Chapter 12: Tonight It's "It can't get much worse" vs. "No one should ever feel like"
Sunday December 9th, 9:12 A.M
On December 9th, he expected simply to chill at home, reading a bit from his A.P books here and there. Maybe he would clean up his room a bit, or sit down and read from his Inheritance Cycle collection.
It was supposed to be a normal Sunday. He wasn't supposed to feel hurt or betrayed.
But, as he slowly set his tea cup down, eying the wreck that was Francis Bonnefoy from across his kitchen table, what he felt was worse than when Alfred abandoned him for Tino.
"What?"
"I'm not going to repeat myself mon ami."
And Francis really didn't have to. He should've noticed it really. There were so many hints. The empty look in those blue eyes, how thin the teen looked, how pale those chiseled features were…Hell, his hair was unkempt. Francis Bonnefoy did not run a brush through his glorious hair that morning. That should have screamed out at Arthur! They've been friends for months and yet…
Arthur still couldn't notice that Francis had a bipolar disorder?
"What kind of friend am I?"
"A pretty good one, considering the fact that we still hated each other's guts five months ago."
"God, I'm sorry."
"What for?" Francis grimaced, flicking a strand of blonde off his shoulder. "To be truthful, I had to tell Gil before he realized. The same with Antonio, and they're two of my closest friends."
Blue eyes glanced up, holding Arthur's gaze with tired amusement.
"Maybe the fact that you didn't notice is a sign of some sort."
This didn't make the teen feel any better,
"Why are you telling me this now Francis?"
"You have a week Arthur," The teen explained. "Every one of the Sophomore Slumps has an issue. You need to know these issues so you don't ruin a relationship by mistake. You really insulted me the other day."
"I apologize. What did I do?"
Francis waved it off.
"If you don't remember, then don't bother. Just watch yourself when you speak about depression. Some of us haven't completely…Never mind. Figure out all of our issues by January 3rd, including your own. If you manage, you'll win this challenge."
"What happens if I lose?"
The blonde shrugged.
"Nothing. But we have great expectations for you. Don't fail."
-~S.S.C.O.T.Y~-
December 16, 12:12 P.M
'That's what you said Francis,'
Green eyes scrutinized the teens surrounding him. Was Antonio's happiness just an act? How about Gil? He couldn't really be that arrogant.
'But do you really think I can do this?'
"Artie! Artie!"
"Ah! S-Sorry chaps, what were you saying?"
Romano scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"I was saying that if you're going to get that tattoo, you should go during Winter Break. We were planning to go down to New York City, but apparently you zoned out. Pay attention bastard."
Antonio shook his head.
"Su cabeza esta vacio."
"Yeah, yeah, we should go."
The bus rumbled beneath him as he faded out of the conversation once more. He watched Gilbert animatedly discuss the plan, and Romano counter with a loud voice and flamboyant hand motions.
God, why didn't he pay attention in psychology class? Weren't hand motions a sign for something? A cry for attention?
He just didn't know.
"Arthur Kirkland! Wake up!"
He jolted as Romano twisted his ear.
"Ow. Stop that I say!"
"I'm sorry. Do you want me to kiss it better?"
"He would if you were Alfred."
Elizaveta gave Antonio a high five as the male snickered at his own remark.
"Dudes, so I was saying that we should call and make an appointment at Kat's so she has her needles and ink ready as soon as we get there."
"Yeah, I-."
Wait. Did Gilbert just say needles? Sharp pointy object needles? Fucking needles that were going to enter his flesh?
"Fuck no."
"…What?"
"You never told me that tattoos required needles."
"Well, what did you think that they used?"
"They use inking pens!"
There was a long silence as the bus rumbled on. One could hear a coin drop, and the vulgar cursing of an old man as he stooped to pick the money up.
"Artie."
"What?"
"Of all the stupid things I have heard today, that takes the cake. And Gilbert arrived at my house at six this morning."
"Wait, wait," Lina intervened. They all stood as the bus stopped. "Does that mean you're afraid of needles?"
