Chapter Text
Michael’s shoulders came up as the cold, half-chewed lump of burger squelched against his back. He scrunched his nose up as he felt it slowly unstick from his jacket. It performed an impressive amount of somersaults on its way to join the clumps of food that were stuck to the back of his leg. Michael forced his shoulders back down as his nails clawed at the inside of his palm. He passed tables upon tables of students where most of them laughed at him, their pointing fingers jabbing at fresh wounds. Others picked at their own food, avoiding his eyes as they stared at their phones. Then there were the people who joined in, those who picked the salad from their burgers and chucked it at him as Michael passed by.
He could hear them behind him. They laughed the loudest of them all. One of them, a boy named Gavin Free, found it so funny he was gagging on his laughter. Michael wished that he’d choke on it and could almost imagine the boy clawing at his throat. Michael smiled at the image of the boy’s eyes bulging, reaching out desperately for help. But Gavin didn’t just up and die. Instead he held his phone up, recording it all. It was his best friend, Geoff Ramsey, who was the ring leader of it all. He’d thrown the first piece of food. It was his idea to chew some of it first. Michael was so close now, the cafeteria door was an arms’ reach away.
Michael stumbled to a halt when someone got up in front of him. He didn’t even flinch when they aimed the mustard bottle at his chest. He watched as the liquid slid down the front of his jacket. Some of it dropped onto his shoe, a big yellow blob in a sea of barely white. Geoff laughed like a hyena behind him, joined by Gavin’s ridiculous squealing giggles. It was all Michael could do to pull his arm back, line his fist up with the guy’s face and slam his knuckles into his nose. The kid recoiled away from Michael. The mustard bottle fell to the floor and rolled away from the both of them. Michael raised his fist again. There was nothing he wanted more than to slam it into the kid over and over. But he side-stepped around the boy instead. The kid wasn’t worth getting kicked out for. Michael yanked the door open and stepped through. The door stopper prevented it from slamming like Michael had wanted but the wall it put between him and them was nice enough.
There were a few stragglers left in the hallway. They all carried brown bags in their hands. Some dared to stare but Michael’s glare soon scared their eyes off of him. He stalked through the hallways, knocking some unfortunate students to the ground when they got in his way. He passed his locker but didn’t dare stop. His eyes were fixed on the door at the end of the hall. The students thinned as he got closer to it. Michael slapped his palm against the wood and shoved it open. He slipped inside the gap he’d made and let the door swing closed behind him. Michael’s eyes had to adjust as the light bulbs above him barely gave off enough light to see five feet ahead. He marched past the wonky, half-filled shelves of outdated books towards the back of the library. He turned left at the second to last shelf and followed a trail of half-finished sodas to reach his sanctuary.
There sat his friends, all nestled in the corner around a worn-out table they’d claimed as their own. Ray stood up as Michael approached, his hands shooting to his head and clawing at the dark hair there. He stepped towards Michael and drew the eyes of their other friends. Lindsay clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyebrows diving towards the bridge of her nose. Kerry couldn’t quite look Michael in the eyes. He stared at Michael’s clothes instead and chewed his bottom lip. Andy clutched the back of his chair and pushed against it, joining Ray on his feet as they both crowded around Michael.
“What’s up, guys?” Michael shouldered past Ray and stole his seat. He grimaced as the warmth Ray had left heated up his bottom.
“When you said you were going to the cafeteria to get food I thought you meant to eat not wear it,” Lindsay said. She reached over and brushed a piece of lettuce from Michael’s shoulder. It fell to the floor with a plop.
“You can thank Ramsey for this fashion statement.” Michael’s fingers slipped as he grabbed the zip of his jacket. He pulled it down slowly and frowned when he noticed some of the mustard had seeped through. When his jacket came apart Michael shrugged it off.
“Did you even get anything?” Andy cupped his stomach. Michael rolled his eyes at him.
“No, Andy, there wasn’t much left,” Michael said. “If you’re hungry though, I think I’ve got some burger stuck to the back of my knee.” Michael leaned down to peel the food off.
“I’m good, thanks!” Andy swallowed. He fell back into his seat.
“One day, they’ll get what’s comin’ to ‘em.” Ray folded his arms over his chest and nodded.
“Yeah, Geoff’ll get a nice cushy job at his dad’s company and maybe Gavin will get a Ferrari for his birthday,” Michael spat.
“He doesn’t even drive.” Kerry said.
“No shit, Kerry. It was a sarcastic comment.” Michael slammed his fist onto the table.
“God, what it must be like to have that power though… to throw food at someone and not get in trouble.” Lindsay clasped her hands together as she imagined the possibilities.
“Nice to know that if you came into high school power you’d be just as bad as them.” Michael raised his eyebrow at his friend. Lindsay snorted beside him.
“And what? You’d become a saint and make the halls safe for everyone!” Lindsay moved her hands in a rainbow shape above her head.
“Oh fuck no, I’d crush Ramsey and his crew under the heel of my boot and make them suffer,” Michael slammed his fist on the table, “but everyone else, everyone else can live.” Lindsay and Andy shook their heads at him. Michael couldn’t see Ray, though he knew he’d have an unimpressed frown upon his face. Kerry looked thoughtful.
“What if you were part of his posse though? What if you were Gavin Free’s boyfriend?” Kerry leaned forward across the table. Michael’s upper lip curled up at the thought.
“Why would I date Gavin Free of all people?” Michael shivered at the thought. He was pretty sure Gavin was the real life embodiment of the tin man – he had no heart.
“Because well, you’re gay and he’s gay so,” Kerry’s hands gestured back and forth between himself and Michael.
“Everything you just said is so, so, so wrong,” Ray said. He had his arms crossed over his chest but his right arm was upright and his fingers were pushed into his temple.
“Look Kerry, that’s just not how it works. It’s like saying that I’m a guy, Lindsay’s a girl – we’re both pretty attractive and like, so we should date,” Andy said.
“We’re never dating.” Lindsay held her index finger in Andy’s face. “And I’m a 9, you’re a 4.”
“It doesn’t matter if we were the last two gay men on the earth, I would never date Gavin Free. I’d kill him.” Michael’s smile was sickly sweet as he imagined the many ways he’d crush Gavin’s skull. Kerry’s argument tickled the tip of his tongue but he never got to spit it out as the bell rang.
“At least you have gym next.” Ray clapped Michael’s shoulder with a smirk.
“Yeah, but I forgot my fucking kit.” Michael’s palm hit his forehead with a resounding slap.
His friends only laughed, each pushing their chairs out from underneath the table. Lindsay tugged on Michael’s wrist to get him to stand too even though he wanted to melt into the chair. He let her pull him up but he didn’t appreciate the fact she wiped some sauce from her fingers on his t-shirt. Michael snatched his jacket from the chair and tucked it underneath his arm. He trudged behind them through the library. Michael glared at anyone who wrinkled their noses at him.
“Just think, tonight we’ll be at Matt Bragg’s party where there will be no popular bitches there because, well, Matt Bragg.” Andy knocked Michael’s shoulder. Michael nodded. He definitely needed a couple of beers after today. That and a fresh, clean change of clothes.