Chapter 4

"Hey! Tony! My man!"

Tony gave a little jump when he heard the voice. Then he recognized it and groaned inwardly.

He turned to see Rock, leaning against the lockers next to his, beaming at him. He was wearing the school uniform but still managed to make it look... Rockie. He had his usual peace sign necklace in full view, was missing his tie, had the first few buttons of his untucked shirt undone, and was, of course, wearing sandals.

Tony wondered how long it would take a teacher to notice and confiscate the sandals this year.

"I see they gave you a locker!" Rock said, grinning at Tony, "Didn't you have something growing in yours last year, man?"

"No." Tony growled, slamming the locker shut as Rock tried to peer inside, "Unlike you."

"Hey, man." Rock said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, "It was worth a shot! I mean, the last time I tried to grow it at home my parents freaked!"

Tony rolled his eyes, "And so you think that makes it a good idea to try and grow marijuana in school?"

Just as Tony finished speaking, Rock reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth, glancing skittishly up and down the hallways.

"Not so loud, man." Rock whispered.

Tony pushed away the younger boy's hand, "Fine, whatever. As long as you're not gonna try it again this year."

Rock didn't say anything.

"Rock." Tony warned, giving the boy a stern look.

"Don't worry man, I won't!" Rock assured him, then quietly, "It didn't work last year, so I can't really see it working this year..."

Tony ran a weary hand through his hair, "Is this why you came over? To congratulate me on acquiring a locker?"

Rock beamed, back to his usual self, "Nope, there's something else! My parents are out this weekend, so I'm gonna through a back to school party! Thought I'd come and officially invite you, seeing as we're so close!"

Tony snorted, wishing Rock was sarcastic and not delusional.

"So," Rock continued, "This Friday night, got it? Let Pony know too, and you can invite your cousins if you want, as long as they won't rat us out. Not the youngest ones." he winked, "Sorry man, can't trust the kiddies."

Tony found this ironic, seeing as Rick was a 'kiddie' last year and had still been the one throwing parties.

"Yeah, sure." Tony sighed.

Rock grinned, "That means you're coming, right? Can't have a party without my right-wing man!"

Tony considered it. He'd gone to Rock's parties before, and they'd been alright. Better than staying home on a Friday night playing video games and watching TV till three in the morning.

Well, it depended on what was on.

"Yeah." Tony finally said, "That means I'm coming."

Rock seemed to glow as he slapped Tony on the back, "That's the spirit, man! I'll see you on Friday my friend!"

As Rock walked off, Tony called after him, half-heartedly, "It's Monday, Rock."

Rock seemed to pause, then started walking again, "I'll see you tomorrow, my friend!"

Sighing again, Tony clicked his lock shut.

Only then did he realize he'd left the paper with his combination inside.

Tony banged his head against his locker and stayed like that for a very long time.

...

School was finally over, and Jack was on his way to meet Claire. They'd had regular classes in the afternoon, but it was more to meet some of their teachers and find out where the rooms were.

Jack and Claire were in a couple of classes, but they weren't together in their last one of that day, and so the cousins had decided to meet up outside.

Jack was on his way to the stairwell (his class had been on the second floor) when he spotted a familiar pink head.

It wasn't Popuri.

Jack thought a moment, then approached the girl, who appeared to be having trouble with her lock.

"Hey Lyla." Jack said, "Need some help?"

Lyla glanced up from her locker, surprised. Seeing Jack, she smiled, "That would be great." stepping back, she passed Jack a piece of paper, "That's my combination. I just can't get it to open!"

Jack took the sheet and started on the lock, suddenly feeling nervous.

Lyla was a year older than him. They'd met last year, in art, and had somehow become friends. But something about Lyla always made Jack anxious, different from how he was with Popuri. He felt equal with Popuri, like he had solid footing. But around Lyla he felt kind of like... a kid.

"So," Jack said in an unconsciously deeper voice, "How was your summer?"

"It was wonderful!" Lyla said, surprising Jack with her enthusiasm, "My parents and I went travelling around the countryside! You should have seen it Jack- it was beautiful! There was this one garden at a hotel we stayed at..."

Lyla went on to describe her vacation, and all the lovely gardens and parks she'd seen, while Jack worked on her lock, only half paying attention. It was hard to focus on her story, the combination, and the fact that Lyla was next to him all at the same time.

