High School AU

Hordak's first name is going to be Hector because I like to use that name for him in human AUs.

I hope this makes sense and doesn't suck.

The beginning of Hector Hordak's junior year was marked with a number of world shaking events.

For one, he was no longer under the control of his father. Hector had imagined the moment he'd finally be free many times. Most of them involved graduation or running away. Sometimes he fantasized that his father would be taken to jail for what he'd done to Hector and his brother. Of course, he could have made that happen if he weren't such a damn coward, afraid of the uncertainty that would come after he reported his father. Afraid of not being believed.

The car accident had finished off Annillis Prime. And Hector couldn't bring himself to feel anything about it.

So that meant he and his brother had to move. Though Hector was sixteen, almost seventeen, he couldn't look after himself and a five year old. At least that's what the state thought. So they were taken in by an old lady very well known in the neighborhood and the whole town of Bright Moon.

Maddie Razz was most likely crazy in Hector's opinion. Her door was open to any kid who wanted to come in for a piece of pie and a talk. Half of her backyard was rows and rows of berry bushes, and she ventured out into the woods for other kinds. She kept an insane amount of house plants and somehow kept them all alive.

She'd tried to get Hector to go berry picking with her several times over the past month he'd lived with her. He adamantly refused.

The third notable event but decidedly the least world shaking was his new partner for Biology. He was the only junior in the class. His attendance had been less than stellar last year, and he was being forced to retake two of his classes. He hated the looks the sophomores gave him when he thought they couldn't see.

(He could kick their asses. They should be scared.)

This girl was the only person who seemed willing to partner up with him, and Hector was suspicious as to why. He knew her name. Entrapta Dryl. She'd run with the popular crowd last year, the group headed up by that blonde jock, her sparkly friend, and the kid with the crop tops.

Though, by the end of the year, she'd started hanging out more with that wannabe biker girl and Scorpia, the most sweet and gullible kid in this school, who was seriously crushing on wannabe biker girl.

They didn't speak to one another. Not on the first day. She just moved to sit by him, in the back of the classroom. They didn't even make eye contact. He expected her to move away, especially when the teacher warned that pairs would be staying together for the entire year, with the exception of moving away or prolonged absence. But she stayed.

This was fucking suspicious. He didn't say a word to her on his way out. He didn't say a word to anybody, all day long.

On his way home from school, he had one stop to make. To the preschool for his brother. The teacher eyed him with suspicion at first.

It made sense. He looked probably too young to have a child preschool age. Hair dyed blue. Heavy eyeliner. Three piercings in his left ear and one in the right. (He was proud of those. He'd done them himself.) Intimidating height. Resting bitch face. Dark skinny jeans, beat up converse, and his favorite black hoodie with the red wings symbol. He knew that he made people suspicious. He liked that he could still scare some people. It brought him satisfaction.

He gave his name, and spotted Imp in the classroom. His brother had a real name, but never used it, and didn't like other people to use it.

His little brother ran to one of the short little tables, grabbed a paper with macaroni glued all over it, and ran to his brother, grinning.

"Get your backpack buddy. We're ditching this place."

"Ditching this place," Imp echoed. That was what he did. He echoed. He knew how to talk, but he barely used his own words. It had frustrated their father to no end. Hector had done a lot to keep his father off Imp's back. He didn't regret any of it.

Hector carried the macaroni art in one hand, and held Imp's little hand with his left. They walked in comfortable silence. Like they always did. Hector felt three small squeezes, and smiled. He gently squeezed Imp's hand back. One two three. I. love. you.

Their route ended at a small blue house with odd yard ornaments out front. Imp ran right up the steps and eagerly waited for Hector to unlock the door with his copy of the house key. Razz was in the kitchen, putting a pie in the oven. She turned around and smiled when she heard them come in. Her glasses made her eyes look huge.

"Hello! How was your first day back at school?"

Hector grunted and shrugged. He set the macaroni art down on the table.

"Oh, this is beautiful! Did you make this, Imp?" She knelt down to Imp's level. The little boy nodded.

"Make this," he echoed.

"It's so pretty, I think I'll hang it up right here." The picture was stuck to the fridge with a magnet. Hector started to retreat to his room, but Razz called him back. "Why don't you tell me about your day? Did you meet anyone new?"

"No."

"Was it fun?"

"No."

"Do you have anything for me to sign?"

Hector pulled three papers out of his pocket. They were all folded up and creased. He handed them over, refusing to look the old woman in the eyes.

"They always hand out syllabuses on the first day. I'll get these squared away for you. Oh look, you've already signed on your blank. How helpful." She moved to the counter and signed all the papers with a flourish before handing them back. "There you go, put them somewhere safe."

Hector stuck them back in his pocket.

"In about thirty five minutes, the pie should be ready. Mara and her friends will be over."

"Her name is Adora." Hector didn't know who Mara was, but Razz always mixed her up with Adora, the jock girl, who was over all the time. She was apparently having some sort of sophomore year identity crisis? Whatever. It wasn't any of Hector's business.

"Ah, yes. Adora. Maybe you would like to sit down with us. And talk." Razz had that look on her face again. The pity and confusion one.

"No thanks."

"Alright. Let me know if you change your mind. It's not good to be shut up in your room all day."

Hector had to leave his room for tape. That was a mistake. Jock, Sparkles, and Crop Top were all sitting at the kitchen table with slices of pie. They were probably talking about their days. They probably had good things to tell. Imp was sitting next to Sparkles, eating pie too.

"Have you decided to join us?" Razz asked. The table had gone quiet. They waited for his response.

Imp grinned. "Eat pie!"

Hector opened a drawer and pawed through its contents until he found the roll of masking tape he'd been looking for. "I just needed this."

Razz handed him a plate with his own slice on it.

"I'm not talking to them," Hector said quietly.

"I know. You don't have to sit with us. You seem like you need some pie today though."

Hector swallowed. His vision was swimming. He went back to the small room he occupied at the far end of the house. He set the plate down on the desk, by his work. The plans he no longer felt like finishing. Then he curled up on the bed. He pressed the pillow over his head. It was dark. He could still breathe, but not as well.

Why did this always happen? He'd be fine and normal, but a few seconds later, struggling not to cry in front of them.

He pulled the sheets over his head as well, and didn't leave. Not for talking, not for dinner, not for anything.