AU: FINALLY! Chapter 3 is here, I deserve kudos! Sorry about the long wait, college applications are Hell, and I couldn't let my fict go with only a few pages per chapter... it has got to be perfect xD;; But anyways...things will start to get interesting soon, just as soon as I find time to start Chapter 4. Darn High School, darn APs, darn college apps. Please R&R for me cause I need feedback!
Beta needed still. Check teh profile for teh info xP
Dis-Claim-Er: I have dis-in-claimed all the following - Any and all characters associated with Fullmetal Alchemist, I do not own, will never own, and just like to whore on a regular basis :
WARNING: This story does contain m/m or yaoi, if you don't like, than don't read damnit!
Please don't flame. Thankyouhaveaniceday.
Chapter 3: Three Simple Rules
Mr. Smith, the infamous guardian of the realm known as ISS at Central City High School, was now boring his unseen eyes into Edward Elric's very being. It was almost as if the teacher expected to suck Ed's soul through the thick protective coating of his skin. The rigid frames of the aviators and the thick dark lenses effectively shielded the blond teenager from any such visual attack. Ed shot the teacher an annoyed look, one that seemed to signify that he couldn't put up with this 'bullshit' for much longer. The tall raven-haired boy – who went by Mustang – stood forgotten leaning in a lazy manner against the side of Smith's desk. The teacher barely spared Mustang a second glance as he focused his attention on the fresh meat; his newest victim seemed to be several heads shorter than everyone in the room.
Crossing right automail arm over left flesh arm, Ed set Smith with a defying gaze. This guy is creepier than Norcutt. Why is this school so fucked up? It looks like he's trying to snatch my goddamned soul right outta my mouth or something. What's that bastard still doing up here? Ed's intimidated gaze fell on the solitary figure of Mustang, who was displaying a smirk for the special occasion. "Bastard…" Ed mumbled, his voice was barely loud enough to be heard. "Excuse me?" Mr. Smith's voice drowned out any more thoughts Ed was having of possibly transmuting Mustang into something that wasn't capable of sneering, discernable speech, or making noise. Mustang's mouth had rearranged itself for a moment into a sneer of victory at his further success at getting Ed into trouble; it was the last thing Ed saw before he reacted to Mr. Smith's voice. Fucking bastard, I think I'm in enough trouble right now. Ed knew very little about the tall raven-haired boy standing in front of Mr. Smith's desk, but already he knew that he hated him. Snapping his head around sharply, allowing his gaze to wander from Mustang to Mr. Smith, Ed just simply said, "Sorry, what was that?" Playing dumb was better than playing innocent any day; he was beginning to figure out the workings of the system, getting caught once was enough to do that for him.
"I would like to familiarize you with the rules, Mr. Elric. Contrary to…" Mr. Smith cleared his throat loudly; the disgusting sound of phlegm on its way down his throat filled the room. "… All the statistics or rumors that you have observed, Mr. Elric, ISS isn't a place to have fun." Mr. Smith set Ed with a patronizing stare while golden orbs circled around searching through dark colored glass for movement. "I nev— " Ed begun but than he was cut short by the monotonous dragging of yet another lecture. "Three simple rules are all you must follow. Three rules, nothing more." The thick greasy brown hair shone in the fluorescent lighting as the man appeared to be searching for any effect that his words were intended to have on Ed, his tongue flicking back and forth like some kind of washing cycle, tossing something around in his mouth in attempts to get it clean.
"I--" Ed found his voice again but wasn't able to utter much more than a single syllable for Smith started up again. To drown out the suppressed snickering of Mustang nearby, Ed was highly tempted to throw his hands over his ears but he resisted. "Number one: Absolutely no talking. Number two: Absolutely no sleeping. Number three: Absolutely no having fun." The mechanical voice now held a note of finality as it formed the last syllables of fun in one long hiss. Ed shot the teacher a glance as he took a few steps backwards failing his arms in a gesture upwards directed towards Smith before replying, "I absolutely gotcha, I guess that means I'll have to be going now, because right now I'm having way to much fun to be in here!" Mr. Smith just stared blankly at Ed from behind the dark lenses, if the sunglasses would have exposed the almost white-blue pupils that belonged to Mr. Smith, than Ed would have been able to see the reflection of fire in the man's eyes. Ed could feel the uneasiness mounting in his stomach despite the fact that he couldn't see Smith's eyes, he was pretty sure that he had just made a very big mistake. Maybe that wasn't the best idea, this might some kind of ongoing freak show but these people aren't really that stupid. "Take a seat Mr. Elric." The sentence was sharp; the voice was one long hiss as heavy lenses guided a head that tilted over towards the nearest desk that was opposite to Smith's own in the very first row. Damn it. Ed found himself laughing a little nervously shouldering his bag as he sunk into the seat that Smith had directed his gaze towards.
