Fractions. Why fractions?

I looked at the board and back to my book with a blank expression. Negative fractions with variables and word problems that leave me confused and unable to do the actual problem. It's a miracle I didn't have to repeat math last year. That would have been a problem. But now we have to work with even more fractions that leave me on the verge of tears. It's just so frustrating.

I leaned over to where Ludwig was working next to me. "Uh, could you help me?"

"Sure. What do you need help with?" Ludwig replied.

"All of it." Ludwig sighed and asked to see my book. He mumbled something along the lines of "Feliciano" and "First day of math." I smiled innocently and looked at Ludwig's teaching. After a few moments he clucked his tongue.

"This is where you messed up. You have to cross multiply and borrow." He pointed his pencil at a certain step I thought I understood.

"I have to borrow there? But-but-it doesn't make sense! There's nothing to borrow from!" I squealed. Ludwig just sighed heavily.

"Feli, you take the one from here." Again, Ludwig pointed to another number I didn't even think I needed.

"I actually need that?" I sat back heavily in my seat, huffing especially loud. "I just don't get it!" I crossed my arms and pouted. I looked back over at Ludwig as he worked on his math, my eyes lingering on his blue ones. When I saw him at the store last week I barely recognized him. Instead of the small, somewhat skinny boy I had grown up with, there was a giant muscle man in the place of him. The thing that gave him away though, was his eyes. The beautiful aloof blue eyes...

I blinked and looked away, blushing ever so slightly. I let out a breath when the teacher, Mr. Ami, said it was almost time to go. Finally, no more fractions. I smiled when I realized what my next class was: art. And with Lovino! It's already been a couple of months since school started, but I have no doubts that Lovi and I would have no trouble at all. Unless the assignment required painting. Lovino is a good artists, but he has always struggled with painting. Whether it was watercolor or acrylics, Lovino just couldn't figure the paint out. Most of the time he would get so frustrated with it he has to sit down and count. But not those small 1-10 counts. It was more like a 1-50 counts. We had therapy to thank for that.

"Hey, the bell rung." I jumped and looked upwards. Ludwig was standing behind me, a hand on my shoulder.

"Ve~ I guess it did," I said as I looked around the classroom. Most of the people had filed out, walking to their next class. The only people who stayed were the ones that needed help on the assignment. I should probably stay too, but art is on the other side of the building. And I've got Ludwig to help me out; he can just re-teach me the lesson from a different angle. But then again that's what I told myself last year. But I didn't have Ludwig last year. But how do I know Ludwig will help me? He can get irritated pretty easily. But he's Ludwig. He's a big softy and he'll help me no matter what.

"You're frowning. Are you arguing with yourself? Again?" Ludwig started walking out of the classroom. I followed.

"Yes I was. I couldn't decide whether I should get help from Mr. Ami or from you," I explained. "Mr. Ami was trained for this, but you have different angles on how you see things. I thought you could teach me a different approach to math." Ludwig furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, maybe. I could come up with an easier approach." See Feli! I told you he would say yes- "But I don't know if I have a lot of time." Ha! He doesn't have time for that- "I could open up my schedule." He'll make time. He's very good at that! "But-"

"Ludwig, you're making my head hurt." I reached up and put my hands on the sides of my head. It was true. There was a slight pinch near my temples, which usually occurs when I think too much, or I'm arguing. In this case, I'm arguing with myself. Which is sort of mental if you think about it.

"Sorry." Ludwig immediately stopped talking, and we walked in silence.

"Are we going to be using paints?"

Of course that would be the first thing Lovino says to the teacher.

"Why, yes we are, Lovino. I'm sorry, I know you don't like them," Mrs. B. added when Lovino groaned. He stomped over to a table and sat down hard. I shot Mrs. B a look that said 'I'm sorry I know Lovi's a jackass' before sitting down next to the said jackass.

"Come on fratello~ Be nice to Mrs.B." I said. Lovino just grumbled something about second grade. Which was actually pretty accurate. Mrs. B. had been our art teacher since second grade. And second grade was the first time Lovi found out he was horrible at painting. Let's connect the dots and see why Lovino doesn't like her very much.

"I'll be nice once she tells us we're not going to paint dammit. Or that I can just skip it altogether," Lovi grumbled and crossed his arms. I rolled my eyes as I got out my pencil and eraser, and got up to get Lovi and I some blank pieces of paper (I knew he wouldn't get it himself because he's a lazy ass). I looked to the white board to see our warm-up.

Draw whatever setting you wish with whatever tool you want.

Ah yes, Mrs. B. being professional with us like always.

Now what should I draw? A beach? Or an orchard? A flower patch seems nice. But so does a deserted town. I wish I had a coin I could flip. I looked over to Lovi to see if he had one, but stopped. Of course he doesn't have a coin on him. Why would he? He can't remember to take his phone with him, let alone a small piece of metal. And why are coins metal? They should be...No, never mind. They should definitely be metal...But what about-

FUCK

Stay on track Feli! Now, landscapes, landscapes, landscapes, what should I draw...Oh! I have the perfect idea: a glacier. With the northern lights and penguins and polar bears. But not those scary ones with seal guts coming out of its mouth. No I want those cute ones that are friends with everything.

I got to work, carefully sketching out my glacier and the wavy line for the sky lights. I drew my VERY CUTE VERY ADORABLE looking polar bear with a VERY ADORABLE SMILE AND NO GUTS WHATSOEVER next to my lovely penguin. (I don't need to emphasize on anything with the penguins; they are already too adorable.)

