𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕔𝕪 • 𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠 𝕩 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣

1. new friends in unsavoury places

((for plot purposes, you either have a clear phone case or none at all (°^° ) also yall have the funky old iphones with serial numbers on the back. you'll see why. just go with it <3))

•••

  You were never one to resort to violence so easily, or at least that's what you'd like to think. There was enough violence in the world, and spare acts of kindness every now and then would do it good, you think.

  However, you might just make an exception for Casey Jones, because if he scratches unnecessary slurs into your shared biology project one more time, no higher being would be able to save him. The last few times you pinched his ribs should have been warning enough.

  But Casey lacks self-preservation, so he keeps dragging his pen across the assignment, drawing a pickle-man with a top hat and monocle. Completely oblivious to your glaring.

  "Quit doing that," you say finally.

  "C'mon, admit it; this boring project would be lifeless  without my talent."

  "You know what else it would be? Passable. Your talent is getting us an F, Casey. Your talent is tearing this family apart. With an F."

  "F for fabulous," he grins, and you would punch him, you really would, but you figure he's lost enough teeth that way.

  "I will milk your eyeballs, Jones."

  "Ooh, that's a good one; wait let me write it down-" and he writes it smack in the corner of your lab report.

  You crumple the whole thing into a ball, and shove it in his mouth. "Go get a new sheet from the teacher, you doofus."

  "Yes commander." he salutes cheekily, and stalks to the front dutifully. You vaguely hear him mutter 'hehe sheet', and find yourself questioning your friendship, not for the first time.

  At least he makes a good meat shield, you think, watching him smile shamelessly as the teacher reprimands him. Poor kid's got a raging gremlin in his skull where his brain should be, and a heart not quite gold, but good nonetheless.

  And when he actually helps best he can the second time round with the report, tongue stuck out in concentration, you feel grateful for his efforts.

  Although answers that were actually correct would have been more appreciated.

•••

  "What do you mean, you can't watch me skate today?" Casey whines.

  "Sorry, but we've talked about this, Case."

  "Yeah, yeah, Fridays are your off days, because you spend unreasonable hours at the library, like a nerd."

  You bonk him over the head with a stack of textbooks. "'Unreasonable', huh? Big word; you finally discover what a dictionary is?"

  "Oh shut up! I can be plenty smart too!"

  You stare at him, pointedly. He sags.

  "..yeah, fine, just a bit smart.. sometimes."

  "You traded your smarts for hockey skills, unfortunately."

  "It was a good trade." he grins, and starts off towards the ice rink. "See ya tomorrow, melonhead!"

  "Back at you, ratface!" you say, and somewhere in an underground sewer home, an elderly sensei is sneezing. Not that you would know.

  In fact, you're completely absorbed in reading your obscure books and meager tasks at the library, to the point that you fail to acknowledge the time at all.