Lowering his bag onto the floor, Ed realized how damned uncomfortable the seat was, made from some sort of heavy-duty plastic and wood. Over a 6 million dollar school budget yearly and this piece of shit is all that they can come up with? I want some cushion on this damn chair for that kind of money! Casting a wary glance towards Mr. Smith to show that he had complied, Ed stretched his arms out in front of him as he eyed Smith's black leather cushioned chair for a few moments. Let's just go and spend 6 million dollars worth of tax payers money to hire weirdoes that like to torment little boys, wear dark heavily sunglasses, sit on leather cushioned chairs, and live under some kind of delusion that no one will be having fun in ISS. It's probably a hell of a lot better than going to class!
A muffled snicker was heard now that all was quiet in the room, Ed's eyes shot towards what he knew to be the source – Mustang. Damn him, I'll show him. But how? Ed silently vowed revenge on Mustang as he dropped his head onto his desk, blond bangs splaying across the false wooden surface that sounded somewhere between plastic and wood.
Uh-hem. Hem.
Mr. Smith cleared his throat loudly; Ed rolled his eyes as he curled himself up on the chair trying not to even spare the man sitting across from him a second look. "As I was saying, Sir, before we were so rudely interrupted, I have an AP chem. Lab that must be completed after school today. It's a two-hour lab and I would much—" Mustang had begun talking but he was cut short by Mr. Smith, who was now focusing all of his attention on Ed. "I have work for you Elric. Come up here and get it." It was an order not a statement or an offer, it was a command that was meant to be obeyed and not questioned.
"Sorry, I missed that?" Ed asked cocking his head innocently to the side, yes playing dumb was the best alternative especially when it came to intimidation.
"Make-up work Mr. Elric, for your current absences in all seven of your classes. We don't just sit around here in ISS we do work." Smith put emphasis on the last word, giving Ed a strange look through mirrored lenses that couldn't quite be read or seen. "Work?" Ed questioned, the side of his mouth twitched. It was only his first day of school and already he was doing make-up work. "Physical or mental labor performed for the purpose of emolument or completion of a class." The nasty sneer that had curled up the corners of Smith's lips was nothing that Ed found himself liking. He could imagine the stare behind the impenetrable opaque lenses undressing him in Smith's own mind.
SLAP.
Ed jumped in his seat for the loud snap of something hitting a wooden surface was barely four feet from him. Golden eyes met a large manila folder around a half a ruler thick. Staring wide eyed and in shock he hoped that the whole folder didn't exactly bare his name. "Come get this Elric, it is inhibiting my visual view of all the other pupils." Smith's demanding voice was heard through the haze of Ed's mind. Ed sat there gaping, frozen and stuck to his seat like freshly dried glue had just been coated over the hard wooden-plastic seat. "Th-that's all for me?" Ed stammered as he stared at the stack, he only had six more hours in ISS to go and the stack looked like it was about two month's worth of work for all his classes.
Smith nodded a satisfactory smile twisted across those rigid thin lips as he directed black glossy lenses in Ed's direction. Thin stiff fingers peeled off a yellow post-it note stuck to the front of the folder, "Your teacher left you a note too." Mr. Smith's tone sounded amused at the least, hell it looked like he was having fun. Ed wondered briefly if he should remind Smith of the rules of ISS, but than decided against it because the man would sure find ways to make the next six hours of his own life Hell if he did. Mustang was nearly turning red with suppressed laughter beside Smith's desk. He seemed to find the issue of the folder funny, and Ed wondered vaguely if Mustang knew anything about it.
