Scotland- Allistor
Wales- Floyd
N. Ireland- Dylan
Ireland- Darcy
Charlotte- Wy
Jett- Australia
Toby- New Zealand

Wreck

Chapter Three

Arthur moaned quietly when he heard someone knocking on his door. "Go away," he mumbled weakly before curling up into a ball. But the person refused to leave. They kept knocking until they finally gave up and just opened the door. "Wake up!" the annoying voice belonging to Dylan all but screamed. "Ya gotta tell Floyd goodbye, don't ya?"

No. In fact he doesn't. When he didn't reply, he heard Dylan sigh. "Fine. You asked for this." He walked into Arthur's room and pulled the blinds up. Sunlight spilled into the once dark bedroom, and shined right into Arthur's eyes. He let out a soft groan but peeled his eyes open. "Okay," he grumbled. "Happy?"

"Honestly, I could care less." Dylan turned around and walked out of his younger brother's room. "Just hurry up and come downstairs, princess."

Princess. Oh, how he hated that name. When they were all younger, Dylan, Allistor, and Darcy had all called him princess because one time he went crying to his mother because he had fallen out of a tree and hurt his arm. They all called him princess because he needed help from his mom (god forbid). Since that day, Arthur vowed that he never needed anyone's help again. He could do everything for himself and by himself.

If that's true, then why do you need doctors and therapists? Arthur wanted to curl up again. The voice he had been hearing was speaking up more and more frequently. Maybe he should tell Bubastis. No. It would probably go away in time. He hoped.

Arthur finally dragged himself out of bed and stood up on the cold floor. He was wearing nothing but boxers and his green hoodie. He shivered slightly and slipped his feet into his slippers before he headed downstairs. He couldn't believe he had forgotten; today was the day that Floyd was leaving for boot camp. The Brit shivered for a whole different reason. He might not ever see his brother again.

When he walked into the living room, everyone else was already in there. Peter was clinging to Floyd's leg and seemed to be refusing to let go. Sadness and excitement buzzed in the air around Arthur, but he was just numb. Another person whom he truly cared about was leaving him. Things were going to change after this, he just knew it. Something was telling him that something bad was going to happen. He pushed the negative feeling down, or at least tried. 'I'm not physic; I'm sure everything will be fine.'

Floyd was in the process of hugging Darcy when he noticed Arthur. He let go of his sister and gently pried Peter off of his leg before he walked over to him. Arthur simply crossed his arms and looked away. Floyd chuckled and leaned forward to hug Arthur. "You always were the stubborn one."

A feeling of dread settled over Arthur and he quickly took a step back. He didn't want to be touched…he couldn't be touched. It was too much. Just…no. He was met with different looks from everyone in the room. Peter was looking at him with confusion in his eyes; Allistor looked frustrated and maybe even sorrowful; and Darcy and Dylan just looked mad.

"Can't even hug your own brother?" Dylan sneered. Allistor smacked him upside the head. "Shut it, mate! This is about Floyd."

Floyd sighed quietly and seemed to force a smile. "It's okay, Artie. I understand. Be safe and remember, I love you very much." The brunette turned around to hug Allistor and Dylan, leaving Arthur to stare at the floor in anger. He was angry with himself and Floyd and Dylan. What kind of person was scared of hugging their own brother?

"Why didn't you hug Allistor?" Peter asked, tilting his head to the side.

Arthur looked down at the youngest of the Kirkland family. His blue eyes were round with curiosity; he had no idea why. Arthur suddenly felt tears prick his eyes. He didn't want Peter to grow up and be like him, but it was very well possible. Arthur and Peter were brothers while everyone else was their half-brother and half-sister. The only other two that were actually true siblings was Dylan and Darcy, who were twins. But since Peter was closely related to Arthur, that meant he could be diagnosed with depression later in life. The idea of it made him want to gag.

"Alright!" Floyd announced. "I'm off!"

He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before he made his way towards the door. Everyone else followed him. There was a taxi waiting outside that had come from the local fort, ready to take Floyd away. The man turned to smile at everyone. "I promise I'll write! I'll see you all during Christmas."

"Goodbye!" Allistor, Dylan, and Darcy all called in unison. Arthur and Peter silently watched him get into the taxi. He continued to wave until the taxi had disappeared down the road. Arthur turned around and walked back inside. Just like that.

Gone.

