Friends (Highschool AU)

Night walk

"Hey, Aotearoa! Wake up!"

I woke up to the sound of someone shouting. I sat up drowsily, putting a hand to my head rubbing my temples. I looked around; I was still on a couch. To be honest, I was half expecting to wake up in another dream. To my disappointment, I woke up to see Fiji resting on the armrest at the other end of the couch.

"Good morning!" He recited. I peered around. The room was still dim.

"It's not morning, is it?" I asked Fiji while yawning.

"Nope, but you were talking in your sleep, everyone else was wondering if you could kindly shut up," Fiji grinned charmingly.

"Sorry, what was I even saying?" I asked, starting to sit up now, still trying to shake my head from the drowsy feeling.

"Something like 'wait mum! Don't go!' and all that kind of stuff, I didn't know you were so close to France," Fiji teased. My face went red in embarrassment.

"What? But France isn't even my mum, why would I dream about her?" I asked myself, looking down at my legs they were in my original clothing but they were dirtied around the edges, along with a small hole.

"The hell should I know?" Fiji shrugged while walking off.

"I'm going for a walk," I murmured, rising from the old couch.

"At this time?" Fiji asked.

"Yes," I said mildly. stumbling my way over to the front door.

"Hey, let me come with you!" Fiji called after me. I nodded, and he sought to follow me out the door.

We walked around the neighbourhood for a while. I wasn't sure of the time, but the frigid wind was just enough to keep me awake. The sky was clear, and the stars could've been visible if it weren't for the street lights. It was relaxing.

"So, what is it like going to that weird as school?" Fiji asked, deciding to spark up small talk.

"It sucks, the classes are all annoying and boring," I sighed.

"About what you said yesterday, will you stay with us?" He inquired.

"I don't want to go back, but I don't know if I even have a choice," I said genuinely. I *would* stay with them, but Dad has never been too willing on letting us leave. Fiji looked at the ground sadly. I noticed the lighter poking out of his pocket, though. I quickly snatched the lighter.

"Hey!" Fiji shouted.

"It wasn't even yours," I said, shoving it in my pocket.

"What are you even going to do with a lighter, you don't smoke," Fiji sighed. I looked at the ground, not responding.

"Wait! Have you started smoking?" Fiji stopped in front of me.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"You know, if the others find cigarettes, you are in trouble," Fiji responded.

"I don't smoke," I continued.

"Riight," He said sceptically. We strolled a little further. I could tell he was eager to ask something.

"What is it?" I sighed.

"Who is Belarus?" Fiji Grinned elbowing me.

"Bela is a good friend," I answered. It surprised me he even knew about my school friends.

"Oh, I heard she was a bit more *special* than that," Fiji said. I felt my face going red.

"So it is true!" Fiji announced.

"What? No!" I exclaimed.

"Well, according to Canada you guys are a thing now,"

"No? I don't remember that ever hap-" I stopped in my tracks. The realisation of what happened.

"Is something wrong?" Fiji asked.

"It was their fault! They set me up!" I shouted.

"Hey, could you shut up! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Someone shouted from their window.

"Sorry!" I shouted back. I felt embarrassed.

"Who set you up?" Fiji said while trying not to laugh.

"Canada and his boyfriend," I said, kicking a small rock along the path.

"Canada has a boyfriend?"

"How do you not know that? Canada and Ukraine have been dating for two years," I asked confused.

"Not a lot of information is told to us," Fiji shrugged. "But how did they set you up?"

"Ukraine told me to tell Bela something in her language," I sighed.

"You fell for that? Dude, that's like the first trick in the book!" Fiji laughed.

"I need to make the thing clear with her tomorrow," I verbally organised.

"What? You are going to school tomorrow just to tell your girlfriend it was a mistake?" Fiji asked looking up.

"Oh shut up, you didn't think I would miss out on school did you?" I argued with him.

"So you are going back to your 'other family'," He said in a stupid tone.

"No, I just need to go to school," I said.

"To say 'sorry, I don't love you' to your girlfriend," Fiji smirked.

"Shut up, if you keep going like this, maybe I will go back," I said crossing my arms.

"Ow," I didn't realise how much it hurt to cross my arms.

"Yeah, but how are you going to hide the bandages?" Fiji asked.

"Easy, I'll wear my hoodie and do what Aussie does to hide his hideous scar," I thought out loud.

"Aussie has a scar?"

"Yep, an obvious one on his forehead, he never told me how he got it though,"

"So that's why he wears that hat to school!" Fiji announced his realisation. I nodded.

"That makes so much more sense now," Fiji mumbled as he walked into a light post.

"Ow!" He shouted in pain.

"Heh, maybe we should head back," I suggested. Fiji nodded his head, and we turned around to walk back.

The sun was rising at that point, so my day at school would be 'fun'. I hadn't changed out of my school uniform for the entire time, but I guess it wasn't too bad. I had left my school bag in dad's car so I guess I would not have that at school. I would not fetch it myself.

Back at the house, everyone was awake or trying to sleep in. I asked around for a hat that I could borrow. Tonga ended up lending me his cap. I put my hoodie on only to realise it had a huge tear through the sleeve I must have landed on. That was my favourite hoodie. Palau said she could fix it, but not in time for school. I would just have to go there with a stupid-looking bandage on my arm.

The cap did not cover the bandages on my head very well, but it covered the majority. I looked in the mirror and I really looked like an edgy kid who was just hit by a truck.

Everyone wished me good luck as I opened the door to leave. I held my breath as soon as the door closed, but I could feel their eyes watching me walk down the pathway. I looked back and waved at them all. They all waved back.

I love my genuine family.