"Terribly afraid of them. Sewing needles are fine. But if they penetrate my skin, I just…Ugh."
The two girls in the group shared a look.
"Just like Gerard Way!" They squealed as they sped into the store. Arthur, once more, sighed and willed away a migraine.
The Luxia was heavily decked out for the holidays. Millions of Christmas lights lined the mall, snaking up the escalators, store windows, fountains and even the trashcans. In the glow of the multi colors were paper snowflakes, each with their own unique design, scattered across the place. Wreaths and stockings hung on store doors. But the greatest sights of all, was the humongous evergreen tree standing tall and proud in the center of the mall. Garlands, tinsel, ornaments and glitter covered this mighty figure, lining up to meet at the glowing gold star at the top.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
Arthur nodded, turning and expecting to find Romano, but another stood in his place.
He seemed to be only a year older than the Brit, with the slender yet toned physique of a swift athlete. Jet black hair topped his head in a messily attractive manner. Two silver snakebites and a diamond stud shone in the light of a blue Christmas light, bringing out his cerulean eyes. The teen smirked, and Arthur's knees wobbled.
"I love this place around Christmas," he continued, "The lights are my favorite."
Arthur didn't speak, eyes glued to the teen's chest.
"But," He gave an impish wink, "You should really see this place at midnight."
"That jacket-."
"What?"
"That leather, black jacket. That's from the 2008 Rock star Collection by William Livingston. Where'd you get it? How much was it? What's emotional attachment to it? Can I buy it off of you for a discount?"
Mystery man chuckled, a smooth sound that reminded Arthur of velvet and chocolates.
Or maybe that was the jacket getting to his head. The Rock star Collection jacket that was only found in three different states!
"Tell, you what. I'll let you have it for now, and I'll take it back when I see you next."
He had to be dreaming. He wasn't holding the jacket in his hands. A total stranger did not just give him one of the rarest jackets in the entire U.S.A.
When he remembered his manners, and looked up to thank the teen, he was already gone.
'Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the-?
"Oh my gawd, Artie. You are way too old to be getting lost."
"I'm coming Eliza. Where are you exactly?"
"Macy's. Come quick. Antonio's forcing Romano into dresses."
Arthur had never run so fast in his life.
Hours upon hours they spent, shopping for dresses, jeans, makeup, and shoes. Lots and lots of shoes.
"Elizaveta, I'm begging you, please. You already have five pairs. What more do you need?"
Arthur struggled to breathe as he carried five different shopping bags. The woman before him was Spartan when it came to shopping, carrying ten in total and balancing a box on top of her head.
"We just need to get to Hot Topic to say hi to Zane."
"Ugh." An audible response came from each of them, all struggling under their immense load of shopping bags.
"Stop whining! You guys have clothes too!"
"Woman, all I bought was a new blazer!"
"Si! And all I needed were a new pair of hi-tops!"
"All I'm getting from Hot Topic is a pair of red skinny jeans! I haven't even bought anything cow!"
Matthew shook his head.
"Why did we agree with their plan to wear skinny jeans and blazers to Winter Formal?"
"Just remember the Jonas Brothers. Lots of teenage girls loved the Jonas Brothers. That's the thought that gets me through this." said Arthur.
"At least we bought black jeans. They don't look bad with dress shoes."
"But Elizaveta bought Francis white."
"I still can't wait to see what my cousin does with those,"
"Lina!"
All present recognized that accent. A shudder ran down Arthur's spine as he thought of all the students expelled, demerits given, detentions served, and children crying all due to the owner of that voice.
"B-Big Brother Vash!"
Vash Zwingli came into view, and immediately made Arthur choke. He could keep his composure, but Gilbert was already in a heap with all his shopping bags, laughing his head off.
"G-Gott Vash! Did you win the Ugly Sweater contest? 'C-Cause-damn-that's one hideous thing! Holy-! It lights up! I l-lights-Hahahaha!"
Turning a furious shade of red, Vash withdrew his famous Swiss Army Knife from his pocket and approached Gilbert quickly.
"…They let you in with that?"
