new york city heart

“Do I look okay?”  Dodger was about five hundred percent done with the stupidity he had been surrounded with and this kid was just grating on his nerves.  It wasn’t necessarily that he was doing anything wrong-other than the fact he was catching the older boy at the wrong time.

“Opening up a textbook hasn’t worked out for you? But true, three-fourths of the shit we learn in class is useless.”

“Like I’m ever going to need to know how to analyze a fairytale.  The grades here are bullshit.”

“Burn your work; that always makes me feel better about my sad grades. Or, another idea, burn the classroom.”

“I’m at the point where that actually sounds like a decent idea.”

“Wow, thank you Captain Obvious.  I never would’ve known that.”

“Yikes, uh, that’s rough,” Buzz said softly, unable to fathom ever getting anything less than a ninety. “You want a tutor? I’m pretty good all around if you need help.”

“Cute, but you’re like, twelve, right?  Doubt you can help me on sixth year shit.”

“Maybe, big guy–hey, I’m Hades, by the way, nice to meet ya–maybe, you just need a better brain.”

“Or maybe this school needs to stop putting so much emphasis on school stuff.  Seriously, none of this’ll matter in another couple a months.  And that might be the most awkward introduction here, but name’s Dodger.”

“I’m no expert but I think that means you’re doing something wrong.”

“If your’e not an expert, then I don’t think you’d know what you’re talking about.”

Same idea.  I just think that sounds stupid.

Probably should.  Well now, I would never say that.

“To be honest it just plain sucks.”

“Or maybe you just plain suck.”

“No, I definitely didn’t.” Berlioz said in a teasing voice, laughing.

“Well, now you know.  And you should feel so much more enlightened that you do.”

Oh phoo,that’s not cool. You should always end up with the best family for you. Oh wow,your really really modest. You should watch out or your head might float away. Well yeah,I could see you doing well at a sport game but what about video games. Ooh distraction,my favorite.

Right?  That’s what I’ve tried to tell him but... whatever.  I’m good at video games.

Shouldn’t you be happy he was adopted,I mean I get the leaving you bit but you think it’d be best.  Oh so your the best? Vicious cycle,got it. Well if it’s a circle,it’s never gonna end. Cheating on a game huh? I know that one,Huey likes to push people when it’s their turn.

His new family aren’t the nicest in the world.  Of course I’m the best.  I mean, look at me.  How could anyone be better than this?  Not necessarily physical game, because I would win those every time.  He just likes to distract me when we’re playing so he can win.

“Used to be brothers? That sounds like a story.  Ooh he’s vindictive when he wants to be. I’ve done the blue dye before and the clothes but never the others. They sound fair if you do things like leave spiders a lot.”

“Not really.  More just a ‘he was a part of my gang and then he was adopted’ sort of thing.  Well he learned from the best.  Like I said, sweetheart, it’s a vicious circle.  I do something, and then he retaliates, and then it never really ends.  This is for him cheating on a video game battle we had and he deserves it.”