Oh man thankfully i finished this one tonight. I still may put out another one over the weekend but now i feel less obligated to

-SOPHMORE YEAR-

FOLLOW KARKAT

The doors of his high school loomed before Karkat. It was almost like they threatened to swallow him whole, but he knew he had to go back. There was no escaping it. He took a deep breath and marched into the empty school. It was just as quiet as it had been on his first day last year. He walked into the cafeteria and took a seat at the table he used to sit at last year, and he waited.

Soon enough he heard someone approaching.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a familiar voice came from behind him.

Ah shit. Karkat looked up to see one of his past aggressors standing with two other kids. Probably kids who transferred in last year.

"Where did you go last year Vantas? We missed you!"

"C'mon guys, I'm not in the mood today."

"Oh you're not in the mood? Do you want us to come back later?"

"Yeah that'd be great thanks guys." Karkat knew he was being sarcastic but he wanted to show just how much he couldn't give a shit.

A loud bang shook the table where he laid his head.

"Listen twerp, don't think you can just blow us off. We have a lot of catching up to do from last year." The boys stare moved from Karkat's face to the area behind him. "Come on, let's go guys."

And with that they left Karkat alone. Karkat figured he knew why though. As if to confirm, a hand touched Karkat's shoulder and he looked up to see the familiar, stoned face of one Gamzee Makara. He returned his lazy smile.

"Hey my pale bro."

"Hey Gam," Karkat rubbed his eyes, "thanks for scaring off those d-bags."

"Ain't no thing man."

The two stayed quiet for a little. "Hey Gamzee…Can I ask you something?"

"You just did bro."

Karkat rolled his eyes "Not funny Gamzee, anyways, I was just wondering what happened that day that you…y'know…flipped out."

Gamzee's face turned to a look of thoughtfulness. "Shit, I can't even all up and remember that too fuckin well. All I know is I saw you getting' picked on so I raged."

That made Karkat smile. Knowing that Gamzee cared enough about him to do that was a bit frightening but it was also incredibly sweet. It made him feel safer.

"oh, plus I didn't smoke that mornin' so I was already in an awful motherfuckin' place."

"Whoa, not smoking pot does that to you?" Karkat said, his eyes growing wide.

"Yeah bro, I told you it was medical shit. Keeps me calm and in a mirthful state. Fuckin' miraculous."

"I didn't believe you when you said that it was medical… I'm sorry."

"It's cool man. So cool."

The school had begun filling up again at this point. Karkat heard bickering off in the distance. He couldn't make out what was being said but one voice definitely stood out, it was that of a short ginger girl. His heart rate increased as she grew closer. Her conversation stopped and so did she, as she inhaled deeply.

"Karkat?" she reached out and gently grazed his back.

Even though it was just a light touch Karkat's skin tingled at her touch. "How did you know it was me?"

Since he had just confirmed that it was indeed him and not some other stranger Terezi threw off her book bag and wrapped her arms around him in a great big bear hug. "Karkles I may be blind but my nose works just fine. I could smell you!"

'WHAT. Oh GOD, please.' He was sure he had taken a shower this morning, he shouldn't stink!

"Ahaha! Terezi I wish you could see his face right now oh man!" The blonde girl that stood next to Terezi cackled, "You have him thinking he stinks!"

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way Karkat!" she finally let go, to Karkat's disappointment. "I just meant you have a unique smell! Like…candied apples or something." She sniffed again.

There was a cough from the blonde girl to her side.

"Oh yeah," Terezi started, "guys this is my friend Vriska. You mind if she hangs with us?"

There was a collective "no" from the two boys.

"Cool, so what's up losers?" she looked from Karkat to Gamzee.

"Vriska mind your manners!"

What a great first impression…

Karkat's first period was biology. The room was filled with the faces of those he had never met before. Some new, others he just never spoke to before. Apparently there were already predetermined seats, meaning Karkat got to sit in the back just like he wanted to. Slowly the class filled in and then the bell rang. One student was running a bit late though and threw the doors open and with a gust of wind, in flew John Egbert.

"Excuse me, don't you EVER enter my class room like that again!" Scolded the teacher.

