TJ took a minute to think about something he could share about his life. He didn't want to state something too personal that would make their conversation awkward and or depressing. Those were pretty much the only thing he could think of in that moment, his parents and how they treated him. He tried to scour his brain for other things to think of preferably something funny or interesting. He sat there for a few minutes racking his brain for something, anything that he could share that was even mildly interesting, but that was the problem he didn't think that he was interesting. He thought of himself as boring, or mundane. He was nothing special, nothing extravagant just a normal ordinary teenager, but that's what he thought.

"Well I don't really know what to say about myself, so if there's anything you want to know," TJ said with a shrug giving up after a few minutes of silent thinking of what to say.

"Um, well let's see," Thomas said thinking. He wanted to know so much about TJ but he didn't know where to start, and he certainly didn't want to cross any boundaries. "Do you like your long hair?" Thomas asked mentally face palming, 'really that's the best you can come up with, you could have at least worded it a little differently.'

"I love my long hair. It makes me stand out. Also, it's like I'm making a statement because everyone's always told me guys aren't supposed to have long hair, so it's kinda like me giving them the finger," TJ laughed. "Also my sister likes playing with it, it makes her happy, and that makes me happy," TJ smiled.

Thomas laughed with him, "I like that reason," he said. "Yeah, your sister is always braiding it and messing with it, and I don't blame her your hair is so nice and cute," Thomas said with a little smile. He couldn't help but think TJ's second reason was so innocent and sweet.

TJ's cheeks flushed a little and he looked down with a smile. He was used to looking down when embarrassed because his hair would normally fall down and cover his face so that others couldn't see it, but now it was braided back and his shield was gone. He felt a little exposed, but for some reason, he didn't seem to mind all that much.

"Hey guys," they heard Alex say from the doorway that she had just entered. She looked half dazed, almost as if she had just woken up. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun and it was obvious that her hair went unbrushed. There were faint traces of bags under her eyes as evidence she didn't get enough sleep. Her clothes looked like wrinkled and unmatched like she grabbed the first thing she saw. Her backpack was lazily thrown over her shoulder hanging half open. It was a miracle all of her books had stayed in lace. Her feet were dragging across the floor when she walked.

The teachers gave her a quick hello before returning to their conversations about their lesson plans for the next week.

"Looks like you overslept," TJ giggled as he watched his sister walk in the room and plop down on a chair next to them and lay her head face down on the desk.

"You didn't wake me before you left," she mumbled into the table with a sigh of irritation.

"Um, yes I did, you even sat up looked at me and said 'I'm awake'." TJ laughed realizing she must have done it in her sleep... again.

"I did?" She asked looking up from the table a little embarrassed.

"I told you that you needed to put your book away and go to bed, but you said one more chapter per usual," TJ laughed. "How many chapters did you actually read?" He asked with a raised eyebrow giving her an accusing look.

"I don't know the exact number," she said with a shrug, "but I finished the book," she said waiting for TJ's predictable response.

"You just started that book yesterday, there were over 700 pages," he said in a disapproving tone, but his voice showed that he was impressed. "You were only 100 pages in when you said one more chapter," TJ remembered and put his hand up rubbing his forehead getting a headache by his sister's action.

"Um, yeah, but the story was so good," she laughed nervously with a sheepish grin as she shrugged off her brother's judgment.

"Shame on you," he laughed before changing the subject back to Thomas who was sitting there smiling watching the two interact so playfully with each other.

"Sorry about that, I got distracted by this nerd," he stated pointing at his sister who gave him a mini glare but was too tired to hold it for very long and gave it up within seconds laying her head back down on the desk but made sure to lay her head sideways so she could still see both of them.

"That's okay," Thomas smiled, he loved watching them mess with each other and talk so easily it reminded him of how he and his sister used to act. It brought him a joyful sadness. He thought of it as a good kind of sad, it meant that he still cared enough to feel something.

"What were we talking about," TJ asked blankly as he blinked a few times trying to get back in the already forgotten conversation he was previously in.

Thomas went to speak but froze. 'We should probably fill in Alex he thought.' "TJ we should probably let Alex know what we were talking about earlier." He suggested hinting to TJ that he should be the one to do it.

TJ's eyes widened realizing she wasn't here when they had got together. It completely slipped his mind to tell her 'hey we're kind dating now,' he almost mentally laughed at his own stupidity.

"I wanna know," She said sitting up and smiling waiting eagerly. Whatever the guys were talking about they seemed happy about it.

"Oh well um," TJ stuttered, 'what would she think, I know she supports me, but I've never had to tell her about this sort of thing before' TJ thought trying to predict her reaction but coming up with nothing. 'Well looks like we're about to find out how she would react,' he thought before taking a breath. "We're kinda going out," TJ stated calmly, but in a hushed embarrassed voice as he smiled. He laid his hand over Thomas's and looked at her awaiting her judgment.

"You're what?" She asked staring blankly at them.