"Arthur, hold up." Arthur stopped and turned around to see Allistor walking towards him. "Peter is going over to his friend's house for a little playdate. You need to walk him over there."

The Brit groaned inwardly. He wanted to do nothing more than curl back up in bed and wake up in a couple of years. But he did care for Peter, and he was too tired to argue with Allistor. "Alright. Just let me get dressed and then I'll walk him over there. He's going to Charlotte's house; you know where that is, right?"

Arthur nodded and headed upstairs. Charlotte Walker, Peter's best friend. Arthur had met her and her father Jett last year during a school play that the elementary school had put on. Jett was young to be a father, only twenty-five. According to Allistor, during a one-night stand, Jett impregnated the girl. He didn't know about this until Charlotte showed up on his doorsteps nine months later with a note. Of course he freaked out, but he raised Charlotte on his own, and even moved to the US to put her in a safer environment.

Arthur actually liked Charlotte, and he wasn't even that big of a fan of kids, but Charlotte was a headstrong girl that was very mature for her age. Arthur was sure she would grow up into a lovely young woman.

When he walked into his room, the sun had warmed it up a little bit. He took his slippers off and left them by his desk. He glanced at the desk and stared at the book lying on it. His second group therapy session had been yesterday and Alfred presented him with Gone with the Wind. Arthur felt awful when he presented a poster of Captain America to his new friend. He was sure Alfred already had one, but the American had just smiled and said he loved it.

'Perhaps I should start reading it once I get back.' A tiny smile formed on his lips from the thought. Yes, a day of reading sounding lovely. He tugged on a pair of khaki shorts along with his old tennis shoes. He didn't even bother to brush his hair, it was always turned out messy anyway. He walked out his room and headed downstairs once again.

Peter was impatiently pacing in front of the door. When he saw Arthur, he tugged his older brother out the door. "Hurry up! I want to see Charlotte!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming," the Brit grumbled. He hadn't had time for his usual morning tea yet, so he was a little cranky. He squeezed his brother's hand when they walked onto the road, reminding him that he needed to hold his hand. This sort of touch, simple hand holding, he didn't mind. Besides, it was just Peter. Right. Innocent, little, annoying Peter. Arthur used to get so annoyed by him, but now he only pitied him. He was growing up without ever knowing the feeling of a mother's love.

Sure, Peter might remember when their mum was alive, but as he got older, he would forget. Allistor could only do so much for Peter, but he was no mother. He would try to chase away Peter's demons and make him follow his dreams. Would it be enough? A child needed a mother.

A child needed their mother.

Arthur needed his mummy.

"Arthur?" Peter's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "Why did Floyd leave? I asked Allistor, but he wouldn't tell me. He just said Floyd was very brave."

"Floyd left to become a soldier. He's going to serve Her Majesty the Queen in the United Kingdom," Arthur replied. When he put it that way, his brother did sound extremely brave and heroic. But also stupid and ridiculous. There was enough young men and women ready to defend the country that they lived in. God damnit, why did Floyd always have to be the hero?

Peter kicked a small rock in the road, and Arthur watched it fall into the sewer on the side of the road. "So he's going to kill people? Like the bad guys?"

Arthur grimaced. He hated thinking about sweet, strong Floyd shooting someone. "Let's hope not, okay?"

"Mr. Tino told me that soldiers are like super heroes!" Peter exclaimed with a little more enthusiasm. "Does that mean that Floyd could be like Superman or Batman?"

"Highly unlikely," Arthur muttered. 'There's no such thing as heroes.'

Peter seemed to deflate for a moment until he began talking about some TV show he was obsessed with. Arthur didn't know much about it except that it had a yellow sponge and was very American. They walked for about ten more minutes until they came upon a petite yellow house with a beautiful garden. A young man was outside washing his car while a small girl was in the process of following a butterfly. How quaint.

The girl noticed them first. A smile spread across her face and she waved happily. "Hello, Peter!" Arthur finally let go of his little brother's hand so he could run over to greet his friend. "Hey, Charlotte! Hi, Jett!"

The man known as Jett turned the hose off for a quick moment. "G'day, Peter!" His voice had a thick Australian accent. Arthur shifted, slightly uncomfortable to be standing here. It seemed like Jett was about to wave to Arthur, but something caught both of their attention. A man that seemed about two years younger than Jett walked outside. He had blondish-brownish hair with two curls on the sides that looked like cinnamon rolls. He was small, about the size of Arthur. Arthur had never seen this man before.