"Sorry, I'm sorry I-" John's sentence was cut short when he noticed Karkat in the room. "Karkat!" he ran excitedly towards his grimacing friend and constricted him in his arms.

"Gaaaaaay~" one of the students murmured.

John quickly let go of Karkat and quietly murmured to himself, "No I'm not…"

"HEY, kid! What is your name?" The teacher shouted to John.

"Uh…John Egbert." He was hesitant to answer.

"Up here, this is your seat." John moved to the front of the room to his empty seat.

The class went by quickly enough and soon the two reunited properly outside of the class.

"It's so great to see you again Karkat!" John remarked as the two walked to their next class together.

"Yeah you too John."

"Uh, can I ask…Uhm, why you left?"

"No you can't." Karkat stated bluntly. He tried desperately to stop his mind from going there right now. It wasn't the time nor the place.

"Oh, okay…"

The rest of the walk was awkward but when they managed to settle down in their class room John and Karkat started a new conversation that expelled the previous awkwardness between them.

The next two class periods rolled by slowly, Karkat and John had all the same classes so far and they would also have lunch together. Of course, their lunch was the last lunch of the day. Karkat cursed his luck as his stomach growled next to John.

"Why the fuck is third period going by so slow?" Karkat clenched his stomach.

"We'll be out soon Karkat." John laughed.

Finally the bell rang and the boys had gone through the lunch lines and got their food. The lunch room was filled practically to the brim with obnoxious teenagers so the two decided to sit outside. John's phone started to go off as soon as they sat down. It was Dave! Apparently he, Terezi, and Vriska had this lunch as well!

Soon enough the others made it outside.

"Hey Terezi!" Karkat greeted with a warm half smile and a blush that he was thankful she couldn't see.

"Hi Karkat!" she hugged him and inhaled deeply again, making him blush even more. Luckily no one seemed to notice, except for Vriska.

She grinned and raised an eyebrow over her round glasses. Karkat only glared in response.

"So," Vriska began, "who are these two nerds?" she motioned to Dave and John.

"Whoa nerd?" Dave feigned offense at her quip, "Listen here girly, I am the coolest guy in this place. Now Egbert here I can understand, but not me. I, am Dave Strider." He puffed out his chest and straightened his back.

"Gee thanks Dave…" John slouched next to him, "I'm John. John Egbert." He extended his hand out to her.

"I'm Vriska." She ignored his waiting hand and turned to converse with Terezi.

The lunch passed by quickly and soon John and Karkat were sitting in their last class of the day. Aimless rambling was the only thing that took place in that class, for the short time of forty-five minutes. The teacher seemed to be very laid-back, almost like he didn't care at all. Karkat hoped this was the case, he didn't want to work in this class at all, and it would serve as a nice little break from the rest of his classes. Eventually the school day ended and he and John parted ways and got on their separate busses.

Karkat had to sit through more bus torture and as soon as he was given the chance, he ran home to avoid the rest. The bus driver had wised up to the recurring bullying and moved Karkat to the front where he would be safest.

Karkat didn't realize it yet, but this incessant bullying was taking a toll on him. He was beginning to hate himself even more than he already did, he hated the bullies as well, and just about everyone else. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he was becoming and angry and bitter person. So angry in fact that when a friendly solicitor stopped by and woke him from his nap he greeted him with a mouthful of curse words and violent threats. The torture and the anger went on and on for weeks after and grew. The nicer kids at school started to avoid his dark, angry visage in the halls because he had started snapping at people in school at that point. The abuse also took a big physical toll on him too, he had gotten so angry once he punched a hole in his wall and had made his own knuckles bleed from it. Even worse he had become addicted to it, it helped him to get rid of the festering anger in his body, so he kept it up. He would hit his desk, his head board, and even the hard, brick wall of his room. He would show up to school with either bloodied and scabbed knuckles, or swollen and bruised hands. Many people would ask him what happened but he would never tell them. He started wrapping bandages around his hands to hide them from people who already knew what was underneath.

Aaaaaah! I lost a page of my story so i just kind of improvised the ending. ; - ; now it won't flow into the next one quite as nicely. Ffff