Richard held on tightly to his sister's finger as she strolled towards their school. A listful daze permeated his mind at the thought of seeing people besides his family for the first time in almost three years. His head was swirling with the thoughts of people he had known years ago. His old friends, his past romances and even enemies tinged every thought as Heather traipsed ever closer to their destination. The deluge of thoughts and possible occurrences had rendered him a shaking mess as Heather brought him closer to her face.

"Are you going to be okay, Bro?" The worry on Heather's face was plain as day. She hadn't seen her brother shaking like this since he had been told he'd have to be home schooled. That was in pure rage, but the shaking this time seemed more... visceral.

Richard shook his head violently, trying desperately to rid himself of the sudden fear that gripped him. A fake smile crept across his face as he turned to look Heather in the eye.

"I'll be fine. I just have some things on my mind since this is actually happening. I didn't figure our folks would actually go for it, so I hadn't thought too hard about what all could happen."

"Aww, don't worry so much, Bro," Heather brought Richard just a bit closer a planted a quick kiss on his entire body. "You're too hard-headed for anyone to hurt you too badly. Plus, if things get too real, you can always skip class and hang out with me instead!" The warmth from Heather's smile melted the nagging doubts Richard had as his own smile became more genuine to his sister

"Thanks for that, Heather. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Richard hugged the finger he was holding onto tighter and finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Aight, we ready to do this?" Richard had just looked up and saw the familiar building stretching up in front of them. He was finally about to go back through the doors into Leston High.

"Let's go, Bro!" Heather pumped one fist into the air in excitement as she bounded up the stairs and through the large wooden doors. "I'm gonna drop you off at your homeroom, so I can get to mine on the other side." She said this as she moved gracefully through the crowded hallway, bobbing and weaving between the teenagers having idle conversation as they waited for their day to begin. As she set Richard down outside the room, she looked down one last time, "Love you, Bro. I'll talk to you later," before she bounded off into the distance.

Richard now stood in front of the homeroom that would be starting his day for the next few months, the fear began to eat at him again as he watched his sister, his only protection, leave him alone. Shaking his head again, he began his walk into the room as he looked about him to see if any of the people in the room were recognizable. He glanced around at the different faces around him, vaguely remembering some of them, but none of them were of people he had had a great deal of interaction with. He thought he was going to be a room of mostly strangers until he finally arrived at the section of the room with more like-sized individuals. Two of his old friends were propped up enjoying the view as Richard approached them.

"Well, I'll be damned. He is still alive," Matt chimed as he noticed who was walking up. "We thought you'd wound up eaten by a cat or something." The hearty laughter Matt let out sent large ripples through his long golden locks and his rather rotund belly. Jake perked up out of his daze as Matt spoke and looked Richard up and down.

"Good to see you, Richard. Glad to see you seem to be doing alright after everything that happened." The sincerity coming from Jake's skinny frame was palpable.

"Good to see you two, as well. Holy shit, you've gotten fat, Matt," Richard smiled as he slapped the girthy protrudence that was his friend's belly.

Matt's laughter redoubled, "Hell, when every meal is an all you can eat buffet, you know my ass wasn't gonna NOT eat my fill!"

The boys continued with their reestablishment and catching up. Their attentions were so solely locked on each other that they failed to notice the steps of a large danger approaching them.

"Oh, thank God," was all they heard as a hand reached down and roughly grabbed Jake. "I need you to make this day more tolerable." Richard and Matt looked up just in time to see the assailant pulling her pants open and forcing Jake down the front of them.

Matt was the first to regain some sense after the shock and yelled, "Hey, you bitch! Give him back!" All the previous jubilation gone from his now harsh, demanding voice.

"Ahh, that's so much better." The girl sighed as she rubbed lightly at her crotch through her jeans, either not hearing or flat ignoring Matt's yell. Looking back at the two she had left, "And if anyone hears about this, I'll reunite you all in my asshole. Got it, ants? 'Kay bye!" She then sauntered off and took a seat, letting out a light mewl as she did.

Richard and Matt looked back at one another to confirm they hadn't imagined what had just transpired before them. "Matt, just what the fuck have we gotten ourselves into?"

"I don't know, man, but this can't be a good sign."

With the color drained from both their faces and all the previous happiness now muted in an instant, the two boys stumbled towards their seats. Their minds tried, in vain, to wrap around the hell they had willingly walked into.