Chapter Text
Rob POV
Everything in my life sucks but at least the walk to school is short and easy. It’s only 3 songs long, I’m not sure how many minutes it actually is. I don’t have a watch or phone or anything, which is fine, time is just made up anyways. Besides, I really like my song system! I mean all I really have right now is music, my one saving grace, I don't even really do my schoolwork I just listen to music and pretend that stuff is going on in my life. like it is in everyone else's.
I think three songs have played since my cartoony butterfly effect contraption that ends in setting my CD player off at the time I'm supposed to get up went off. It always works because I always have the volume earbleedingly loud, it wakes me up but I have to put in a little more work to sit up, stand up and walk. I can’t even imagine a morning routine with breakfast or clean clothes. The disc skips in the middle of the fourth song and I finally get up. Time to go to school.
can’t wait.
J.O.Jr POV:(so much abbreviation damn)
“STEPHANIE!!GET UP!!!” My mom screeches along in painful harmony with my alarm clock. She sounds like she got a voice transplant from a harpy, or the lead singer of a shitty screamo band. “Ugghhhh!” I loudly moan despite knowing no one can hear me, why? Because, of fucking course she’s making EXTRA sure to use THAT STUPID FUCKING NAME. Ugh, the sound of it makes me want to hammer nails in my ears, and I’d make sure they’d reach my brain, cause’ maybe it’d fix some things about me. I could be her perfect little girl.
I don’t want to get up or do anything today, because of last night, but ironically last night is the reason I’m going to school today. I just need to get away from my house; plus, y’know. My crew’s at school.
I slowly drag myself out of bed and throw on my usual black “Side Splitter” hoodie with the strings tied in a bow over the stained shirt I slept in, then my gray shorts, and some bandages on my hands in case I get in a fight. I look myself up and down in my full length mirror, wishing I didn't exist because the cracks in the mirror aren’t the only painful imperfections I can see.
After getting dressed, I dash out the door and head to my bus stop, making sure not to look at my mom on the way out, I don’t even grab my usual burnt toast breakfast, but that’s not because of last night I’ve been not eating much for a few months now. I do have my charred toast sometimes though. It’s the only thing I can keep down. I think that's the opposite for most people. Not as if I care what anyone thinks of me.
AT SCHOOL
Rob POV:
Untroubled, I grab my textbooks from my locker as Serj Tankian is shouting in my ear about the American prison system, suddenly I hear an unfamiliar yell awkwardly in the middle. I've heard this track at least a million times so I quickly realize it’s from an external factor. I take out my earbud and turn to see a 30's styled bomb boy, I know this kid.
He’s a mess. A mess that I sure as hell am not getting involved in, because 1) I'd end up in a billion bits if I did and 2) if I got involved with him I’d get INVOLVED. I MEAN I'M STRAIGHT,But it’s not MY FAULT His whole rubber-hose-ass is so fuckin’ cool! I mean SERIOUSLY he’s so NONCHALANT about everything! He just does what he wants an- “ Hey! Eyeball!” And oh my fucking god he’s coming over to me. Jesus, he still looks pretty angry. Did I do something!? What is it!?!? What did I do!?!? “Uhhh… h-hEy JuliUz.” Jezzzuusss Chrisssttt, that was a bad voice crack.
“ I need your math homework.” He casually leans on and shuts Alans lockers as if he didn’t just scream louder than System Of a Down on top volume. Alan quickly recoils his balloon string to avoid getting cut and just awkwardly floats to class. Carmen scoffs something about how inconsiderate and rude that was, probably, I cant hear her.
He rolls his eyes at her and refocuses on me. "Well?" he asks, clearly irritated. I pull out my earbuds frantically.
“Uh, sure thing, man?” Man?? I cringe at myself. I fumble for my homework in my cluttered bag and switch my player off. I timidly hand him the paper, hoping he doesn’t break my wrists as punishment for being such a fucking weirdo, thankfully he just grabs it, actually he even thanked me, he said, “Hey, thanks Robbie!" and rustled my hair like we're buds or something, then he ran off. “I’ll give it back in class!"
….
"probably!"
…Okay, uh what was that? I have no clue what just happened, I'm just glad I lived through it.
He seems a lot happier, no doubt due to my compliance... for some reason I feel like he’s not that bad, maybe it’s because he knew my name, at least I think he did, maybe he thinks it’s actually Robbie, either way I’m actually pretty weirdly thrilled to have been called it.