" 'How dare you skip my class and land yourself in ISS your first day of school! I will see to it that you are caught up within the week. In addition to your make-up work I have enclosed a few sheets and packets from prior weeks that you have missed. I expect you to be in class tomorrow to face the consequences for your actions today because I do not take school offenses lightly.' Signed Professor Curtis." Ed blanched considerably as Smith read the note out loud. A loud snore resounded from the back of the room but Smith didn't seem to notice as he gave a loud cruel staccato burst of laughter on Ed's account. Mustang beside him didn't seem any better; he was nearly pulled to pieces as he gasped for air while trying to suppress his laughter. The raven-haired boy's fingers curled around the desk edge as he finally caught his breath and stopped laughing. A smirk settled on his face and Ed had begun to think that that was the only expression that the boy was capable of. "Very funny." Ed's sarcasm seeped from his words as he threw himself out of his seat and walked over to Smith's desk snatching the large folder off the desk. It took him two hands to achieve the action, but it was a sure and swift one. He held the folder tightly to his chest as he walked back to his seat turning on his heel and trying not to show how pissed off he really felt.
I get thrown in this fucking shit hole with the human machine and some retard that thinks he's everything. What a fucking day. This thing must be at least a foot thick. This teacher is psycho. I hope she doesn't really mean all that. But than what's the worst that she could do to me? Ed knew little to nothing about the teachers that he had received, he hadn't even been able to sit through any of their classes because it was the first day that he was in school and he had landed himself in ISS already. His fingers clawed at the folder until he finally got a grip on it, flipping the large packet of Xeroxed sheets open. Ed's jaw nearly fell off the hinges as he realized that the whole thing was just a series of alchemy worksheets. He started to flip through the folder and reaffirmed his suspicions. Alchemy had been his best subject the last time he had been in school, but he hadn't expected himself to get so lucky. He had excelled in the subject, getting higher grades than average without even having to spend the time to study. This is going to be easy. Finally Ed found himself having a single streak of luck in what was turning out to be an entirely bad day.
Once the Smith's laughter had subsided, Ed found himself digging through his bag for a pencil underneath the watchful unseen eyes of Smith. "Sir, I came up here because I needed to ask a favor from you." Mustang's spoke up as Ed located what he had been looking for. He emitted a low growl at the nerve of that prick actually being able to stand up in front of the whole of ISS and ask the very strict teacher a favor. Mustang suddenly seemed like the cocky type that would have that sort of abundant confidence in front of most anyone. Snatching the first sheet of paper from the large manila folder, Ed set to work writing down the primary equations for the alchemic reactions of simple metals.
"What is it that I can do for you, Mr. Mustang?" Smith raised an eyebrow behind the dark lenses. Mustang seemed to hesitate a moment as if trying to figure out how to word his request, or how to not word it. "I have an AP chem. Lab that I have to attend this afternoon, so I was wondering if it was possible if I could get out of here an hour early during the beginning of 7th hour to get a chance to complete it." Smith was silent as if he were reasoning something out in his mind as he sat there upright in his chair. "Remind me again Mustang what kind of grades did you make in my class?" A slow sure expression slide across Smith's face that this would be the deciding factor as to whether or not Mustang was able to get out of ISS or not. "I made straight A's, and I got a four on your exam." Mustang's own voice held a tone that was reassuring, although by the offended expression on his face it was clear that Mustang didn't take kindly to being asked such a question. Maybe he had been offended because Smith hadn't remembered his particularly good grades. "Very well… Mr. Mustang I will give you permission to leave early, and I will pass the word onto Mr. Pyndanisky when he arrives to relive me before fourth hour because I have a class to attend to." Smith nodded his head slowly as if everything was going to work out.
Ed's eyes went wide and his grip tightened around the stubby pencil that he was currently using to write out formulas. The tip was nearly about to break off because he was pressing so hard, he wasn't happy that Mustang was getting the opportunity to leave early and he wasn't. What the Hell is wrong with this guy? I guess that those rules were a bunch of bullshit. He probably didn't mean it at all. Maybe I should be having fun after all. I wonder if he'll let me leave. Ed was now thinking back to the one AP class that had been meticulously placed on his schedule. Than again maybe he could've gotten out from the beginning, there was that stupid lead/edu class, maybe that was important in some way?
DING. DING. DING.
