Chapter Text
Smiling maliciously, Geoff wipes the blood off his cheek with the already stained sleeve of his black leather jacket. He only succeeds in smearing the dark crimson, leaving brutal streaks across his tanned skin. Licking his lips to rid them of their red metallic coating, he takes another step towards his stumbling opponent, his merciless grin only widening.
The quarterback in front of him looks ready to run, panicked eyes scanning the student body surrounding them and looking for an escape. Every time Geoff makes to move towards him, the bumbling idiot struggles to do the opposite, taking a cowardly step backwards into the roaring crowd behind him, only to be forced towards the center of the circle again every time.
The horde of students around them feels massive, like a giant, quivering wave. Their arena suddenly morphs into a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, the dull concrete under his feet crumbling into tiny grains of grey sand and the raging swarm of kids surrounding them is now the foaming tide, roughly shoving them back to shore if they stray near the angry waters.
The mirage he’s created only helps him focus, imagining the ground giving way under his feet as he shuffles closer to his enemy. The weakened football player trembles and the hands keeping him in the ring change to restless waves, pounding on his back and keeping him on land. Geoff sneers at Bruce’s frightened expression and he can't resist taunting.
"Jesus, I'm so fucking forgetful today. What was it you called me earlier?" Geoff asks, feigning innocence. Grabbing the jock by the collar of his letterman, he yanks the pathetic excuse of a threat to his feet, relishing in the tiny whimper that breaks past his busted lip and the gang leader smirks wider. With his free hand, Geoff gently slaps Bruce's cheek, enjoying the way he flinches under the light touch and he gives a breathy laugh, one that doesn't at all fit the circumstances.
He's perfectly aware of how smug he must look, but then again, he has every right to be. With the school's most valued player shaking beneath him, cowering like a dog, Geoff can practically feel his ego growing.
His grip still tight on the front of Bruce's coat, Geoff shoves the jock into the mass of teenagers, pleased when they part like the Red Sea in his presence. They only have to move a few feet before Bruce's back meets the stone wall, his head hitting the brick with a sickening thunk that makes several onlookers wince and Bruce himself moans, but for the most part, Geoff ignores it.
"Hey, hey, come on, don't pass out on me just yet." He coos, grabbing the quarterback's jaw and roughly forcing him to make eye contact, glaring until he looks up to meet his dark, smoldering gaze, body still trembling with embarrassment and shame, maybe just a little bit of fear. And Geoff feels powerful this way, knowing he can bring someone so strong to the breaking point and watch as they crumble to a frail shell of their former selves.
His knuckles press into the hollow of Bruce’s throat, threatening to crush his airway every time he struggles to break free or defy him.
“G-geoff, please! I-i didn’t-,” Bruce tries to say, voice cracking around the words as he tries to beg for release, willing to grovel for his freedom, but with the slight press of his thumb against the teen’s frail windpipe, he’s sent sputtering and struggling for breath.
He hushes Bruce in a soothing manner, one used for startled children and distressed newborns and when Geoff compares the two, he can’t spot any differences. Tears are pooling at the corners of the boy’s murky green eyes, resembling the sludge at the bottom of a filthy pool or the grimy moss on a pond stone. His nose is running like a leaky faucet, a gross combination of mucus and blood as it clings to his chin, threatening to drip. Geoff wonders if Bruce is actually too scared to clean the mess off his ugly mug and just knowing the football star, Bruce Greene, is too fucking terrified to wipe the snot off his face is one of the funniest things he’s ever seen.
Before he can make a snide remark about the player's new cowardly attitude, a shrill scream fills the air, the sharp, high pitch of a whistle. The crowd immediately dispersed, running like rats when revealed to the light and desperately searching for dark corners to hide in. It reminds him of the way a cue ball hits the rack, starting the game and setting everything in motion. This feels kinda like that, except everything is coming to a grinding stop instead.
"Geoff, release Mr. Greene this instant!" A familiar voice growls and just from the angered formality in his tone, Geoff knows it must be Joel.
