Chapter Text
The halls at St. Erebor were wide and clean. The walls were white with accents of gray with dark, shiny tile floors. Unlike my old school, the lockers weren't littered with graffiti (and I use the term lightly) telling teachers where the should stick the homework they gave us. I didn't have the weight on my shoulders to always look over my shoulder of being pushed around the halls or getting my books slapped out of my hands.
Debating whether or not I should ask for help, because I am clearly late... and lost.
"Hey!", A voice calls from behind me.
Shit! Maybe if I ignore them, they'll leave me alone.
I walked a little faster and turned the corner. Seriously! Where is a teacher when you need them. What on earth could they want? Oh god, it's too soon for this to start again. Its my FIRST day!
"Hi"
My yelp echoed down the empty halls. Breathe, Bilbo, Breathe.
A boy stood infront of me, far too close for my liking. I don't know if he could tell that I might be having a internal panic attack. Nothing but a small smile was giving.
"Are you lost?", the boy said. He had dark, shaggy hair that fell over his eyes, covering the nape of his neck and falling over his shoulders. He has eyes that matched his hair and a bright smile. "Are you still there?" he said, waving his hands over my face.
"uh yes, yes. And no, I'm n-not lost" I reply, kicking myself for stuttering.
"Really? because we've seen you wandering these halls three times in the last twenty minutes. So I think it's safe to say you're going in circles"
Well, that's embarrassing. I can feel heat rising up my face and I try to look away.
"I'm Kili, by the way" He said as he bounced from one foot to the next. "What's your name?"
What did he want? He couldn't possibly want to be my friend, could he? Of course not. He probably just wants a name to give to the face of the target I'll be to him and his friends.
"Bilbo" I said, adding a low sigh.
He gave a small smile but nothing was said. He turned to leave and I let out a quiet breathe. He then look back at me and asked "Aren't you coming?", taking a flight of stairs two at a time.
Why hadn't I noticed these before?
The boy, Kili, walked - actually it was more of a skip - so fast, I had a hard time keeping up. After what felt like a long time and numb legs, we finally stopped infront of a wide wooden door, with tinted glass covering the upper half. The words PRINCEPAL were printed in black block letters.
Kili opened the door after giving it two soft knocks. Then stepping in with me in tow.
At the opposite side of a dark desk sat a woman with silver hair and a kind smile and eyes as bright as the sky.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Durin" Her voice was gentle.
"Sorry to bother you, princepal Galadriel, but Bilbo here is -" She held a hand up to stop Kili from continuing then she turned to me.
"Ah, yes. Mr. Baggins, we have been expecting you"
Is this school really that small that she knew the name of a new student? Then again, she probably got my file not that long ago.
"Mr. Durin" she continued, "Please take Mr. Baggins to first period, no time for homeroom. And assure that he gets to where he needs to be. If you have any questions, just come and find me."
Looking over at Kili, he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at me. Already making his way to the door and stepping out, I followed suit and just before I could close the door I heard princepal Galadriel's voice from behind me.
"And Mr. Baggins" I turned to look at her, "Welcome to St. Erebor"
Her smile was the last thing I saw before the door closed infront of me.
----
"So what school did you go to?" Kili asked
"Umm, Shire High"
"Why'd you leave?"
After a long pause, he than said "It's fine, you don't have to tell me"
Kili offered a small smile.
Although it was quite clear he wasn't going to push me down a flight of stairs or dunk my bookbag in a toilet with my face shortly after. I sensed some of the tension fading but I was still guarded, holding my books in a tight hold against my chest. I kept a big enough distance between us, just in case I need to make a quick escape.
At some point Kili had began talking again, something about someone named Fili, which I think might be his boyfriend. If the glow in his eyes and his shy smile is anything to go by.
When I turned to face forward again, I was greeted by a hard metal surface. I felt a heat spreading through out my face, then a throbbing, through teary eyes I saw that the object I collided with was an open locker and the guy infront of it, had tattoos running up his arms hiding away in his rolled-up grey shirt, simple jeans and hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks, the whole look completed with a smug look on his face. Slamming the locker shut, he turn on his heels, whispering "What a loser" as he walked away.
He gave Kili, who had stopped walking, a head nod. Kili returned it and added "Hi, Dwalin"
I sighed and went to join Kili. Pointing at the direction the boy, Dwalin, had went. "Don't mind him, Bilbo. He can be a bit... you know"
I didn't but I nodded anyway.
"Oh wow, your face is a bit -" He reached up and I winced away.
Shit, shit, shit
I smiled and let out a little laugh to play it off. "It's nothing, it barely hurts really"
Kili opened his open, but whatever he was about to say was interupted by the sudden bell.
Woah, what a cliche. Still.. I'm not complaining.
The corridors quickly filled with people and an overwhelming amount of noise of feet stomping on tile, locker doors' rusty nails screeching when opened then the slam of it being shut. Some were giving me weird looks as they walked passed me but for the most part I went unnoticed. Just how I like it. I learned a long time ago that if you are invisible to other people, they tend to leave you alone. I tried to never be the center of attention, but somehow I always ended up in the bullies radar. It's like I had a target painted on me. After a while I started to expect the 'unexpected' blows.
"Bilbo! Bilbo!"
I snapped out of my thoughts and turned, only to collide (again) with something, even though it was much softer than the metal locker, the object was much bigger. It knocked the books right out of my hands, and landed on the floor.
To my horror, the people that witnessed what happened, started laughing. It started as a giggle from someone, then in seconds the whole hall was roaring with laughter.
I felt tears threatned to fall, I quickly blicked them away.
I dropped to my knees and began to gather my scattered books. When I heard someone call from behind me "I bet you love that position, fag."
More laughter.
Ignore them and they'll go away.
As I was picking up my books, I noticed a set of shoes directly infront of me. I slowly looked up to see that the shoes followed up long legs covered in dark denim, and a navy blue shirt. shoulder length hair cascaded on his shoulders and two braids fell on each side. The guy held an intensive glared ahead, beyond me. Then it lowered until it dropped on me, the glare was gone but the intensity remained.
"Watch where you're going", He growled in a low voice, and with that he turned and walked away.