Chapter Text
The first week at Bullworth Academy had been disappointing. While you got used to your routines and classes across campus, Jimmy made sure to get into trouble with every Clique possible. Not that it was his fault; it didn’t seem anyone respected him, and as his stepsister you were just as disrespected, so it only made sense he fought back. Despite Jimmy’s absence, you found yourself not completely alone.
That very same afternoon you arrived on campus, that Gary guy showed you and Jimmy around the school and pointed out a couple of things you could do to take advantage of it. First, it was breaking into some lockers to take books or even clothes if convenient (people knew better than to put real valuable things in there). Then, at the cafeteria, he took the time to show you the different Cliques you could find there at Bullworth; there were from Nerds to Jocks, Bullies to Greasers and even Preppies. Whoever you wanted to find was there. It was a matter of time before you met all, and it was up to you who you wanted to get along with.
“Anyone catch your attention?” You asked Jimmy once, when you found him late after classes outside the boys’ dorm.
“I’m better all alone.” He scoffed and crossed his arms, as if offended that you asked him that. “I’m not scared.”
“I’m not saying you are.” You rolled your eyes in return and leaned over the stairs’ rail. “The girls aren’t much better. They talk so much shit they could drown in it.”
And you weren’t lying: most of the girls minded their own business, but they weren’t much different from the boys, only that they had their mouths instead of fists to fight with. They didn’t push you into lockers; their eyes were just like a punch in the gut. It was the whisper of your or Jimmy’s name when you crossed the hall, or the uncomfortable silences after excited conversations when you stepped into the room. You tried to ignore them as best as you could, and from then on, it all worked out just fine, but it was the pit in your chest that said that things wouldn’t get much better, like when you were in primary school and you weren’t good enough for anyone, that made waking up in the morning a nuisance.
Another couple days passed up until you found Jimmy in your English class with bruised knuckles and a deeper frown than the usual one. It took muttered responses through the halls for you to find out he got in trouble with the Bullies. It had been a setup, he said, although you weren’t so sure you could believe him. You found out as well, much to your dismay, that he had already made himself a reputation among the girls. Eunice made sure of whispering out loud how well your stepbrother kissed… Gross.
After being aware of those… issues, you figured there were many things he wasn’t telling you. Since you saw each other less than a couple of times a day, most of the conversations you had were just a few complaints about the system rather than venting about fights or make-out sessions. And, even if you did see each other more, it would’ve been no different.
In the meantime, it wasn’t you that encountered trouble, but it sought you on its own, and it had a name and a scar across its face; Gary happened to be more present than Jimmy, who was too busy being the new guy in the worst possible way and made sure to remind you of it every chance he got. Your interactions didn’t differ much from how the school worked; he explained things whether you asked them or not, always sounding like a war vet that saw every outcome possible, but it was convenient. It was easier to listen to him speak and not be so alone while your brother fought his way through the school with his fists. You noticed Gary had made some weird comments that hung in the air too long to be a joke, but you decided they weren’t trouble if he had managed so well until now. He knew this place better than you, and at Bullworth that was enough.
While you worried over dissecting frogs in Biology class, Jimmy had the decency to start asking you for homework the times he decided not to go to class at all. Luckily, you were doing just fine, so you could help him. When you had a moment you broke into his locker and slid your notes inside, and sometimes even went to his dorm to hand them in. One of those times you found him fighting outside the building, and your papers came back stained in blood and dirt.
Despite that, what your dad told you about taking care of him lingered like a bad habit, but he was a problematic kid after all, and even if you did promise somehow to each other you would stick together, it didn’t surprise you he actually forgot about it at all.
At Bullworth Academy there wasn’t a single quiet day. Despite not getting along much with the girls, your roommate Christy seemed chill enough. She was almost boring, but you weren’t in an active search of trouble, for now. When you did homework, she could go on for hours on whatever story she had on her mind that day.
“I wonder if washing your face makes you wrinkle?” She said once, grooming herself in front of the mirror while you painted your nails. “But you know what! If you kiss once a day, you live longer!”
“Christy I don’t think it works like that.” You answered in return, trying to hide a smile at how naive she could be at times.
When you weren’t hanging with her, you found comfort in staying at the library while trying actively to ignore the Nerds’ rambling, whom you noticed were getting nicer around you. Or, if you had free time you just walked around campus to get some fresh air from Christy’s killing quantities of perfume at your shared dorm.
One of those times you were outside, the sky was getting darker, but you still had to get back the notes you handed Jimmy that morning. Before you could step into their dorms’, you heard Gary’s distinctive hyena-like laugh from the side of the building. You realized he wasn’t alone, but you couldn’t make out who he was talking to either. As quietly as you could in a place like that, you stood around the corner far enough to make it seem you just minded your own business and tried to listen to what they said.
“... You have to make it perfect! Be quiet, do your usual… bully stuff, and DON’T mention me AT ALL.” Your eyebrows furrowed slightly. You couldn’t quite put your finger on what the fuck he was saying, but it was obvious it was something important. “Take Bucky, hide around, and beat him up when he appears. Got it?”
Another voice seemed to answer, but before you could try to hear it better, his steps started approaching the dorms.
You moved away quickly enough to appear you were just casually around, but there was nothing casual about how your heart jumped when you actually saw Gary standing there, almost catching you.
“Hey,” He said, a slight frown on his full eyebrows that screamed suspicion. “Whatcha doing here, New Girl?”
The nickname threw you back enough to remind you what you were actually doing there, besides eavesdropping. “Have you seen Jimmy? I need my notes back.”
“He tends to disappear when you need him.” He stood closer, and you didn’t move, hand on your hip in defense of his unhelpful words. “We gotta stop meeting this way. Unless you like spying on me or something.”
“What? No!” You huffed, stepping back slightly and waving away. “I just heard you talking, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”
That earned another high-pitched laugh from him, almost too performative to be true.
“Relax, miss Hopkins, it was a joke.”
Another step closed the distance between you two. As he had done before, his arm closed around your shoulders to bring you together, his face searching yours as he spoke with newfound exaggerated reverence.
“Lemme walk you to your dorm, hm? Wouldn’t want you getting lost. Or worse.”
You would’ve complained about his confidence or the implication that you couldn’t take care of yourself alone, but it would be a lie to say you minded him walking you back, especially with Jocks and Bullies still lurking around campus this late. Also, plenty of girls asked guys for the same thing; that didn’t mean you were weak. It’s just common sense.
“... Fine,” you finally shrugged, trying to hide the small smirk that rose on your lips. “Just today.”
“Sure,” he said with practiced ease. “We’ll see.”
The walk wasn’t too chatty, yet his arm didn’t move from where it rested. He started to play with the strand of hair that hung over your ear, which made you grant him another look you weren’t too confident to sustain the annoyance on. Your hand caught his in the middle of his doing, and you didn’t move it back until you both arrived at the girls’ dorm, the sky dark and ready to spill water.
“See you around?” You asked, turning to him, slightly breathless for some reason.
“Count on it,” He nodded, a shit-eating grin widening as he pulled back from where he held you.
You made your way towards the entrance of the building, aware of his gaze on you as you pushed up the stairs and only looking back when you arrived at the door. He was still there, but his stare was more serious than what it was just a second ago. He turned away before you could overthink it.
Christy asked for you like you worried her ass off, even if you were still on campus. You shrugged her off and started to get ready for bed. You didn’t even mention Gary, or how you found him talking to someone; you were too focused on the ghost of his arm around your shoulder to even realize you never got your notes back, or to think about his eyes too still in the dark. Nothing important, you supposed. At least, nothing you would remember.