The chalk touched the board occasionally during class, writing down notes that no one needed to copy. It was the discussion that got everyone excited. Everything that needed to be copied was in their heads, and their homework from the days before. As fast as it started, the class ended with the discussion still unfinished, but finished enough so that they could move on to the next timeline tomorrow. Luck left his chair and walked out the room. He got to his locker where Blitzel and Fran and Cork were waiting for him.

"Hey boss." Said Blitzel.
"Hey." Said Luck back to Blitzel and the twins.
Cork and Fran snapped their heads up from their phone. Luck noted they had been absorbed in a game together.
"Luck!" Exclaimed Cork.
"Luck!" Said Fran.

Luck walked up to his locker and spun the metal dial around the combination lock. He turned the lock three times to the right to 4. It turned left past 4 again into 7. He spun the lock right again into 4.

"Boss, why've you been so chummy with Rune today?" Blitzel asked, he tugged on his blazer button.
"Let's say I've taken a liking to 'im" Said Luck nonchalantly. Folders tumbled like candy into his school bag. One for every subject.

"Getting soft?"
"Maybe."
"Good."
"Why's that?"
"It's better for Cork and Fran."
"What are you going to do?"
"You're still boss."
"Good."

The phone blared out a man's voice. "Sweet." It said. The twins were playing again.
"God I hate phones."
Luck chuckled. "Then why do you carry one?"

They parted ways. Luck padded across the hallway in his sneakers, past the laughing students playing games together, past the students crying over their test grades, and past the teachers looking too happy that it was the end of the day. He opened the door of the school and stepped into the open air.

Rune left the building, smiling st the sunshine that shone down on them. The radio had said there was supposed to be rain that afternoon, but so far the sky had remained clear. He looked up, waving to a few kids who called his name, but didn't go over. They weren't exactly what he'd call friends, thiugh they could be if he let them in. He couldn't afford that, though, anybody getting close enough to find out what his father was like. Just like that, his smile was gone, and he picked up his pace a bit. He was expected home no later than 3:30 every day, and it was already almost quarter after. He'd missed the city bus, then, too... He hurried off down the street, keeping his head down, knowing he had to hurry to make it home before his father got there.

If the clear skies and sunshine greeted Luck, he didn't notice it. He walked with his eyes straight ahead and his backpack slung over one shoulder. Luck took the subway back home. Metallic rails screeching all the time, people never looking at each other, the conductor being a pain and not saying anything clearly. That was the subway. Getting on was a hassle that day. Too many people too happy about getting out of work. Some couple smooching against the doors that weren't opening. A little kid talking to his mother about how school went. Luck smiled, he never did that as a kid.

When the subway doors opened again, Luck streamed out along with the rest. There wouldn't be anyone at home, he knew, as he walked the short distance back home. He ignored his surroundings. Same old, nothing to see.

Rune made it home before his father. He'd just shut the door and taken his shoes off when he heard the crunch of tires on gravel. His eyes widening slightly, he rushed upstairs, set on not letting his father catch him downstairs until suppertime. He made it to his room as the front door opened, sighing softly to himself. He was quick to unpack his bag, settling at his desk just as his father came up the stairs, pausing outside his open door. "Hello Father... Welcome home..." He said softly, eyes averted, posture stiff.

The man watched his son for a moment, smirking as he sensed the fear. "Hmm... I've had a long day- I'm going to take a nap. Remember to have dinner ready for six."

Rune nodded. "Yessir, Father." He replied, waiting til the man walked off down the hallway towards his own room to let out a sigh of relief. His father didn't realize he'd only iust gotten in moments before him. He was safe, for the moment.

Reaching deep into his pockets, Luck fished out a metal key. The door opened with a satisfying click.

"I'm home." Luck called. No one answered. Of course. His father was still working at this time and his mother wouldn't be back in a long while.

Luck pushed the door back behind him, clicking it closed. He took off his shoes and padded across the wood floors. Through the living room and the little TV and into the kitchen where a radio was still switched on. "...weather today is rai-" It was saying, before Luck switched it off. He opened the fridge and took out some leftovers. Spaghetti. He popped it into the microwave. 30 seconds. It started making popping sounds at 25 seconds. 0 seconds. He took it out.