Growling with annoyance, the teen turned away, his Rudolph sweater blinking all the while.
"You didn't go to church today. I got concerned and Father said that you came here. I find you and you're wearing such…vulgar clothing. What is that Lili?"
"It's my Winter Formal dress."
In his own opinion, Arthur didn't believe the dress to be that bad. Compared to short number the other girls (Emily Liberty) would be wearing, Lina was reasonably modest.
She had thrown on the dress as soon as she bought it, so she could avoid carrying it. It was an elegant, strapless piece that flowed to her knees. While it was tight at her stomach, she still appeared sophisticated and whimsical rather than trashy. The silver stilettos she had picked out set the dress off rather nicely as well.
"It's much too short."
"What do you want her to look like a freakin' nun? She isn't going to get any game that way!"
"Gasp! Roma!"
"Don't gasp at me Toni! You know it's true!"
Vash glared at the two.
"So that's what this is about? It thought you got over that silly little crush!"
"Crush?" Now Antonio truly did gasp. "On who?"
"Brother, please, you're embarrassing me. I don't have any particular liking for Jesper anymore."
"Jesper!" Arthur exclaimed. "Like I-Drink-Beer-And-Swing-Big-Axes Jesper?"
"How do you know my Senior friends Kirkland?"
Arthur shushed Gil, staring in amazement as the girl turned a bright shade of crimson. Out of all the people in the world that Lina could be attracted to, she had to choose a Senior?
Wasn't that illegal?
"Lina, I am giving you one chance. Return that dress and come home with-."
"No."
If he weren't so sure that he was awake, the Brit would've pinched himself. Lina Zwingli just refused to comply with her elder brother's demands. Vash, equally as shocked, stared at the girl with wide eyes.
"I'm going to Winter Formal. I'm going to wear this dress. Broth-No, Vash, - I want to have fun! I'm not…I'm not a child anymore. I may be your little sister, but I'm still a teenage girl. I need space. A little bit of room to breathe. I'm not asking for much, and I know you can do this small favor. So, let me spread my wings for a bit?"
She ran forward to hug her brother, choking back tears all the while. Vash hesitated at first, and then slowly wrapped his arms around her petite frame.
"If you ever fall, I'll be there to catch you until you're ready to try flying again." He murmured into her shoulder.
Aww!
The chorus surprised Arthur. Looking around, he felt the red tint travel up his neck as he saw that they had somehow managed to attract a crowd.
"Lord, I am so done with this. You guys can stay here all you want. I'm going to get a drink. I'll meet you at the front benches."
Why were they so dramatic? Hell, why did the people in his town go insane for such dramatics? There was no need for it. They could easily continue their shopping and ignore the scene taking place by the second floor fountain, but nooo. They just had to come and make Arthur feel so embarrassed, as if he didn't have enough confidence problems already.
At least Lina had finally stood her ground against her brother. Undoubtedly, she learned that from Elizaveta and Gilbert. At least the Slumps had managed to teach him something.
"I bet you're proud of yourself."
"Hmm?"
He quirked a brow at the teen before him.
"Good Evening Natalia. How do you do?"
The girl upturned her nose, drawing her earmuffs away from her head, and shaking out her long hair.
"Save the formalities swine. I am only here to warn you."
Coolly, Arthur didn't flinch from her glare as she took predatory steps towards him, black boots clicking with each stride.
"If you ever interfere with Monarchy affairs like you have done previously, I will make sure that your life ends by Senior year. You will regret being born, do you understand piglet?"
"I'm sorry. I was thinking about Mumsy's chocolate chip cookies. Were you saying something?"
There was a stand-off. Within the irises of each pair of eyes, there stood a will, and only one was able to keep enough determination to get to the prize.
Natalia broke the connection, leering down at the black jacket the Brit had received. Scowling, she sniffed it.
"Heta pachnie, jak jon. Čamu hety pach, jak jon?"
"Excuse me?"
"Where did you get this?" The teen demanded, pulling him by his collar.
"A friend."
"Tch. A pig will always be a pig. I won't ask you about what you did to get this jacket."