"Got it!" Jack exclaimed on his fifth try. Realizing he'd interrupted her, he turned to Lyla with a faint blush, "Sorry."

"That's ok." Lyla said, still smiling, "I was rambling, wasn't I?"

Jack started to protest, then stopped and grinned, "You kind of were, but that's alright. It's interesting."

This appeared to be the right thing to say. Lyla's smile broadened. "Thank you." she said, opening her locker as Jack stepped out of the way.

"So how was your summer, Jack?" Lyla asked as she collected her purse and arranged a few binders.

"It was good." Jack replied, "Not very exciting. My cousin moved here."

Lyla's eyebrows shot up, "Your cousin? That's exciting!"

Jack shrugged, "A bit, I guess."

"I'd love to meet her." Lyla said, smiling again.

Jack flushed slightly, looking away, "We're walking home together. If you'd like I could introduce you now..."

As Jack trailed off he realized what he was saying.

"Shit!" Jack exclaimed, slapping his forehead. Lyla gave him a startled look.

"Sorry." Jack hurried to say, "I just forgot about meeting her."

"Oh!" Lyla frowned, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in a hurry..."

"It's not your fault!" Jack told her, "I offered to help. I just..." Jack tugged on his hat irritably, "Never mind. It's really not your fault though. I just stupidly forgot."

"Oh..." Lyla still didn't look convinced, "Apologise for me anyways, will you?"

"Don't worry." Jack said, waving it off, "Claire won't be angry. She'll understand."

...

Claire stood outside the school, waiting for her simpleton cousin.

Where the hell was he? She'd been standing out there for a half hour (about fifteen minutes) at least.

Glaring once more at her phone, Claire spun on her heels and stormed away from her school. It wasn't as if she couldn't find her way home. The town had what, four streets?

Five minutes later, and Claire found herself at a fork in the road.

Five minutes after that, Claire was still looking up and down the two roads.

"Why, the hell is there no signpost?" Claire exploded at no one in particular.

"What are you doing?"

Claire jumped and spun around.

...

Tina was having similar difficulties to Claire.

She'd ended up staying back later than the others, because she'd run into the principal, who had asked her if she wanted a tour.

Not wanting to be rude, she'd said yes.

Big mistake.

She'd finally managed to get away, telling Thomas she had to meet her cousins and brother. He'd looked so disappointed though, she'd agreed to stay for a tour of the first floor.

When that was over, Tina checked her phone. There were two messages, ten minutes apart. Both were from Tony.

The first one read: You're late.

The second one read: You were too late.

Tina stuffed her phone in her pocket, feeling abandoned. No doubt it had been Tony who had made the final group decision to leave Tina.

Tough love, some called it.

Unnecessary cruelty had a better ring to it.

And so Tina was walking home alone.

Not that she was as bad off as Claire. She, at least, knew where she was going. And she was fifteen- it wasn't like she'd never gone out walking alone before.

But this was... different. She wasn't used to walking home alone from school, and besides, it was her first day. She'd wanted to... talk about it.

Tina rode these depressing thoughts halfway home (she took a shortcut, and thus had missed her furious blonde cousin). Said shortcut led her through the park.

It was here, at the midway point, that she stopped.

Normally the park was empty around now. Today, it wasn't. There was one, single person leaning against the swings.

Tina thought that was silly. Who leaned against the swing structure when the actual swings were free?

Although Tina could be rather quiet, she did have her social spurts. Besides, the first day had gone really well and she was in a good mood. She headed straight for the person.

Whoever it was looked around her age, with icy blue eyes and light purple shoulder-length hair. He/she wasn't wearing a school uniform though, just a pair of jeans and a pink and red hoodie.

The person spotted her, but quickly looked away.

Tina, undaunted, walked right up to her/him, "Hi!"

He/she frowned at her, eyes narrowed into slits, "Can I help you with something?"

The voice sounded male... kind of. She still couldn't be sure.

Smiling, Tina shook her head, whipping her pigtails around, "I was just on my way home and saw you standing here. Aren't you lonely?"

"Lonely?" the stranger scoffed, looking annoyed, "Do you make a habit of walking up to random people who are trying to mind their own business?"

Tina flinched at his tone, "Sorry. I just thought..."

"Whatever you thought, it was wrong." the stranger snapped, "Now leave me alone."

Tina took a step back and started to turn away. Something made her pause.

