Chapter Text
Sitting against a bathroom stall brimming with graffiti was Sal Fisher, and the reason he was there just so happened to be his bully, Travis Phillips.
“Don't you have some bullshit study to do with your friends?” Travis huffed with a shuddering voice from crying as he clung to his legs tighter. “I'm just saying there are better things to be doing than sitting here is all.” He said, nuzzling his face into his arms making his voice muffled. Sal snickered and leaned back into the stall, “If I went back and actually found out something about those sandwiches you liked what would happen?” Travis stood up and sat right on the other side of the stall just as Sal did, “I'll kill you if you tell me anything, don't ruin this for me.”
“Don't worry about that, I… won't.” Sal looked up, leaning his head to look up at the faulty light that flickered day in and out. He spread his hands on the floor for support, sliding one under the stall door.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think?”
“...”
“You'd better not tell your friends about this.” Travis mumbled with an unwavering ‘THUMP’ In his chest.
Travis slid his hand from outside the stall door, sliding his fingers between his. “...Your hands are very cold, I didn't expect you to be warm blooded anyway.” Sal joked, “Whatever.” Travis groaned softly trying to hide the smile in his voice. Though barely visible, still prominent.
“Hey, you wanna hang with Larry and stuff? Since, y'know, you don't really hate us and all.” Sal tightened his grip slightly hoping for the answer he wanted. “You saw the way Larry looked at me after I punched you. He hates me. So does Ash and that ginger too.” Travis sighed, though it wasn't what Sal wanted to hear, he was right.
“Well if not them then why not me?” Sal looked back knowing Travis wasn't really there to catch his eye. “I don't know Sally Face. I really don't.” Travis clung to his purple sweater and white dress shirt collar to his copper cross necklace, then to his bright blond hair. ‘What would my father think?’ Travis thought before pulling his hand away from Sal's in fear.
“I won't push you anymore, sorry Travis.”
“...”
“Ashley apartments, 4th floor, room 402. That's where you can find me if you ever end up changing your mind. I hope to see you there sometime. My cat Gizmo would like you, I'm sure of it.”
“...”
Sal left Travis in the bathroom but took the crumbled note next to the trash can, he wasn't usually this curious about this type of stuff but this time around he had to know. Just this once, he had to know.
“Dude where were you?? I was busy trying to distract the teacher but you were nowhere to be found.” Larry groaned, slicking his eyebrows back in annoyance. He then looked down at Sal and stared. “What is that in your hand? Did you get that from Mrs. Packerton's?” Larry pointed with a limp finger. “Nope.” Sal interrupted slightly. Larry looked down at Sal, stunned.
“Dude.”
“What?”
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“..No.”
“You took too long, what is it Sal? You never hide anything!? It has to be super important even if you don't want to share it.”
“It's nothing. Let's check in with Ash and Todd then-”“Not until you spit it out.” Larry squinted his eyes, his hands rustled in his pockets as his eyes clung to that ball of paper Sal held.” “Ugh, fine dude. But you won't like what I'm going to tell you.” Sal looked down in defeat before heading down to the science room. “I'll tell you with the others.”
“You'd never guess who's hiding something.” Larry snickered while leaning on a lab table. “Sal? No way.” Ash said in subtle disbelief. “...” Todd continued to analyze the bologna for any traces of human DNA. “So… I held hands with Travis and talked with him and maybe invited him over sometime.” Sal blurted, grabbing his pigtails with his elbows to his chest. His eye closed, waiting for some sort of bashing.
“Dude..”
“Oh sal..”
“...”
“I told you you weren't going to be happy with what I was going to say.” Sal sighed ,”I wasn’t trying to hold his hand! My back was sore from sitting on the floor so I leaned back on a stall and he grabbed my hand.” “But from what you’ve been saying it doesn’t seem like you pulled away.” Todd interrupted as he took thin, clear gloves off of his hands, “You don’t let anyone but Gizmo touch you.” Todd rolled his eyes before looking at Larry. “No comment man.” Larry raised both his hands in the air from his pockets.
“We don’t have anything against this… well maybe a little. He’s been such a jerk to you I mean I can hardly believe that he held your hand.” Ash pushed her hair behind her ear before walking over to Todd. “He said he didn’t hate us, he just has something going on is all.” Sal fixed his hair slightly, tightening his pigtails. “Not an excuse Sal.” Todd picked up his bookbag and handed Ash his notes on the math work. “I think it’s enough of an excuse.” Sal shrugged, grabbing the door to leave.
