Like all of his teachers, they expected him in button-ups and a backpack. Ave abandoned the latter at home, opting for only his jacket and jean pockets, armed with a lighter, cigarettes, a few dollars and a pencil. Like anyone checked. Like anyone cared.
"Hey- Ave?" someone said his name. He turned slowly. One of his...classmates, he supposed he'd call them. "You... You look...different."
"Thanks," he replied in the most nonchalant tone he had, before striding off again. He ignored the looks because, at this point, he didn't care. People could talk all they want. He was broken, anyways. He didn't care, anyways.
"Settle down," his English teacher said as the bell rang. Ave decided he'd put his feet on an adjacent desk as he listened to the lecture, considering he'd neglected his books in his locker and came unprepared. Plus, he was in the back. No one would care. "Ave, feet off the desk." Ave scoffed in response. Well, no one but the teacher.
"What for?" he asked, hearing the angst in his own voice. Not like he was trying to suppress it.
"I'm sorry?"
"Why do I have to take my feet off, it's not a disruption or anything." The teacher crossed his arms, crinkling his mustard-coloured polo.
"Last chance, Ave, or you're out," he warned.
"I'm posing a valid question, I think I have a say in this-"
"Out." Ave scoffed again. At this, the door swung open and bounced off the wall as a tall, thick-jacketed student trudged into the classroom, his long mess of tangled curls bouncing around his relatively tanned white face. His hands were resting in his pockets, weight put onto one foot. Ave wasn't sure who he was, but he saw somewhat of his own...reflection in the student. Or at least what he wished his reflection acted like.
"Hey, sorry, man," he said to the teacher, sighing. "Got caught up."
"You need a late pass, Dent," the teacher replied.
"It's only been, like, what, a minute after?"
"Late pass, or would you like to join our other troublemaker in the office?" The teacher eyed Ave, making the so-called look at him.
"What'd he do?" he asked.
"None of your business, and you've wasted enough of my damn time, now both of you are leaving my class." Ave groaned loudly, causing the class to laugh as you trudged out of the door after the student.
"Who, uh... Who're you?" the student asked him as they walked off.
"Who're you?" Ave replied.
"Hey, I asked you first." Ave crossed his arms.
"Ave. And I guess your last name is Dent?"
"Liam's what the kids call me. Teachers don't have the decency to address me properly."
"They could at least put 'mister' in front of it."
"Eh, who cares? He's followin' ancient school rules, anyways. Late pass, my ass." Ave laughed.
"You should put that on your gravestone." Liam chuckled.
"Nah, then he wouldn't be able to see it. He'll be dead before me if I'm lucky." He stopped walking and turned. "Anyways, since we're stuck alone together, how 'bout we go and get Taco Bell or somethin'?"
"It's nine in the morning, man."
"Yeah, and to be fair, 'nine in the morning' in Spanish is 'taco in the morning'."
"In German, it'd be 'no in the morning'."
"God, you're like a linguist. Do you ever leave the house?"
"No. Like there's anyone out here who cares." Liam pat Ave's back, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"Hey, man. Give it enough time and maybe I'll care."