Luck carried the plate with him. Out the marble-tiled kitchen, into the wooded hallways, up the carpeted steps, and to his room.

Rune finished his homework quickly, then headed downstairs quietly around five to start on dinner. He checked the fridge, and sighed softly in relief that someone had thought to take a package of meat from the freezer that morning. He grabbed the meat, and went for one of his mother's old recipe books,and got to work. He picked something quick, knowing that if his father wanted it done by six, he'd better have it ready a bit early.

Meat seasoned and in the oven, he put potatoes on to boil, and started on a salad, as well, even though he knew his father would barely touch it... Maybe he'd have something left over for lunch tomorrow, then... Or even get lucky and be allowed to eat that night. He had made an awful lot, and his father hated leftovers, so...

He smiled to himself, and took the potatoes off the heat when they boiled, andmashed them, checking on the meat, then the time. Looked like everything was on track... He set the table quickly, but neatly, and was serving up his father's meal just as the man in question came downstairs.

His fathr eyed the food, sitting down, and ate when Rune set the plate on the table before him. "Not terrible... Not great, but still edible." He said, after a few bites."Go get yourself something to eat."

Rune rushed to obey, hiding his smile until he was in the kitchen, making his own plate from what was left, though a considerably smaller portion than he'd given his father. He must have done a good job if his father was letting him eat.

The hour hand pointed past three, the minute hand pointed all the way down. 3:30, read the clock at the desk by the bed. Luck finished the spaghetti to the ticking of the clock.

The book bag unzipped accompanied with what would have been a sigh, if Luck had more heart to voice one. It was the after school blues, when it seemed no one existed and all was quiet and gone. Except the ticking of the clock, and eventually he would be gone too. All quiet after school. No fun.

Folders plied themselves onto the desk like multicolored cough-drops. White for the infinity of math, yellow for the sickly brightness of English, blue for the creativity of science, red for the blood of history. His older brother color coded them for him, and explained what each meant. His only brother wasn't around anymore to nag him about school though. He had gone away long ago, leaving behind the plastic colored folders.

He opened the white folder and stared at the whiteness of the handout. Infinity indeed. He hadn't got up to that yet with Rune. The folder closed again. The teacher wouldn't check the homework anyway. That's how half the class got away with their homework every day.

The yellow folder was opened to a reading. The blue folder was opened to a math handout. The history folder contained a reading. Luck left them there and went to take a shower beforehand.

After a quick meal for himself, Rune cleaned up the dinner dishes, and headed upstairs, thankful that it seemed he was going to have a quiet night for once.

Back in his room, he got to work copying his math notes for Luck, smiling slightly as he thought about the boy. One more distraction from reality. He had no idea what he was to Luck, but he hoped it was something close to friend, or at least that it was heading there. It would hurt if he found out later the older boy was just using him for his math notes, or that this was all out of pity for him.

Finished showering, Luck clad himself in pajamas. He brushed his teeth and went back to his room. Mother and Father were still out. Working maybe. Maybe doing something else. He finished his homework in a haphazard fashion before turning off the lights. The day was still somewhat early as the just setting sun streamed in. Luck didn't mind. He always slept before the moon rose.

He dreamed of a pale faced boy who sat atop a rising moon against the rolling thunderclouds.

Rune went to bed after he finished copying out the notes for Luck. He'd stuck them into an empty binder for the teen, and put it into his backpack with the rest of his homework somhe wouldn't forget it in the morning. He changed quickly, shutting his door almost all the way, and turned the light off, crawling into bed. Thankfully it seemed to be a peaceful night for both him and his father. Likely- hopefully- the man was passed out in front of the tv, and would stay there.

Rune woke part way through the night to a weight atop of him. His eyes widened, and he struggled briefly, before stilling after a hard slap across the face, and a harsh voice telling him things would only be worse if he didn't just take it. He laid there, tears silently running down his face as his father had his way with him once more.