The staccato bursts of the high-pitched ding of the bell broke the utter silence that had coated the white walled room. Ed nearly jumped out of his seat, his hand dislodged itself from the paper, and his fingers felt loosely around his pencil. A few dozen loose sheets of paper from the manila folder were sent flying across the room. "Damn it." Ed cursed underneath his breath as he allowed his golden eyes to shot up towards Mr. Smith. "Well what are you waiting for? Go retrieve those papers!" Smith snapped from behind his large mahogany desk in his comfy cushioned chair. Easy for him to say. The floor was nearly covered by the sheets, covering everything from basic alchemy to the bordering extremes. Ed managed a weak laugh as he pulled himself up from his chair, his body suddenly felt very heavy. He dragged his feet across the white graying floor, past one snickering Mustang. But Ed hadn't gotten far when his heavy booted foot caught something solid around the ankle and he fell face first into the lacerated white linoleum that was the floor. And than the world was consumed in some sort of fathomless darkness and everything went black for the second time that day.
The nurse's office at Central City High School wasn't necessary a bad place to go, but it wasn't the best of places either. Like a revolving door in some busy New York City shopping plaza, the small office was always overflowing with unlucky injured students. Although they could be considered the lucky ones because if the injury was bad enough it gave the person in question a "get out of school free for one day" pass.
The office was located in the smallest sector of the school that happened to be the administration office. Directly down the hall from the student services desk was the small inconspicuous office, draped in a sterile white with walls adorned with stainless steal metal objects. The room reeked of antiseptic, and that was just about the only hospital-like thing about the room. Overall it held the appearance of any normal High School office, aside from the fact that it was just a little bit bigger and accommodated two desks instead of one. Than there was the tiny factor of the three rooms that branched off from the main one. Two were exam rooms, one for females and one for males, and than third was merely a medical supply room brimming with all sorts of useless things that were required by law for the school to obtain and shelter on dusty shelves.
Ed's injury just fell short of the "get out of school free for one day" pass, at least that's what the nurses had proclaimed upon first seeing the monstrous black and blue bump that graced the side of the teen's forehead. So that was the conclusion that the nurses had come to after poking and probing the bump for a complete ten minutes. They than begun to check Ed's vital signs when it became clear that the young teen was unconscious, paying little to no heed to the figure lingering behind them in a sort of patient manner.
Darkness. Ed couldn't see a thing, he felt almost as if he were floating, and he saw something shining very bright and very distant. Where the hell am I?
"Clara I think it's best if we use the ammonia, I doubt that he will be coming around any time soon. Besides we need to see if he has been affected at all mentally by the blow." An attractive older red headed nurse turned in an enquiring manner towards her blonde companion.
"Too late.." The figure behind the two nurses muttered in an amused manner. Roy Mustang had been forced to drag Edward Elric all the way down to the nurse's office for his own "get out of ISS free" pass this afternoon. Smith liked to play dirty sometimes, and this was one of those instances, instead of calling the aides to escort the "prisoner" down to the nurse's office he was set down in place of them. Smith had probably had a pretty good idea that Roy wasn't going to abandon him and skip out on the rest of ISS. He wasn't that irresponsible, but dragging Edward all the way to the other side of the school had been pure torture. Ed seemed to weigh at least half a ton, it made Roy wonder if the boy had stapled a few sheets of steel to his skin because of all the dead weight that he had been dragging through the deserted halls.
The nurses hadn't appeared to hear him for they kept on talking in muted voices to one another as if Ed was actually awake and could hear them. After some more muted conversation one of the nurses turned around, and directed her hand in a sort flailing gesture towards Roy. "Be a dear Roy and go into the first drawer in my desk and go find the small container of ammonia. It's the desk nearest the door." She asked politely, as if she were familiar with the raven-haired ivory skinned boy. He did know her, he had been to the nurse's office more than once, but he had never been the victim just the escort. Nodding soundlessly Roy turned on his heel to go and retrieve the bottle that the nurse requested him to get.
An unconscious Edward Elric shifted on the stiff metal exam table moaning lightly, he was fighting to open his eyes. He was vaguely away of the distant voices and he felt like he could see the light through heavily lidded eyes. He knew that it was time to open them, but his eyelids felt as if they weighed a ton.
