*Edited: August 10th, 2018: Hello everyone! In each chapter I edit, you will see this note written at the top of the page. I will be correcting some errors, Author notes, and changing dialogue/descriptions in the story. Not much else. Please enjoy :)*

Woo-hoo! My first PruCan story :) Let's get this party started, shall we?

Enjoy!

Matthew Williams always thought of himself ordinary, in no ways extraordinary. He was a B average student, thought math was a tough subject and struggled with the typical peer pressures that any teenager had to go through. He was the typical everyday teenager. He was just…ordinary.

Shouts and screams filled the air as he watched a kid from his school sprint toward him, yards ahead of the other competitors. Without hesitation, Matthew kneeled down on one knee, raised the camera that was strapped around his neck, looked into the viewfinder and quickly snapped several pictures as he raced across the finish line. Lowering the camera, he pressed a button on the side that let him review the pictures he just took and grinned in satisfaction as he saw that each one was clear, in focus, and just enough lighting was used.

It was a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon. Just weeks away from summer vacation, kids rejoiced, and at the same time became lazy, many of them not finishing their homework the whole way through. Of course, in their defense, everyone always complained that the fourth quarter was always the most stressful.

Matthew sat by the finish line at a Track meet as he watched other students from his school compete against their notorious rivals from Chancery Axis High. This was the final Track meet of the year since the Spring Sports season was drawing to an end as summer drew closer. Matthew noted that so far, his school (Hetalia International High School) had the upper hand since the last three races had drawn up victorious for them. Despite the excitement in the air, everyone had to remind themselves that this was just the start of the meet and that it could turn around at any moment.

He and three other people from his Photojournalism class had been assigned to take pictures of the meet. He had been assigned to photograph all the running events, a Ukrainian girl named Katyusha had been assigned the jumping events, and a senior whose name Matthew couldn't remember had been given the throwing events. It was done that way so that one single student wouldn't be given the burden to have to photograph each event. Matthew observed that unlike most sports, basketball, and soccer, for example, track was a spread out sport. It wasn't in an arena or just located on one field. In fact, all the throwing events (Shot Put, Discus, and Javelin) were actually held in a field on top of a hill behind the high school, while the running events (Sprinting, Relays, and Distance) were held on the 400 meter long track which was across the parking lot on the other side of the high school, where Matthew was currently located. The jumping events (High Jump, Pole Vault, Long and Triple Jump) were right next to the track, but on the other side of the fence. They were assigned to take pictures of the sporting events for the students involved with making the yearbook for the end of the school year. Due to the last track events being canceled because of thunderstorms, Matthew's teacher had pleaded for him and his two other classmates to get some much needed last minute photos.

Matthew looked up from his camera and squinted in the bright sunlight. The boy that had just won the race was straightening up, still catching his breath. He shook his head, strands of curly brown hair moving out of his face, and his green eyes glinting in the sun, full of energy. Matthew remembered the kid's name. Antonio Fernandez. He was a junior, going on to be a senior, and was famous for three things at the high school. One was that he was one of the fastest people that had ever come to the school, breaking three sprinting records that had been set for nearly fifteen years, he was voted Most Congenial in the 'School Personality' contest, and third was that two months ago he had become openly gay. Even though people were shocked to find out about this, surprisingly a lot more people were almost indifferent about it. Matthew could remember overhearing his classmate in his Biology class when the news finally broke. She had looked at her phone hidden just out of sight of their teacher, and let out a small noise of disgust. The news was spreading fast. She leaned in toward her friend next to her and whispered, "Of course he's gay. Find me one straight guy at our school isn't a jock with a huge ego or complete douche bag that thinks he's better than everyone else."

But what surprised everyone the most had to be who Antonio revealed to be dating. Lovino Vargas, who if it were a possible category in the School Personalities, would have been voted, 'Worst Attitude'. Lovino was in same grade as Matthew, and he shared several classes with him. Almost every day, he would hear Lovino grumble something under his breath about what the teacher was doing wrong, why their school system was screwed, and why he couldn't just move back to Italy. It wasn't unusual to just watch him flip out at another classmate, and to everyone's amusement, most of the time that classmate being his twin brother, Feliciano Vargas, dubbed the 'nicer version' of the two.

No one could really understand how the nicest guy at their school could date such a mean, irritated person that always seemed annoyed by everything. What really seemed to leave everyone dumbfounded the most was that Antonio, standing true to his Congeniality, didn't seem to even mind the insults thrown his ways whenever they were seen in the hallway together. Standing in front of Lovino's locker, Antonio would watch him with genuine concern and fondness in his eyes while his boyfriend snarled out the vilest words that would land anyone in detention. The bell for the next class would ring, and Lovino would slam the locker door shut, causing the poor thing to shudder, as if in fear. Antonio would laugh at this, unconcerned, as if he were being told a joke instead.

Lowering his camera, Matthew took in a breath as Antonio walked in direction. "Congratulations." He said nervously. At first, he thought maybe he hadn't heard him since Matthew knew he had a habit of speaking too quietly. It often led him to be ignored.

Antonio looked in his direction gave a smile and said a breathy "Thanks!" back, Matthew felt his cheeks grow warm. He hated being so shy, and as he grew older, he was slowly making attempts to be more open and social toward others. Even muttering a simple 'Hello' to a stranger was an ordeal for him that he tried to get over.

"Hey! Mathieu! Come over here!"

Matthew bit back a groan. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

Turning slowly, he saw Antonio standing by his cousin, Francis Bonnefoy. Shoulder length blond hair and bright blue eyes made them look like siblings, to his disdain. Matthew wanted to shake his head no, and ignore him, but he knew better. He knew that if he just ignored him, Francis would come over and bother him anyway. Sighing, he walked over to where they were standing.

