When Sky and Star were finally on their way home again, each were actually almost managing a smile, as odd as that had been for the last week. When Star looked over at Sky as he pulled out of the school lot, she did manage the smile. “Well, I like him” she offered.

Sky just smirked, “yeah, I got that.”

She blushed slightly, then added, “I don’t just mean because he and you are the only guys in school that are so easy on the eyes” a small smirk, then more quietly, “I mean because you seem to be smiling since you met him too.”

Sky allowed a slight pause though his smile only wavered the tiniest bit, “I believe I actually started smiling during naked time last night. But yes, he has convinced me that I’m not quite ready to put a do not enter sign on my ass, just yet. Regardless of last week” he stated, even managing the slightest smirk.

Star tried to move past the reminder of that and instead managed a smile at the memory of the night before, which easily led to memories of that morning as well. She then forced her mind back to the present, “so what have we learned about the new boy so far?”

Sky shook his head, “I love the fact that when you’re around I can get girl talk and orgasms both.”

“Yeah, the feeling’s mutual” she teased, “now spill.”

“Well he’s so, so bi. Shocking, right?”

“Yes, I’m in awe” she smirked.

“And he’s in my health class. That’s nice” Sky added.

“Maybe the teacher will let the two of you teach the non-school approved curriculum this year?”

“I’m so sure” Sky just shook his head before continuing as he drove them toward their destination, “but get this, Curt’s such an ass that the new kid has even heard about him. Though he didn’t give a lot of details on what exactly he had heard; other than ‘nothing good.’”

“Seems accurate” Star concurred.

“But yeah, remember Sammi?” Sky asked, his voice dropping a bit.

“The girl who killed herself a couple years ago?” Star asked sadly.

“Yeah. Her.” Sky sighed again before moving on, “apparently Sammi’s actually the one who told Kole the ‘nothing good’ about Curt.”

“She dressed like us, had nothing good to say about Curt, and eventually killed herself” Star sighed sadly, “not suspicious at all.”

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure her and Kole were dating at the time. It was rough when he mentioned her. There was pain there” Sky stated softly.

“She was dating Kole and still killed herself? I think she was the one who must have had a hell of a lot of pain. Why would you wanna leave a life if that was who you were sharing it with?” Star commented, thinking on the event, which easily led to her thinking about Sky’s own attempt on his life, and eventually the one she and he had both made in the next life as well.

Sky allowed another sad pause as they slowly turned onto their street. “so I’m thinking there’s definitely a lot more to that story. And I wanna ask him. But how do you say, hey let’s talk about your girlfriend who killed herself? Doubt that would be very... yeah” he just finished sadly.

“Well, you could always mention our own brushes with suicide” Star suggested softly as they turned into the garage.

“The ones that didn’t happen in this life?” Sky asked pointedly.

Star sighed in concession, then added, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make him wanna share the rest of the story with you. You are pretty convincing when you try.” Star then smirked up at him as he just shook his head back down at her before giving her a tiny kiss and following her into the house once again.

The next day after his seventh period gym class, Kole was now the one in the boys’ locker room re-applying his makeup once most of the boys had just glared at him and left for their next class. Of course, that was when Curt once again showed up for his eighth period gym class while Kole was still standing at that same sink Sky had been at a week earlier.

“What the fuck?” Curt greeted this new intruder upon his alpha male world view, “get rid of one freak and another one shows up” he complained as he approached Kole, who simply rolled his eyes at the greeting, as it was hardly unexpected from that type of male. As Kole didn’t offer any real response, Curt continued, “I’m talking to you, freak.”

“Well,” Kole began, still continuing with his makeup and not even looking back at Curt, “that’s not my name, so you can understand my lack of response.”

“You’re a mouthy little prick, aren’t you?” Curt bit back.

That was when Kole finally put his makeup back into his bag, and finally looked back at Curt, “I guarantee that my mouth will never be a concern of yours.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, fag?”

Kole shook his head again, “not a fag either; so are you still speaking to me? So hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t seem to know how to address people by their actual names.”

“You’re a real smart-ass, aren’t you?” Curt bit out that response as well.

“Again, not my name. Let’s try this once more” Kole said with an obvious condescension, “my name is actually Kole, and you are? Or should I just find a few colorful slurs that fit you, instead?”

“My name’s Curt, you prick. And it seems like you need to be put in your fucking place” he growled as he moved toward Kole.

But just as Curt reached for him, he felt the knife that Kole had since pulled from his bag and pointed at his throat, “nope, I don’t think I’m the one that needs that either, Curt” he replied, venom dripping from his tone on the other boy’s name as he continued to hold the knife at his throat, “what? Nothing else to say, Curt?”

“You’re so fucking dead” Curt threatened, though while backing away and quickly leaving the locker room again as Kole closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forced himself not to go after him and shove that knife into his throat after all.

Meanwhile, Sky and Star found themselves spending the beginning of their final class of the day in the school office. Apparently the two were to be questioned about the ‘incident’ in the parking lot the day before. Though, the assistant principal seemed in no real hurry to speak to either of them. He had already spoken with Crista and Alana earlier, though not Curt, for some reason; and now he was just chatting with the secretary while the two sat there missing eighth period and waiting for him to bother calling them into his office at all.