The light grew closer but than it seemed to fade away. The black dots that had quickly eaten up his line of view were disintegrating as reality begun to show through in the form of a light riddled white room.
"Here it is." Roy placed the small container in the nurse's outstretched hand as leaned back against the doorframe to watch the scene. He yawned a little partially from boredom, and just from being plain tired.
Taking the bottle from Roy, the red headed nurse leaned forward and broke the small vial in half; the sound of a crackling snap was heard through the room. The liquid inside seeped towards the front half of the small vial as she shoved it underneath Ed's nose. The reaction was immediate and not delayed – the blonde alchemist shot up and missed hitting his head again against the nurse's by barely a hair. Wide golden eyes took in his surroundings and immediately he looked confused. "W-where am I?" Ed's rapid fire questioning begun from there and didn't stop. He wanted to know how he had gotten where he was, and who the women were stooping over him, but most of all – "What is he doing here?" Ed growled pointing a finger in Mustang's direction. "Roy is the one that brought you here, you should be grateful to him. If he hadn't found you out there in the hallway than you would probably still be sitting there passed out. I really think that the school needs to get rid of those poles in the middle of those doorframes. They cause such a nuisance." The red headed nurse answered, her voice was stern as if upbraiding Ed for something bad that he had done although the situation had been and still was entirely out of his hands. "He's probably the one that dragged me out into the hallway." Ed mumbled accusingly as he felt the room begin to spin.
A pair of hands forced Ed down again back against the pillow on the exam table. "You need some rest, you should be laying down. How does your head feel?" The blond-haired nurse by the name of Clara questioned Ed. To weak to resist such a tempting offer, Ed allowed himself to be pushed down against the uncomfortable exam table. The metal was cool against the exposed flesh of his left arm … wait a minute! "Where's my coat?" Ed realized for the first time that his red jacket had been taken from his shoulders. A few seconds later realized to his relief that he was still wearing the white long sleeved shirt and none other than himself had pulled up the sleeve on his left arm earlier. A sigh of relief formed inside his lungs, it was one that he wouldn't release, not in front of Mustang. He didn't want anyone to know about his arm. It wasn't something for their eyes. It was his own secret and no one was worthy of knowing the story why and how he had received it.
Ed was now able to rest comfortably, yet still begrudgingly against the metal table as his golden eyes suspiciously watched Mustang out of the corner of his eye. "It's alright, it's over there on that chair, we figured that you would be hot when you woke up." One of the nurses reassured Ed as he stared into the white foamy Swiss cheese shaped nothingness that was the ceiling. Nodding slowly, Ed realized for the first time since he woke up that he had a pounding headache and that there was something rather wet and soggy over his right temple. Instinctively slapping his left hand over his right temple, Ed winced in pain when he realized that there was a frozen ice pack covering a fairly large bruise of some sort. So that was the reason why he had passed out. It all came crashing back to him as he remembered the contact with something hard and unmoving - Mustang's foot. That bastard. Ed knew that he really had to get him now, even if it was the last thing he did. But right now, he couldn't see straight very well, and it might have been better just to…
"Edward, the Principal asked us to have you report to his office after you woke up. I still want you to rest for a little while before you go over there, it's a long walk. Just so that this won't happen again, I insist that you take Roy with you." The nurse named Clara seemed to make her point firm and unmoving, it was clear that her words were the law around here. Ed's eyes snapped open; he had been enjoying the thought of being in a room completely and utterly alone without a boy named Roy Mustang and without the embarrassing huge bump on the side of his head. Apparently life without trouble didn't last too long even in his fantasies.
The Principal, what the Hell does he want? It seems like I can't pass out in peace around here either. I already tried to "kill" him once today, shouldn't they be sending a bodyguard or something like that along with me? I guess he wants the chance to defend himself now and lecture me on how it's so wrong to try and kill school officials. As if I'm going to listen to that load of bullshit. Who cares? He's making enough money a month to survive the occasional shocking murder attempt that actually happens to be against his own life.