"Ah, Arthur. C'mere and meet my friend Toby!" Jett called, waving the Brit over. Arthur could do nothing but walk over there. He smiled kindly at the man. "Hello. I'm Arthur, and that's my younger brother Peter." He nodded his head to where Peter and Charlotte were playing tag. Toby smiled. "And I'm Toby. I've heard a lot about Peter; Charlotte seems very fond of him."

"Like two peas in a pod!" Jett laughed.

Arthur forced a small laugh. He then told Jett to tell Peter to call him when he was ready to come home. He had just made it down the drive-way when someone in the house in front of him walked outside which caused the door to slam shut. Arthur wasn't going to look up until a very familiar, very American voice called to him.

"Arthur?"

Arthur froze, and slowly picked his head up. Sure enough, there stood Alfred F. Jones. The blonde teenager waved and made his way over to Arthur. "You don't live there, do you?"

"Oh, uh. No. I was dropping my brother off for a little playdate." He leaned back slightly when Alfred made it so obvious that he was checking out Arthur's clothing. "Oh. Man, do you ever take that sweatshirt off?" Alfred laughed.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Usually, when someone questioned him about this, he felt threatened and maybe a little scared. But not this time. It just seemed like Alfred was teasing him. Arthur looked up and down, looking over Alfred's clothing. He was wearing swimming trunks with about fifty Pikachu's on them along with a white muscle shirt. Arthur didn't want to stare, but Alfred really did have some nice muscles.

"And do you usually wear swimming trunks?"

Alfred laughed and shrugged. "In the summer, yeah! I was actually just about to go swimming; we have a pool." He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet for a moment while a look of question appeared on his face. "Maybe you want to…?"

Arthur quickly put his hands up. "N-no, thank you! I don't swim." Actually, he couldn't swim. He was never taught, nor did he want to be taught. "But, uh, thank you for the offer."

It may have been Arthur's imagination, but Alfred seemed to deflate slightly. "No, it's okay. But are you busy? It would be nice to hang out with you for a little." A small blush appeared on his face after he said that, but it could have just been his imagination. Again.

Arthur wanted to kick himself when he felt a tingle in his heart. So, what? Alfred and Arthur were friends, which meant they were going to hang out. So, why did Arthur feel so happy? Instead of smiling, he just shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" Alfred grinned widely and grabbed Arthur's wrist, but immediately let go. "Sorry! You don't like to be touched!"

"You remembered?" He couldn't help but sound surprised. His own family forgot about that at times! Alfred gave him an odd look. "Why wouldn't I? That's obviously important to you. Besides, friends don't forget about stuff like that."

Friends. Yes, that's right. They were friends now. Arthur smiled softly and nodded. "Right, of course." It was quiet for a moment, the only sounds coming from Charlotte and Peter. Alfred broke the silence. "If you let me get dressed real quick, I can show you this awesome tree that I found! It's in the woods behind my house."

Even though Arthur was exhausted, he wanted to have fun with Alfred. "Brilliant. I'll wait out here." Alfred tilted his head to the side before a loud laugh came from his throat. "You can come inside and wait for me! Don't worry, my brother's the only one home."

"I-I don't want to intrude."

"It isn't intruding if I invite you in."

Arthur realized he wouldn't be able to win this battle. He sighed quietly and gave a curt nod before he followed Alfred across the street and into his house. The smell of something sweet was in the air, something smelled almost like pie, mixing with the smell of paint. The Brit glanced around the house, and was impressed to see that many things were unpacked. It looked like someone was in the process of painting the living room and faint yellow.

"I'll be right back!" Alfred called before making a dash upstairs.

Arthur wanted to call him back and order him to stay next to him, and don't leave him alone. The back door suddenly slammed shut and a couple moments later, a boy that looked almost just like Alfred walked into the living room. He was wearing shorts, a black shirt and an old red flannel that was unbuttoned. He paused when he saw Arthur, who gave an awkward smile and a little wave.

"Hi. I'm Alfred's…uh, friend." He really needed to work on his stuttering.

The boy stared at him for a moment longer before a small smile formed on his lips. "Are you Arthur Kirkland? Alfred did say he made friends with a British boy."

Arthur flushed from the fact that Alfred had told his family about him. "Yes. I would be him." The boy nodded and walked over. He had curly, blonde hair that was shorter than Francis's, and a long curl on the top of his head. He looked just like Alfred, besides the hair and eyes. He outstretched his hand. "I'm Matthew Williams, his twin brother."