With a exasperated sigh, he lets Bruce fall to a pile on the rough, grainy cement, watching with disinterest as Bruce scrambles to his feet and stumbles away, limping slightly. Geoff is still grinning when he feels a heavy hand on his shoulder and he doesn't need to look to know Joel is glaring at him disapprovingly. The teacher sighs and Geoff is seriously hoping he won’t have to suffer through another speech about how violence is never the answer, but the second he sees Mr. Heyman’s apologetic expression, Geoff groans, knowing he won’t be spared.
With a disgruntled grumble of his own, Joel takes his elbow and tugs him along, a routine they’ve had since he was a sophomore and long since gotten used to, knowing it probably wouldn't change until he had long since graduated.
Leading them down their usual hallway towards the attendance office, Geoff blurs out Joel’s recycled lecture about being a responsible student and tolerating others in favor of watching what little activity there is in the corridor because anything could be better than listening to Heyman’s futile attempt of converting him into that star student he’s hoping he’ll be. A dream he should have given up a long time ago, in his opinion.
There are very few people wandering the halls, which is a little strange considering there's usually at least a gaggle of girls walking around, their heels clicking on the linoleum. But there are only a few stranglers at their lockers, picking up books for their next classes early so they won't have to deal with the bustle of students. Aside from Joel's droning, Geoff can only hear the slam of locker doors and the squeak of sneakers, maybe a hushed conversation if he concentrates.
He's never liked the school like this, all quiet and empty, like it's been abandoned or something. Geoff would rather visit a haunted house than an abandoned school, honestly.
"You're not even paying attention, are you?" Joel sighs and he reluctantly ending his pointless rant.
Geoff looks up at him with fake sympathy, furrowing his eyebrows and accenting the metal spike in his right brow and unintentionally showing of the new monroe piercing decorating his lip, coupled with his two silver spider bites. He’s never really been ashamed of his piercings and has never seen a reason to be, so he wears them proudly. It’s safe to say he’s lost a few job opportunities because of them and his tattoos, but he’d rather be unemployed than have to change himself just to get some trash minimum wage job that only pays seven dollars an hour that he’ll probably only have for a week anyway.
That’s not to say he doesn't want other people’s opinions on them either, so when Joel sees the hopeful gleam in the troublemaker’s eyes, he groans, knowing the look all too well.
Geoff steps in before Joel can refuse his much appreciated criticism, breaking from his loose hold to walk backwards in front of him. It’s almost a second nature to him at this point, he’s done this so many times and without the fear of bumping into any walls or other students in the near empty hall.
“Don't give me that look, just tell me what you think," Geoff pleads, letting his bottom lip jut out in a slight pout.
Joel sighs heavily and stops, Geoff mirroring him and pausing as well. He leans forward a bit to inspect the new piercing and Geoff stays still, letting his friend/counselor get a look at the shiny bulb. After another second or two, Joel stands up straight again, appearing as though he’s deep in thought before he speaks again.
“I think whoever did the spider bites was more experienced, but it definitely looks good enough to prevent infection,” he muses, tilting his head to the side as if he were an expert in facial piercings.“ I still like the black one the best.”
The pierce he’s referring to was his first, a small metal spike through his eyebrow and he has to admit, it’s his favorite too. Maybe because it was his first real act of defiance against his deadbeat dad, the first time he’d blatantly gone against one of his orders. He can still remember the sharp pinch and the numbness that followed. It was almost like pricing yourself with a needle, but rather than jumping away from the pain, you sit still until it’s been pushed through the skin instead.
Geoff touches the piercing thoughtfully as he mulls over Joel’s commentary, gently pulling at it against his better judgement as he thinks.
“Now that I’ve offered my expertise, can we just go to the office and get you a detention slip or something?” Joel asks in a bland tone, looking tired and bored. “I really don’t need to get in trouble with Mr. Burns again, ok?” He sighs, rubbing his eyes.
Geoff noticeably perks up because Joel is the softest teacher in the school and to hear he actually got on Burnie’s bad side is an astonishment all it’s own. He picks up the pace when Joel starts walking again, fast, long strides towards the front office.