"Why aren't you swinging?"

Her question startled the stranger, who'd been glaring off in the opposite direction. He turned the glower on Tina, "What?"

"The swings." Tina explained, waving a hand at them, "They're free."

The stranger snorted, "Evidently." he scowled, "Can you get lost now? You're noisy."

Tina shrugged and walked over to the swings. Sitting down, she pushed herself back. Soon she was swinging.

"What are you doing?" the stranger demanded, looking peeved.

"Swinging." Tina replied, "Evidently."

The stranger made an agitated grunting sound and turned his back on her. Tina continued to swing, watching him. The creak of the old structure was loud in the silence.

"Can you stop that?" the stranger finally demanded, whirling around angrily.

Tina paused the swing, "You can leave if you don't like it. Or..." Tina stopped here and gave him a meaningful look, "You could join me."

The stranger looked startled, but quickly wiped the expression and replaced it with irritation. He turned away from her again, but didn't leave.

"I was here first." he said after a moment, "That's the only reason I'm staying."

"Ok." was all Tina said, and started swinging again. She'd never met someone so difficult, but she didn't mind.

Tina smiled. It was interesting.

...

Gray had been on his way home, lost deep in thought, when he spotted someone up ahead.

She was standing in the way. In his way. She didn't seem to be doing anything, just looking around, while in the way.

Gray groaned inwardly. Great. It wasn't like he could just walk past her without saying anything. Well, he could, but she seemed like the kind of person that might bring up that he'd ignored her at an inconvenient time.

Fighting the urge to sigh, Gray quietly made his way forward.

He was a few steps away when she suddenly yelled: "Why the hell is there no signpost?"

Gray was startled, but quickly recovered.

"What are you doing?" he asked Jack's cousin.

Claire whirled around, wide-eyed. Spotting him, the startled look slowly faded to recognition.

"You." she said, "You're... Jack's friend."

Gray just looked at her, unimpressed.

"Cliff...?"

Gray scowled at her. He and Cliff looked nothing alike, "No."

Claire scratched his chin, looking confused, "You were arguing with that Kai guy..."

Of course she'd remember everyone's name but his. "I wasn't arguing with him." Gray snapped, before he could stop himself.

Claire raised an eyebrow at him, "You certainly weren't having a friendly chat."

"Whatever." Gray grumbled, walking past her. He'd tried.

"Hey!" she called after him, "Where are you going?"

"Home." Gray growled, not turning around. She didn't make a reply, thankfully.

But then Gray heard running footsteps, and when she popped up beside him he wasn't so thankful.

"I need your help." she said, point-blank.

Gray was surprised, but hid it easily, "With what?"

Claire no longer looked determined, but sheepish, "I... don't know how to get home."

Gray gave her a disbelieving look, "You're kidding me, right?"

Claire glared at him, "Jack was supposed to walk home with me, but he didn't show up."

Gray didn't find this an answer to his question.

"If there was a signpost..." Claire muttered under her breath.

"Fine." Gray muttered. It wasn't like he had a choice, "Where do you live."

"Next to Jack."

Gray frowned at her, "That isn't an address."

Claire frowned back, "You're his friend, aren't you? You know where his house is."

Gray sighed, mumbling to himself, "I'm not sure what good a signpost would have done you without an address..."

"Are you going to help me or what?" Claire demanded.

He was, yes, against his own violation. Gray turned to face one of the two roads. He pointed, "Go this way. Take your first left. There's a maple tree on the corner there. Don't take the left surrounded by bushes- that's actually a driveway and the people that live there hate when kids go on their property. After that you'll have to walk for about ten minutes, then take another left. Keep count, it'll be your third left. And then-"

"I'll have gone in a circle!" Claire broke in, throwing up her hands in an irritated manner.

Gray gave her an equally annoyed look, "No, then you'll be on your street."

"That's still a circle." Claire muttered.

"It isn't.' Gray said, suddenly feeling the urge to prove her wrong. About anything.

"It so is." was Claire's counter. She pointed at a house across from them, "Hypothetically, I could skip through their backyard and wind up on my street."

"No." Gray argued, "You'd still be a street away from your street. You'd have to walk awhile and take another right."

"So many directions." Claire groaned.

This set Gray off, "It's not that difficult to understand! Besides, I thought someone from the city would be good with directions."

"I don't know where you got that misconception." Claire muttered, "Because you're wrong."

