he held back the stinging tears as he felt like the piece of shit that his father,ever so kindly, reminded him to be.