old application

0.2 Child AU 2.0

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels..."

You stared out the window blankly as the school bus rolled to a stop and halted the singing of your schoolmates.

Beside you, your friend Andy had her head laid on your shoulder.

"Andy, we gotta go now."

"Jus' got comfy though..."

"Andy!"

"N/n!"

"Off!"

"Nuh-uh..."

You huffed and pushed her head off of you unceremoniously. "We're at school now."

"M'kay..." Her head was in your lap now.

You grumbled and hoisted her onto your back, holding her arms around your neck.

"Yay...piggyback ride."

"I'll drop you!"

"If you say so..."

You didn't end up dropping her.

___

School wasn't any fun for you until recess.

That was the only time you saw your friends, since you didn't have classes with any of them.

Not even Andy was in your classes, and her dad owned the school!

When recess rolled around, you raced outside in excitement, hoping to be the first one to the meeting place.

The rock cluster was in your sight, and you pushed yourself to run harder.

"Oomph--"

You fell to the ground, weighed down by another body. "Hero, you meanie!"

"I'll never let you beat me to the rocks!"

"I almost always beat you anyway!"

"Nuh-uh..."

"Yuh-huh!"

"Nuh--"

"What are you dummies up to this time?"

"Steps is not a dummy!"

"Yeah!"

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Does that mean you are?"

"Uh..." Hero had to take a moment to think. "I don't...think so?"

You gave him a disbelieving look but didn't speak up since he had just defended your honor.

"Hero, please get off of Steps." Jorda had arrived, standing in all of his four-foot-tall, eight-year-old glory.

Hero climbed off of you and tugged you over to one of the larger rocks to sit down.

"N/n!" Andy ran to you and squeezed you into a hug. "It's been so long!"

"Shh, you can't call me that! We gotta go by our codenames!" You hushed Andy.

Hero nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah! You're Loops and she's Steps!"

Andy...or Loops was unimpressed. "This is stupid. Why can't I be called An--"

"Shh!" Hero glared at her. "We must...uh...maintain the balance..."

"What balance?"

You jolted. You hadn't even noticed that Candy was there. He was like a ninja!

"The balance of our super-secret code names, of course!" Hero was doing his best to maintain a serious expression.

You could see Vancey approaching in the distance.