Military Brat

Classes

Gossip of the fight and of gym class was like a wildfire, everyone knew before lunch came around. The bullies were too scared to do anything other than glare at him. He smiled brightly at them, a glint in his eye telling them that the fight was far from over. They paled and avoided the teen like the plague. At lunch, a bunch of nosy kids came up and asked about where he served. He laughed awkwardly before saying that it was confidential. He continued to be bombarded by questions until he left the cafeteria, trying to find some peace and quiet. He ended up in the Algebra II classroom, face to face with the teacher and armed with only one packet of saltine crackers and his backpack secured to his back. He just stared at the teacher until he heard footfalls coming from around the corner. He rushed by the teacher and sat in the back row, moving the desk so that no one would see him unless they entered the room. The teacher told the students to leave, threatening detention if they didn't listen. The students ran off and Alfred buried his head in his hands, trying to calm down. He felt something being placed over his shoulders, his jacket. The teacher squatted in front of the teen, just staring at the bowed head.

"Why you run, aru?" Yao's curiosity won the battle with his patience. The teen mumbled something into his hands weakly. Yao took the teen's hands into his own, the eyes of the teen flying up to meet his.

"Couldn't take all the questions, the constant shoving, and the insults. I, I had to get out of there." Yao's heart broke, the words and the appearance reminded him of the story Ivan had told her about the person who had saved the whole squad. Yao wasn't dumb. He figured it out in a matter of minutes. He sighed.

"Thank you, Alfred. For bringing our family, friends, and neighbors back alive. I know you lost everything because of your bravery. You knew the risks and did what no person was expected to do. Try to live your life now, please." Yao whispered this to the soldier before going to his desk and grading some poor fellow's test. Alfred stared at the teacher, shock and gratitude on his face for a moment. Alfred pulled out some of the college course books and continued to do his work undisturbed. He spent the free period he had in Mr. Wang's classroom, feeling at peace. When the bell sounded, Alfred visibly jumped and looked for danger. Some of his classmates laughed at him because he was too young to be in this class and the 'costume' along with the military buzz cut he wore made him look like a real soldier. The oldest in the room was 18 and the youngest was 17. He was 15 and had a masters in Mathematics. He put his college books away and zoned out the class.

During Algebra II, Alfred didn't even bother to pay attention. He was stressed and wanted to go home. He wanted the routine back, the crude jokes, the ability to trust someone always has your back. He didn't have any of it. He had lost it all because he had to do his duty. He'd do it again if he had to, never regretted his decision and dedication to his job and his life. He missed the feel of soaring through the air, the rush as he went past mock 3. He wanted to go back but he couldn't. He didn't know a thing about living a 'normal' life. He couldn't help the lone tear that had fallen down his cheek. He was better than letting emotions run! He sat with the posture of a long time Vet and the looks shot his way were in annoyance. Yao made a very important announcement at the end of class. There were two multi part documentaries airing tonight and would be played in all the classes they had until the series was done. It was on a family of military professions traced all the way back to the Revolutionary War and the other one was about the Myth and Legend known as the Magician. Alfred found himself running out of the room and school building. He needed to think without being disturbed. In his haste, he bumped into the history teacher, Ludwig. The man hauled him up onto his feet, his shoulder being slapped by the Albino Marine with a face splitting grin.

"Fancy seeing you here, Alfred! Don't tell me that your Arthur's strange relative that showed up out of no where." Gilbert smiled at the teen.

"Fine. I am most certainly not Arthur's relative that popped up out of no where. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to head to the house I currently reside in." Alfred had the blank face. Gilbert let the boy go, sadly shaking his head.

"Is that the pilot?" Ludwig almost fainted when Gilbert nodded.

"Both those documentaries are about his family, West. He'll be a mess for quite some time. pretty sure that half the town knows by now. Tonight, everyone will have figured it out except his family members. Those people are so dense!"