She released him, pushing him backwards. He did not move an inch. (Silently, he offered Antonio an extensive thank you.)
"I strongly suggest you cut all ties with The Monarchy. We control the school's social system. We can crush you."
"I strongly suggest that you quit talking like we're on Star Wars or something. God, Americans and their dramatics. I've had enough of this for one day. Leave, and I'll forget to tell Elizaveta that you were here."
"Are you trying to dismiss me?"
Arthur waved his hand nonchalantly, taking a sip of the Dr. Pepper he had bought previously.
"No, love, you've already been dismissed."
For good measure, he yawned and took out his phone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl grit her teeth in rage as he played a game a of glow hockey.
Eventually, she huffed and marched away, leaving him to ponder over his thoughts.
Perhaps he shouldn't have sent her away so rudely. But she called him swine! For no particular reason at all!
Narrowing his eyes, he watched the girl slowly become a pinprick of color within the usual weekend crowd.
There was only one thing he was sure of.
With ease, he tossed the empty bottle into the nearest trash can and stuffed his phone into his pocket.
There were rough storms ahead.
-~S.S.C.O.T.Y~-
December 21. 5:45 P.M
Ding-Dong
"Roma! One of your friends is here!"
"I'm coming. I'm coming."
Pulling up the waist of his black jeans, Romano sped for the door before his brother could come crashing down the stairs.
"Arthur Kirkland's looking sexy today."
The Brit grinned, adjusting the collar of his black blazer.
"Why thank you sir. You don't look half bad yourself."
"I'm Italian. I make everything look attractive. Even skinny jeans in a Formal Event."
Romano was dressed similarly to Arthur. His dark jeans matched his vest and tie combo. His fitted, red dress shirt complimented the dark tones nicely.
Arthur wore a white dress shirt, and a normal blazer. Instead of fancy dress shoes like Romano's, he settled for a black pair of Van's high tops. It was partly casual, and barely passable for the event, but he liked it.
It's not like anyone other than his friends matter right?
"I can't wait to see what Gilbert's done with his red jeans."
His comrade snorted, moving to let the Brit in.
"They don't look half bad. I didn't think Francis could make white skinnies work for this, but the Frenchie can work miracles with tight clothing."
"And Antonio's gray color isn't that bad so I'm not worried about him."
Romano shrugged, reddening.
"He doesn't look terrible. But, god, if they try to pull this again at Junior or Senior prom, I may just slap them."
"It's okay sophomore year. Not cares about sophomore year."
The Italian nodded his agreement. Perceptively, Arthur looked around, eying the usual pieces along the walls. Come to think of it; they hadn't changed anything outside the house either.
"Your family doesn't decorate for Christmas?"
"They will. Eventually."
The teen's tone sounded so decisive that Arthur didn't feel comfortable with bringing the topic up again. They walked in silence as the approached the backyard, where the group was gathered with blankets and mugs of hot chocolate.
A series of greetings followed, some settling for a loud shout, others going through with the entire ritual. Once they were settled, and Arthur had his own mug of hot chocolate, the real conversation began.
"We're gonna have fun today guys!" Elizaveta declared, hanging onto Roderich's arm.
The Austrian, of course, did not follow the skinny jean craze. Being the boyfriend to a girl that went all out for dances, he had to keep up appropriate appearances. He wore a classic tux and contacts for the evening, looking like a suitable suitor for the magnificent young lady at his side.
Elizaveta glowed in the faint light. Her hair was tied up in a prim French twist, adorned with a hairpiece filled with diamonds. A cream, strapless dress hugged her till her waistline, where it fell freely till her ankles. Chic, yet classy.
"Unless the douche bags start something. Then we're gonna have problems."
"They'd go after you first amigo. Bulls always go after red first."
"No fighting for me, mes amis. I still feel so sick."
To Arthur's dismay, the Bad Touch Trio managed to make their jeans look more like colored, fitted dress pants rather than jeans. Francis let the hem of his dress shirt cover the zipper of his jeans, and unbuttoned the first four buttons, drawing more attention to his chest rather than what he was actually wearing.