In reality it didn't take long, but to Rune it felt like an eternity. His father finally left, stroking his hair lightly, alcohol-scented breath in his face as he told him what a good boy he was. Once he'd left, Rune curled up, letting himself cry some more, ashamed and sticky with sweat and... He didn't want to think about what else was on him. After a while, he picked himself up off of the bed with a whimper, stripping the sheets off the bed before heading for the washroom, limping a bit. He got into the shower, turning the water on hot, scrubbing himself clean before letting himself slide down the wall, curling up on himself, just letting the hot water soak him, turning his skin red with the heat, hoping it would wash away the shame with everything else. It never did, though.

6 AM read the clock by the bedside. Luck slammed the alarm with a grunt.
6 30 AM read the clock by the bedside, and Luck slammed the alarm again. He woke up five minutes later. He wasn't late, but almost late. Just the way he liked it.

No time for breakfast, Luck pilfered some cold spaghetti from the fridge and placed it in Tupperware.

Five minutes before class began, he arrived at the front steps of the school. Two minutes before class he was at his locker. At the last minute he made it to art class, just as the students were shuffling in.

((Runes courses: Art, English, Science, Programming.
Lucks courses: Art, Math, Science, History

Should they change day to day, or same ones at the same time?))

Rune didn't sleep anymore that night. Once he'd gotten out of the shower, only because the water went cold, he'd dressed for the day, covered the worst of his visible bruises, grabbed his backpack, and snuck out of the house early. Sure it was only five in the morning, but he had nothing better to do, and it was safer out of his house than in it.

He'd gone wandering, heading for a little coffee shop that was open all night where the employees knew him by name, and had his order memorized. Going in and sitting down, he pulled out his laptop and smiled up at the woman who brought him his large coffee with two sugar and a shot of french vanilla. He handed her his money, and she headed back behind the counter, letting Rune relax with his coffee in silence.

When 8:30 rolled around, he got up, packing his stuff away, and got another coffee to go, heading off to the school, making it several minutes before the bell.

((Maybe changing the days would make it more interesting. Also, gym was forgotten yesterday, though maybe gym class can be in the mornings, or the period that both Luck and Rune missed. Which one do you want to do?))

Shuffling into the classroom with the rest of the nearly-late students, Luck picked a seat at random. Art. Luck hoped they would draw instead of learn art history today. Drawing was easy, since the teacher graded more on effort than anything else. So long as a piece was finished and looked alright, it was passable. That, and the freedom to talk whenever drawing time came around.

The teacher took out a stack of white paper. Rough on the surfaces. Perhaps they were drawing after all?

((Mkay, so...
Rune: art, gym, english, lunch, science, programming
Luck: art, gym, math, lunch, science, history ??))

Rune was still limping slightly when he made it to school. He headed for his locker first, then off to his first period class, Art, with Luck. Just what he needed. He rolled his eyes slightly at the thought, shaking his head to clear it before heading for the art room, taking his seat and pulling out his sketchbook when he got there.

((That works ^^.))

The teacher was asking now for people to hand out pieces of paper. Luck took the chance to walk around the classroom. He raised his hand to volunteer. The teacher split the paper with him and some other student. He took one side of the room, the other student took the other. Luck turned immediately took the side where he had seen Rune sitting.

Looking down from behind Rune, Luck saw a sketchbook in front of Rune. He leaned down by Rune's ear and whispered: "Do you need a sheet of paper?"

Rune numped slightly at the suddenness of Luck being right there beside him, whispering in his ear. He glanced over, and nodded, even though he doubted he'd actually end up using it. The sketchbook he was working in was one he deemed 'school-safe', meaning there was nothing outside of his ordinary work for class, unlike the one Cork and Fran had taken from him the day before.

He accepted the sheet of paper, and before Luck could wander off to the next student, he made mention of the notes he'd copied. "I've those math notes copied for you... When d'you want them?"

"Lunchtime would be good." Said Luck as he straightened himself. "Thanks." He gave a genuine smile. He hadn't really expected Rune to copy the math notes. Sometimes people said things but never got around to it.