Though the two of them impatiently tapping their combat boot clad feet and the adults chatting, was soon interrupted by Coach Mathis bursting into the office, shoving Kole through the door ahead of him. “This little asshole needs expelled!” he angrily told the assistant principal as all eyes in the room turned toward the door upon their arrival in the room.

The assistant principal turned back at Mathis’ loud directive and looked between Kole and the two students who were already waiting for his meting out of whatever punishments he saw fit. “Is there a convention in town or something?” Assistant Principal Nickels asked as he looked between the three. He then sighed and turned back to Mathis, “these two supposedly had an altercation with a football player. What’d this one do?” he asked as he scowled at Kole’s appearance as well.

“Same thing. Same football player even” Kole answered smartly.

Nickels just shook his head as Mathis growled his interruption, “this little asshole pulled a knife on our quarterback! He needs thrown out on his ass now! And it’s only his second day! That’s damn near a record, you freak” Mathis bit back at Kole.

Sky and Star both looked up in shock at the accusation while Nickels just looked at Kole, appalled, “you brought a knife onto school property? And on your second day? Not one for first impressions, are you?” he asked Kole sarcastically.

Kole just shook his head and responded with his own sarcasm, “I’m not one for getting accosted in the locker room either. But I had the feeling the teachers here were ok with that sort of thing if the asshole doing the accosting is on the football team. So, I came prepared” he told them smartly.

“Exactly what are you trying to imply, freak?” Mathis asked defensively as he cast an accusatory look at Sky then too.

Nickels spoke again then, “Mathis, I appreciate the help and all, but this is sort of my job. Aren’t you needed back in class right now?” Mathis simply glared but went on his way nonetheless. Then Nickels turned back to Kole, “so you admit that you pulled a knife on Mr. Spencer?”

“I admit that he’s an asshole who physically attacked me and I defended myself. Can I go now?”

Nickels just shook his head impatiently, “empty your pockets, and your bag.”

Kole sighed heavily and moved to do so as Star and Sky tensed at the entirety of the situation. But mostly at the fact that if any of what Mathis said was accurate, they’d be losing the new friend they were both already quite fond of. They then looked at each other with a silent understanding as Kole finished emptying his pockets, then his bag onto the secretary’s desk.

Sure enough there was a stiletto blade mixed in with the scraps of paper, jewelry, condoms, and makeup. “Happy now?” Kole asked with the slightest deflation of his tone. Sky and Star looked on, watching intently as Nickels moved Kole’s belongings around on the desk, not even seeming to notice the small blade as he did.

“So, did you stash it in your locker, then?” Nickels asked with frustration.

“What?” Kole asked with confusion as the man’s hand had literally touched the knife’s hilt at least three times during his search.

Sky just gave him a look as if to say ‘go with it.’ Then Nickels sighed, “put all this crap away. We’ll have to search your locker too though. Stay here” he grumbled as he got the locker assignments from the secretary and headed out to the hall.

“What am I missing?” Kole asked as Sky and Star seemed to finally relax and end their deep concentration then as Kole shoved his belongings back into his bag, knife and all.

“Maybe senility is setting in twenty years early?” Star offered with a shrug.

“Right...” Kole said as he zipped his bag back up, giving the two another questioning look, but smiling slightly at his sudden luck, as that wasn’t exactly a common thing in any of their lives.

Having no luck finding the knife in Kole’s locker either, Nickels had no choice but to send Kole off with a warning. Still more than a bit confused, Kole simply shrugged, looked back at Sky and Star once more, then headed off to his last class of the day.

“And why are you two here again?” Nickels asked them a moment later, rubbing his temples in frustration.

“No idea” Sky stated flatly.

Nickels just sighed again as he looked at the paper that he had been handed earlier, “an altercation with Mr. Spencer? I’m starting to see a theme here.”

“Better late than never” Sky mumbled sarcastically.

“Getting mouthy is not gonna help” Nickels scolded him.

“Me?” Sky scoffed, “I’m the one with the cigarette burn he left on my arm. I think I have the right to be a little peeved” he returned with the same sarcasm.

Nickels just shook his head then, “and which of you even had a lit cigarette in the parking lot?”

“Think you’re kinda missing the point” Sky scoffed.

Nickels sighed again, “also something about some loud noise that nearly deafened Mr. Spencer after the incident?”

“I didn’t hear anything. Did you hear anything, Star?”

“Can’t say that I did” she answered shortly.

“Did anyone else hear anything? Aside from our charming quarterback I mean” Sky replied.

“Not that’s been reported yet” Nickels answered with irritation.

“Guess he’s the only one that heard it then, huh?” Sky stated with mock concern, “maybe he’s taken one too many hits on the football field. Perhaps he’s the one that needs to stay off school property for a few weeks.”

Nickels just sighed with further frustration, “get to class, both of you, And I don’t wanna see you or you purple haired friend in here again. Got it?” With that he turned on his heel and headed back into his office with a slight slam of the door behind him.