"I'll go now." Ed said bluntly, trying to sit up, but the same hands forced him back down. "Edward Elric, I will pin you to that bed so help me God if you don't lay there until we get back." Nurse Clara instructed him as she put a firm weighing hand on his right shoulder. He didn't feel the action but he saw it well enough and knew better than to just ignore it and keep pushing. He wanted to keep his secret and that was something that he planned on doing. Fighting the urge to jump up and run out of the small exam room, Ed laid back against the cold steel table. "That's better now wait here while we go and take care of some paperwork." Clara instructed as the two nurses exited the room. Ed stared at their retreating backs as he felt a sense of almost helplessness; they were leaving him in the room with Mustang. "I trust that Roy will watch you, I'm just going to lean this door on." The red headed nurse beamed as she left the door cracked open in her wake, as she was the last to leave the room.
"Of course." Roy gave her a charming smile before she left. He resumed leaning heavily against the doorframe and was now eyeing one very bewildered looking Edward Elric. "Edward is it?" Roy's mocking tones weren't doing anything for Ed's headache at the moment. "Not to you it isn't." Ed snarled, baring his teeth at the ceiling rather than sitting up to confront Roy it wasn't worth the effort. A good natured chuckle resounded from the other side of the room, Roy seemed to be getting some kind of enjoyment out of this and it only seemed to piss Ed off even more. "Hold up there, I barely know you. I don't think that we should allow the waning formalities and pet names just yet." Roy allowed a smirk to slip over his ivory features, as his directed intentions were now obvious. "I'm not gay!" Ed snapped, as he felt his head sink further into the pillow, a dark crimson blush crept up inside his cheeks. He wanted to find himself the nearest plane out of Central City and go far away from the asshole on the other side of the room known as Roy Mustang.
"You could've fooled me Elric." A genuine grin spread across Roy's features, as he seemed to adapt a matter-of-a-fact tone that made him sound to much like the teacher's pet he had proved to be when asking Smith to get out of ISS.
"Good for nothing Bastard." Ed grumbled as he threw his left hand over his forehead trying to comfort himself in the least. His head was pounding and he knew that in a matter of minutes he would be forced from his comfortable perch atop the steel plated exam table and dragged up towards the Principal's office for an investigation.
"There you go again with your pet names. I thought I told you Elric, I barely know you." Roy sounded overly amused with the conversation as he allowed his obsidian eyes to wander in Ed's direction. Ed growled in agitation but said nothing; he knew that Mustang was just pushing his buttons now. He wondered vaguely in the back of his aching head what exactly he had done to Mustang to cause the boy to hate him so much. He couldn't remember now, all he knew was that he had barely known the guy a few hours and now he was already on the top of Ed's shit list. It seemed like a natural reflex to hate Mustang, something deep inside him despised the guy and he didn't even know him. It might have just been because of the first impression that the older boy had given him. Whatever it was, Ed was sure that it was a hate that would be likely to last. "I'M NOT GAY!" Ed shouted at the top of his lungs, he would've flailed his arms too had he not been so tired. "Shh.. You're just asking it for it Elric." Roy retorted his voice was at a normal level he didn't need to shout to be heard that was just the kind of voice he had.
"Wha-" Before Ed had a chance to question Roy's response the door flew open and the red headed nurse walked in. "Is everything alright in here? We heard yelling and we were afraid that something had happened." She asked seeming genuinely concerned. "NO." Both Ed and Roy responded in unison. Roy had edged over towards the table as their previous conversation had been ensuing before the door had shot open to reveal one concerned red headed nurse. Roy now promptly edged in front of the table and was facing the nurse head on, covering her view of Ed's face with his body. "He means – I mean…. No, we mean that nothing is wrong and we're both fine." Roy corrected himself repeatedly, but didn't once stammer in the sentence.
"Oh, alright than. Are you ready to go to the Principle's office than?" She asked, her voice was sweet again, like some sort of honey, thick and flowing. "Yes." Roy responded, with a simple nod of his head. "We are."
Ed felt the pounding resume in his head at the thought of getting up, but he did so anyways, sliding off the exam table and pushing past Roy. Black gloved automail fingers had wrapped around the ice pack over his right temple, he gently applied pressure to the area hoping that it wouldn't get worse. "Yeah I'm ready." Ed confirmed as he shoved past Mustang, heading towards the door. "Don't strain yourself, Edward." Roy's voice was innocent enough on the outside, but Ed was able to see the underlying message. The small alchemist shot Roy a savage look over his shoulder underneath the watchful chestnut colored eyes of the red headed nurse who had moved aside to allow them access to the door.