Luck waited for Rune's reply before he turned to the next student, handing out more sheets of paper. Lunch was after his math class, but it hardly seemed as if there was a suitable time in between for math notes.

Rune nodded, agreeing to the lunchtime arrangement. "Same place as yesterday, so long's it doesn't start raining." He said. The sky had looked awfully dark that morning, but you never knew if it'd clear up or start pouring.

"Alright Rune." Luck replied. "See you then." Luck wondered for a moment if it would rain. He had an umbrella in his locker in case he needed it, but he doubted Rune would be outside in the rain.

When Luck returned to his seat, he wondered what art class would be. He hoped it would have nothing to do with rain. He didn't like the rain. It brought him down. Soggy, wet, gray, dark. Boring and falling. What good was a rainy day when you didn't live on a farm?

Rune quite liked the rain. To him, it was calming, soothing. You could go out in it and no one would know whether it were raindrops running down your face, or tears. Best part, hardly anyone else was ever out in it, and if they were, they were in too much of a rush to get out of it to pay him any attention. It washed away all of his worries for a moment, giving him that silence and solitude he so desperately craved.

The rain bored him. It made the skies less blue. He shook his head free of the rain. What was the teacher saying?

Something about impressionism, it seemed. He asked someone next to him what they were doing.
"Dunno, wasn't paying attention." Came the reply. He turned over to someone else.
"Did you remember to bring a photo?" They asked.
"No." He said, long and drawn out.
"We're copying images from photos." They gave a grin that said "You're screwed."

Luck shrugged and got up to look for photos in the bookshelf the art classroom kept. There were always more photos there. He picked a magazine at random.
There was a picture of a waterspout tornado. All blue. Even the clouds looked blue. He went back to his table to copy it.

Rune had forgotten to bring a picture as well. Thankfully there was already a pile of magazines next to him on the table, because of the person across from him. Grabbing one, he flipped through, before tossing it to the side and grabbing another. He did this a few times before picking anpicture, tearing the page out of the magazine.

They had a choice of using any medium. Oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencils, crayons, markers, and any other material they could think of. Luck picked up a bunch of multicolored markers, not wanting to bother with paints. He supposed that paints would look the best with waterspouts, but he couldn't be bothered to try it. Markers it was, then.

He dotted using the markers. George Seurat's style. Point-ill-ism, or something. It took a lot longer than using paints, for sure, but he liked dotting with the markers. He didn't need to think too much about mixing paint at least.

For all that Rune liked art class, he hated impressionism with a passion. He was far too detail-oriented to successfully work a style that demanded less detail and more... Impression.

He used that passionate hatred, at least, and his image turned out much darker than he'd intended, causing him to have to restart from scratch. His second try, he toned it down a bit, but still let his emotions fuel his work, which actually worked well for him.

He had started with a loose sketch in pencil as a guide. A waterspout rising from the sea. A bunch of wispy looking clouds at the top. A few diagonal waves added in for the fun of drama. He had gotten the waves from another picture in the magazine.

Various shades of blue and gray markers were in his hand. He started dotting the middle of the waterspout. The color in the middle, the lighter color, the darker color. By the time the class ended he wasn't finished with the waterspout. But that was to be expected. Dotting took a while.

Rune had only gotten partway through his own piece. He packed up his books, not wanting to go to his next class- gym. He wondered if the teacher would let him sit out, since he was still limping slightly.

Luck streamed out of class along with the rest of the students, caught up in the crowd of departing backpacks. Gym was in the basement, and he turned right outside the door towards the nearest stairwell.

He noticed Rune limping down the steps. They had gym together, he remembered.

He dropped himself down next to Rune. "What's wrong?" He asked. The limp nagged at him, like the many things that nagged at him enough to make him bully the boy.

Rune frowned, cocking his head to the side slightly in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked, before he actually realized he was still limping, having grown used to it. "Oh, you mean the limp? Nothing. Just, um... You know." He shrugged, flushing a bit, and turning his head away from Luck in a mix of embarrassment and shame.

Luck swallowed as Rune turned away. What was it about that guarded face that ticked him off?

