"Oh you've got to be kidding me."

"You think I wanted to be paired with you?" he sneers. "This is ridiculous. Miss, are we allowed to trade partners?"

"No, Adriel."

Both Adriel and Julias sigh, glaring at each other.

"You screw this up and I'll make windchimes from your bones." Julias jabs a finger into Adriel's chest. Adriel grabs Julias's finger and shoves it back towards his body.

"You jab me again and I'm going to boil your teeth."

"Boys!"

Adriel and Julias grumble something before sitting down next to each other.

Julias kicks Adriel's foot. Adriel retaliates by kicking Julias's shin. Julias returns the favor and it continues until there's a constant stream of quiet ows coming from their corner.

"If you two don't start behaving I'm going to put you both in detention with each other." Mrs. Trest smacks a ruler on her desk, narrowing her eyes at the duo.

"We'll behave!" Julias calls, kicking Adriel's leg one last time. Adriel smacks Julias's hand under his desk, smiling sheepishly when Mrs. Trest directs her glare onto him alone.

"Sorry." Adriel raises a hand apologetically.

"You might hate sitting next to each other but you'll hate being in detention together even more." Mrs. Trest sets her ruler down. "Now behave."

"If you get me put into detention I'm going to beat you," Adriel hisses, whipping his head towards Julias who rolls his eyes.

"I want detention as much as you do, Adriel. I'm not going to get you in trouble because then I'll be in trouble."

"Glad we're on the same page."

"Whatever."

Julias turns and opens the zipper on his backpack. Adriel glances over at his desk, then snatches the pencil and tucks it into his pocket.

"Pencil." Julias sets his notebook on his desk and turns to Adriel. "Now, please."

"I don't have your pencil."

"You must think me stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid, I know you're stupid."

"Julias Aithen and Adriel Rune, you'll be coming back after school."

"Mrs. Trest-"

"It's not my-"

"Both of you shut it." Mrs. Trest grabs two pink slips from her desk and walks to the boys, handing them each a slip. "You've run out of warnings."

Adriel and Julias shoot each other a death glare, low growls escaping their mouths.

"You're not dogs, stop acting like you are." Mrs. Trest turns and walks back to the front of the classroom, continuing her lesson like nothing happened.

"You're so dead," Adriel hisses.

"I'm not dead because I'm gonna kill you first!"

"Oh, you just don't-"

"I will lengthen your detention if you two don't stop bickering."

"We're not bickering," Julias says. "We're having a calm conver-ow-conversation."

Mrs. Trest cocks an eyebrow. "Right. A calm conversation."

Adriel and Julias smile at Mrs. Trest, who just sighs.

"If you get me in more trouble I'm-"

"If you could just shut your mouth, that'd be great," Julias spits. "Seriously. It is your fault we're in trouble in the first place. Pencil."

Adriel rolls his eyes and drops Julias's pencil into his outstretched hand. Julias nods in thanks and starts taking notes.

The duo manages to stay out of trouble for the rest of class, ignoring each other until they reach their seats in their next class.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Julias whirls around and looks at the teacher. "Can I sit by someone else?"

"Please?" Adriel begs. Mr. Thompson just laughs at them.

"We're tired of you two bickering all the time like an old married couple, so no." Mr. Thompson stands and pushes his glasses up. "You will be sitting next to each other all day every day until you learn to get along."

"You're joking, right?"

"Sit down before we get another detention." Julias reaches up and grabs Adriel's sleeve, pulling him down into his chair. A string of curse words escapes Adriel's mouth as he sets his backpack on the floor.

"You touch me I'll bite you."

"Right back at you."

"Bleh." Adriel sticks his tongue out at Julias, who returns the favor. Mr. Thompson sighs and slaps a hand to his forehead.

"Either behave or this'll carry over to next year, boys."

"We'll behave!" the two exclaim, immediately moving their attention from each other to the teacher. Mr. Thompson nods in satisfaction and picks up a stack of papers, looking at the rest of the class.

"I'll be passing back your quizzes today," he calls, drawing everyone's attention. "After you've looked at them for a few minutes I'll recollect them and answer any questions you may have."

Julias grits his teeth as Mr. Thompson moves around the classroom, handing out papers until he gets to Julias and Adriel's table.

He silently sets down their quizzes in succession, then walks away towards a girl with a hand raised.

"Dammit," Julias mumbles, resting his head in his hands and staring at the dark blue D.

Adriel glances over at Julias's paper and snickers.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing." Adriel flaps a hand in Julias's direction. "Just figured you'd have better grades with all the notes you take."

"Wow." Julias shakes his head. "You are such a jerkwad."

"I don't think my assumption was wrong."

"Your assumption makes you look like an ass."

"Well that is what assuming does." Adriel smirks as Julias groans and presses his hands against his eyes. "Wait, are you gonna start crying? I can't handle that, don't do that."

Julias moves his hand and smacks Adriel's arm, chuckling at the quiet exclamation.

"Ouch." Adriel rubs his uninjured arm, then rubs the arm Julias actually hit. "I mean ouch."

Julias curls his fingers into a fist and punches Adriel's arm for real. Adriel mutters a few curse words as he rubs the spot Julias hit.

"God you hit hard," he grumbles. Julias smiles triumphantly, barely noticing the teacher picking their quizzes back up.

"Retakes will be available for a week before and after school, and during study halls!" Mr. Thompson announces, setting the quizzes on his desk. "Now please take out your notebooks. We're starting a new unit and you're gonna want to write this stuff down."

Julias and Adriel pull out the same colored notebook and set them down on their desks.

"Math is a blue subject for you too?" Julias nods towards Adriel's notebook. Adriel shrugs.

"I've been using a blue spiral for a few years, so I guess."

Julias grabs a pencil and immediately starts taking notes on a fresh page. Adriel roots around in his bag for a few minutes before coming to the conclusion that he doesn't have any pencils.

"Can I borrow a pencil?" He looks over at Abigail.

"I don't have an extra," she replies quietly. "Sorry."

Adriel exhales roughly before fixing a smile to his face and turning to Julias. "Can I-"

"Nope."

"You don't even know what I was gonna ask!"

"Something stupid, probably."

"For your information, I was going to ask to borrow a pencil."

"See? I was right." Julias glances up. "Stupid question."

"So is that a yes? Your answer was very unclear."

Julias grumbles something as he reaches down and grabs a pencil from his bag. He throws it at Adriel's head, laughing when it lightly hits his cheek.

"Thanks!" Adriel beams at Julias before quickly catching up with the notes on the board. Julias shakes his head and returns to taking notes.

"I better get that back," he whispers, pointing his pencil at the one in Adriel's hand. Adriel flicks his eyes to Julias then back to the board. "Adriel!"

"I'll give it back," Adriel hisses, whipping his head towards Julias and narrowing his eyes at him. "God you're annoying."

Julias sneers at the side of Adriel's head. "I'll give it back."

"You're gonna continue to fail math if you keep staring at my beautiful face."

"I'm not staring!"

Adriel glances over at Julias with an eyebrow cocked and the corner of his mouth raised. Julias flips him off, glaring when Adriel looks back at the teacher.

The bell rings over half an hour later, signalling the end of class.

"P-"

"Here." Adriel sets Julias's pencil on his desk before walking away. Julias snaps his mouth closed and looks down at the pencil.

I shouldn't be this surprised he didn't keep it. I shouldn't be this surprised.

"If you don't leave now you're going to be late." Mr. Thompson rests a hand on Julias's shoulder, startling him. "Thanks for behaving well today."

"Sorry." Julias flashes a smile and scratches the back of his neck as he walks towards the door. "And you're welcome."