Ratbags and Scallywags [bxb]

Chapter 2

This was new, even for me.

As soon as the school bell rang, we put the plan in motion. Liam and Jude came with me to the op-shop to pick out some necessities. I went back to the mall alone to change while they went back to Jude's to pick up some other essential items. After school was always lively, and I was glad mum gave me two hours to hang at the mall with my friends. It was all the time I needed to make this work.

Now I was sitting on a bench seat, straightening out my clothes while passersby stared, smiled, or nodded acknowledgment. Sometimes a mixture of all.

I had on an oversized pair of cargo shorts held up by red suspenders, pulled over a loosely fitted yellow shirt. I wore green avocado socks pulled up to my knees and was currently strapping myself into thick brown roman sandals. The real kicker was the two-dollar off-brand jockeys I pulled over the top of my shorts, fitting snugger than a pair of budgie smugglers.

"Can't believe this is what I spent my monthly allowance on," I muttered, grinding my teeth at the fact. But then I felt an unexpected wave of positivity. I had it all planned out.

Today could only go horribly right.

"Got 'em!" Jude yelled from a few meters ahead, holding up and waving a half-filled plastic bag. Liam walked alongside him, towering above his head by a sizeable comparison, glued to his hip as usual.

My right shoe's buckle was a tighter fit than my left, pressing too tightly against my skin. Maybe my right foot was bigger or fatter. Was that a thing? Knowing my luck, I might be the only one in the world with this problem. I stood up and stomped the back of my heel against the ground, readjusting it before looking responding with an energetic wave.

"Hell yes!" I cheered, making my way over. I peered inside the bag, checking out its contents, then looked back up at them both, grinning. "Perfect."

We entered the closest men's bathroom and sat on the floor of the biggest cubicle. It had a wheelchair sign on it, which I think might've been why people kept knocking now and then. We kept telling them they needed to wait; we were too busy with our project at hand.

Jude worked tirelessly with hot the glue gun, fixing a pair of blades to each of my sandals. We used a portion of red wool to wrap it, wedging it between the wheels so the plates fixed more securely. It was a necessary precaution. I wasn't willing to risk my life over it so soon, not until the stakes were high enough to risk it. There was a bit of string leftover, hanging and dangling uselessly. With no scissors to cut it, I tucked it inside the metal and called it a day.

"There," I said, stretching out my leg to admire our handiwork.

Jude pursed his lips, looking concerned. "That string... we should find some scissors."

"It's fine," I said, gathering myself onto my knees and using the toilet to pull myself up. Both Jude and Liam helped me gain my balance. "This is perfect. There's no way Ikeisha can ignore this sick getup."

"Can you balance okay?" Liam asked, hovering his orange freckled hands in front of me while I gained my footing.

"And are you sure this is gonna work?" Jude asked, clutching my arm to keep me from rolling. "She's gonna notice you a lot more than Ben."

"As long as he looks good and I keep him within her line of vision, she'll notice him. He's not a bad looking guy," I said, feeling my stability collapse a little. "He's just a bit of a wanker is all. Not past the point of redemption."

There was a loud thump against the door, startling me and making me lose my balance. Both Liam and Jude caught me in time, helping me back upright. "Glad to know what you think of me, a-hole," Ben said, voice threaded with obvious irritation. "Hurry up, they'll be here any time soon."