J.O.Jr POV:
So glad I got these answers! No thanks to that stupid egghead. “I'm in the hospital! I’m rotting, Julius!” Yeah sure he is. I'm frying that loser when he gets back. But, man that blue bitch was pretty easy to get this from, he’s definitely an easy mark, I’ll tell the gang about him. He’s pretty attractive too, wonder if he’d let me make out with him. I could get test answers for that! And, y’know kissing him wouldn’t be too bad.
Huh, I should make him think we’re dating and then I can get all the answers I want! The guys would think I'm awesome if I did that. No, I would be awesome if I did that. I don't need those rejects approval. But yeah, good plan, me! Just gotta get close to him, as close as I can…
5TH PERIOD
Rob POV:
“SLAM!” Jesus! Why is he so aggressive with giving me back that paper!? There's no way it was necessary that he inadvertently makes sure the entire class knows. “Here ya go, man” He says with a smirk and evil, evil eyes. He's plotting something. Today is the day I die.
I’m about to leave class, but out of the blue I am stopped by Mr. Small,"Hey, kid. Can I chit chat with you For a sec?” His voice is slightly raspy but he doesn’t seem to be high.
“Uhh…sure?” I reluctantly reply, hoping this won’t cut into my already limited lunch time. He pulls his chair up and sits on it like a cool youth pastor putting the back of the chair to his usual tie dye shirt. “So what’s happening with you and Mr. Oppenheimer?” The question caught me off guard. “UhHhhh wh-whatt are you talking about exactly, sir?” my words came out awkward and sheepish. I swear. I do not need any more reasons to kill myself today, because this stupid squeak coming out of me is definitely not helping!
“I’m just saying, I’ve never seen you talk to him before, and it…y’know sorta seems like….he used you for the homework.” I’m going to ignore myself assuming this was gonna go a different direction, because it didn’t. “Oh uhm well it’s not…uh as if he forced me to give him the homework.” I say this pretty quietly but I think he heard me.
“I’m sure you’re aware of Julius’ reputation and I hope you know that even if you willingly gave it to him I knew guys like that when I was in highschool, I know, hard to believe I too was once a teenager.” He laughs, and I have to resist rolling my eyes, I know some kids like him, but I just find Mr. Small kind of embarrassing. I like him better than a lot of my other teachers, though.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, kid. Y'know, man?” He have a weird habit of saying Y'know after every sentence, and actually I do know. I know that this isn't about me, he's just projecting or something(who would do something like that!?) I feel bad for having brought whatever happened up again, but at the same time, Just shut the fuck up. You dont know me, Mr. Pothead. I don’t think anyone really does. I, of course, don't say this. What I say is much more anxious and weird.
“……Oh uhm yeah I get what you're saying and uhm I promise that ..wouldn’t...happen…” He looks at me for a second. “Okay good, well before you go I'd like to give you a suggestion...”
As I rush to the lunch room I look at the little pink paper in my hand. “HALL PASS:_____ to: counselors after school” signed with Mr.Small’s messy, unintelligible cursive signature. He left the name spot blank. He definitely cares about all his students, but he doesn't care about me.
“RIIINGG” the piercing screech of the old school bell reverberates in my head ricocheting against the sides of my skull. It feels like some irresponsible boys are having a BB-gun fight in my head. Or maybe it’s just another migraine. I knew someone who always used to have migraines. Not sure who. I can never remember things. I think I’m just too tired,weak and light-headed. Even Teri could beat me in arm wrestling, Teri! The J-Pop-obsessed-made-out-of-paper-girl! Speaking of Teri she’s coming up to me right now. We usually talk after school and walk home together. I don't know how I ever understand her when my head is always ringing.
“Hey, Rock!” She thought I had said Rock the first time we met when she asked my name, eventually it got to a point where it would’ve been too awkward to correct her (we’ve been friends for 3 years btw)
“Hey, paper.” I say much less enthusiastically than her, but still smiling. Since she thought my name was Rock and she’s a paper girl the nickname paper sorta just stuck for us. I’m glad we can have something like that, I’m always glad when she’s around. I know she wouldn’t think of me that way, but I honestly think she’s my best friend. The kinda guy you call to help with moving a couch. Er-girl. She doesn't like when I call her anything like guy or dude even though I pretty much use it in a gender neutral sense and I don’t really get why she dislikes it. Still, I've been trying to stop.