"Nothing," Rune had said. "You know," he had heard. Yet he still turned away like that. What did he want? Was he trying to be brave? What was he trying to say?

Luck clenched his fists. "Rune."
He relaxed his hands forcibly. "Rune look at me."

Rune sighed, and turned back to face Luck. He didn't want to have this conversation now, not in the middle of a stairwell. "What, Luck?" He said, eyes flicking around them before settling back on the older teen in front of him.

Seeing Rune confront him face to face, Luck shrugged and turned away. Maybe it wasn't anything.
"Nothin'." He dropped himself down the stairs to the basement.

Rune frowned, and gave a little sigh. What was he thinking, imagining that maybe Luck actually cared enough to press the issue? He shook his head, and continued down to gym class as well, a little slower than Luck. When he got there, he made his way to the coach, still limping slightly, and got permission to sit out that day. He made his way to the bleachers, heading up to the top, and took a seat. At least he wouldn't be forced into the changerooms, where he had to hide away while changing.

Luck went into the change rooms and pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. He didn't know what was up with Rune. So obviously hiding something one moment, then suddenly snappish the next. He stuck the bag into the locker and clicked it closed, locking it up with a spin lock as usual. He walked languidly out of the lockers. What were they going to do today? Football? Baseball? Soccer? Hockey? He didn't think too hard about it.

The coach announced they wrre starting basketball that day. Rune was even happier he'd been allowed to sit out. He watched the other students split up into teams, and begin their game. Quickly growing bored, he opened his bag, pulling out his journal, and started writing. He put down everything, from what he'd gone through yesterday, to last night's... Encounter... with his father, to his confusion about Luck. He had no idea what to make of the boy.

Basketball huh? "Sounds great, coach." Said Luck at some point, earning himself some smirks. He smirked back and they laughed. Basketball was just going up to a bunch of people and playing games with them until they moved on to something new. Luck paired with some people and played. He had to instruct someone on how they were supposed to pass balls to each other. It was fun, he supposed.

His eyes flicked towards Rune and nearly missed a shot. Rune was writing in his journal again. Luck wondered what he had to write. A lot maybe. He shook his head free of the thought, and played.

Every once in a while Rune would glance up at the games, eyes searching for Luck each time. When he got tired of writing, he replaced journal with sketchbook, and started drawing his class playing. He had a few different sketches done by the time the bell rang, most of them focusing on Luck's group, the blond boy in particular.

He packed up when the bell rang, leaving the gym quickly, heading up to his english class.

The bell rang as Luck stole the ball from someone else. He shrugged and said something along the lines of 'Good Game' before dribbling the ball into the bin where they kept all the basketballs. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rune putting away a different book from the one he had read. It seemed like he had been drawing in it. Luck headed to the lockers. He had been nearly distracted by Rune too many times. Thank God he hadn't been thrown off his game entirely.

Luck got to his math class the moment it began and took a front row seat next to Blitzel.
"Why'd you pick this seat?" He muttered.
"I thought you'd learn better that way, boss." Came the smug reply. Blitzel tugged on his blazer button.
"We'll see if you're still smiling when you don't get to scribble random math in that notebook of yours."
"Damn, boss, let's move back."
"Too late."

The teacher turned to get the class' attention. No one paid any mind. A few short yells later, class began.

When class started, the teacher had an unwelcome surprise. "Pop quiz, folks. Put your books away, and lets keep it quiet." The teacher said, going around and handing out test booklets to each student. Rune groaned, along witht most of the class. While he was good at english, he still hated pop quizes. He tucked his bag under his desk by his feet, after pulling out a pen. As soon as everyone had a booklet, the teacher told them to start.

The chalk scratched on the board for the beginning of the class. They were going over something in the homework.

Luck leaned over to look at Blitzel's and copied the answers off his.

Something to do with a formula. cos(x+y) = cosxcosy - sinxsiny or something. Luck sighed. He hoped he wouldn't get called on.

Rune, despite being good at the subject, struggled through the English quiz, having difficulty focusing on his work. When he finally finished, there were only a few minutes left to class, so he handed in the quiz then laid his head down, eyes closing.