"Yeah," Gray growled, "'Misconception' tends to mean someone is wrong. And clearly, I was."

Claire glared at him, "You're just bad at giving directions."

"You're bad at taking them!"

The two glared at each other a moment, then glared in opposite directions. Gray wasn't sure why he was so angry. He usually kept his temper in check- or, was usually better at it- but this stupid city girl...

"And it's a circle." Claire muttered under her breath, just to get the last word, Gray was sure.

"You know what?" Gray fumed, "I'll prove to you that you're wrong!"

And without another word, he took off down the street, in the opposite direction of his house. After a moment, he heard Claire following him.

He seethed silently for awhile, refusing to look at the girl beside him, who looked equally as unhappy, though more morose than angry.

It was about five minutes later, when they took the first left, that Claire spoke.

"Why were you so late walking home?"

Gray glanced at her, surprised by the question but not showing it, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was waiting for Jack for twenty minutes before I started walking," Claire explained, "And you left later than me. Why were you at school so long?"

Gray scowled at the ground, "I wasn't. I like to walk slowly."

"So you're telling me you left school at the same time as everyone else, and I still managed to get ahead of you?" Claire snorted, "Yeah, that's likely."

"It's true." Gray snapped, "You're probably too used to a fast paced life to understand."

Claire chose to ignore the jab at her city upbringing, and said, "I understand how slow a turtle can walk, and let me tell you, a turtle would have been at that corner before me."

Gray fell silent. He didn't need to argue with her. She could think whatever she wanted.

"I don't get why it's such a big deal." Claire muttered after a moment, as much to herself as him, "I was just asking what took you so long. Sorry for trying to make conversation."

Gray even felt like snapping at her for that comment. He took a deep breath and focussed on walking.

Not long after they reached the third right and were on Claire's street. They went on a bit longer, until they'd reached and passed Jack's house. Claire stopped in front of the one beside it.

"We've come full circle." Claire declared, then rubbing her chin, "Well not full circle, but a circle nonetheless-"

"It wasn't a circle." Gray broke in, "Could you not tell?"

"Fine! A square then!" Claire exclaimed, "But most people would call it a circle!"

"Most people," Gray replied, "Would know what a circle looked like."

Glaring at him, Claire pushed her bag up on shoulder, "I'm going into my house now. Thanks for walking me around the circle."

Gray scoffed, returning the glower, "Don't thank me for something I didn't do."

"Oh, so you were just walking around a circle for the fun of it?" Claire asked sarcastically. Before Gray could make a reply, she started up her walkway.

Gray shot daggers at her back before turning away.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Claire's voice.

"I don't blame you for being wrong." Claire said to him with a smirk, "It's a common misconception."

Gray blinked at her, but before a comeback came to mind, she turned her back to him again and headed for her house. He stared after her a moment, then hurried away, scowling darkly to himself.

It hadn't been a smile, he told himself. She hadn't been smiling at him. She'd been smirking. A smug expression.

And so, he told himself, his heart hadn't skipped a beat. It had screwed up and missed one. That was it.

He told himself this all the way home.

...

"Oh!"

Jamie turned his head slightly at the voice, to glance at the annoying girl who had interrupted his privacy.

She leapt off her swing, braids flying, and shoved the phone she had been staring at into her pocket.

"Sorry." she said to him, as if he actually cared, "My cousin's wondering where I am, so I have to go now."

Jamie turned away from her, "It's about time."

He waited for the sound of her retreating footsteps, maybe some kind of exclamation at his rudeness. But instead he heard her coming towards him, and was soon greeted by a bright smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" she said, hands clasped behind her back.

Jamie scowled at her, "Why would you see me tomorrow?"

"You go to my school, right?" she asked. Before Jamie could reply (not that he was going too) she extended her hand, "My name's Tina!"

Jamie frowned down at it, then up at her. After a hesitant moment, Tina retracted her hand, but continued to smile.

"See you!" she said again, with a little wave that Jamie was sure she thought was cute, before taking off. She basically skipped out of the park.

Jamie continued to scowl at her disappearing figure.

Stupid, persistent, noisy brat of a girl. No way he'd go to school tomorrow.

Jamie pushed off the structure and headed out of the park, in the opposite direction.

He'd get to sleep at a relatively reasonable hour anyways. He had a tendency to get up early.

But he wasn't going to school.

No way.