[$] Puppy Love

[Your Missing Period]

"Sounds like someone doesn't like being touched or hurt by people." Dale pointed out, but after seeing the other's back, y'know...

"Don't float dude I can see your junk." and looked up at the ceiling. "Immortal jellyfish? Sounds like a doomsday movie." and lowered his voice, "they've been around since the dinosaurs... hhhhhhh... they've come to reclaim eart, insert girlish screaming, they're, the immortal jellyfish raaaahhhh. Then they knock down a building as they climb up from the ocean." he chuckled.

"i can't imagine they have much to say, since they've lived in the ocean. Maybe more dead things."  

[VampuricWerewolf]

"not all touch is welcome," Sarad said softly, but he sat down quickly when Dale complained about being able to see him. "sorry," he muttered, covering himself with his hands as he smiled at Dale's idea for the next monsters out of the ocean movie. "you are probably right. what a foolish notion, jellyfish and their stories. a useless waste of time and brain power." he shook his head and lowered himself down into the water, his mouth barely above the surface, "if you could be any animal in the world, what would you be?" he was guessing a cheeta, but he could be wrong as well  

[Your Missing Period]

"What animal..." Dale thought on this, "Maybe a dog? I mean, it's practically like being human. You have a family, you form connections, you get to play and eat, maybe go to obedience school. Dogs don't have a bad life."  

[VampuricWerewolf]

Sarad chuckled, "i can see you as a dog..." he held out his hand in a 'come' gesture and whistled, "here, boy. come here, boy," he said teasingly, laughing again as he lowered his hand. "as for me, i guess i wouldn't mind being a tiger. they are beautiful and powerful. they are fairly intelligent as well, which would be nice." most importantly, they were solitary creatures, able to live on their own without help from anyone else. Sarad noticed his hands were starting to prune and stood, "guess it's time to get out." he waved his fingers at Dale to show him why and turned to step out of the tub when two other boys walked in.

"i'm telling you, Jen, it's the best way," said the darker haired boy, "if we don't get a good grade on this paper we're sunk!"

"you are sunk," Jensen corrected as he glanced up and saw they weren't alone, "Dale." they knew each other from class, but had never really spoken much, just enough to know each other's names. he looked at Sarad and lifted an eyebrow as he got a full view of the other's back. "your roommate?"  

[Your Missing Period]

Dale laughed before sticking his tongue out at the other. "Gotta offer me a treat first before I go over without reason. I'm a spoiled pooch." and chuckled, listening to the other finally. A tiger, huh. They were certainly beautiful, powerful, graceful. They only met to mate, and then the female tiger raised the cubs. Kind of solitary. "You can't be a tiger. They're solitary and we're friends. Let's make you like, a lion, or something." and sighed. "But we got in like ten minutes ago?" he looked at his own fingers, noticing them pruning. "But it's so waarm!" he complained, looking at the other with a frown.

Then he heard two other voices, looking past Sarad. "Hey." That was, Jensen, from one of his classes. Grumpy lookin fellow. "Oh, yea. This is Sarad. Sarad, this is Jensen and..." he looked at the other dark-haired kid curiously, looking back at Jensen. "Your roommate?"  

[VampuricWerewolf]

Mal whistled when he caught sight of the guy's back, "Damn, what did you do?"

Sarad quickly turned and sat back down, flushed red, "f-fell," he mumbled, "out of a tree. hit the branches." it was a terrible cover-up, but it was the best he could do right at that moment.

Jensen put his hand on Mal's shoulder and shook his head a little, "yeah, Dale this is my roommate Mal. Mal this is Dale." he walked to the bath and stepped in, eyeing Dale. he didn't take him as an abusive type, but how else had Sarad gotten those marks?

Mal got in as well, keeping a close eye on Sarad, "hope you cut the ******** down," he growled, shaking his head before looking at Dale, "sup?"  

[Your Missing Period]

Dale's eyes widened at the mention of scars, trying to think of an excuse and was ready to blurt one out, but Sarad mentioned his lies weren't believable so he quickly looked at the other to make up an excuse. And he did, thank god. Not the best but it would

"Hey Mal." he greeted, "Nothing, taking a soak before we go to bed. We just did a shitton of math and needed to unwind."  

[VampuricWerewolf]

Mal sighed, "i hear ya, man. Jensen and I got this paper do for Government and it's like, 25% of our grade, right? but it's ten pages on some political topic that means something to us and i'll be damned if i know anything to talk about. if i don't get this good, i'm dead."

