Chapter Text
He didn’t get it. By now he was used to that feeling of course, of being out of the loop while everyone else laughed at...something. But this time seemed different. He couldn’t put his finger on it, though, and wondered at it as he walked back into the classroom from lunch.
Where there was once a relatively quiet room, half filled as students trickled back in from the cafeteria, it now seemed filled with laughter, muffled and unmuffled, as soon as he walked in.
Disturbed for a reason he still could not name, he swiped a comic off of an empty desk, and read it over hoping to find answers. Scanning through the story, he raised a brow as he found nothing illuminating or explanatory.Truthfully, he found the story somewhat depressing: as a kid who was clearly just trying to uphold order was beat up by Captain Underpants. He stared at the cover of the comic a moment longer, puzzled. This seemed unlike George and Harold's usual idiotic fare.
He was so bothered by it, in fact, that he confronted the two before class started, approaching their desks as soon as they walked back into the classroom.
George and Harold tensed as they noticed Melvin coming towards them, comic in hand.
"This is certainly a step down, even for your usual inane writing". He criticized, lightly tossing the comic down on George's desk. George and Harold stared at him, confused. They had been prepared for the usual angry yelling. Like Ms Ribble, or Mr Krupp, the usual 'how dare you make fun of me like this! Blah blah blah respect!'. They were ready for the typical full on screaming and immediate threats of detention, especially considering that it was Melvin, who was probably the biggest tattler in the history of ever. They were not remotely prepared for how calm he was.
"What?" George asked out loud in response, not sure what else to say.
Melvin rolled his eyes, in his usual 'you're an idiot' way, but that still wasn't the reaction that the two boys had been expecting.
"This comic. It seems even more poorly written than your normal shlok. If you were going for a tragic yet sympathetic anti-hero, you greatly missed the mark".
George and Harold exchanged glances, not really knowing what the genius was talking about.
" That's what you're upset about?",asked Harold, "Not the--" he was muffled as George slapped his hands over his mouth, stopping him from saying something that might ruin the relatively good thing they had going here.
"Oh, yeeeeeah, yeah," added George instead, still keeping Harold's mouth covered, "You know, that’s a really good note, Melvin. We’ll, uh, keep it in mind." Fortunately at that moment Ms Ribble walked back into the room, and George felt like it was finally safe to uncover Harold’s mouth. “Well, looks like class will be starting soon, you better get back to your desk”.
Melvin gave him a confused and critical glare, but did go back to his desk. Class started as normal, but George paid no attention, instead thinking over what he realized was an amazing discovery.
“He doesn’t get that the comic is about him” George whispered, mostly to himself. Leaning over to grab Harold by the shoulders, he quietly shook him slightly as he softly exclaimed, “Harold, do you realize what this means?”
Harold thought it over, and then crossed his arms, saying studiously, “He can’t take to heart the invaluable life advice we’ve given?”
Letting go of Harold, George leaned back in his own chair, considering that. “What? Well, yeah, that too I guess. More importantly, it means that Melvin is a get-out-of-jail-free comic card.”
“Ohhh” agreed Harold, before immediately adding, “Yeah I don’t get it”.
“Neither does Melvin” said George, mind already thinking of all the ways this could work for them, “We can make as many comics about him as we want, and he won’t get upset. He can’t be upset by it. Like, just now, he didn’t even yell at us like all of the teachers always do. So, if the heat is on us from some teacher but we still need inspiration for a comic...”
“Ohhh,” said Harold genuinely this time, as George’s idea clicked, “I think I smell what you’re stepping in now”.
“Harold, ew” he laughed, giving Harold a light shove.
"Boys” snapped Ms Ribble, and all eyes turned to George and Harold, “Is there something interesting that you’d like to share with the rest of the class?”
George looked over to where Melvin was giving them an annoyed glare, no doubt because they were interrupting his precious learning, and couldn’t help but smile to himself. “No, Ms Ribble. Nothing at all” he replied, surprisingly compliant for once. The teacher was taken aback by that for a moment, but decided not to jinx this one small miracle.
“Good” she muttered, and then returned to the lesson.