Gilbert, on the other hand, wore his red jeans with pride, accompanied with a black blazer and an expensive pair of combat boots; he used his 'Fuck-The-Dress-Code-I'm-A-Rich-Kid-So-Suck-It' power to screw them all over.
Antonio was the most modest out the three. He wore a white jacket with black lining to set off the gray jeans, and normal dress shoes. His curls were still damp from his shower, lining the nape of his neck in a way that made Romano drool.
Seeing this, Arthur nudged his friend, who turned a dark red.
"I think we should all pair up for the night. You know, so we never lose each other in the crowd or something. Elizaveta and Roderich are automatically a pair as well as Gilbert and Matthew. Francis, you can escort Lina and…how about Antonio and Romano?"
"Deal!"
"W-what? Wait! Who will you have SB?"
Arthur smirked. "I promised my friend that I would monitor the punch bowl to make sure no one double spikes it."
Romano sent him a fierce glare, every so often glancing at Antonio to see what the Spaniard thought. But the teen was all for it, hugging Romano around his shoulders as he animatedly talked with Francis.
Arthur's grin didn't fade.
His plan was going to work. For the entire past week he had been studying psychology books, and had a basic understanding of most issues afflicting teenagers. He would watch the pairs from afar, and deduce whatever he could from his observing, perhaps conducting a small test here and there.
-S.S.C.O.T.Y-
"Damn it! Someone already spiked the punch!"
"That's what usually happens at prom Gil. If you wanted to do that, you should've arrived earlier."
Crimson eyes shot a heated glare at a certain brunette.
"Well if the cow didn't take so long reapplying makeup, maybe we would've gotten here a bit earlier."
Arthur chuckled as Elizaveta shot an insult at her friend, setting off an intense battle. Eventually the two huffed, taking their respective partners and moving to opposite corners of the gymnasium. Eventually the others left as well, leaving Arthur to stand guard by the punch and admire his surroundings.
The Event Committee did an amazing job at organizing the Winter Formal. He would have to pay their president, a Junior by the name of Ravis Galante, a compliment.
All light were in shades of blue and white, giving the room and interesting glow as people thrashed and danced to some dub step the DJ was playing. The food was fancier than the usual event menu.
Some way or another, they had managed to supply pigs-in-blanket, spring rolls, cream puffs, biscuits, crostini and the like.
He bit into one of the spring rolls, groaning in contentment. They were still warm.
"Looks good. Can I try one?"
He opened one of his eyes to find electric blues looking right back at him. A quick scan caught an arrogant smirk and disheveled black hair.
"You're that guy from earlier! Sorry chap. I left your jacket at my friend's house. I can get it back to you if you'd give me your name."
The male waved the sentence away, dismissing it. He reached for one the spring rolls Arthur had tried.
"Just keep it for me for a while. I'll tell you when I want it back," He bit into the appetizer. "Sweet. These are still warm."
"Just what I thought."
The other smirked again, sending a tingle down Arthur's spine.
"Come with me." Without giving Arthur the opportunity to object, he grabbed the blonde's hand and ran into the crowd. They weaved through a mass of hormones, grinding, and shuffling for at least a minute, and then they ran up a stairwell.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Trust me, will ya' dollface?"
'Dollface? If it were anyone else, I would find that nickname atrocious.'
They burst through a door, onto a balcony. A gust of cold air hit Arthur's chest. He breathed in deeply, relishing the cool, night air and dispelling the warm, sweaty stank of the gym.
"It's not a huge ass Christmas tree, but I guess this is pretty nice to look at too."
The view was nice to look at. The Senior Floor balcony was the highest of all of them, thus having the best view of the sky. The stars twinkled, winking at them as if to say 'Watch this.'
Then the star shower began.
They flew out of the sky, leaving bright white fire blazing in its wake. Spiraling, they tumbled out of their position, reaching for the earth with arms wide open.
Amazement painted Arthur's face. He had never actually seen a shooting star. He had read about them, but had never witnessed one with his own eyes.
