Well I'm back! This took longer than I had hoped it would, I was up at the hospital today getting some testing done, and I have more medical tests coming up this week. I am a-okay though in my opinion and will be able to update again soon! Hopefully more soon than last time.

I am feeling sick so this chapter may not be best, and I tried to show what happened in the different classrooms. I hope that it wasn't too confusing for anyone. If it was do let me know and I will try harder next time to use a better format.

And again, reader feedback means so much to me, I really do appreciate reviews, or those who P.M me to talk about my story. Feel free to, and if you aren't comfortable doing that, feel free not to. Yep. I make sense.

Now go on and read so that you can enjoy the presence of all four main characters.

There was a light wind, gently pushing leaves and pieces of litter across the street with caresses of air. The sun shined down and greeted the world with its (perhaps unwelcome) presence, already beginning to heat the asphalt to levels intolerable, perhaps blistering, to the bare feet of the children soon to run along it. Traffic was sparse and the noise was minimal.

It was a peaceful day. It was a silent day. It was a Monday.

And Alfred's alarm clock, in hopes to join the trending silence, had not gone off.

"Alfred, you giant piece of garbage, get your goddamn ass out of bed before I fucking kick it out."

Blabbering angrily into his pillow, Alfred ignored his brother's threat and shook his head.

"Fuck that noise Mattie, I swear if I get up I will literally explode, and you'll have to clean up my guts and brain matter and chunky organ remains off of the walls. You don't want that. No one wants that. So give me five more minutes to adjust to consciousness, okay?"

Matthew growled and ripped one of Alfred's blanket off, "I told you to go to the store and buy us new alarm clocks after the power outage Saturday, because the ones we had broke, and you know what an alarm clock does when it's broken?"

Alfred shook his head again. "If the alarm clock is broken it's not going to do shit."

"Exactly. And it's eight thirty in the morning. On your first day back at school."

As if the words Matthew had spoken were coated in pixie dust, they worked like magic. Alfred hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

Matthew walked over and banged on the door, shouting over the noise of the shower running, "And Alfred, please, sleep with some boxers on. I already told you that the amount of times I should have to see your dick in my life has gone past the quota."

"A dick this good deserves to be seen."

"Not by your step brother!"

"If you go grab me the most carb-filled and sugary breakfast item we have that I can eat in the car we may reach a point of agreement."

Matthew sighed, running his hand through his hair and pausing before responding. "I'll grab you a PopTart or something, our backpacks are already packed in the trunk. I can go start up the car and turn the heat on. Grab a jacket on your way out - it's cold."

Alfred threw the door open and shot Matthew a grin, shaking his head and splashing water everywhere like a dog. "I knew you cared."

"Yeah, I care that you don't whine like a bitch the entire way there."

Shrugging, Alfred held a towel around his waist as he jogged to his room. "It still counts!"

Matthew couldn't help but let the edge of his lip perk up in what could be called a quasi-smile, at most. Then, ignoring the banging sounds of the closet door and drawers being opened and closed, he went to get a toaster pastry for the step brother that he maybe, sort of, somewhat cared about more than anyone else in the world.

After realizing they were already two hours late to class, Matthew and Alfred sat in the school parking lot, debating whether it was worthwhile to make the journey out of the comfort and safety of the heated minivan.

"Mattie, I get what you're saying. School is good, skipping school is bad, and making a habit of skipping school on the literal first day that I start is even more bad."

"You know, if you were at school more often, you would know to say even worse."

Alfred huffed and looked out the passenger window, teary-eyed and insulted. "Hey, I wasn't able to do much when I was sick, don't hold that against me."

Matthew bit his lip, feeling guilty in the slightest way. "And you put in a lot of effort to keep up with the rest of us. But you shouldn't throw all that effort away."

"I'm not! It's just… You know, exhausting I guess. I never got to play hookie or have days at home, I used up all my sick days in the hospital, and it's really frustrating."

"I'll tell you what." Matthew put his hand on Alfred's shoulder, causing the other to look back at him. "We come in after lunch, say you had a doctor's appointment or something."

Alfred looked hopeful, but confused. "What will we do until then?"

Matthew contemplated his response. "Whatever you want, Al."