Travis stood at the end of the hallway, he looked over and waved. He didn’t smile but instead just looked over and waved. Sal smiled to himself and waved just as Travis did. “You really weren’t joking.” Ash said peering over Sal's shoulder “he really wasn’t.” Larry added. Todd leaned over to peek outside the door frame, his eyes were wide in shock. “Is that a clone or something? What did you do?” “Listened.” Sal elbowed Todd playfully.
The four of them went to their lockers to grab their stuff because they had spent practically the whole day snooping. “Todd, think you can hand over some science answers?” Larry fluttered his eye lashes while holding his face. “Just take them.” Todd groaned. “Sal, you got any ideas for my art project? I’m really stumped.” Ash muttered with her head leaning on her locker. “Maybe an album cover?” Sal threw his bookbag over his shoulder and closed his locker. “Hm, thanks.” Ash turned her head to smile, holding up a piece sign.
As they made their way home after school, Sal showed off the new levels he suddenly unlocked in that old game he found in the lost and found box to Larry. Todd went over the math notes he handed Ash earlier, and Larry brainstormed dad jokes to make Ash, Todd, and Sal cringe. After getting into the apartments they went their separate ways until tomorrow. Sal went up to his room and laid right next to Gizmo, petting his head. “I let other people touch me don’t I boy?” Sal murmured to Gizmo. Sal rolled onto his back and took off his prosthetic to lay his arm over his face.
“SAL!” Yelled his dad “This kid is here to see you.” He ended. “Travis?” Sal jumped up and put his prosthetic back on to greet Travis, he didn’t think he would come. “Change your mind?” Sal joked, holding the door open after his dad went back to his room. Travis rolled his eyes and walked in. Sal closed the door and walked to his room, “This is Gizmo, he’s my emotional support cat.” Sal sat next to Gizmo as he purred, Travis followed. “Pet him, he doesn’t bite if that’s what you’re worried about.” Sal snickered, “Alright.” Travis cupped his hand and left it in front of Gizmo’s nose to smell it. Gizmo licked his fingernail and stood to sit on his lap. “See? I told you he’d like you.” Sal leaned over to look at Travis, his face slightly red with a slight smile. “Never took you for a cat guy.” Sal commented as he looked over. Travis raised his hand to pet Gizmo, “My family prefers dogs but cats I don’t mind.”
“I see.” Sal stood up and turned on his tv, “Have a favorite movie? I borrowed a few dvd’s from ash so I might have one you like. They’re kinda cheesy but if horror is more your thing I can head down to Larry’s.” “I won’t be here for long so put on whatever.” Travis muttered, Gizmo licked his forearm and got comfortable. “You heard him Gizmo, don't get too comfortable.” Sal told Gizmo as he rummaged for a movie to watch. “What about this one Trav?” Sal walked over and flashed him an old dvd, “It’s some old romance movie Ash recommended to me, not usually what I go for but it has to be good if Ash said it was.”
“You can take your shoes off Trav. Get comfortable, even if you aren’t staying too long.” “Stop calling me that.” Travis scoffed, looking over at Sally with a squint in his eyes. “What?”
“Stop calling me ‘Trav’.”
“Right, sorry Travis.”
Sal went into the living room and grabbed a dvd player and a few wires to set it up leaving Travis to his room. ‘Why is his cat so big?’ Travis thought as he stroked Gizmo along his stripes. He felt slightly tense but not uncomfortable. Sal’s patience made Travis feel annoying and impatient. He didn’t want to say that he cared about how Sal saw him. “Had’a grab a few things. Need anything?” Sal walked over to his tv and hooked up a few cords and finally slid the dvd in to watch. “No.” Travis looked away, slightly more focused on the posters on his wall.”
The movie started but instead of your generic relationship of a boy and a girl, It was two men.
Travis didn’t ask Sal to take the disk out but instead he watched in horror. They didn’t kiss each other or hug, they didn’t even hold hands. They looked and longed for each other just to go their separate ways.
[“i’ll miss you man, really I will.”]
[“yeah, me too.”]
The man smiled softly at the comment, tracing the hem of his jacket. A faint wrinkle appeared next to his eye, then a tear. After his friend walked out of the room they stood in, he cried like the child he used to be. The child that was comforted by another just like him.