"Did you know this was going to happen?"
"Yes. I'm originally a Southern boy so predicting events in nature is kind of my thing."
"Ah, I see."
A warm, strong hand slipped onto his shoulder, slightly pushing him back onto a toned chest.
"Do you know the different constellations?"
"Not very well. No."
The other laughed, sending a wisp of breath across his earlobe.
"Alright, look over there. See that faint clump of stars?"
It took Arthur around a minute, but he finally caught it.
"If you examine it and its surrounding stars carefully, you should be able to make a crab out of it."
"I…Oh, that should be Cancer correct?"
"Smart kid. Those are the stars I was born under. They're really hard to see this time of the year though. When were you born?"
"April 23rd."
"Taurus then."
He pulled Arthur a bit closer, taking the Brit's hand and guiding it up, extending the index finger to a star slightly yellower than the rest.
"That's Aldebaran. It's called the eye of the bull."
"It's beautiful."
"I've seen better."
Arthur turned to look up into those icy blues, and then slowly shifted his gaze down to that boyish smirk.
The air stilled around them as he inclined his head up. Warm breath tickled his cheek as…
The door slammed open.
"Oh. My. God. Arthur! So, like, Emily came out of nowhere and poured purple punch on Lina's white dress then Francis went off on her and slapped him and I was all like 'Aww hell no hoe! Shit's about to go down!' But before I could jump in, Tori like totally held me back and was like 'Lizzy's got it.' And then I saw Elizaveta, who was like, pulling Emily's hair and stuff and I was…Oh, geez, am I interrupting something?"
Feliks looked between the two of them, and then smirked.
"Screw you Feliks."
"I would accept. But, your friend wouldn't be too happy with me."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Let's go. Later, stranger."
His swinging arm was pulled back.
'You can keep the jacket.' A quick peck was tacked onto his cheek before he was pushed away.
As they ran down the stairway, Feliks couldn't help but make a comment.
"So…I guess you don't know whether or not someone double spiked the punch."
"…Shut up."
The blonde merely laughed.
-S.S.C.O.T.Y-
"Your Dad is going to kill you."
"Don't remind me. Please."
Cringing, Arthur looked over Elizaveta's ripped up dress. She won the fight with few scrapes, but the toll on her clothes was great. Her heel broke, along with her diamond necklace, and her dress looked like it was a bunch of scratched up rags pinned together, and was beyond repair.
She let out a moan.
"I don't wanna go home!"
"You can stay at my house." Three voices stated.
Elizaveta gasped. "Really Artie? I've never stayed at your house before!"
The teen shrugged. "My mom likes you. And the worst my brothers can do with a girl is tell a few perverse jokes."
"Awesome! I'm staying at Artie's house!"
"So am I."
Everyone on that bus turned to stare at Romano.
"I'm his favorite." The Italian declared. "I should be the first person to sleep at his house."
"Uh-huh."
"Before we go home, I would like to make a request."
Francis cleared his throat, requiring the attention of all. Dramatically, he gestured to Lina, who was glumly looking down on the hideous stain on her dress.
"I don't think Lina here has ever attended one of our parties."
"My gosh, you're right!" Elizaveta exclaimed, wrapping a comforting arm around the freshman's shoulders. "Whatever shall we do?"
"We could always…bombard the Luxia. It's almost eleven right? Our parents don't expect us till one, and the Luxia closes at 12:30. Taking travel time into account, we have exactly one hour at the mall."
"Hmm…Yo! Eli! Does this route take us to the Luxia?"
The bus driver risked a glance back.
"Nah! But I'll take you if you want little lady! I was going back to the garage after dropping you guys off anyway."
Impressed, Arthur held the brunette's gaze.
"You have a lot of helpful friends."
She giggled with a wink.
"Oh, Arthur. You don't know half of my friends."
-S.S.C.O.T.Y-
It was true. He didn't know half of her friends. The gatemen at the Luxia were reluctant to let them in, claiming that the last of the shoppers had left long ago. But after their eyes rested on Elizaveta, they welcomed the group in as they would an old friend.