I looked over to Lovino curiously. After careful observation, my eyes widened.

"Ve~! Lovi that looks amazing!" I said sincerely.

"You think so?" Lovino looked a me a bit sheepishly. I smiled. It always seemed as if Lovino barely got any compliments, so when he did, he would get soooo shy. Especially if it was me complimenting his art.

"Of course~ I love how you put the angle close to the ground near the flowers. It looks pretty cool." His picture was of a field of flowers. The horizon had a line of fir trees, and the sun was setting. It looked beautiful even without colors.

Lovino huffed and snatched the paper out of my hands. He went back to work, trying hard not to blush. It was fun to watch.

"Okay class, we only have five minutes left. Please put everything away and clean up!" I packed up my things and put my "Warm-up that wasn't the warm-up but the actual assignment" in the class bin. The class filed out, and I said goodbye to Lovi and walked to my next class. Which was pretty difficult considering I still didn't know my way around school. A school that was bigger than the White House. (Seriously, I'm not kidding; the school was gigantic.)

I walked towards the west side of the building (at least I think it was the west...) were my science class was held and up a flight of stairs. Down a hallway and right and I should end up at room 904. I looked at a door plaque: Mr. Miragashi 611.

What?

No, that should have taken me to hallway 900. I looked around. If I can just go back the way I came...then maybe...I walked back down the hallway and took a right, then...was it down a flight of stairs or up? I huffed impatiently. How do they expect kids to know their way around this school. I can barely walk to the bathroom at my house let a lone a giant freaking school.

I went down a flight of stairs and took a left. Now I must be heading north. Down a couple more hallways, take a couple more turns and then...

The cafeteria. How did I end up at the cafeteria? This makes no sense.

I felt a burning sensation in my eyes that indicated oh shit he's about to cry don't let him do it code red code red stop the tears. I pressed my hands to my eyes hoping to wipe a way the tears. Do not cry in school. Not on the first day. Do not be tardy. Well so much for that and oh there goes the bell. A loud ringing sounded throughout the school. I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. Late for class twice. On the first day of school. How terrific. I sighed and ventured on my little quest.

After a few more lefts and rights I finally thought I had it. Thought. I looked at yet another door plaque: Ms. Puck 723. Closer, but not there. Again I felt the sting of tears. They were about to overflow when I put my jacket sleeves and wiped my eyes. After a couple of minutes of deep breathing I put my arms down and ope here comes the waterfall next stop tearville choo-choo.

I was, by this point, actually crying. I brought my arms up again and dug the heels of my hands into my eyes hoping I would stop crying by next week. Just breathe just breathe just breathe. It never worked thought. I stood there trying to stop for about five minutes. Just calming down.

Finally I was able to lower my hands and look for a clock: 12:25. It's almost lunch time. What if I can't find my way back to the cafeteria? What if I miss lunch? No! I can't miss lunch! I'm hungry and I want to eat my pasta! I felt myself start to cry again, so I put my hand back near my eyes. What if-

"Excuse me? Are you mister Vargas?" I spun around sniffling. In front of me was a girl with straw-colored hair and a lavender ribbon in it. Her eyes were big jade orbs. She was very pretty.

I swallowed. "Which Vargas?" I asked

"Mister Feliciano Veniciano Vargas." Ah yes. My middle name. My parents had a fantastic field day with that one: Feliciano Veniciano. Nope, no tongue twister here.

"Whose asking?"

"My name is Erika Zwingli. It's been thirty minutes since class started and Mrs. Helm asked me to find you," The girl named Erika asked. My cheeks turned pink. Someone had to find me. Like I was some lost kid at the zoo. But you are a lost kid, just in a highschool... Okay no. I am not going to argue with myself. My head always hurts afterwords and I hate that- "Mr Vargas are you okay?"

I started. I forgot Erika was here. "Y-yes. I'm okay just...lost." Man that was lame.

"Well, if you follow me we can get you unlost." I walked with Erika, the reverse way I came. Wow. stupid, stupid Feli. As I was mentally punching myself, though, a thought occurred to me.

"Why have I never seen you before?" I asked.

"You're the new kid, aren't you?"

"I lived here since I was born. I moved six years ago though because-" I stopped. I'm not allowed to tell anyone the real reason we left. "Because my mom got a really great job offer."

"Oh. Well, I usually stuck by my big brother Vash who never really liked talking to people. When he was little he made a club called the "Leave-Me-Aloners". I was part of it, but that was really it." Erika chuckled. My eyes widened.

"You're Vash's little sister?" I saw it now. They both had the same hair and eyes. "But I thought his sister had longer hair."

"Yes, but I cut it just a few months ago. I like big brother's hair cut, so I cut it to match his." I blinked. Erika cut her own hair? But it looks great. I tried to cut my hair when I was little, but my parents had to bring me to a barber shop afterwards. I wonder if the Zwinglis had to do that with Erika too? Probably. No one can cut their own hair that perfectly.

"And here we are Mr. Vargas." I looked at the door plaque we were standing in front of: Ms. Helm Room 904. Finally. Erika knocked on the door and went inside, myself closely following.

"...so now you can just do your own work." Ms. Helm looked over at us entering her classroom and smiled. "Mr. Feliciano, so nice of you to join us." I could feel my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. Around me the class laughed. I caught a couple of things that sounded like forty-five minutes late, new kid needed rescued, and looked down at my shoes.

"Mr. Vargas, there's a seat next to me." Erika walked to the middle of the classroom and sat down. I followed, my cheeks growing redder by the second.