Arthur stared at the hand for moment before he took it. "I'm sorry, I thought Alfred's last name was Jones." Matthew dropped his hand and pulled at his flannel slightly. "It is. This is our father's last name. I kept it while Alfred took our mother's maiden name."

Arthur wasn't going to ask about that. From the look in Matthew's eyes, it seemed that he didn't want to talk about it either. Matthew turned back around and walked further into the living room. "You'll have to excuse the mess. I promised Mom I would paint the living room today. Alfred is supposed to be helping me but," he flashed Arthur a smile. "It seems like you're stealing him."

Now Arthur flushed for a whole different reason. "I don't have to hang out with him! I could go home." Arthur felt embarrassment crash over him when Matthew chuckled quietly. "I'm teasing. I'm glad he's made a normal friend."

Arthur would have said he was anything but normal, but the sound of Alfred crashing down the stairs intuerupted him. Now he was wearing blue jeans and a Hollywood Undead sweatshirt. He grinned at Arthur. "I see you've met Matthew." Arthur nodded which Alfred smile even wider. "Awesome! Mattie, I'm going to take Arthur to that tree we found a couple days ago. See you later!" Arthur waved at Matthew, but he froze slightly when he saw Matthew wink at him. "Have fun."

'What the hell was that all about?'

The boys walked into the woods behind Alfred's house. It was cooler inside of the forest since there was so much shade. "I didn't know you knew Jett and Toby," Alfred said suddenly, somewhat surprising Arthur.

"Jett's daughter is best friends with my little brother," Arthur replied.

Alfred nodded slowly. "I thought that's who that boy was." He was quiet for a moment or two longer before he said, "You know Jett and Toby are dating?"

Arthur paused for a moment. He hadn't known that. "Oh. Good for them, then. I can say that I'm a bit surprised. I mean, Jett did have a girlfriend at a time. Or, at least, he slept with a girl."

"Maybe that was his way of seeing if he liked guys or girls." Alfred looked up at the canopy of trees. Faint sunlight was coming through, causing the leaves to dapple in the sun's rays. "You know, just a tester?"

Arthur glanced at Alfred with curiosity in his eyes. "You sound like you can relate to what he's done." He had to suppress his laughter when he watched Alfred's blue eyes nearly bulge out of his head. "I've never slept with anyone!" A small giggle did escape Arthur's lips, and he quickly brought a hand up to his mouth to cover it. "I'm sorry. I wasn't saying that you did sleep with anyone."

Alfred seemed to relax much more once that was cleared. "N-no, it's cool. But, I did date this guy back in Amelia to see…how it went." Arthur's heartbeat started to pick up just a tad, which made him want to slap himself. 'Stop acting like this!' "And how did that feel? Dating him, I mean."

"You sound like my therapist!" Alfred laughed.

Arthur blushed and immediately turned his head away. "S-shut up!" That obnoxious laugh…yet it was so full of life and happiness. Arthur desperately hoped it wasn't forced. Alfred calmed down after a moment and wiped an invisible tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm just teasing. But, actually, it felt pretty good. I didn't mind dating him, even though the people there were more or less against it." Alfred seemed to deflate for a moment after that. "And then…things happened."

The Brit could tell that something bad did indeed happen. Hesitantly, with a shaking hand, he raised his hand and placed it on Alfred's back. The American turned to stare at him with wide eyes. Arthur merely gave him a tiny smile. "Well, things are different here. People are a lot more accepting here."

Alfred smiled softly and gave him a small nod. "Awesome."

Arthur pulled his hand away, blushing slightly since it was still warm from touching Alfred. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "So, gay? Bi?"

"Bi. You?"

Arthur bit his bottom lip so hard that he was pretty sure that he almost drew blood. Never once had he told anyone of his sexuality. At least, he hadn't out loud. He had texted it to Francis, but that was it. Should he tell Alfred? He may have just told Arthur about his preference, but they barely knew each other! So Arthur had no idea what had compelled him to tell Alfred. "I prefer gentlemen, actually."

"Good for you!"

Arthur glanced up at Alfred and felt something run down his spine. Alfred was smiling at him and his too-blue eyes were glowing with something that Arthur couldn't quite place. He tore his gaze away from Alfred. "Now, where is this tree of yours?"

