Chapter Text
"high school... what a terrying place!"
Thats what Matthew was thinking the first day of school. every single year.
He was walking through the gates, watching from distance his brother Alfred, the mighty American, already yelling happily with his group.
"YO GUYS! GOOD MORNING AM I RIGHT? THIS WEATHER IS GREAT FOR A PICNIC! WANNA GO AFTER SCHOOL?" He says loudly, laughing.
"Aiyaa, not again with the picnics... its the first day of school, Alfred! No eating!" Says Yao, the cute and short Chinese friend.
"Bloody hell Alfred! No picnics, you have to be fit for school, or you'll be a hot mess all year!" Our older brother Arthur, the British, yells at him.
"Опять этот парень... hello Alfred. A picnic sounds Nice." He mutters Ivan, the terrying Russian with a smile that makes Matthew petrified.
"mon petit, you know i can't eat anything. I still have to keep the perfect body figure even after summer you know?~" Francis, the french, lightly laughs.
Seeing the group so united, makes poor Matthew feel incredibly alone. Not that he isn't... he wasn't even allowed to bring his little bear friend at school.
"I can make friends perfectly fine... yes, I'll be just like Alfred this year..! Always talking, making friends... yeah. Maybe not..." he mumbles to himself, looking down as he walks slowly to his Class.
Everyone is already in class, so he's forced to take a seat right infront of the teacher's desk... although, there's a free seat next to him. Atleast he's not the last in his class. Shortly after taking a seat, the teacher arrives and makes an announcement.
"Good morning everyone! I would like to announce, that a new student will be joining us this year. Please welcome in, Cuba!" Professor Germania says.
A new face walks in. Matthew looks, and he's really curious. The new guy is a little shorter than Canada, but he has a big build, dark skin, and long sized tied dreadlocks. Wow, definitely something new for Matthews eyes.
"Wassup everybody. Uhh... I'm Cuba, the island in North America, ya know? I'm famous for my hot weather. And my history, man, it's off the hook. That it?" The new student speaks in a very cool way. The professor makes him sit next to Matthew's.
The new student takes a seat, and looks at his side. He makes... a not so pleased face. "¿Qué coño?! Ay caramba, I'm next to pinche America. Day can't get worse, man." The Cuban complains to himself.
"American?! I'm Canada...!" Matthew whispers, but not enough for anyone to hear him. He already made an enemy thanks to his brother... Matthew already feels like he's going to tear up.
"For the first day, I'd like for everyone to team up for two and introduce eachother." The professor says, teaming up the class in two people per group. He ends up with his new "enemy".
"Ay, pero mira... this teacher has it in for me. I gotta deal with that good-for-nothing American..." The Cuban forces himself to sit face to face to Matthew.
"H-hello, i am--" Matthew quickly gets cutout by the Cuban. "I know who you are, stupid America! The teacher maybe wants us to be friends, but I'll never be your amigo, no way. I'll never forgive what your people did to my amazing Che! Absolute garbage of a country, that's what you are, chico. Always "power power power!", well guess what, my dear Castro outlived yours all, Ha!" The Cuban laughs.
"Oh, w-well... that's nice, but-- I'm not America... and i love Cuban history, for your information! Eh..." Matthew makes a small embarrassed chuckle.
"Oh, you ain't from America? Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna believe your crap! Show me the proof, pendejo." The Cuban says, heated.
Matthew gives him his student ID. "Human name Matthew... representative country... Canada? Oh, so you're really not that pendejo Americano?" The Cuban makes a little surprised face as he reads and tells outloud.
"I did try to tell you... America is my brother, but I'm not like him at all, I swear!" Matthew quickly mumbles, sweating a bit.
"Jeje, no need to get nervous now, chico. Now that I found out you ain't that ugly America, I'll treat you right, te lo prometo. You know, your brother just makes my blood boil... but you're nice, ain't you? I mean, Canadians must be cute and all, no? Ha!" The Cuban chuckles again. Matthew makes an embarrassed blush.
"Well... I guess so... definitely more than my brother's people..." He makes an awkward little chuckle.
"So, mi pana, my long-distance vecino. Heard you say you like Cuban history, eh? Didn't take any of you vanilla folks for such interests. Ha! Joking, mi amigo." The Cuban seems interested.
"Oh, yes! I really am into your history, it's so beautiful and inspiring..." Matthew states.
"Wait a second, amigo! I know your nombre, but you don't mine. Mi nombre is Maximo, like it?" The Cuban says his name. It's a nice name.
"It's a nice name! Really fits you."
"Gracias amigo! I actually have a few more, but I'll save you the time..." Maximo laughs.
Matthew's first friend...!
After a while of talking together, the bell rings.
"Already ringin'? Ey, I didn't even start with the history of us Cubans, man! Whatever, we're still right next to each other, my neighbor." Maximo smiles.
-"my first friend... and he's really cool! I'll let my big brothers know I can take care if myself perfectly fine and I'm not alone!"- Matthew basically glows proud while thinking about that.
Later that same day, its lunch time. Matthew goes to the cafeteria, where like usual (every single day, every single year) his brother Alfred is yelling loudly and causing problems in the cafeteria with his problem of wanting to throw food at people. What a nuisance!
"YOU GUYS! LOOK!" Alfred laughs while throwing his food and random countries nearby.
"GET DOWN YOU WANKER! AND DONT THROW FOOD AT PEOPLE! I DIDNT EDUCATE YOU LIKE THAT!" His older brother Arthur yells at him.
"AIYAAAHHH!" Wang yao makes a kung fu move that makes Alfred fall.
"Ouch man, that hurt you know! I'm telling my leader!"
"Your leader is nothing but a moron to us Chinese, aiyah!"
Matthew sighs at the view...
"Your brother is a real bitch, mi amigo. He's always making a mess, always thinkin' he's the kingpin, always botherin' other countries, politically AND when he's eatin' his lunch!" Maximo goes near Matthew with his lunch plate, looking at Alfred with an angry disgusted look.
"Let's go, amigo! I'm sure we both don't want to see ugly faces during lunch or we'll puke." Maximo grabs Matthew by his arm and leads him out of the cafeteria.
Matthew blushes a bit, but he doesn't stop Maximo (because he quite literally is too strong).
"I usually eat over here, its calm and the kindest countries stay here." Maximo says.
"Other countries eat here under the stairs?" Matthew asks
"Oh, claro! Mi amigo cameroon and me, we always et' here. Sometimes Turkey, he'd join us too, ya know."
"Didn't know that was a thing... I usually ate alone every year, so..." Matthew says, his shoulders falling.
"Whaat? No te creo! A friendly, cute Canadian like that, eating alone every year? Did they make the same mistake I did, but all year long?" Maximo looks surprised. He lights up a cigar.
"Well, yes... but also I never had the chance to correct them before they ran away angrily after screaming at me, or I simply never spoke loud enough..." Matthew confesses.
"Wow, Must be tough havin' America as a brother, eh? I'd introduce you to my friends, but they already graduated... and I'm still stuck here." Maximo sighs.
"Uh? What do you mean by that, Maximo?" Matthew looks confused.
"I was technically supposed to graduate last year, but I had to help my country... still now its under a lot of pressure and needs lots of help! And Im there for my people!" Maximo declares.
"So you're one year older than me, am I right?"
"Correcto, amigo mío!" Maximo laughs.
The two eat lunch together and chat for a very long time.
Maybe school isn't so bad like Canada thought, at least for this year...!