Safe and Sound (An APH PruCan Story)

Ascension of Change

CHAPTER FIVE: Ascension of Change

Alfred was not looking forward to going back to school.

He gathered his supplies at a delayed pace, trying to stall the process as much as possible before his parents realized what he was doing.

A full week had passed since Matthew's hospitalization, and Alfred had spent as much of that week as possible at his brother's bedside. He would come in as early as they would let him, and would only leave if they found him after visiting hours and kicked him out. And Arthur and Francis allowed this, because they knew how distraught the whole thing had made both of their sons.

But they also knew that Alfred had to keep up with his education, lest he wanted his grades to crash and burn. And if he wanted to graduate, he couldn't allow that to happen.

So, at a familiar yet ungodly hour on a rainy Monday morning, he was packing his bookbag... at least that's what Arthur and Francis were led to believe. However, if they had bothered to check on him, they would find him hiding in the bathroom.

He did not want to go back to school.

Eventually, as the minutes ticked by, Arthur got the hint, and went upstairs to investigate.

He did, indeed, find his son in the bathroom, brushing his teeth for what was perhaps the tenth time in an effort to stall.

"Alfred, you're going to be late," he prompted from the doorway.

The teen looked up, face smeared with toothpaste. He didn't say anything, but Arthur didn't need him to.

"Yes, you have to go to school. Now, finish up and get your bag packed." His tone left no room for argument.

Alfred let a small groan escape, but he spit out the toothpaste and returned to his room, hastily wiping his face off with his sleeve on the way.

Ten minutes later, he was walking out the door and down the driveway, where his bus was just pulling up. After climbing on and sliding into his seat, he felt the large yellow vehicle lurch into motion again.

As the bus pulled away from his house, he looked at the empty space on the seat next to him and heaved a sigh.

There was no way he'd be able to focus today.

XxXxXxXxX

Gilbert stifled another yawn as he thoughtlessly scribbled down the countless formulas from the chalkboard in front of him. He blinked a few times, trying to keep alert, but with nothing to focus on (save the teacher's monotone voice), he was having quite the difficult time staying awake.

He glanced at the clock yet again, cursing time for moving so slowly. He wanted nothing more than to be out of the stuffy classroom. But with the way the clock's hands were crawling, he wouldn't be escaping for quite a while.

He was starting to doze off again when the bell had the mercy to ring, which snapped him out of his daze and sent him flying out of the classroom like he had a rocket up his butt.

He was moving so fast that his jet powered hind end sent him barreling straight into another person.

An object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion... unless acted upon by an outside force.

Fucking brilliant, Newton.

Gilbert sent the kid bowling over, and unintentionally followed him down, hitting the floor along with the him, and all of their textbooks.

Moaning, Gilbert began to gather up the remains of his poor, shattered ego when the boy snapped, "Jeez, man, can you watch where you're going?"

The albino paused. "Alfred... Kirkland?"