Encryption ➵ Sally face

The Bad Batch

[Time skip 5 Months]

Irritably I sat in Packerton's class eyeing the few mundane decorations on the walls trying to get at least one feasible answer to the test in my head, though nothing could seem to come to mind.

Math was most definitely not one of my strong suits unlike Sal who sat just to the right of me, his blue eyes shut behind his mask as he had already turned in his test within about fifteen minutes of getting it.

Sighing I turned back to the bleak paper, writing down something that was most-likely far from the right answer just as Mrs.Packterton's voice broke the silence of the room.

"Mr.Fisher?" I looked up to see her eyes directed at Sal as he continued to sleep. Holding back a laugh I nudged him gently before he shot up, his blue hair flying in all directions.

"Huh, w-what is it Liz?" His groggy voice made me chuckle as I nodded in Packerton's direction before turning back to face my paper. Only to be met with Travis eyeing me down from the seat directly in front of me.

"Can I help you?" My voice came out as an irritated whisper to the blonde as Sal explained that he had simply dozed off to Packerton.

Scoffing the boy turned back around, glancing back to me and mumbling occasionally as I finished the nearly-impossible test.

Just as I had gotten up to turn in the sheet riddled with wrong answers, the ear-piercing bell rung - causing the small class of ours to hurry out the door in time for lunch - which for today thankfully wasn't bologna day.

Walking back and grabbing the few things I had brought to class with me, I hurried to meet Sal at the door, Travis following not far behind us as we exited to the hall.

"Hey bitch what makes you think you can talk to me like that?" Travis' voice rang out from behind us as I groaned. Assuming he was pissed off over what I said to him in class, Sal and I both turned to him.

"Travis take the stick out of your ass and enjoy yourself for once and stop fucking with other people please," Sal sighed irritably as he grabbed my hand, which only seemed to piss the blonde off more.

"Fuck off freak I wasn't talking to you, I'm talking to your bitch of a girlfriend," A small smirk grew on his face as I rolled my eyes.

"Wow Travis, you kiss your daddy with that tongue?" a quick smirk came to my face only to quickly fade.

Suddenly I regretted my words as his eyes became laced with anger. Just as he had begun to charge directly at the two of us, my eyes snapped shut before something slammed into me and I was knocked to the ground.

Shaking my head I opened my eyes to see Travis already running half way down the hall and Sal holding his cheek running over to me.

"Liz I-I'm so sorry are you okay! I didn't mean to shove you so hard,"

Smiling a bit I nodded as he helped me up with his free hand, Ash and Larry turning the corner that Travis had just run off into.

"I'm fine... I'm fine, what happened between you two though?" Bending back down I grabbed my backpack and turned to the boy, his hand still holding his cheek.

"He looked like he was going to try to hit you... So I just.. I shoved you out of the way, better me getting hurt then you," he shrugged nonchalantly, examining my face for any injuries just as I moved his hand - doing just the same.

"Sal honey, you're bleeding," guilt began to wash over me as I ran my hand along his jawline, a bit of blood trailing onto my finger just as I pulled my hand away.

"Hey guys - Woah, Sal what happened?" Larry looked to the two of us worriedly as I rolled my eyes before I began rifling through my bag for something to help Sal's jaw.

"Take a wild guess," Sal scoffed. Turning to him I gently began to dab his jaw with my sleeve, a few drops of blood darkening the already black fabric.

"Travis again? I swear to god I'm gonna kill him-" Larry's voice filled with anger before Sal shook his head.

"Don't worry about it Larry, really I'm alright. And besides, I already have to stop Liz from killing him, so I don't think I can handle you too,"

Smiling I looked up at the blue haired boy before turning to Larry and mouthing the words: I have a plan jokingly to him which made him crack a smile and caused Sal to look down to me questioningly.

"What was that Liz?" He chuckled before wrapping his arm around my waist, to which I looked up to him innocently.

"Oh nothing," I smirked up to him before turning to Larry once more as the four of us turned to go to the lunch room.

"Even if you guys did kill him he'd probably haunt the school, then we'd have to be stuck with that asshole for the next two years," Ash laughing a bit just as the four of us were about to leave.

Since she started hanging out with us a few months ago her flirting with Sal had died down a bit more once she realized there was no point in trying to break the two of us up. And with that aspect gone she had become a lot more tolerable for me.

"Yeah says the group skeptic," Larry scoffed to the brunette who rolled her eyes in response.

"You know you guys are my best friends but the ghosts? Come on even that can be a bit much for me," she shrugged lightly, eyeing a few of the lockers to her left as we continued through the halls.

~*~

[The next day]

"Fuck is it just me or does the bologna smell even worse then usual to you guys?" Larry plugged his nose as he looked to the sandwich in front of him, peeling off the top layer of bread.

"I thought I was the only one...This smells even worse then last weeks batch," copying Larry's actions I pulled the top piece of bread off to reveal the circular pink meat.

"Well I did hear a bunch of kids called in sick last week after bologna day..." Sal eyed the small slab on my sandwich as I lightly poked it with my fork.

"Guy's cmon lunch is the only thing that get's me through the day, please don't ruin this for me," Chug looked to us with his mouth full of the rancid sandwich as he spoke, Maple smiling to him as he did so.

"Alright, alright, group huddle?"

The four of us nodded as Larry lead us to the entrance doors in hopes to not fully ruins Chug's lunch.

"Guys something is seriously wrong with this meat... maybe it's a batch of bad beef ... Or something," Sal eyed the four of us, leaning against the wall behind him.

"Or maybe bad goats... I'm telling you I heard somewhere it's made from goats," Larry nodded contently, seemingly convinced it was goat meat as I raised my eyebrow at him.

"The meat is most likely a blend of low-cost meat, stuff like chicken, pork, possibly some turkey even," Todd quickly explained to us as simply as he could, Larry only shaking his head.

"It's goats man - it has to be goats,"

"Well goats or not I think Sal may be on to something..." nodding to the others I glanced back at our sandwiches, my stomach beginning to turn once more.

"I think you both are right.. We could do some further analysis in the science lab if I could take a few of our sandwiches back. I could look for any sign of expiration or bacteria," Todd smiled to us hopefully, only to get lost in thought once more.

"However... I'd like to know the exact ingredients of the lunch meat first... That would make my job a whole lot easier,"

"Alright, Sal, Larry and I can go ask around and see what the ingredients might be, Ash, Todd why don't you see what you can find with our sandwiches for now," I nodded to the three of them, though Larry looked to me a bit awkwardly in response.

"Actually do you mind if I tag along with Todd and Ash? I don't want to be weighing you guys down at all..." Awkwardly he rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced to the two.

"Yeah.. of course," I let out a small laugh before looking to everyone else oddly.

"Sounds like a plan,"

"Alright, let's find out what's up with this lunch meat,"