Three Cheers for Sweethearts [Frerard AU]

PART I: Chapter 3

                  

CHAPTER 3 – BULLIES IN THE BRONX

Third period went by slowly enough. I didn't know anyone in my AP Language class, and none of them really cared to get to know me. Not that that was a bad thing; the less I had to deal with people the better, in my book. Fourth period Algebra wasn't much more exciting.

The lunch bell rang, and we all sprinted to the cafeteria. I headed to the lunch line, but as usual, they were out of chocolate chocolate chip cookies by the time I got up there.

I selected a bowl of stringy spaghetti and three packages of garlic sauce to (hopefully) mask the tasteless noodles with some kind of flavor, and took my usual seat across from Ray and Mikey.

We didn't talk much - we never do - but something caught our attention. It was a flying sandwich.

The three of us followed it with our eyes as it sailed majestically over our heads, towards a kid sitting on the floor, and eventually slapping him gracefully in the face before landing on his shoulder.

The kid who was hit rubbed the crumbs off his face and plucked the pathetic-looking, wilted sandwich off the scorpion tattoo he had on his neck. I recognized it.

Frank looked up to see who had thrown it, only succeeding in making eye contact with me. I just shook my head grimly, like don't try, there's nothing you can do. That sandwich confirmed my suspicions – Frank wasn't going to have a good first day, either. It's how things worked here, I guess.

Everyone in the room could hear the snorts of laughter and the smacked high fives from Hunter's table. Ray and I exchanged a glance – a concerned one, a curious one: should we do something? Warn Frank, maybe? Talk to him? – but we stayed wordless. It really wasn't our place to interfere, and we knew it.