Work Text:
Lunch time at the human school always reminded Luz of TV shows about wild animals, where they show weak individuals drink and eat last, scavengers take food from others, and outsiders eat separately, as if they were recently attacked by a skunk. It's the same here. Bullies take away food, throw it at elementary school students, and glamorous girls who have just learned to use their mother's make up, snort contemptuously at anyone who just wanted to sit down at their table to have a quiet lunch.
“A real jungle,” sighs Luz, unpacking the lunch, carefully collected by mom and Amity. And although from Amity there are only hearts carved from apples, Luz still can't restrain herself from a loving "awww~".
This lunch is going to be special, Luz knows that. Not every day four exchange students come to your school at once, in the middle of the year, such an event will not pass by everyone. The jungle will have to meet newcomers according to all its laws, and Luz is looking forward to delightful scenes, because newcomers are not quite ordinary.
Six months ago, when they first arrived in the human world, Luz didn't want to go back to school. She had other worries, other things to do, she had to look for a new portal, new information, at least something to send a message or get it, and the thought of having to sit at a desk and listen to boring lectures on human history terrified her. Only a conversation with her mother helped, who convinced Luz that she would have to go to school at least in order to avoid the appearance of guardianship officers on their doorstep, who would definitely be interested in where four more teenagers were from in the house. Luz had to put up with it, but, fortunately, her friends expressed a desire to do the same. For the sake of knowledge or simple interest — Luz still hasn't understood, but she doesn't care. It took six months to teach everyone basic knowledge, find suitable gems for disguise and forge several documents. Camila, of course, was worried about the legality of the whole idea, to which Luz waved off with the words "it's not the first time I've broken the law," which caused even more concern from her mother, and understanding giggles from friends.
And today that day has come. Amity and Willow were assigned to her class, but asked to stay in class for a while to get recommendations, Gus turned out to be a grade lower (they had to lie in the documents that he was a year older than he really was), and Hunter got into a higher class, a real menagerie. Luz worries about him the most, although she knows that he can protect himself, at least physically.
Gus runs into the cafeteria first, and Luz has to wave her hand at him, attracting attention so that he doesn't accidentally bump into someone and get into trouble on the first day. Gus's eyes are sparkling, and Luz knows that if it weren't for the illusion, the tips of his ears would probably be trembling in ecstasy from what is happening.
“Well, how do you like the first classes?” Luz asks as Gus sits down across from her and pulls out a lunch box with a cute fat cat painted on it. He chose it himself in the store, and Luz already understands that he will have to fight for this box someday. Teenagers are assholes, and they can try to attack for something like this.
"Nothing exploded and no one fell out of the window," Gus shrugs, pulling out a sandwich. “I think you can call it a success.”
Luz giggles. Well, compared to Hexside, an ordinary school could boast at least the absence of danger of injury during lessons.
They talk about the teachers for another minute, and in the middle of Gus's words about the strange biology teacher, Luz notices Amily and Willow looking for them. She waves at them, and they go to their table with smiles, but immediately run into a couple of other girls who stop them three steps from the goal.
“Why don't you sit with us?” Says one of them, and Luz immediately remembers Boscha — the same vile tone and the same snide smile. “To talk with the freaks on the first day is a blow to your future reputation.”
Luz stretches her lips in a grin, catching Amity's uncomprehending look, and spreads her hands, shrugging her shoulders, as if saying, "what was I talking about, they don't like me here."
“Thanks for the offer," Amity says venomously, sidestepping the obstacle, "but I'd rather sit next to my girlfriend and my friend. Willow, if you want…”
“Oh, Titan, of course not," Willow says a little less venomously, but a little more contemptuously, and Luz thinks that she hangs out with Hunter too much: this was clearly his tone.
They walk to the table under the complete silence of the other girls, and Luz barely holds on so as not to hug Amity as tight as she could and tell her a thousand times about what a cool and generally wonderful girl she is. She tells her when they get home.
"As Bosha would say, you just destroyed your social life," Willow laughs, sitting down next to Gus, and Amity rolls her eyes, taking out a pink lunch box, where Luz also managed to put some apple hearts. Amity almost purrs with the desire to kiss Luz here and now, but decides to wait until home.
Hunter appears the very last, in the company of the guys from his class, and Luz thinks that he will sit down with them now, which will be understandable, but Hunter goes to their table, and Willow's smile shows that she will be happy to have him as a company.
Only now the company with which Hunter came to the cafeteria is clearly against his neighborhood with friends.
“Dude, are you completely crazy, hanging out with these suckers?” says one of the guys, unceremoniously pointing his finger at Gus, who doesn't even pay attention to him: Gus has delicious food and a new human drink in his hands, which he hasn't tried yet, and he doesn't give a damn about any reproaches. “Do you want to become an outcast on the first day? Come on, it's more cool to sit with us.”
Hunter puts his backpack on the seat next to Amity and calmly sits down next to Willow, and then that same Golden Guardian smile creeps onto his face —snide and obnoxious, infinitely loved and hated by his friends.
“I'm sorry, dude, but since my friend, um, as you said, “this sucker” is much smarter and more interesting than you, then it's not my problem that I chose him.”
Luz and Amity simultaneously give out a long "uh-uh-uh-uh~", and Gus, who still has heard about everything, beats off Hunter's outstretched fist. The guy who started it all turns red and green at the same time, because friends behind his back start laughing.
"Oh, please," he barks, clenching his fists. “I heard that you are adopted in the Noceda family, did your parents had enough of you and gave you to the family of this freak?”
It was partly true: Hunter, as the only one without a surname, was actually written in the documents that he was Noceda, which Luz was infinitely glad about, and Hunter did not know how to treat it, although deep down he was infinitely grateful that now he had at least some kind of family. And he couldn't allow this family to be insulted by some jerk.
But, Luz and Camilla strongly asked him not to break anyone's arms, legs and other body parts.
So Hunter smiles again, this time even nastier and sweeter than the last time, and Luz, seeing this smile, anticipates something beautiful.
“My parents rejected me, but imagine how difficult it is for your parents to tolerate you, since you are such a jerk. Look, the moment is not far off when they will give you away somewhere.”
Luz laughs louder than she should.
This is definitely the best lunch she's ever had at school, even if it's destined to end with a challenge to a fight after school, which they certainly won't come to because there are more important things to do, and because they don't want to hurt anyone.
But Luz knows that someday someone will run into them. Definitely. And then their main task will be to take Willow home as soon as possible: she can (and will) break someone's face, especially under Hunter's cheers.