“So, what's up?” She asks as she smiles and puts on her hand sanitizer. “I’m actually going to the counselors right now.” I offer no other context. I think she was a little bit surprised, I’d never stayed after school before. “Oh, uh tell me about it tomorrow, Rock!” That’s all she gets to say before she was taken by the unruly crowd.
Instead of the counselors office, I head to the bathroom. It smells like weed, and all the soap dispensers are broken, but when you look for a getaway in what you're trying to get away from you don’t get very far. I enter the first, cleanest stall, and slam the door. “ cOf CofF, UgH! damN!” My expression shifts from melancholic to “Shit there’s some random stoner in the stall next to me!” how did I not notice that!? “S-sorry, man.” I apologize with a purple face, and quickly pull my feet up to the piss yellow stained seat of the toilet I sat down on(how the fuck did they get it on the top of the seat)
The random dude coughs a bit more and clears his throat. “S-aight don’t- Coff! worry, dude.” That voice… sounds so...familiar….
OH MY GOD THATS JULIUS. My eye widened at the sudden realization that the “random stoner” Was in fact the guy who copied my homework this morning. Without thinking I say (to the wall) “Juh-Julius?” He immediately replies. “Yeah, and? You just realize it was me, Bluey?” Oh…what am I supposed to say now?
An awkward silence fills the air and mixes with the scent of weed, piss and whatever the fuck else. Gross. After about eight seconds, he finally breaks it “Wanna hit?”
In possibly the worst way possible. “ WhAt!? Sorrey, No. I-I don’t smoke.” Sorrey?? Why am I Canadian now?? He unlatches his stall door and is talking as he walks out. “Well if ya did, maybe it would help with your voice cracks.” Ahhhh! he noticed my stupid squeaks! Before I get the time to say something He opens my stall door and my face is dusted purple with the sight of him confidently leaning against it, shittily rolled blunt in his mouth. “Wait, how would that even work?” I question him, the blush leaving my face and being immediately replaced with confusion. “Smoking makes your voice deeper, you didn't know that, Daby?” I shrug. “Guess I’d never thought about it.” He laughs. “Well, I mean ya’ gotta do a lot-”
"Like you?" I interrupt.
He stares at me for a second, I shouldn’t have interrupted him."…Yup, pretty much...So, you leaving with me?" He asks, pointing his thumb behind him to the exit of the bathroom. The way he said it sounded as if I was something he wanted to pick up from a sidewalk sale, but there’s no way in hell he meant it that way. “No way, dude I totally wanted to spend the rest of the day in this stall.” I say sarcastically as I get up and walk out, landing face first in his smoke cloud. I cough but manage to silent it quickly.
J.O.Jr POV:
What was that little weirdo even planning to do in the bathroom, pee? Whatever, it doesn't matter. Now I’m walking with him and it’s the best part of my day. Gross.
He’s weirdly pretty and…
“See, cuz when I was a little kid I thought that corn dogs were made from real dogs.”
Kinda dumb.
“ When I was a kid, I thought that all dogs were boys and all cats were girls.”
But so am I.
After our thoughts on dogs when we were little kids, I’d finally made it to where I was supposed to be and reached my bandaged hand to the doorknob, only for it to land on top of Rob’s. I snatch my hand away at lightning speed and my face flushes. Jesus, if I wanna date this dude just to use him, I shouldn’t get so messed up when he accidentally touches me trying to turn the knob on the door to…the…counselors . “WAIT A SECOND-” I yell at the door, then turn to the snitch. “YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GOT ME IN TROUBLE!” I scream in his face, which is justified cause’ what the hell! I thought this dude was kinda cool!
“What!? That- that is not what happened, Julius!” He tried to justify fucking me over, everyone always does! “Sqcreeekkk” what the- I turn back to the door and standing in the frame is the stupid-gay-cloud teacher-hippie-thing. I have him for history but I don’t remember his name. “Is there a problem here boys?” He asks, trying to de-escalate the situation. It only works cause’ I don’t want more trouble than I already have. thanks to a certain gangly cyclops asshole.
