Chapter Text
There are never really any new kids in Hurricane. Or new people in general. The place is a small, static town despite its respective gem, and it's the size where the people who live in it all somehow know eachother in some aort of way, no matter how distantly.
Which is why it certainly piques Tony's interest when Mr. Hanks cuts their Science class short (the first class of the day) to introduce a new student.
"This is Gregory." Mr. Hanks says, the new kid glowering at the classroom beside him. "Hes new to our school, and to town in general. So let's give him a warm welcome, yeah?"
Tony doesnt know what Mr. Hanks was expecting, because of course all the class does is either offer a mumbled, half-hearted greeting or nothing at all. Tony is silent as well, but not for the sake of not caring. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
The new kid is short, probably the shortest Tony has ever seen a kid his age, and he has straight chocolate brown hair that falls over his eyes like a curtain if he tilts his head down far enough. He's wearing a thin looking blue T-Shirt and shorts, courtesy of the heat of August, and has a tight grip on the straps of his backpack as he stares the place down.
Tony must have made his staring too obvious, because the new kid turns his pointed look towards Tony and catches his eyes. Big, wide eyes that are a rare shade of brown Tony's never seen before on anyone hes met.
Tony looks away quickly, feeling embarrassment shoot through his chest at being caught. He doesnt look back to see if the new kid is still looking at him, he just fiddles with the sleeve of his jacket and ignores whatever Mr. Hanks says next.
It must have been a dismissal, because before he knows it, the new kid is making in-between Tony's desk and another to one of the empty seats in the classroom.
He chooses a desk by the window, around the front left corner of the classroom. Only a desk or two in front of Tony's own.
Tony can feel Ellis' stare in the back of his head. He knows his friend is guessing that he's curious; and he'd be right. He can't help it when his eyes follow the new kid as he sets down his backpack on the behind of his chair, and a Pizzaplex band Glamrock Freddy keychain flops out and dangles a few inches below.
Mr. Hanks starts the class, and everyone immediately drops the slight change in routine to numbingly open their books. Tony doesn't, though. Even though he's never minded school and has pretty good grades. He just hears Mr. Hanks voice, not catching a word, and his eyes keep being drawn to the new kids blue shirt and spiky hair across the classroom.
And to the Glamrock Freddy keychain attatched to his backpack.
"Tony?" Mr. Hanks' addressing suddenly rips Tony back into reality so harsh its jarring. He stares wide eyed at the front of the classroom and sees Mr. Hanks with his hands on his hips. "I do hope you're planning on coming back down to earth and opening your book to page thirty-two with us."
Embarrassment burns his ears as he mutters a quick apology and scrambles for his book. Some kids chuckle slightly behind him, but all Tony notices is how he can see the new kid twisted in his seat to look at him.
He doesnt look back. So he doesn't know what kind of look it was. The new kid turns back, and that's that.
Mr. Hanks continues the lesson without a hunch, and Tony tries his best to listen for the next while and manages to pretty well. But when class is over and Ellis walks over to his desk to talk to him, Tony cant help but watch the new kid as he leaves the classroom, not sparing anyone a glance, and wondering if he'll share any more classes with him.
Later, at lunch, is the only time Tony sees the new kid again.
It's hard enough to hear Ellis over the intense chatter of the cafeteria, but it's extra difficult when Tony catches a glimpse of tan skin and a bright blue shirt and recognizes the new kid across the cafeteria.
Ellis' words go unheard as Tony stops picking at his food with his cheap plastic fork to glance up through his short bangs. He watches as the new kid stands still, looking around the cafeteria with a tray in his hand, looking lost, just past Ellis' shoulder.
It doesn't take long for Ellis to notice his lack of attention. Even through the noise, Tony can hear how Ellis snaps his fingers at him. He jerks, and looks back to see Ellis' upset face.
"Uh, hello?" He asks. "Were you even listening to me, dude?"
Tony winces, fidgeting with his fork. "Sorry, man." Tony says genuinely. "I just..." He nods his head, subtly gesturing to behind Ellis. His friend turns around not-so subtly, and Tony says, "I just... dont you notice how the new kid looks kinda lost?"
Ellis turns back towards Tony, setting his elbows on the table and sighing a bit. "Of course I didnt notice." Ellis says. "He was behind me, first of all. But second of all, I dont people watch like you do, dude."
Tony frowns, looking away from his friend and over a few inches back to the new kid, who hasnt moved from his spot in the middle of the cafeteria this whole time. Tony doesn't people watch. Usually, others who people watch are judging of the people they're watching. Tony doesnt judge. He just watches.
Tony isnt... not in a weird way, but he likes to watch people. To look at someone he knows nothing about and decipher the little things. Pick up mannerisms that nobody else thinks of twice. Imagine what their life is like.
He likes to do that. To try to solve unanswered questions. Or put a reasoning to something. He's curious by nature, and with the beginning of a new school year and middle school in general, even with a lot of his old classmates crossing over, he had been planning on looking for some fresh faces.
He got his wish, he cant help but think. Someone who isnt from Hurricane, in fact. He cant think of anybody he knows now who fits that bill.
Tony knows Ellis had said something else while he kept looking at the new kid, but he doesn't ask what it was. He just gets up without a word, ignores the chewed skin on his bottom lip, and makes his way through the maze of tables.
The new kid is turned around by the time Tony gets to him, and he suddenly feels self conscious, which is weird, because Tony never really cares when he goes up to someone new. But this feels different when he taps the new kid on the shoulder.
Now being up close to him Tony realizes really how short this guy is. The new kid turns around, and at first is staring at Tony's neck before he tilts his head up to look at his face.
His shoes are Glamrock Freddy themed as well, Tony notices, and he has some really low quality looking pulled pork on his tray and a carton of chocolate milk. Tonys view from his desk in the classroom earlier didnt do how huge the guys eyes are justice.
They scrutinize him, the amber color jarring him, and Tony startles, realizing Gregory the new kid is waiting for him to speak.
He clears his throat a bit, and does a dumb little wave. "Hi." Tony smiles, keeping eye contact, and the new kid looks back as well, but not unkindly, just... curious. "I uh, dont take this the wrong way, but I noticed you kind of look like you have nowhere to go."
The new kid finally turns his body to be face to face with Tony comfortably. "New school." Gregory says, smiling for the first time. "Kinda lost, I think."
Tony laughs, because that's exactly what he'd said to Ellis. Feeling a little less unsure, he jerks a thumb behind him, where no doubt Ellis is watching the exchange go down. "Well, since it's a new school and all, why dont you come sit with us?" Tony asks. "Its just me and my friend Ellis over there."
The new kid doesnt say anything for a moment, but before Tony can get too nervous he smiles again. "Sure." He nods. "Lead the way uh... Tony?"
Tony begins to walk, but feels his ears redden when he realizes the new kid knows his name because of his little daydreaming moment in class earlier. "Yeah." He says. "Gregory, right?"
"Yeah." Gregory says behind him. "Wanna ask your friend to keep the game going?"
Tony laughs, and sits in his usual spot when they reach the table. "Hey," He starts, voice pitched upwards in a question. "Ellis?"
"Yeah?" Ellis asks, and Tony eyes Gregory when laughs at that, a high pitched sound. Tony can see a grin on his face as he flops down, setting his backpack in the seat over.
"Gregory here is gonna sit with us." Tony says after grinning along with him, gesturing to Gregory. Ellis eyes him, but not in a mean way. "New school, no people he knows."
Ellis scrutinizes the guy for a moment, before just shrugging and continuing to work at his sandwich. "Fine by me." He says, before smiling at Gregory. "We like meeting new people. I always think that strangers are friends you havent met."
Gregory smiles back, unpacking his lunch. "So what's your name?"
"Ellis." He says, taking another huge bite from his sandwich. He wipes at his mouth and swallows, before, "And that's Tony. The two of us are somewhat of a dynamic duo."
Tony rolls his eyes fondly at the old name his friend dubbed them in elementary school. Ellis always does that. Trying to find dumb names to call him.
Gregory opens his mouth to say something, but Tony see's his eyes dart towards something below him, and then he's bending down a bit and going "Hey!" He exclaims. "Is that a Bonnie keychain?"
Tony startles, and looks where Gregory is pointing to see the Glamrock Bonnie keychain he has hanging from his backpack. "Yeah." He grins. "And you have a Glamrock Freddy one, right? I saw in Science class."
Gregory nods, a wide smile on his face that shows all his teeth. "Yeah. He's my favorite." He brings up his own backpack to compare. "Hey, they're even from the same set!"
Tony looks at his own keychain to see that he's right. Their Bonnie and Freddy keychains are from the same pair, some sort of friendship thing where you're supposed to win the prizes individually and pass them out. All the glamrocks have them, but Freddy and Bonnie's specifically are based around a promotional image featuring only the two of them. "Yeah." Tony says. "That's a big coincidence."
"Its cool." Gregory points out, and then he's taking a bite out of a big spoonful of crappy pulled pork from the school cafeteria and asking Ellis, "So do you have a favorite character?"
Ellis immediately grins as bright as the sun and launches into how big of a fan he is of Monty. His friend has always been a big fan of the Pizzaplex, so it's no suprise he and Gregory hit it off as well as they do when they get to talking.
Tony likes to think he hits it off well with Gregory himself. He's never gotten along so well with someone as new as Gregory before, so it's unsurprising when after lunch ends, they promise to sit together again at lunch tomorrow.
Tony goes throughout the rest of the school day not seeing Gregory again at all, and after saying goodbye to Ellis and making it home to his little run down house with his Mom and Grandma, he can't help but think about the new guy in town.