Travis teared up at a sudden thought he couldn’t bare, he quickly took his sleeve to clear up his eyes. Gizmo sat up to climb upon Travis’s shoulder to lick his tears. “Are you okay?” Sal previously sat on the floor in front of the tv but stood up to sit next to Travis. “I’m fine so don’t get any closer.” Sal leaned in to look at Travis’s face, his hand reaching out hesitantly. “Okay, Trav.”
“Travis.”
“Right.”
“I’ll turn the dvd off so don’t cry, please.”
“Whatever.” Travis looked over with his face flushed and his eyes slightly swollen, his sleeves blotched with wet spots.
“Guess the movie wasn’t as good as I thought huh?” Sal hummed trying to lighten the mood. “It’s not that. I, I don't know.” Travis curled up in an attempt to hide himself, Gizmo moved off of his lap and laid right next to him. “Whatever the reason, you don’t have to tell me.” Sal reassured him. “We can take a break from the movies, how about we just lay around?” Sal got up to turn the light off and walked back over to Travis, “My dad got me some stars to put on my ceiling when we first moved here.
He thought it would make me more comfortable living here I guess.” Sal sat right next to Travis and laid back, he looked at Travis’s bright hair then the stars on his ceiling. He patted the spot right next to him in hopes Travis would join him. “…” He laid back with his arms tense. His shoes were left on and his laces were left dangling off the floor ever so slightly. The apartment was so silent they could hear every breath one another took. Car lights from outside flooded in every once and a while.
Sal looked over at Travis silently but then opened his mouth to say something. “My prosthetic gets in the way of me laying down. I'm going to take it off but you have to promise not to look.” He unbuckled his mask before taking it off, he waited for Travis to agree or to answer. Travis stayed silent only crossing his arms across his chest. He looked over and stared. “…” Sal sat up and walked over to his dresser where his other masks hung above, taking off his mask to place down. He took down his pigtails and combed through his hair with his fingers. Sal looked over and Travis met Sal’s gaze with his. “I’m sure I look crazy enough with my prosthetic off then on.” Travis’s mind felt fuzzy, and nice. Just nice. Sal walked over and laid back down right next to Travis, he looked over and closed his eyes.
Travis kept his gaze on Sal, admiring his face though mangled. He didn't care.
“Sal, how did that movie make you feel?” Travis spoke up, breaking the loud silence as he shuffled to his side. Sal kept his eyes closed and moved to his side just as Travis did before answering. “Just as sad as it made you feel, I think. Thinking about it, it’s probably more tragic than romantic.” Sal opened his eye and looked Travis straight in the eyes. “Maybe I’ll ask Todd about how he feels about it, but for now I’ll think about it later.” Sal put his hand in the middle of them, and this time he wanted something to happen. Travis looked down at his hand, his eyes hopping nail to nail tracing that black polish all the way up back to his face. He then moved his hand over Sal’s. closing his eyes before doing so. Sal hummed with content, twisting his hand around to fully interlock their fingers.
“Why are you doing this, Sally face?” Travis asked hesitantly whilst tightening his grip on Sal’s hand. “I dunno.” Sal said with a soft, low voice. Travis looked at Sal once again and moved in closer. “You are such a weirdo.” Travis scoffed as Sal got slightly closer. “Whatever.” Sal muttered.
Both their eyes are closed and the room is filled with silence, it’s warm and dark with only the faint glow of the faux stars.
Travis shot up and checked the time, “I have to go.” He mumbled before fixing his hair. He didn’t bother to tie his shoes before standing up. “Hope you had fun Trav.” Sal sat up, his hair covering his face slightly before he went to fix it. Travis didn't bother correcting Sal after he kept saying his name like that. “Don’t get any ideas Sally face.” Travis responded with some sort of a smirk, Sal walked him out to the lobby and smiled.
“I’ll miss you, Trav.”
“Whatever.”
“Come over whenever okay? Gizmo will miss you if you don’t.”
“…”
Travis stayed silent but waved goodbye, his face prominent with faint traces of blush. Sal walked back to the elevator and clicked the button, as he waited for it to come back down he spotted Larry with his eyes wide. Sal walked back into the elevator and caught Larry’s gaze way too late.
“Ah shit.” Sal said in his lonesome after the doors long since closed.