"Thank you for helping me." Ed mumbled as he nodded to the nurse on his way out of the room, Roy trailing behind him. The nurse nodded and rattled off a few "No problems" as Ed proceeded to exit the office. He walked through the small waiting room that also served as the office area for both of the nurse's desks. Ed kept his head low trying to remain inconspicuous as best as he could as he exited the nurse's office with Roy in tow, the soggy ice pack slapped unceremoniously against the large bruise on his forehead. "Wait up." Roy's voice came from somewhere behind Ed, he sounded somewhat hurt that the short blond had been trying to leave him behind. "Why should I?" Ed snapped, his voice was cold as the words were spoken underneath his breath. He didn't need to look even more like a criminal today, especially since the nurses were under the impression along with everyone else that Roy had "saved him." The bastard, it seems like anyone will believe him. If it is that way than why didn't they believe me!
Roy's long strides soon matched Ed's, and he was walking alongside the short blond down the hallway that led to the student service's desk. As they passed the student services desk a voice spoke up from near the counter, it was an older man's voice, "Why weren't you in class today Mustang?" The voice behind the question held authority and demanded the utmost respect. Ed's golden eyes rested on the now rigid figure that was Mustang standing beside him. Mustang had been stopped directly in his tracks by the voice, obviously the man was important.
Turning on his heel, Roy took a few precise steps across the lobby and than came to stand in front of the shelve of mailboxes that belonged to each one of the Assistant Principals, beside the man who had addressed him. Despite the fact that Mustang's back was to Ed, he could sense the hesitation with which Roy proceeded to tell the older man why he wasn't in school. Ed begun to study the man with whom Mustang was speaking, he was an older man with graying hair and small oval-shaped spectacles. An intense pair of amber eyes burned behind the thin wire-framed glasses as they bore through Mustang in a questioning manner. Ed had barely heard the exchange between them, as he found himself observing the man with an odd sort of curiosity, who cared if Mustang was in class or not?
Taking a few hesitant steps forward to allow people more freedom to slide past him down the hallway that adjoined the office, Ed realized that this conversation might actually take a while.
"…We have a new cadet that has to be registered. A Sophomore by the name of Elric." Ed's ears perked up at his own name, and he found his golden eyes swiveling around staring at the older man who apparently was some sort of teacher. His jaw unlatched and nearly fell to the floor at the sound of his name in a sentence spoken by a man that he didn't know. Roy's reaction was much the same, the boy's shoulders had taken on a sort of sag to them, and Ed couldn't even begin to imagine the look on the boy's face. "…He got thrown into the Staff class, thanks to the guidance lottery. Supposedly they don't have room for him in some creative writing class." The discussion continued without Ed even bothering to listen much. What's he talking about? It has to be some different Elric, I have no idea what he's talking about…
"I must be going, I have to get this paperwork back and signed before the bell rings for lunch. Tomorrow morning I expect to see you in class, is that clear Mustang?" The authority once again had free reign in the old teacher's voice. Mustang seemed to dumb-founded at first to even mutter an intelligible syllable, until he somehow finally managed to speak. "…Uh... Yes sir." The words threatened to fall over and blend into one another, but they didn't. Instead Mustang executed an almost military-style volte-face after muttering his those words, and headed back towards Ed. Without saying a word, Mustang pushed through the double doors and out underneath the hooded overpasses that served as the outdoor hallway.
"What was that about?" Ed demanded as soon as the heavy steel framed door to the student services office had clicked shut.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Roy muttered dismissing the topic as unimportant.
"It didn't sound like nothing. If it concerns me I have the right to know!" Ed growled, his golden eyes shone with a sudden determination to get to the bottom of the conversation between Roy and the unknown teacher.
"You'll find out soon enough." Roy replied, his tone reeked of finality as he begun to pick up the pace. Mustang started to walk faster rounding corners allowing the distance between Ed and him to lag. "Bastard." Ed grumbled as he lagged behind Mustang trying to make sense of the very none-sense making conversation.
The rest of the way up to the Principal's office, Mustang remained silent and didn't even breathe a word in Ed's direction. The short blond at once begun to decide that he could get used to this quiet side of Mustang, that was until they reached the Principal's office.