“No.” I reply through gritted teeth in a scowl. “Why don’t you kids come on in?” He moves out of the way of the door. I stomp in, cross my arms, and manspread on the wooden chair, which by the way is more uncomfortable than dinner with your girlfriend's dad in the locker room.
Rob quickly takes his place in the identical seat next to mine. I shoot him a dirty look, he frowns and looks at the ground. I don’t feel bad. I'm right, and the sight of his face doesn’t make me feel guilty at all, In fact I think I’m feeling schadenfreude!
The cloud guy(who is sitting on top of his desk btw) frowns. “Julius, it seems like there’s something you’d like to say.” Ya think, man!? “Not really.” I mutter under my breath while slouching. “What about you, Ralph?” My eyes switch from the ground to the teacher/counselor/gaywad. “His name’s Rob.” I say more clearly than a mutter but still under my breath. Rob looks at me with a glint in his eye, I give him the same dirty look, just because I have the basic decency to remember his three letter name doesn't mean I don't still despise him.
“Huh?” The middle aged man version of C.J asks stupidly. “I said his name is Rob, R-O-B, not that complicated, man.” I have to spell it out for him to get the point. “Oh. Sorry,Rob.” He's pretty dense for a cloud.
“It's ok.” Rob says quietly, looking at the ground and blushing, literally why? I mean, I know people forget his name a lot, but does it really make him so happy to hear his name that he blushes? Even I don't do that. People better call me my name.“Uhm, so Rob I don’t think we’ve ever met, my name is Mr. Small, and I’m here to talk to you two about something this school takes very seriously.” This is so stupid, I have to say something.
“Ugh! Why is it such a big deal!? It’s fucking math homework, get over it!” Mr. Small dick recoils a bit and looks shocked. “Please, there’s no need to yell.” He says, edging away from me. He’s scared of me. They're all scared of me, and I’m glad that they are, 'cause otherwise no one would respect my name, or really, me, not if I didn’t make them.
Rob POV:
“This isn’t just about the homework, Mr. Oppenheimer” Mr. Small's trying to reason with Julius, and I already know it’s not gonna happen, he’s a selfish jerk who landed himself here.
...Is what I'm trying to say to myself, but I can’t stop myself from thinking about him defending my name. It sounds so right from his mouth. It felt like he was calling out for me. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you,Rob” he whispers in my ear, the sweet sensation of his voice sending a volt through my body that fights off all the pain hiding away in me. The way he spells out my name, with each letter I can feel my face heat “What’s wrong Robbie? You're heating up, man, is it because I called you by your name?R-O-B. That’s it? You just want someone to know your name, someone to care about it? About you, maybe~?” His breath is on my neck and my eyes are on his gleeful face, but my mind- WAIT WHAT THE FUCK AM I-!? He-He’s making this happen to me on purpose! He’s making me think these things. I don’t want to! He's making me a worse person. He's making me gross. THIS IS FUCKING DISGUSTING! THIS IS NOT ME! This is HIM. and I am not Him, I am a good person.
“There’s no need to glare at him like that, I know you must be upset, but we don’t need this negative energy, Rob.”
OHH SHITT! I WAS JUST STARING AT HIM THAT WHOLE TIME??!
Jesus Christ! And he thinks I was glaring at him, jeez I wasn’t trying to look mean I was just y'know in a casual, normal, heterosexual way STARING AT HIM AND FANTASIZING ABOUT HIS BREATH ON MY NECK. Yikes… I’m gonna have to confront my thoughts, soon aren’t I? For now I’m just gonna rapid fire, my excuse and hopefully it will be enough for Mr. Small and I can leave and never think about him again. “That’s not what I was trying to do! I swear Julius isn't, like,manipulating me or anything, we’re like total bros! He wouldn’t do that! I was just trying to look at him in a like “you know I wouldn’t get you in trouble on purpose kinda way!” Y’know!?” My words are clunked together and awkwardly choked out, but hopefully Mr. Small thinks they're genuine. Based on his expression, and Julius playing along with it (he just wants to leave too) I may have gotten out of this one. Luck is on my side for once.
“Well I have to be honest, kid. That explanation sounded genuine to me! Just promise me you two won't get into any trouble, okay?” We both shake our heads. Julius still looks dissatisfied, but his expression has lightened a lot and it makes me feel better.
“Alright, you boys can go home now.”Mr. Small smiles. Yes! Oh my fucking god finally!