Jensen rolled his eyes, "i was planning on writing about foreign trade laws and how they are effecting our domestic economy, emphasising the availability of jobs for people with lower education."

Sarad glanced between the two before softly saying, "i wonder if you could do a paper on the standardization of school curriculums, with the focus being on lowering the stress for a student through excessive homework."

Mal grinned, "hey, that sounds good. what do you think?" he asked, looking to the other two.  

[Your Missing Period]

Dale groaned. "I haven't even started my paper, man. Sarad's already friggen done with his." God he was such a slacker. Sarad was done, Jensen already had a basic idea on his and Mal just got his idea.

"I think that sounds great." Dale agreed despite his self-loathing. "Lord knows I'm always stressed with work, and I never see Sarad take a day off from homework." he thought, "A lot of kids have been getting stressed, actually, with the upcoming tests. Have you noticed? I know a girl in my math class broke down in tears, yesterday." he pointed out.  

[VampuricWerewolf]

Mal lifted an eyebrow at Sarad, "dude, tell me your secrets!"

Sarad shook his head a little, "i just do the homework as soon as it's assigned."

Jensen smiled a little, 'unlike putting it off like the rest of us. everyone is stressing out because they have been messing around the pas couple of months instead of keeping up with their studies." he gave Mal and Dale pointed looks, "the two of you would be lost if you didn't have roommates like Sarad and me."

Sarad flushed, but hoped he was reading this right, "not like it does them any good-"

Jensen full on smirked, "damned right. lazy slackers."

"hey! no fair!" Mal put his arm around Dale, "if you're going to gang up on us, then we'll gang up on you nerds, right Dale?"  

[Your Missing Period]

Dale looked at Jensen before giving a shrug that said 'oh well' when he mentioned that him and Mal were just goofing off. "It's just so much work." he complained, looking as Mal practically hugged him.

"That's right! We'll gang up on you guys then! Not that I know how I'm not that smart. But I can beat you in a battle of stupidity!"  

[VampuricWerewolf]

"Right!" Mal said, nodding, "you can be the stupid, Dale and i'll be the bronze. we'll whip these two into shape." he let go of dale and rolled his shoulders as if ready to fight.

Sarad's eyes widened and he moved back, "uh-i'll be the brains..." he sized Jensen up, "you be the shield?"

Jensen simply lifted an eyebrow at Sarad who was all but hiding behind him, "probably a good plan, you probably couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag."

Mal nodded, "serious, especially with that back. speaking of which-" he turned on Dale and wrapped his arm around his neck, holding him in a half nelson, "that wasn't your doing, was it? hate to break it to you, but i've got a thing about bullies."

"No, wait!" Sarad squeaked, "i fell! Dale didn't do anything!" he tried to move forward, but Jensen stopped him with a gentle arm, making his shiver at the touch of the larger male.

"no tree did that, i know a whipping when i see one. better fess up, Dale, or tell us who really did it or you're going under."  

[Your Missing Period]

"Yes I can--wait why do I have to be the stupid. Why can't we both be stupid?" he questioned, looking back forward as Sarad spoke and snorted. Poor Sarad. Not a tough guy at all. "His back--s**t!" And found his head hostage, standing in the water awkwardly.

"Oh my god why does everyone think I did that! I'm on track not baseball! No his Uncle did that s**t now let me go!" and freed himself, rubbing his neck. "Seriously ******** ask Sarad it's not even my information to give anyway. Hope you both fail your papers." he grumbled.  

[VampuricWerewolf]

Mal let go of Dale as soon as he said it was Sarad's uncle, meeting Jensen's eyes for a moment before looking at the cowering Sarad. "your uncle? but it's the end of the semester, when did you see him?"

Sarad hugged himself and moved back a step, "it's-I fell." his voice was small, almost not there. "i fell!" he said, a little louder, "it has nothing to do with you!" he hurried out of the water and grabbed his towel, rushing to dry off and dress before running to their room to hide. his was shaking, scared of what might happen. if they told anyone and his uncle found out-Sarad felt like he was going to be sick. it was his fault, he should have known better than to go to the soaking tub. god, he was so stupid! Sarad ended up at the head of his bed, curled around a pillow with his hands in his hair, angry with himself for failing so miserably. he deserved his punishment, deserved what his uncle did. it was his fault for being so dumb.

Jensen watched Sarad run and sighed, "Sorry, Dale. just had to make sure." he sat on the edge of the tub, "so you going to do anything about it? i know some people, well, my dad does. we could do something if he's in danger."

Mel nodded, patting Dale on the back, "sorry, friend. protect the weak and all that. seriously, though. we could both help."