"Oh. Right up here!" Alfred, to Arthur's dismay, began to run towards the direction of the tree, an excited look in his blue eyes. The Brit groaned and tried to chase after him, but he wasn't nearly as fast as the other boy. It wasn't much longer until Alfred stopped in front of a huge oak tree. There were a few low branches that seemed easy to climb, if someone was to give Arthur a boost that is. Of course, Arthur wouldn't admit this to Alfred; he could find a way up by himself.

Alfred sprang up and grabbed hold of the low branch. Arthur tried not to stare at the fit American as he push himself up the branch. He outstretched his hand with both his legs clinging to the branch. "Come on." Arthur glared at the hand but he took it anyway. With Alfred's help, he managed to scramble on to the branch. He sighed quietly once he was sitting next to Alfred. "I could have made it by myself, you know."

Alfred swung one of his legs over so both his legs were hanging over the side of the branch. "I know. I was just trying to be helpful."

They grew quiet, watching the sun dapple the leaves and listening to cicadas. After a moment, Alfred spoke up, "Which classes did you sign up for this year?"

"Dual enrollment English and US history, trig, chemistry, intro to law, creative writing, and a violin class." The thought of school dampened Arthur's mood just a tad. He was not looking forward to the work nor was he looking forward to the people.

"Cool! We could be in the same intro to law and history class!" Alfred exclaimed.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What about trig and chemistry? Why can't we be in those classes together?" Alfred gave him a small smile. "Oh, I'm in AP data and statics and AP chem."

"How are you in that high of a math class?" Arthur demanded, shocked. Usually, that class was meant for seniors, especially smart teachers, and Alfred was only a junior along with him. "I'm really good in math and science," Alfred explained with a smug grin on his face. "You knew that, didn't you?" Arthur could vaguely remember Alfred telling him that on the day they went to the bookstore together.

A sudden feeling of sadness washed over Arthur and seemed to cling to him. He usually felt like this when he was discussing something that was particularly upsetting to him. School was one of those things. Starting in middle school, when everyone wanted to be popular and get on all the sport teams, Arthur started to get bullied. It used to be the occasional tease or side-remark, but when one of the football players figured out that Arthur was gay, it turned physical. Yes, people were understanding at Eastview high, but there were those few… He hung his head slightly. No, he didn't want to go back.

"Arthur?" Alfred's voice was soft and patient, as if he knew what Arthur was thinking about. "Are you okay?"

Arthur opened his mouth and was about to lie when he caught Alfred's gaze. His blue eyes were swimming with curiosity, as if he was trying to figure the Brit out. Arthur felt that he could tell Alfred anything and it would be okay. He wouldn't judge him, he would only be compassionate.

"I-I'm starting to feel depressed," the Brit confessed, looking away from Alfred. "I hate school with a passion and I'm not fond of going back." He ran a hand through his blond hair, tugging at it slightly. "It causes my anxiety to go through the roof and I'm always alone at school. Almost everyone is against me for some reason, and it's…it's…" Arthur had to pause to catch his breath. His heart was hammering violently in his chest and his head seemed to be closing in on itself.

God, what was wrong with him? He was about to have a panic attack just because he was talking about school. The smallest touch against Arthur's pinkie finger made him snap his head down to stare at his hand. Alfred had hooked his pinkie finger around Arthur's. He looked up to stare at the American's face and noticed that he was looking at him with a small smile.

"If you sit up straight, it will help," he said. "Breathe in like you're smelling flowers, and breathe out like you're blowing out a candle."

Arthur wanted to snap at Alfred and tell him he knew what to do, but he couldn't. Alfred was only trying to help him. Again. Once again, Arthur was the one that needed saving. He listened to Alfred, however, and did what he was told. He took in a deep breath, as if he was smelling flowers, and then breathed out like he was blowing out a candle. Arthur did this five times before his heart finally went back to its normal beat.

He was actually surprised it worked that well. Arthur glanced at Alfred and squeezed his pinkie ever so slightly. "Thanks…"

"No problem!" Alfred looked up at the higher branches, and then, Arthur did the same. "Ever since I was a little kid, I've had awful panic attacks. I always thought someone was watching me or following me. I thought that someone might hurt Mom and Mattie. S-so, when I was fourteen, an extremely traumatic experience happened to me and I lost hold in almost everything, including my faith and some parts of my sanity." Alfred's voice grew quiet, and he lowered his head. Arthur found out he was doing the same thing, following Alfred's face with his eyes.