"Really?" Alfred's eyes lit up. "Because there is actually this really cool cafe that opened up nearby and we should totally go. I mean, the food sounds good, but they have cats sit with you while you eat. You get to eat with a fucking cat Mattie."

Laughing, Matthew put the car in reverse, pulled the minivan out of its parking spot, and began to drive out of the school parking lot. "Sure, we have a lot to celebrate."

Blushing slightly, Alfred shook his head. "It's not that big a deal."

Matthew stopped the car. "Alfred - you beat cancer. That is literally the biggest of big deals. So sit your ass down, shut your mouth, and tell me how to get to this cafe. I am not going to let you get away with saying it isn't a big deal, and I am going to remind you every single day if I have to that you are fucking phenomenal. Today I want to see you healthy, happy, and eating with a ton of cats surrounding you. Okay?"

"O-okay." Alfred stammered, pulling up the GPS on his phone. "Thanks Mattie. For that, and for everything, I guess."

"Anytime Al, I promise."

Meanwhile, at the same school, there was a fight going on in the halls. Yet the only students who took notice were the two involved.

"Francis, if you're going to say shit like that, you might as well say it to my face, before you spread it to the entire student body." Arthur snarled, eyes darkened.

Laughing, Francis smiled at a passerby, before returning to Arthur. "Oh mon ami, you know I would, but your face is just so hideously unbearable that the task can, at times, prove too difficult to grasp."

Arthur was steaming, and it was impossible to tell whether the red hue of his cheeks was caused by anger or embarrassment. It was safe to assume that it was a mixture of the two. "I really don't appreciate you taking this as a joke-."

"Please." Francis interrupted. "I take everything you do as a joke."

Arthur inhaled deeply through his nose before continuing. "I'm serious right now. I agreed to pretend to be your friend at school, to benefit the both of us, and if you're going to spread rumors about me this will not work out."

"Rumors? What sort of things have you been hearing?" Francis raised his eyebrows. "I've simply been telling people that our friendship is of a different arrangement than we agreed on."

"Yes, I know, this morning alone I've had three people ask me what it's like to be Francis Bonnefoy's bitch."

"Well that isn't the term I would go with, so harsh. I prefer "fuck buddies" because it implies that we are at an equal stance of power and consent."

The bell rang to signal the end of lunch, and Arthur rose a hand to massage at his temples. "You know what Francis? We'll talk about this later. Skype me tonight, okay?"

Francis opened his locker and grabbed a Psychology textbook, shaking his head. "Perhaps the phone would be better, again, I do have problems looking at that face of yours."

Then Francis ran down the halls, happily ignoring Arthur's faint cries in the distance.

"Mattie? I'm not sure if I want to go in." Alfred muttered, acting uncharacteristically shy as they neared the doors of the school.

"Why? Are you nervous?" Matthew asked, concerned.

Shrugging, Alfred looked around at the towering buildings, feeling intimidated. "I mean I'm caught up in the classes, but it's weird being a new student in the middle of the first quarter, and everyone has already made friends. Oh god, what if I don't make any friends? I'm going to be all alone, and I'm going to have to eat lunch alone, and do everything alone. I'm going to be a lone, lonely, loner. I-."

"Alfred, shut the fuck up. You're great at making friends, and school has only been going for four weeks. You'll do fine, okay? And if you need anything, anything at all, you have my schedule, so you know where to find me. You can do this." Matthew grabbed the handle to the front door, pulling it open, and letting a whiff of the warm air from indoors hit the both of them.

Matthew led Alfred to the office, interested him to the receptionist, signed the two of them in, and got himself a copy of Alfred's schedule. "I'll come check on you during each class - I have permission so don't throw a bitch fit about it. The school day is already half-way done, so go to all your classes listed after your lunch period. Do you want me to walk you to your first class? I think I have time."

Just after Matthew spoke, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, and giving them five minutes to get to their respective third period classes.

"Or I don't. Will you be able to make it to your class on your own?"

Alfred nodded, staring at the paper in his hands with determination.

"Okay, I'll be there at the end of your class to check on you. Good luck!"

Matthew dashed through the door, hoping to make it to his locker and get his Psychology textbook in time. Turning a sharp corner in the halls he ran face-first into another student, falling to the floor with a distinct thud.

"Oh, mon dieu, are you okay?" An accented voice hit Matthew's ears, and he groaned.

