Hetalia: School is in Session

Chapter 1

AN: Hello and welcome to my fanfic! Just so you know, the point of view will change from chapter to chapter-for example, this one is from France's perspective, the next will likely be Japan, etc.

As for conversation, no, they're not speaking English, but rather a shared language. It's like the situation in The Neverending Story, if you've ever read it. If not, the idea is that all species could speak at least two languages, their own and High Fantastican, a common language understood by every species. So yeah, that's basically how the characters are communicating.

I do not own Hetalia- all characters belong to the amazing Hidekaz Himaruya.

Now without further ado, let's get this party started!

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Incredible. I had only been at this school for a minute and I was already blown away.

Tilting my head back, I gazed in awe at the towering building where I would be staying for the year. International High, also known as the Academic Melting Pot; it was full of students who were from all countries and all walks of life, but had one thing in common: excellence. There was nobody going to this school who wasn't exceptional in some way.

I closed my eyes and sighed as a warm breeze played across my face. It couldn't compare to Paris-then again, what could?-but it would do.

My eyes opened and I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, rolling it behind me as I made my way to the boys' dorms. As I walked, I wondered what my roommate would be like. Hopefully someone with at least a little fashion sense; it'd be impossible for me to live in the same room as, say, a pair of Crocs for a whole year. Shuddering at the thought, I pushed open the dorm door and began looking for my room, which I'd been told was number 12. I mentally counted off the rooms in my head until I reached the one belonging to me and my new sensibly-dressed friend (I was determined to be optimistic). I unlocked the door with the key I'd been sent by the school and cautiously walked inside.

As I flicked on the lights, I could see that the design of the room was very simple. A bunk bed had been placed on either side of the room, and a desk stood at the far wall. The closet door was on my right, and a door leading to an adjoining bathroom stood across from it. Modest commodities, but a creative person like myself could liven them up nicely.

No sooner had I sat down on the left bunk bed than I heard voices outside the door. Their accents sounded German, but I couldn't tell for sure. As they got closer, I began to make out what they were saying.

"...not bad-looking by any standards. Someone's gonna fall for those baby-blues this year, I just know it."

"Like I said, that's not really a priority for me."

"Oh, come on! We're gonna meet tons of hot girls from all around the world! Don't tell me you're not the least bit excited about that?"

"You know, some people look forward to actually learning things in school, instead of meeting girls."

"You're nuts...anyways, this is my room. I'll see you around."

"See you."

As the conversation ended, an exasperated-looking boy entered the room, toting a suitcase decorated with stickers so vibrant they hurt my eyes. The newcomer appeared to be well-dressed, with a navy-blue coat, black shirt, and jeans. I could work with this.

Muttering something to himself, he ran his fingers through his already-messy white hair. It took him a few seconds to notice that he wasn't alone in the room.

"Oh, are you my roommate?" he exclaimed, his face noticeably brightening. "What a relief! I was afraid I'd be stuck with some loser."

I replied, "How do you know I'm not a loser? We've never met."

The boy stuck out his hand with a flourish and proclaimed, "Let's fix that. I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, and I-" he puffed out his chest as he spoke- "am the most awesome person you'll ever meet."

Grinning, I shook his hand. "Francis Bonnefoy. And I'll be the judge of that, thank you very much."

"I like your style, Bonnefoy," Gilbert chuckled, smirking. "We're gonna be best friends, I just know it!"

Tapping my foot, I gave him a once-over with my eyes. "Depends. I need to know one thing first...do you own a pair of Crocs?"

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Gilbert shook his head vehemently and exclaimed, "Of course not! What's a Croc?"

"Oh, how I envy your innocence," I sighed, patting his back.

He snorted at this, and his sides began shaking until he was nearly convulsing with laughter.

"What? What did I say?"

Gilbert just shook his head, short of breath, as he tried to pull himself together. When he finally succeeded, he gasped, "I would love to see my brother's face if he heard that."

I nodded, smiling. I was beginning to get an idea of what Gilbert was like. "I see. Is that who you were talking to on your way here?"

"Ludwig? Yeah, that's my little bro." Gilbert reverted to the irritated expression he'd been wearing when he first entered the room. "He says he has no interest whatsoever in finding a girlfriend! Can you believe it?"

"There's always the possibility he's just not into girls," I mused.

"You're right...ugh, I can't believe the only thing we have to talk about is my boring brother's nonexistent love life. Let's change the topic, otherwise we'll just get depressed," Gilbert advised.

I sighed. "I wish I had a brother. I have friends back in Paris, but I'm not close enough to them to tell them anything...intimate."

"Trust me," warned Gilbert, "you don't want a brother. Sure, they start out cute, but you look away for a second and suddenly they're taller, prettier, and more serious than you. I get the dogs stuck on the roof one time and suddenly I 'can't be trusted with the Frisbee'. Whatever. Where was I going with this?" He had to pause for a moment to retrace his thoughts. "Oh yeah, brothers. Yeah, no, friends are definitely better if you trust them enough. You can tell me anything, Francis-I promise I won't laugh unless it's stupid."

I started laughing. "Gee, thanks. I feel so much better."

He shrugged in fake modesty, replying, "What can I say? Sometimes I amaze even myself."

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That's it for the first chapter! It was going to be longer, but I wanted to publish something to prove I'm not dead. Plus, writing on a Kindle makes me want to build a rocket and fly myself into the sun, so...this is all for now. I hope you like it! If so, comments are always appreciated. ^^

Stay tuned, or not. Night out!