"What is it?" Matthew said quietly, giving him an irritated look. Francis ignored the look and instead, fixed Matthew with a smile that could have outshined the sun. Francis gestured at Antonio. "My dear friend, Antonio wishes to see the pictures you took of him while he gallantly sprinted across the finish line in the previous race."

Francis said this with an inflection of a French accent and Matthew almost rolled his eyes. Francis was indeed French-American. He had grown up in North America, both his parents moving from France, but unlike his parents who had heavy accents, he could speak normally. He just chose to speak with a French accent because as he had told Matthew before, "It really wows the ladies if you speak like a foreigner. They find it, how would you say it? They find it swooning." Matthew thought without a doubt that the only people that had ever heard him speak normally without a French accent would have to be him, his family, and Francis' friends. Matthew turned to Antonio with a small smile and took the camera off from around his neck and handed it to him.

"Sure." Matthew said quietly and pointed at a button that allowed you to playback the photos. "Just press this button."

Antonio nodded and looked through the pictures. When he was done, he looked at Matthew and smiled again as he handed back the camera. "Wow, you're a really good photographer."

Matthew blushed and timidly looked down. "T-thanks…"

"Toni~! Franciiisss!"

Matthew looked up to see…oh no…he quickly put the camera back around his neck and turned to leave, "Um, well I have to, you know, keep taking pictures, so—"

"Hey, is that Matthew?"

Matthew froze in his tracks like a rabbit caught at a dead end with a rabid dog at his heels and slowly turned to the voice. White hair and red eyes, and yet just one year older than he was, stood Gilbert Beilschmidt.

Huge ego.

International asshole.

Matthew knew Gilbert from the few times he had gone to Francis' house for a holiday or his birthday. Gilbert was courteous in front of adults, but whenever they weren't around…

Matthew fought back the memory. He didn't want to be reminded of the words that seemed 'innocent' but deep down, they all meant something else that were cruel and harsh. He was on the Track team along with Antonio. Francis didn't participate in any sports but always came to cheer on his friends. He stopped in front of Matthew. He was wearing a pair of white sweatpants that were rolled up at the knee (Hetalia's school colors were white and gold). Wording on the right side of the pants read in a golden text: Hetalia International, and then on the left side it read: Track & Field. Gilbert was wearing a white t-shirt that he had obviously just pulled on, and he was wearing a pair of Adidas sandals, his spikes tied together with their shoelaces and draped around his neck.

"Taking pictures, shortie? I've never seen photography as something a guy would do. Isn't that a bit girlish?" Gilbert asked, raising an eyebrow at the camera. Matthew bit his lip and looked away.

Francis laughed and sneered back, "Gilbert, it's not like there's anything 'wrong' with it. I mean, how many times have you run around with a camera taking pictures?"

"None. And you know why."

"Oh yes!" Francis said and smacked his forehead as if he had forgotten, "That's why!"

Matthew bit his lip harder. Someone listening might have no idea what they were talking about, but Matthew was in on their little joke. It was something a girl would do, and Gilbert obviously wasn't a girl. But because Matthew took pictures, he was definitely a girl.

Antonio looked from Gilbert to Francis, then to Matthew and frowned. It was remarkable how the three had managed to stay friends, considering Gilbert's cruelty toward others, and Francis' willingness to join in.

"What are you two talking about?" Antonio asked, and the sound of the starting gun being shot off to start the next race could be heard in the background.

Gilbert snorted and turned to Antonio, "Nothing. Just something me and Francis heard about the other day."

Antonio didn't look convinced and opened his mouth to say something else when a voice interrupted him.

"Matthew!" Matthew looked over his shoulder and saw Katyusha walking toward him. She had short blonde hair, beautiful light blue eyes, and a very large chest. She was just as quiet as Matthew but had the confidence to speak up if she needed to. Standing in front of him, she was just a couple inches taller. "Do you have any extra batteries for the cameras? I forgot to charge mine."

"Uh…" Matthew looked over at the three guys, Gilbert and Francis wearing a smirk, and Antonio still frowning. "Yeah, I'll go get it, it's in my bag."

"All right, thank you!" Katyusha gushed and followed after him. Matthew gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes and walked away from the three guys, ignoring the snickers. They walked to where their bags were sitting. While spectators sat and watched the events, Matthew reached for Katyusha's camera while she squatted down in front of her bags. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that the battery was full.

"Um, Katyusha, the battery is—"

"I know." Katyusha interrupted, pulling a hair clip out of her bag. She straightened up, pushed her bangs out of her eyes, and fastened them in place before giving him a small smile. "You alright?"

Matthew had never told her that he was picked on by the two seniors, but he wasn't surprised that she noticed. Her younger brother Ivan, who was a junior was often picked on by Gilbert (Francis preferred to leave this one to him), and it was once the talk of the school when the two nearly got into a fight. She was one of the kindest seniors Matthew had ever met and he took a deep breath to steady his emotions before nodding at her.

Katyusha smiled and turned around, "I'm going back to the field. I'll see you later."

"S-sure!" Matthew said quietly back, but he didn't know if she had heard him or not. Matthew sighed and sat down on the bench and watched as Gilbert and Francis made their way over toward a group of popular girls, no doubt to flirt with them. Antonio had gone somewhere else, most likely to prepare for the next race. He sighed and placed his head in his hands. Sure, maybe he didn't like being ignored, but all that he would give if they would just leave him alone. Especially Gilbert.

But he didn't know that this was just the beginning.

Thank you for reading and for all of the support! Sending love (: