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Chapter Text

 Cover art done by : bankruptdawg on twitter

Chapter Text

Kindergarten 

"Class i want to introduce you all to our newest student Bomb Orica, he'll be joining us the rest of the year" his teacher announced pushing bomb forward abit. " h-h-hello e-e-everyone" bomb said with a wave shrinking abit as the others laughed at his stutter. He took his seat his head down.

Later on the playground some of the other kids were teasing him  for the stuttering, this wasn't new to him people always teased him for his stutter thats why he left his last school. "Come on say something else"one boy  with curly pink hair prompted as the others egged him on. "Hey lay off him balloon!" A boy with bright orange hair said standing in front of bomb. "Come on oj! We're just having fun" balloon commented. "Lay. Off."oj insisted leading bomb away.  "Sorry bout balloon he's a jerk" oj told bomb as the two sat on the bench . "I-i-its o-o-okay i-i-im u-u-used t-t-to p-p-people l-l-laughing a-at me" bomb chuckled rubbing the back of his head. The two of them became inseparable after that day, bomb thought the world of oj.

middle school

By the time they were in 5th grade their duo expanded with pickle,taco and knife. Bomb didnt mind their group worked well for them, he felt included and happy. 

7th grade paper joined their group and a slow shift started, paper and knife dated for a few months before a messy breakup.  Knife started changing after that he got into fights picked on this one girl named marshmallow alot. Most of the group distanced themselves from him minus pickle 

9th grade started and knife apologized to them, turned out some bad things happened during the two years in his home life. Bomb and pickle forgave him while oj and paper kept their distance. That was the year he noticed a shift in oj, lingering glances at paper, easily flustard. Bomb stayed quiet about it after all oj was still his best friend ! Nothing could change that. 

Or..at least thats what he thought then oj started  canceling on their hangouts to spend time with paper.  And Bomb realized that..he wasn't as important to oj anymore, they were still friends but oj's main priority became paper. He still had knife pickle and taco- oh taco and pickle broke up and she no longer spoke to them. 

10th grade

The new satious que was a struggle for awhile especially after they all started at inanimate academy, paper and oj started dating and knife and pickle were closer to each other than with bomb. The biggest surprise was when balloon apologized to him for his past actions, apparently he started therapy and realized he took alot of bottled up angry out on others. 

Bomb shared a dorm with oj and paper , it was nice but also awkward seeing them being so lovey dovey together.  After awhile paper must have noticed his distance and started hanging out with bomb when oj was at work or student council meetings. It was nice..it finally felt like bomb had someone to talk to again. Eventually bomb admitted to paper about his feelings over..everything oj ditching him to spend time with paper and how with the group splitting the way it did he felt alone. Paper apologized even though bomb insisted paper didnt do anything wrong.  Oj talked to him the next day and apologized, he didnt realize how his actions hurt bomb and promised to not cancel on him as much.

Things got better! And then...11th grade started

Chapter Text

July 21-  3 weeks before school

Bomb was tending to his mother's garden as she was on the phone with someone. "How did I get so lucky with you? " She asked ruffling his hair before helping him weed the garden "who was that on the phone ?" He asked taking off his gardening gloves. "Just your aunt  she'll be stopping by in a abit , actually could you make us some tea? " she asked. Bomb nodded and headed inside to the kitchen. His mother dynamite and aunt firework installed the love of gardening and making homemade things with the things he grew to the point where he surpassed even their skills.  He grabbed some ginger thinly slicing it before added it to a pot with slices of lemon and fresh mint before letting it steep, the result was a calming ginger tea that he knew his mother and aunt both enjoyed. He grabbed some scones his mother bought from the local bakery yesterday and set them on the table. "Thank you sweetheart your aunt just pulled in will you go help her she has some stuff to bring in" his mother asked following behind him with a knowing smile. He noticed his aunt was in a new car then her usual white sedan, this car was a black convertible with a red stripe down the side. "I-I d d didnt k know y y you w w were l looking a at cars a auntie?" Bomb said surprised helping her out of it. "It's not my car sweetheart" she told him making him confused "happy early birthday! We wanted to give this to you before you start school! "His mother announced. He hugged them both tightly ecstatic.