"I was diagnosed with PTSD a couple months later. I've been able to control it in time, but it's still there. A couple months ago, I had an awful panic attack at my old school and I know it scared a lot of people. My paranoia seemed to be back after that, and it was really bad. So, one thing led to another. Mom moved because she thought it would be better for everyone if we started over."

Arthur's heart was pounding for a whole different reason. Poor Alfred. "A-and is it better?"

Alfred gave Arthur a blinding white smile with all the sadness gone from his face. Instead, his smile was gentle and maybe even loving. "Yeah. It's definitely better."

Arthur thought his heart would stop beating.

Arthur gave Francis a grateful smile when he handed him a bottle of beer. "Thank you." Francis let out a long sigh and sat down next to him. "Anytime."

Francis had come back today while Arthur was out with Alfred. Now, the sun was setting and the clouds had turned purple. The two of them were sitting on Francis's roof, which they were able to get to without falling to their doom. Arthur really appreciated that Francis was kind enough to talk to him even though he was jet-lagged.

"So, did I miss a lot while I was away?" Francis asked.

"You missed this huge monster come, swallow up the whole town, and then spit it back up."

"Oh, darn it!"

Arthur chuckled and took a swig of the bitter alcohol. It was one of his ways of escaping, alcohol was. The Brit ran a hand through his blonde hair and looked up at the indigo sky. "You'll never guess who my group therapist is."

Francis arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Oh? And who might that be?"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt."

Francis was quiet for a moment. Arthur was worried that he had said something wrong, especially when he turned to look at his friend and Francis turned away. "Gilbert Beilschmidt…funny." The Frenchman tilted his head back as he took a long swig of his own beer. When he had finished, he wiped his mouth slightly. "I haven't heard from him in a while."

Francis was a year older then Arthur, and Gilbert was a year older then Francis. Arthur didn't know much about their friendship except that the two of them, along with a Spaniard named Antonio, had been very close. But when Gilbert graduated, Arthur hadn't heard the two of them talk about the albino. Perhaps they had a fight or something.

Before Arthur could say anything more, Francis cleared his throat. "Who is in your group? Anyone we know?"

"Uh, there's Lovino Vargas and Ivan Braginski. Then there are three other people named Lukas, Kiku, and Lili." A small blush dusted Arthur's cheeks when he remembered the last group member. "And there's a new boy here named Alfred Jones."

Francis smirked at Arthur and poked his shoulder. "Alfred, eh? Hmm, I might have to meet the man that can make Arthur Kirkland blush just with the mere mention of his name!" Arthur blushed even more and swatted the hand away. "Belt up, frog!"

"No need to get all defensive about this~." Francis took another sip of his beer. When he spoke again, his voice was serious yet soft. "You know, Arthur. You deserve to be happy in this world, too. Certain people can give you that happiness, but you have to be careful."

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly. What was he saying? "What do you-"

Francis interrupted him. "Happiness could be right in front of you, Arthur." He leaned over and pecked Arthur on the cheek. The Brit was so surprised that he nearly dropped his beer bottle. "You just have to open your eyes and realize that."

Arthur was at a lose of words. Was Francis trying to imply that he could be Arthur's happiness? But Francis already made him happy; he was his best friend! Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Francis picked himself up and crawled back through the window. "If you don't mind, I would like to get to sleep. Jet-lag can be such an…inconvenience."

Arthur jumped up a little too fast and ended up slipping. Once he caught himself, he crawled through the window as well. He left the beer in Francis's room and quickly left the house. He didn't say hello to Allistor when he walked in, he just went straight up to his room. His mind was whirling and it was beginning to make his head ache.

His phone was vibrating on his desk, and he slowly made his was to it. It was Alfred. His eyes shot up in surprise when he read the text. Alfred: I had a great time w/ u 2day! Hope we can do that again :)

Suddenly, Arthur felt torn. Was he going to be replacing Francis with Alfred? His heart seemed to split slightly, but he decided to push those unwanted feelings down. Instead, he texted Alfred and told him how atrocious his hand-writing was and no wonder he wasn't taking DE English.

Perhaps, for the moment, everything would be okay. He could act like a normal teenager with Alfred, no matter how strange the boy made him feel.

A/N: Thank you all for reading this chapter! I might not update until another week because of end of the year testing. Yeah, I'm stressing. But thank you all.