two idiots and a turtle (a kotlc fanfic)

chapter three: in which studies are known and food is thrown

here's chapter three! also, sorry for not updating this on friday, i was pretty busy that day ;-;

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tam

Don't stare don't stare don't stare don't stare-

I stare anyways.

The dining room is filled with suffocating silence. To be honest, I feel a little afraid at the man sitting across from me. Lord Cassius, however, only looks up and gives me a confused glance before continuing to eat his dinner.

Yeah, dinner at Keefe's house. The Shores of Solace - or Waves of Wimpiness, as Keefe calls it - may be all aesthetic and fancy and beachy, but there's no love in here.

The dining room itself is dimly lit, the pale evening light hardly illuminating the table. The worst thing about silver bangs is the fact that they reflect light, which is happening right now and I hate it. Even clustering the shadows around me doesn't seem to help as much as it normally does. The shadows just make the room gloomier.

Speaking of gloomy, Keefe certainly seems way different around his father. He seems to be content with the platters of foods spread across the table, acting as a wall between him and his father.

Well, this is awkward.

I glance over at Keefe, who's fidgeting with his sleeves and keeping his gaze mostly on his plate, shooting a few mocking glares at Lord Cassius when he's not looking. Iconic.

I stretch my shadow over to him to shadow-whisper. After this, we're actually going to study.

I need to at least try to tutor him. Then I can finally be rid of him. No more tutoring, no more guilt, no more.

He pokes his tongue at me, to which I roll my eyes, annoyed, and sullenly continue eating. Lord Cassius gives us another cursory, confused glance, his eyebrows furrowing. He dabs a napkin to his lips before elegantly placing it in the trashcan.

Even his attitude makes it seem like he's better than us.

...Us? Why am I referring to Keefe and I as an 'us'? All Lord Cassius thinks about me is that I'm just a random guy. Random, Wayward son of the Songs, the twin, the Shade, Keefe's gloomy friend.

Lord Cassius gives me a cursory glance up and down, his lip curling into a sneer. "Whatever could you possibly teach my son?" Then he laughs, looking over to Keefe now. "Perhaps we should get a tutor for the both of you."

Keefe's grip on his spoon is so tight I think he might bend it, but despite his anger, he simply gives Lord Cassius an annoyed glance, like he's asking really?

Wow, is he offended for me? I'm honored.

As soon as he leaves the room, I can see all the tension in Keefe's shoulders relax as he lets go of the spoon, dropping it on his plate with a clatter. He looks relieved.

Does his father really affect him that much? Is he okay?

No, Keefe is never okay, I thought we established that already.

I sigh and push back my chair with a loud screech before glancing over at Keefe, who continues poking at his food. He sighs, too, before taking a plate of mallowmelt with him and following me back to his room.

Tutor time! Wow, I'm so excited. Really just would love to die in a hole right now.

"So, Keefe," I sprawl onto his bed and stare up at the ceiling, "What do you need help with?"