No need for mistletoe this year. [flowerbyte]

Miles - Background.

Miles was fighting to keep his eyes open as he tried to listen to his teacher drone on and on about another old white man in AP US History class. He wished he was somewhere else. At least it was the last period of the day.

Can anyone tell me what the Missouri Compromise... aaand he was knocked.

"...iles? Miles. Miles! Hey! Class is over," a familiar voice called out, gently nudging him.

"Ma, it's not even a school night," Miles grumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Ma....?" the voice inquired.

Miles squinted as his vision started to clear. A dark skinned girl with large yet deep and concerned brown eyes looked down at him. She almost looked like she was radiating light due to his blurry vision adjusting to the fluorescent lighting. After a few more uncomfortable seconds of staring, Miles snapped out of it. And silently cussed himself out from embarrassment after realizing what he'd just said.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, Margo."

Margo was cool. She was his lab partner in Chemistry. They were both really interested in quantum theory and were some of the very few students there on a scholarship so they became acquaintances. He didn't have many friends, so he appreciated the light banter they had day to day in class.

"No, you're good. You ok? You've been looking really tired as of late," Margo said, her eyes still etched with concern.

"Yea, you know how AP and stuff goes. These essays are no joke," Miles said as he chuckled. How could he possibly tell her that it was because he was busy trying to prevent villains from blowing up the entirety of Brooklyn's sewage system all of last night and then somehow found a way to drum up an essay for the practice Free Response Question that was due before class?

"And don't think I don't see you almost drooling over the test tubes in chem."

Margo scoffed.

"I don't get sleep because I have to play very serious important games of CoD. Those," she said as she pointed at Miles's eye bags, "were NOT from video games. Look, I get it. It's rough out here. But you don't have to thug it out alone. You know you can always ask me for help, right? Or to just... I don't know... just have someone to talk to outside of class?" Margo asked, searching Miles' eyes as if waiting for something and then shot them to the floor.

Did she really? Could she have possibly understood what he was going through?

"No, yeah! Yeah, I know. Thanks, Margo. I'll try to get some sleep tonight... only if you do too."

Margo raised her eyebrow. "...alright. We'll see about that."

After a few more seconds of awkward staring, she rushed out the room. A few seconds later, she popped back into the classroom.

"Well, not really, cuz it's break and all. Seeing you later, I mean. But- but that doesn't mean we couldn't... like, hang out over break or something uh- what I'm TRYING to say is... happy holidays," Margo huffed out after stammering.

Miles chuckled.

"Happy Holidays, Margo."

"See you around, Morales."

With that, Margo turned on her heel and hurried out the classroom. Her Afro puffs bounced as she sped walked away.

Hm.

Before he could finally free himself from the walls of Visions academy, he checked his messages to see what the plans were for later.

~ START OF MESSAGES ~

Miles: Yoo wtw 4 2nite?

Pavitr: Dude! Don't u rmbr? It's Gayatri and I's 3-month-eye-contact anniversary! I'm completely booked for 2nite and this weekend.

Miles: Damn myb... how tf was I supposed to rmbr when y'all held EYE CONTACT???

Pavitr: It's a bro thing! Ur supposed 2 know this type of stuff!

Miles: It's technically supposed to be spelled "u're" 🤓.

Pavitr: Don't let that happen again.

Miles: Uhm?? What does this mean?

Pavitr: mk I g2g baiiii ily 🫶🏽

Miles: ???

~ END OF MESSAGES ~

"Love you too I guess..." Miles sighed to himself as he threw his backpack on.

He thought his loneliness would subside now that he would technically have more free time, but it was looking like just more of the same bleak solitude.

The cold brisk air hit him like a wall.

Goddamn, it's brick outside...

Still, he decided against just going invisible and swinging home. He wanted to feel human again for once.

He zipped up his coat and popped on his headphones.

With the Missouri Compromise left far behind him in that dreadful classroom for the time being, and A Tribe Called Quest's Electric Relaxation pumping into his eardrums, he was finally at peace. Miles could actually appreciate walking in his beloved neighborhood in Brooklyn without anticipating buildings falling over like dominos.

It was the perfect time. Just before sunset. Little kids were having snowball fights in front of their homes while their parents assembled Christmas decorations on their apartment stoops. Donny Hathaway's This Christmas blared from the radio that construction workers were playing as they repaired the roads. The atmosphere was so inviting and cozy. Miles laughed out loud, not being able to contain his joy.

But it sure would be nice to have someone to enjoy it with.

As soon as he got home, he booked it to his room and his drawing setup. He hadn't had anytime to draw those last few months- what, with school and evil corporate supervillains and all.

He connected to his speaker, playing some Bonita Applebum by A Tribe Called Quest and was ready to get busy. That image of Margo staring down at him in APUSH just wouldn't escape his mind. He decided to sketch it, trying to emulate her big eyes and that soft halo affect the fluorescent lighting and his blurry vision gave her.

Hm.

Most of the time, his sketches were on- and-dones that he didn't really give much of an afterthought. But she really did look a bit like an angel... some wings wouldn't hurt...

FOUR HOURS LATER.

With a slightly distraught expression on his face, Miles looked over the newly self-produced contents of his sketchbook. Margo now occupied pages upon pages of it- in different lighting, in different hairstyles, with different facial expressions...

Shit.

That boy was down. Bad.