"Oui, je suis désolé, c'est ma faute." He muttered, rubbing at his head, and the area where a bump would likely be the next morning.

"C'est bon - wait, you speak French?" Francis was baffled, eyeing the stranger with fascination.

Matthew looked up to meet Francis's gaze, puzzled by his bewildered demeanor. "I do, but I really have to get to class, and I was hoping to grab my textbook first."

Again, that pesky bell rang, crushing Matthew's hopes.

"Or not, I guess." Matthew muttered, before noticing the Psychology textbook splayed on the ground. "Are you in Psychology this period?"

Francis nodded, too busy taking in the details of Matthew's face to speak.

"Do you mind if we share the textbook? I know Mr. Benson is really strict on students who don't bring their materials in."

Once again, Francis nodded.

"Don't you think we should get going? We're already going to be late."

"Oh, oui, I mean, yes." Francis bent down to pick up his book. "My name is Francis by the way, Francis Bonnefoy."

"Ah, my name is Matthew, the case of my last name is kind of complicated so I just go by Williams. It's a pleasure to meet you."

They walked together, not as fast as they should have if they hoped to make it to class at an excusable time, yet neither of them made a move to speed up.

Francis grinned. "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you."

"Class, we have a new student today, so pay attention for a few minutes, okay? Alfred, would you like to introduce yourself?" Mrs. White, a kind, yet extremely old woman, spoke sweetly, making all of the students in the classroom focus on him.

Alfred stood at the door, shifting his feet nervously. "By asking if I would like to you're not actually implying I have a choice, are you?"

A few laughs were stifled, but Mrs. White shook her head and proceeded with patience. "I'm not implying that in the slightest. Now come up to the front and tell us all about yourself."

Licking his lips, Alfred walked over, trying to ignore the way his pants were hanging obnoxiously from his frame. When he was up front and able to get a good view of everyone present he was pleased to see some friendly-looking faces.

"Uh hi, my name is Alfred, but you already knew that I guess." More people laughed, and Alfred smiled a little. "I'm a junior, and I am hoping to move on and study to be a NASA engineer."

Arthur, seated in the front of the class, raised his hand. "What school did you transfer from, Alfred? Did you just move into the area?"

Alfred looked down at his feet before returning his gaze to the rest of the classroom, attempting to not focus on any one face in particular. "Actually, I've been doing the academic work for this school while I was in the hospital."

"What were you in the hospital for?" Arthur shot back, almost immediately regretting it. His face reddened and he stuttered out, "I mean, if you're okay with sharing that is, I didn't want to put you under any pressure."

Nodding, Alfred smiled back at him. "It's okay, I'm probably going to get asked that a lot, so I should probably get comfortable talking about it. I was diagnosed with cancer, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, right before my freshman year started. I was in and out of the hospital all the time so I took my first year of high school online. This year I started showing signs of getting better so I talked to the school and arranged to do the classwork outside of school until I could physically attend. Now I'm in remission so… Yeah. I'm here." He gestured at himself awkwardly, not sure how to handle all the attention he was getting, and whether it was positive or negative.

"And we're very glad that you're here Alfred. Take a seat wherever you can find one." Mrs. White spoke, smiling at him again.

Alfred felt like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off of his chest. He took the closest seat to the front that was empty, to the right of Arthur.

"Hey, I'm sorry for asking you something so personal, that was rather unthoughtful of me." Arthur leaned over to whisper to Alfred. "I'm Arthur by the way."

Alfred opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

"Now Alfred, I hope this doesn't mean that you're going to be causing trouble. Talk after class, not during." Mrs. White warned.

"Yes Ma'am." Alfred responded immediately, straightening up in his seat.

Looking down at the papers on his desk, Arthur felt a sense of defeat before he noticed a ripped piece of line paper that was slid discreetly onto his desk.

"Thanks, Arthur."

This quality is so bad, I am so, so sorry. And there are so many page breaks too, ack. I promise to be more thorough in the next chapter!

Translations (for those who don't speak French):

Mon ami: My friend

Mon dieu: My god

Oui, je suis desole, c'est ma faute: Yes, I am sorry, it is my fault

And again

Oui: Yes

If you have any criticisms please do leave me a review or P.M them to me so that I can improve my work. Thanks for reading everyone! I plan to update by this weekend at the latest. See you then!