When the night took over, the mall came alive. All the main lights were shut off, leaving them in the glow of the Christmas light, much like how the dance was set up. Youthful employees roamed the mall, their bosses and managers left with the last of the customers.
"Eliza!" A dark skinned girl called from one floor up. Elizaveta grinned and yelled,
"Hey Tatiana!"
"Girl, what happened to your dress?"
"This hoe tried to fight me!"
"Did you win?" A new voice came from a nearby table. It was a hyper girl, with some kind of headband tied around her forehead. She was seated with a blonde man, whose hair resembled the feathers of a bird.
"Yes Yuffie. I won. Hey Cloud."
The man gave a small wave, and then drank his coffee as his friend began to speak enthusiastically.
"So I said Sora should do it, but Leon was all like 'No, let Roxas do it' then I said-."
"What's this I hear about fighting?"
"Nothing special Yao."
The man in front of them looked the disgruntled group over. After a moment of stroking his long ponytail, he snapped his fingers.
"You will follow me. Quickly-aru."
And so the group did.
A few minutes later, they were presented with a genuine Chinese food feast.
"I cannot do anything about your dress, but I could hear your stomach rumbling from a mile away."
Yao said, removing his apron. Elizaveta grinned happily into her egg roll.
"Aww, I knew you love me Yao."
The man reddened, turning away with a huff.
"Eat," he said. "And then leave. You should go see Vladimir about that dress. He should be able to make it the way it was before."
"Eh? You know that Vlad hates me!"
"Isn't he that Romanian Senior with the whole vampire thing?" Romano asked, digging into a bowl of pork fried rice.
Elizaveta nodded. "He works up on the fourth floor I think."
"How can you know everything about this place?"
"I practically lived here Artie. Like, the people that work, and worked, in this place are like my family. They've been there for me since my mom died."
Yao jabbed a thumb in her direction, scowling. "You should have seen this brat-aru. She used to run around here, passing messages and jumping into fountains and ruining my statues."
"I'm a grown woman now!"
The man snorted, inclining his chin to a stone dragon without a head or a tail. Elizaveta reddened, murmuring something about accidents, clumsiness, and Zane, before burying her face into Roderich's arm.
The cook shook his head, disappearing into the back room from which he came.
Gradually, fifteen minutes passed in the restaurant. There was little sound, save the munching of rice, snatching of meat, and clatter of boxes. When every belly was full, and the cartons empty, they all sat back in contentment.
"That was good." Matthew commented. Gilbert nodded, using a napkin to wipe a smudge of sauce off the Canadian's cheek.
"How much time do we have?" Antonio asked Francis.
"Around 45 minutes."
"Anyone want to catch the first 45 minutes of Rise of The Guardians?"
"Isn't the theater closing now?"
"Not if Jake Long's the one shutting it down. He'll make us pay for our ticket, but he'll be willing to play the movie for us. We won't get any snacks though."
"That's alright." Lina said. "I'm full anyway."
After a bit of grumbling about getting up, the group finally reached the conclusion that Elizaveta's plan was best. They rose and cleaned up the table to the best of their ability. Up on the door, Elizaveta left an 'I.O.U' notice, scrawling her name below it.
"Sorry, it's not much of a party. We're usually crazier than this." Arthur heard Francis say to Lina. The girl grinned, shaking her head.
"It's fine! I…I've never really hung out with a big group like this anywhere. And we're the only non-employees at the mall too! I think that this is really cool."
Francis smiled. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way."
With a smirk of his own, Arthur looked away.
So…Francis and Lina? That could work. If Vash didn't try and intervene.
But another event was occurring to his left. A situation slightly more dramatic.
"No, mama, I am not coming home…I'm staying at a friend's house…Ask Feli to do it. You hate it when I do it. Feli is better…I'll mess it up so why would I? So you can yell at me?...No, I don't want to talk to…Ciao? Papa?...No, non volgio tornare a casa. No. No. Addio. Addio Papá."
Scowling, Romano ended the call, sending a glare to anyone that looked at him for too long.