People found Bomb odd, from his stutter to the way he acted. He on the outside looked like a typical jock, and he did enjoy sports he was on a football team since he was 10 but he preferred his other hobbies. Nobody would guess when first meeting him that he enjoyed gardening and it led to some teasing. He grew to ignore it though he enjoyed planting flowers, herbs and vegetables or fruit. He especially enjoyed using the things he grew in homemade goods, he often gifted his treats to his friends especially oj and paper. He's come to work on things they'd enjoy and can eat safey , mostly paper who had a bad allergy to dairy and tree nuts so he worked with special recipes that would taste delicious and be safe for him. Oj funnily enough enjoyed citrus flavored things so Bomb often made him orange cookies or the occasional lemon pound cake.  They were his closet friends so he never had a problem doing it, he likes seeing them happy.

group chat-juice man , papes, the bomb

Juice man - my dad ensured us three will share a dorm this year!

the bomb- good job rich boy 

papes- be sure to thank your dad for looking out for us lowly peasants 

Juice man - paper!  whos side are you on?!

papes: the side of the person who i didnt need to explain what store branded food was too

the bomb -don't worry paper the rich boy shall never understand us middle class people struggles, Btw ima stop by with some of those brownies you like my mom and me made extra

papes- yess!!

 juice man- on my way over!

Yeah bomb didnt mind making his friends things especially when it's made them this happy.

Chapter Text

first day 

Bomb pulled into the school dorms parking lot, he had already knew he wouldnt go to orientation there was no real need. He was going to get his dorm key when he bumped into balloon almost knocking him over "S s sorry b b balloon d didnt s see  y you" . Balloon smiled after getting his footing "it's all good bomb should've watched where I was going" it was weird how cordial the two were now compared to when they were young. Bomb didn't mind balloon now in fact they were rather friendly to each other however " Balloon hurry up! I wanna get to the dorm!" Nickel on the other hand. Bomb didnt like nickel much, while balloon worked on bettering himself after being a jerk when they were younger nickel did not. Balloon jut smiled at bomb and followed nickel, he didnt know why balloon was into nickel but to each their own. 

Finally Bomb made it into his dorm and started his unpacking in middle room, he made sure to pack his succulents and flowers, while he couldnt have a garden in the school he kept some potted plants in his dorm for that feeling of home. He also had this smooth oval rock he painted on with different colored stars each one with his friends favorite color. orange for oj , white for paper, Grey for knife, dark green for pickle , lime green for taco, purple for mic and pink for soap. Mic and soap got included in their group last year due to mic being knife's younger sister and two girls starting a relationship with taco over the summer. He enjoyed having something that reminded him of his friends close, most wouldn't assume it from him but bomb was sentimental and liked having his friends close.

he heard paper and oj come in  laughing and felt his chest tighten abit but ignored it and joined the two and helped them unpack the groceries they brought.  "R rich b b boy d does h his o o own s shopping?"he teased oj as oj organized the cabinets. "Oh quiet" oj sighed tiredly as the three laughed. His phone dinged with a message from his groupchat with knife,pickle , taco , mic and soap .

the morons 

sharp guy: got pizza and soda in my dorm 

green gamer: omw 

loud and proud: can I bring my roommate?

Sharp guy:  is she annoying?

Neat and tidy: no more annoying than any of you

the brit: that is a very low bar

Sharp guy: finee

"I im heading t to k knife's d dorm for pizza" bomb told the two "sounds good i think me and paper will go to that diner downtown for dinner tonight" oj informed. Bomb left feeling that familer tighten in his chest what was wrong with him?  At knife's dorm everything was fine at first,  they ate and Bomb met suitcase who was mic's roommate, then nickel told baseball suitcase was there (the fuckin snitch) and baseball came out angry pulling the poor girl away from their group. The poor girl looked so confused as knife and baseball got in a argument, Bomb tried to step in to calm the two but baseball shut him up. Mic , taco and soap left with suitcase and bomb left shortly after going back to his dorm.  Oj and paper seemed to still be out making bomb abit sad. He didnt know why he kept having these feelings, he knew oj and paper were together so he shouldn't have this weird jealousy when they were affectionate together. Bomb knew better, he wouldn't do anything to come between his friends and these feelings will go away soon enough

Right?