“You got in trouble? Really?” He asks with surprise, eyebrows raised high in disbelief. “Joel Heyman, Burnie Burns’ bitch, got in trouble?” Geoff grins, even though his sore jaw aches and protests against the action, though his dark eyes still manage to shine with mirth.
The cross, unamused look Joel gives him as a result is enough to make him laugh, loud and boisterous.
“You sound like a fucking walrus,” Joel grumbles, hugging a corner as the hall takes a sharp turn and Geoff has to jump out of the way to keep from running head first into the wall. He only smirks knowingly as he continues to trail behind his ‘authority figure’, each step taking them closer to Burnie’s office. Any other kid in his situation would be shaking in their sneakers, but Geoff’s visited Burns’ office so many times, he's long since gotten over the intimidation and fear the simple room once held for him.
"No need to be snippy." He teases, easily falling into step beside the man and ignoring his sour expression. Geoff playfully bumps shoulders with Joel, trying to break him from his cranky shell and lighten the mood a little before he stops beating around the bush entirely, too impatient to actually wait and let the suspense build.
“So, what did you do?” Geoff tries to sound casual, but his eager excitement is impossible to hide and his voice holds that sing-song tone to it.
With a sigh, Joel runs a hand through his disheveled hair, only making it messier in his attempt to tidy it up. Realizing he's not going to get too far in his endeavor, Joel stops and let's his gaze drop to the floor instead, the school's entire layout printed into the back of his skull and making it virtually impossible for him to crash into anything.
“I yelled at a student, alright?” He immediately looks away, ashamed.
Geoff just stares at Joel blankly for a seconds before his forehead creases and he groans, glaring at the teacher as if he’s been betrayed. “That’s all? Joel, teachers yell at students all the fucking time, it’s no big deal.”
Joel looked to Geoff as if he were insane, eyes wide and unbelieving before his face falls once again. He runs a hand over his face again and Geoff is starting to think it’s a habit.
“I didn’t yell at just anyone, Geoff.” Joel sighs, his eyes closed as they continued walking down the hall. “It was Jessica Whitewall.”
He noticeably winces and shakes his head sympathetically, though he gives the man a disapproving glare beforehand. Joel only groans louder.
“Dude, you yelled at the disabled kid?” He asks, sounding like a parent about to punish their child. “Why would you yell at the nice girl with down syndrome?” Geoff is really trying not to sound so much like a nanny, but just- really?
“I didn’t mean to!” The teacher intervenes and Geoff remains silent as Joel tries to defend himself. “It’s just that no one in first period was listening and I just got so frustrated and angry so I yelled.. And she was right in front of me.” He sighs again, another habit Joel seems to have picked up. “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, ok?”
Geoff doesn't say anything, paying attention to the tiles as they pass by.
“I guess she told her parents because Mr. Burns called me into his office to talk about my behavior..” Joel trails off and Geoff doesn't need anymore of an explanation. He’s had his fair share of proper etiquette meetings with the school’s psychologist and knows how it feels to get talked down to.
Joel stops abruptly and it’s not until now that he realizes they’ve arrived at Burnie’s office.
Geoff looks up at the once imposing plaque on the plain wooden door, the thin slit window he once feared as a freshman because of the punishment he might receive on the other side. Now he feels nothing, no fear or nervousness, just a bored, maybe numb sensation.
“Well, you know the drill by now.” Mr. Heyman mummers, staring at the principal’s name across the weathered wood with apprehension, like he’s the one about to enter the room instead of him.
“Yeah. See you next time?” Geoff asks, offering his fist and waiting expectantly for Joel to mimic the gesture. The teacher chuckles, but curls his fingers into a tight ball as well, bumping fists briefly and pushing his hands back into his pockets. “I’d rather there not be a next time at all, but yeah, I guess so.”
“Try not to yell at anymore school girls, ok?” Geoff calls over his shoulder, his hand already wrapped around the door’s metal handle as he smirks at Joel’s retreating figure. He only gets a single finger in response and laughs as he enters the familiar room, greeted by the familiar decor and the welcoming smell of old leather.
Mr. Burns sits in his usual seat on his side of the desk with the same stern, calculating glower as always and Geoff smiles. Just another day at school.