[God, Alfred sounded terrible. Arthur had never heard him like this before, and this certainly wasn't the way he wanted to find out that the other boy's infinite enthusiasm wasn't so infinite after all.
Of course, it could be a ruse. But Arthur didn't want to believe that about— his friend? His whatever they are. His...friendly acquaintance.
Arthur wasn't a picture of cleanliness, himself. He'd taken the opportunity to rinse the blood from his skin and hair in the lake, but his clothes were still stained with it in faded brown splotches where he'd tried to scrub the garments clean. But he was hardly the terror that some of the other students were at this point. He hadn't killed anyone today.]
I'm all right. [In a very loose sense. He's alive and uninjured; that was about all he could ask for.] ...What about you?
[He did his best not to sound too worried as he asked, but he was never as good at hiding his feelings as he thought.]
no subject
Of course, it could be a ruse. But Arthur didn't want to believe that about— his friend? His whatever they are. His...friendly acquaintance.
Arthur wasn't a picture of cleanliness, himself. He'd taken the opportunity to rinse the blood from his skin and hair in the lake, but his clothes were still stained with it in faded brown splotches where he'd tried to scrub the garments clean. But he was hardly the terror that some of the other students were at this point. He hadn't killed anyone today.]
I'm all right. [In a very loose sense. He's alive and uninjured; that was about all he could ask for.] ...What about you?
[He did his best not to sound too worried as he asked, but he was never as good at hiding his feelings as he thought.]