The strong man is mightiest alone.

Nodding, Oakley listened with rapt attention as finally Aldric began speaking less like he was being interrogated for a crime he committed and more like someone being interviewed… or someone confiding in another. And he was eager, for his curiosity was being satisfied and his theory being confirmed by Aldric’s words, and he was called ‘dude’ so comfortably by the other that he knew he had been successfully allowed through that formidable barrier that had him hunting for days and breathing through his mouth. He was being trusted, and while he liked it for the power it gave him, Oakley found himself liking it simply because being trusted also gave him the opportunity to do the right thing by it, which was to be someone who’s actually trustworthy. And it was rare.

Aldric watched Oakley while he waited for the text to come in, and when it did, he turned his attention to his phone, reading it through a couple times, just to make sure he wasn't missing anything, a part of him wanting to make sure Oakley wasn't making fun of him in a more subtle way. He knew that Oakley could be a pretty conniving person, and he was very clever, hell, he'd managed to get this much out of him, and now Aldric was pretty comfortable talking to him. He had to be pretty good at.. Whatever this was, to get this far with Aldric.  

—- Are you asking me what the answer is, or asking me to repeat the question? Because if it’s the latter, I was asking what kinda bagel can fly.

Uh... Okay. I don't know the answer to that. [He stared for a few seconds before begrudgingly asking the question back] What kinda bagel can fly?

     As Kat pushed her chair back and hitched her feet up onto the table, she spoke up, looking back to Aldric. “You say that almost as if I give a fuck,” Kat told him, a sarcastic grin plastered on her lips. She took her cigarette case from her bag, along with her half emptied flask, setting them on the table and tossing up which she’d go for first. “I’m not entirely opposed to sharing—being’s as it’s Halloween-month,” she continued, finally choosing on the cigarettes. 

[Aldric gave Kat a long and sceptical look, undecided on whether he was going to leave and find somewhere else to sit, dispute her presence, or just sit down and get over it. Aftera few moments, he finally chose the latter option, sitting down and putting his bag and food down on the table, observing the girl in front of him.] I take it you're a pretty big fan of the holiday, then. Can't say I'm surprised. 

[So used to having people stare, she didn’t notice that the person next to her was watching her. Her eyes glued to the clock, she let out a breath after hearing him speak]  I was busted beating the shit out of an extremely expensive car… [She pushed the hair out of her face, feeling no shame about what she had done and glanced over to the familiar face beside her] You?

Getting into a fight, breaking school property. [He was relatively brief and succinct in his response, but he was curious about this girl, whom he only knew of in a very vague way. Anyone who destroyed vehicles with intent was interesting to him, though, and he wondered why he didn't know who she was. He usually kept tabs on people like that.] Hey, what's your name? Are you a senior?

[Ahhh the sweet smell of detention.  The one place Maddisyn continued to visit due to her impulsivity.  As she entered the room, she searched for an empty desk, however it was much busier then the usual few. She scanned the room for a seat, struggling to find one she could last in for 3 hours. As she walked into the middle she could feel all eyes on her, and she gripped her books tighter. Seeing a couple of whisperers, Maddisyn rolled her eyes spotting a desk in the middle of the room, walking straight over to it.] 

[Aldric was in detention for fighting. Or more accurately, for breaking a desk while fighting, and being caught doing it. He'd been in here for five minutes and was already bored out of his mind. He looked up when a girl who was vaguely familiar to him sat down next to him, and continued to eye her for some time.]

Oakley pursed his lips at the initial answer, but his current inability to properly breathe through his nose made it difficult for him to keep his mouth closed. Besides, he didn’t wish to be impatient now, he’s been very patient in the last few minutes — no, in the last half an hour since he found Aldric in the music room — and he might as well continue to extend his forbearance while the other boy tried to find the best words to explain his situation. After all, Aldric didn’t owe him an explanation; it will never be Oakley’s right to demand an immediately clear answer.

Aldric stared at Oakley while he waited for a response, though he hadn't exactly offered a question or anything like it to be answered. Yet still, he was almost eager in a way to read the text when it came through, and it gave him a peculiar kind of surprise. He read it over a couple of times to make sure that he hadn't misread anything, which he hadn't. 

He saw the change in Aldric’s eyes following his words as the boy jolted away from Phillip so suddenly, leaving the curly haired boy out of breath. With his body relieved from the ceasing of punches befalling him, he leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath, the tears breaking past his eyes even if for only one or two drops. “Oh, c’mon, Aldric,” he grumbled between breaths as he stood himself back up. “Since when have you started showing mercy to the people you spar with?” 

When a small plastic bag of purple pills hit the floor at his feet with a soft thud, Aldric stared at it, like his life depended on his ability to not look at Phillip right now, he stared at those pills. The words that accompanied the action felt like a well deserved knife to the gut, and he knew at this point he had destroyed a friendship with someone who he had cared about so much, who he still cared about. This stupid fight had been born out of concern for Phillip, and he couldn't believe the direction it had taken. 

Phillip watched Aldric’s reaction to the hit, but couldn’t quite fight the feeling in the back of his throat that followed the sad arch in his eyebrows. He didn’t regret it, even though he knew what was coming. As if on cue, Aldric’s fist collided with his face in a harsh blow, sending a flash of white hot pain coursing through his features and leaving his lip split and bleeding. 

It was funny. Aldric was sure he'd been almost in this exact position with Phillip before, but for entirely different reasons, that were about as far from the current situation as possible. And it was being this close and seeing the blur of red on lip, on his cheek, and hearing those words hissed at him that snapped him out of his state almost like he'd touched a hot stove and recoiled from it. And he was sure he'd never been ripped out of his rage that harshly before, but it was almost like he was seeing everything that had gone down in the last five minutes on replay.