Point 1. Subject shows adversity to those around him when aggravated.
"Romano," Arthur said softly.
"What?"
"Catch."
A chocolate bar he dug out of his pocket flew through the air, catching the Italian right on the cheek.
"Ow! Bastard! Your aim fucking sucks!"
"Or you can't catch?"
"Or your aim really does suck." The Italian ripped into the chocolate, tearing it to shreds despite not being hungry at all.
Point 2. Subject enjoys bringing down others, refusing to admit incompetence/ faults aloud.
Hmm. This would need further analysis. He still had too little information to make a conclusion.
Arthur watched Romano closely that evening, hearing his scathing remarks whenever Elizaveta made a comment on how cute Jack Frost was, his loud damning off all doors when he stubbed his foot and the way he seemed to get crankier and crankier as the night went on, up till when they had reached Arthur's house and were preparing to sleep.
Without a single word, Romano took the clothes that Arthur provided for him and marched into the room the teen pointed him to and locked the door. Sharing a look with Elizaveta, he sighed. The girl, taking the clothes he brought for her, hesitated and chose her words carefully.
"You shouldn't blame him. He gets like that whenever his family is involved. That phone call earlier really upset him."
"Why though? I mean, his parents are really nice."
The girl shook her head. "If you look closely, there's favoritism. They prefer Veneciano over Romano, and they're not afraid to show it."
"But-!"
Elizaveta cut him off with a firm statement. "These guys are rich Artie. They'll put on a front to make it seem like nothing's wrong, but behind closed doors everything changes. The only reason they want Romano in a home is so that he doesn't tarnish the family name again."
Arthur's brow furrowed.
"What do you mean by 'again'?"
Her eyes went wide with disbelief. She took a cautious step forward, resting a hand on his cheek.
"Romano…didn't tell you did he? About his days as a Chess piece?"
"You're trying to tell me that my best friend is actually a board game piece come to life? Eliza, I sincerely hope you get better at pranking before April, otherwise Gil is going to kill you in Fool's Day Prank Wars."
He tried to pass her question off as a joke, but the look on her face said otherwise. She removed her comforting palm, biting her knuckles.
"I…Oh, Arthur. I'm not going to say anything. When Romano feels comfortable, he'll tell you his story. But, for now, stay with him okay? He needs the support. He can be a real grouch sometimes, but he's a loyal friend."
Thoroughly confused, Arthur nodded, unsure of any other action he could take. Elizaveta gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Good night Artie."
"Good night."
Her door closed behind her, leaving Arthur in the hallway all alone.
Every single time he thought he understood something, a new headache would come up. Besides the whole Romano-fiasco, he had the black-haired guy to worry about.
Actually, did he really have to worry about him? The thought of him seemed more like a comfort than anything else.
But what about Alfred?
Groaning, he shuffled up to the bathroom so he could take a quick shower and then sleep. His thoughts were much too tiring.
But a strong pair a hands lifted him up and threw him over a wide shoulder before he could do anything.
"Damn it Draco! It's 1:00 in the morning! Couldn't you have showered earlier?"
"I waited for you to come home just so I could do this! Isn't that brotherly love?"
"Fuck you!"
Draco dumped his kid brother on his bed, and grinned the biggest shit-eating smirk Arthur had ever seen grace his brother's face.
"I would let you, but…Actually, screw that. I wouldn't let you even if you paid me."
Arthur scowled as Draco pointed and laughed his way out of his room.
Stupid brother.
-S.S.C.O.T.Y-
I love Draco and Artie so much. I drew a picture of them and Gilbert and hung it up in my room. It's almost always next to me when I write this fic.
Once more, thanks for all the reviews, faves, alerts and for simply reading this story! (I read that some reviewers read this with their friends. Like, dudes, this made my week. Legit)
Updates will be every month from henceforth. Unless, you know, my muse goes H.A.M and supplies me with an idea early.
Out of pure curiosity, who do you guys think that Flighter is? If you had to guess randomly. And what issues do you think each of the Sophomore Slumps has? It's so fun to hear your speculations.
Until next time!