Chapter Text
“so you’re kicking me out? All from some silly rumour?”
“reputation is important Julian. You of all people should know this. I mean how would it reflect on us to be seen with someone with your.. inclinations.”
Julian sighed. He shouldn’t be surprised really, it was an open secret that his group of friends were only friends because of reputations. Most of them had great plans and it simply happened that most other people couldn’t stand them. Truly even Julian didn’t like the other boys but he still never expected them to outright kick him out.
“It’s nothing personal Julian, it’s simply business, you know how it is.”
Julian wanted to slap the smug smirk off Jimmy’s face. His mother was a famous actress and thus the family had many connections to everyone from film directors to politicians and boy did jimmy know it. He love flaunting his wealth and connections and far to often referred to their friendship a ‘business’.The other two were Roger and Barney, highly ambitious boys but more often followers of Jimmy.
“I don’t need you guys anyway, oh and Jimmy? Your girlfriend is planning on breaking up with you after we hooked up on sunday.” Julian huffed and stood, straightening his school uniform and leaving the group, heading to the library and ignoring the indigent huffs behind him.
Julian was in his second last year at Button Collage. He wasn’t exactly a popular boy but the rumour going around certainly meant everyone knew his name. Even before that he had managed to gain a reputation as a party animal who hit on every girl at school.
The library was significantly more popular today than most, probably due to the rain slamming against the windows. “Great, just what I need, more people to laugh at me” Julian muttered to himself as he found a table in the corner away from the curious gases the other students cast his way.
He wanted to disappear. Truly he didn’t care about the rumour. It wasn’t the first around him and was unlikely to be the last. Unlike the others though this one was all true and he had no idea how the other students would react. At least last year when there was a rumour than Julian had felt up his then-girlfriend Margot at a party he knew how everyone felt. He knew how to deny it, how to bribe and talk to Margot to have her confess it was a false accusation. But this one he had no way to get out of it. There was a bloody photo going around.
Julian buried himself in self pity, mindlessly playing a golfing game on his phone so he didn’t hear anyone approaching until he heard his name.
“Jules! What you doing here?”
Julian looked up. There were only two people that called him Jules, his mother and Robin. Sure enough the scruffy boy was taking the seat opposite him. Robin was not someone Julian ever expected to associate himself with. He was a dirty hippy, living in a caravan on a rented plot of land with his huge family. He had travelled all around the UK and been home schooled until the start of high school when his parents decided to finally embrace the boys natural intelligence. Robin was probably the smarted person Julian knew, despite his difficulties with reading and writing and the odd simplistic way of speaking. The two had only met through chess club and even then it was only because no one else would play them, Julian because he was insufferable when he won (ha ha suck it loser) and when he lost (you cheated, I call foul) and robin because there was no way to ever beat him.
“Hello robin. I’m here because my so called friends have decided to not associate themselves with me anymore”
A blank look confirmed Julian would need to explain himself “I've been kicked out of my friend group”
Robin nodded in understanding before speaking “You could hang out with my group.”
“You have a friend group?” the words were out before Julian could stop them. He had never really thought about who else Robin hung out with, he had merely assumed the boy was a loner or played chess with himself as he had been doing when Julian joined the club.
“Of course I do, come” Robin grabbed Julian’s wrist and practically dragged the boy out of the library and towards the music rooms.
Julian didn’t know what to expect when he stepped into music room 13 but wasn’t surprised at the 6 other people in the room. Now he knew why they were robin’s friends. They were the resident school nobodys.
“What is he doing here robin?” a slender boy with dark curly hair asked. Julian recognised him and snapped back “ at least I haven’t be banned from speaking Thorne.”
Thomas stuck his tongue out at Julian. It was true after all, Thomas was know throughout the school for giving incredibly long winded answers to any question in class. It got to a point were his English teacher had told him he could only answer if he could do it in 15 words or less. The ban was eventually removed but that didn’t stop everyone from knowing Thomas as they boy who was banned from speaking.
“Now now Thomas there’s no need to be rude. Hello there Julian, I’m Pat” the chubby boy stuck out his hand and Julian took it as pat introduced the rest of the gang. “You obviously know robin somehow, that’s fanny over there and kitty is next to her.” he pointed at a young girl with very light blond hair, tied in a tight bun at the base of her neck, her nose in a book while a younger black girl was talking to her about a party she had been to on the weekend. Julian extended his hand and kitty took it enthusiastically while fanny looked in him with slight disdain.
“Hello Julian, it good to meet you, are you going to join our friend group? I do love having new friends except when they’re mean to me or forget we’re playing hid and seek until the bell goes.” Kitty seemed to be giving Thomas a run for his money with how much she chattered.
“I thought I knew everyone in our year level and I’m sure I would remember you if we’d met. Are you new or something?” Julian asked.
“Oh no I’m in the year below but no one will hang out with me so I’m friends with you guys” she beamed at him.
“Can’t imagine why,” Julian muttered to himself.
“Oh don’t be rude.” Fanny chastised him, not looking up from her book. Ah yes, Fanny. Julian had managed to have some kind of relationship with most of the girls in his year level. Most were simply sneaking off to a quiet corner at a party but he had at least 7 girlfriends over high school. He had always viewed fanny as a true challenge and really he only wanted a chance with her because of her slightly unfortunate name and how uptight she was. Of course, she had never even given him a chance and never went to those sorts of parties so he had given up on her years ago.
“Right” Pat interrupted before any insults could be thrown. “That’s Mary over there” the brunette waved at him as Robin slung his arm around her shoulders, “and normally Humphrey is here but I think he has dentist appointment or something.” Pat turned to the last person in the room, a taller boy looking intensely at his phone. “and this is Captain.”
“Since when have you been called Captain?” Julian asked. Captain straightened himself and looked at Julian, scanning him and giving him a look like he smelled rotting fish.
“Since year 8, and before you start I didn’t pick it.” he spoke stiffly and the silence that followed was cold and uncomfortable before Mary piped up.
“I mean it makes sense, he is the captain of the soccer team, the running team and is school captain now. Soes we called him Captain. Or Cap for short.”
“Suits you” Julian smirked, “you did always like to be in charge didn’t you?”
“Right well if you don’t mind I have a.. um… track meeting to get to, see you all tomorrow” Captain quickly stood, brushing past Julian and walking briskly down the hallway.
“I thought the meetings were on Friday?” Kitty asked. Before anyone could try to explain the situation to the naive the bell rang and they all dispersed for their afternoon classes. Robin walked beside Julian and they both headed to English.
“so you’ll hang out again tomorrow yeah?” Robin asked.
“I don’t know mate, I don’t think they liked me very much”
“They just need to warm up to you. You come to music room tomorrow.” and with that, it seemed that Julian had his lunchtime plans sorted weather he wanted to or not.