"So that's why you should never talk to them." Tommy spouts. I stopped listening a little while ago, thinking back to Technoblade's generosity.
"Can I borrow your phone?" I ask him, remembering the slip of paper in my pocket.
"Yeah, sure." Tommy says, handing me his cracked phone.
I take out the slip of paper and dial the number in Tommy's phone. It already pops up as a contact though.
The Blade
I double check the numbers, wondering how Tommy also knows him. Not like it totally matters, maybe they just went to school with each other or something. Technoblade looks like he just graduated.
"What do you want, Tommy?" I hear the familiar monotone voice ask through the speaker.
"I-uh, it's Tubbo. From last night." I explain.
"Oh. I didn't know you were friends with Tommy." He says.
"Yeah. I didn't know you knew him." I say, sheepishly.
"He's my brother." Technoblade says.
I whip around, looking at Tommy scratching his nose or something, boredly looking around the courtyard. They didn't look at all related... Not a bit.
"Adopted brother." Technoblade clarifies.
"Like me?!" I exclaim. I look back again. I didn't think anyone else here would be adopted.
"Yeah." He says. I can hear a smile on his face.
"Thank you for bandaging me up. I did it to my feet too, so I can walk easier." I say.
"That's great." He says. The school bell rings.
"I have to go, the bell just rung." I explain.
"Alright. Bye." He says, and I hang up the phone, handing it back to Tommy.
He puts the phone in his pocket and leads me to class.
In the hallway, I feel a tug on my shoulder. Tommy's ahead of me, so it's not him. I turn around.
Some guy in a blue T-Shirt, dark hair, and large sunglasses stands behind me.
"Who are you?" He asks.
"I-I-I-I'm Tubbo." I stutter.
"Okay. You dropped this." He says, holding up the chocolate bar. I practically lunge for it.
Once I have it, I secure it safely in my bag. "Thanks." I say, before running off after Tommy to my next class.
It's math. Surprisingly, a lot of the upperclassmen are in this class as well. I'm pretty good at math, but it's not like this is an advanced class or anything.
Still, it means I sit next to Bad, and he gives me candy every time he sees me. It's truly kind of him.
I don't pay attention in class, doing a copy of the homework already so I won't have to do it at home.
I keep zoned out, uncomfortable with reality, until I hear a loud noise.
"Sorry I'm late, Ma'am." Someone says from across the room.
A tall guy, 6'0 or taller, wearing a green hoodie and ripped black jeans, with dirty blonde hair and bright, familiar green eyes. Something inside of me wants to reach to him, but my greater sense says no.
"It's alright, Clay." The teacher says somewhat sarcastically. "Take your seat."
The 'Clay' guy slowly walks down the aisle, and I catch him looking at me. We make very brief eye contact, but something is so... familiar! Something is off, but it feels almost perfect.
After that brief moment ends, I busy myself with the homework and occasionally glance back at Clay, who's talking to Nick. Throughout the class's duration, I feel a pair of eyes like knives in my back.
When the bell rings, something tells me to jump and go follow him. I don't follow that instinct, and instead slowly follow Tommy. I watch Clay though, walk down the same hall as us, on occasion glancing back. (a/n fuck you this isn't romantic wtf. i've hinted at this enough right?? sorry if you aren't the problem I just gotta make sure)
"Tubbo? Are you okay?" Tommy asks, waving a hand in front of my eyes. I blink, returning to reality.
"Y-yeah. Sorry." I mumble.
"Why do you keep staring at Clay. Did he do something? If he did something-" Tommy starts, making his hands form fists.
"No! He didn't do anything. I haven't spoken to him. He just seems familiar." I say. Tommy nods, calming down.
"Do you have food today? Because I packed you an extra lunch." Tommy says, pulling out a brown paper bag.
"Woah- thank you, so much." I say, gratefully taking the bag. I don't know how to react at such kindness, something Ive been given in the past two days.
"No problem, really. Phil- my dad- probably won't notice." Tommy says. I give Tommy a big hug.
"I appreciate it." I say, quickly pulling away.
We continue to walk down to the lunch table, this time I sit by Niki and across from Tommy, at the end of the table.
I go through the lunch Tommy packed me. It's a ham and cheese sandwich, a capri-sun, some apple slices, and a muffin.
I grin at Tommy, carefully taking out the food. He didn't just give me food, but he gave me food before we got to the lunchroom, so I wouldn't be embarrassed. Or maybe he wouldn't be embarrassed. Either way, it's such a very kind gesture.
Eret and Fundy get into a heated debate over whether or not Fundy's a furry (Nearly the entire table backed up Eret in this situation) and me and Tommy casually chatted about our next classes.
Tommy also yells 'fuck' across the lunchroom, earning an annoyed 'LANGUAGE' from Bad. It was very funny.
Once the bell rings for lunch, I scan the room again for Clay. He's hung back.
"I'll be a minute, Tommy. Give me one second." I say. Tommy shrugs, walking off.
I walk over to Clay, going stealth without realizing it. My footsteps are silent.
Once Clay manages to notice me, he jumps. I laugh.
"S-sorry." I stutter through faded laughter.
"Oh- uh, it's okay." He says. "You're ... You're the new kid, right?"
I nod. "Yeah."
"Okay good, I would've felt like such a dick if I just noticed you now." He says, sighing with relief.
"Has that happened before?" I ask. He laughs.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that."
I shake my head, faking judgement. "Wowwwww."
"I'm sure you're not perfect either," He jokes. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
I study his face. He seems a bit dazed, a little confused, and both concern and deep thought streak his eyes.
"I don't know. You do seem familiar." I say, mirroring the look in his face.
"Yeah."
Silence falls around the empty lunch room.
After a few moment, I decide to cut through the silent air. "I'll talk to you later. I should get to class."
I turn around on my heels, hands in pockets.
"Bye." He lazily calls out. I don't hear him get up, or follow, as I walk down the hall.
I spend the rest of my classes silent, absentmindedly searching for the familiarity surrounding the upperclassman.
"What's Clay's deal?" I ask Tommy. I've learnt that he knows nearly everything about everyone at the school.
"He's a football player. He and George have huge crushes on each other, but they won't go for it. Pussies, I say. He's the leader of the Dream Team, he can outrun all of the track players but he refuses to join. I think I remember him talking about how he was adopted a long time ago, but I know he lives alone in his own apartment." Tommy explains.
Adopted? Maybe I knew him at the orphanage, and that's why he's so familiar.
"Tubbo, can I ask a question?" Tommy asks. I nod.
"Why are those bandages bleeding through?"
I freeze. I look at my arms. My sleeve came up, must've while I was in the restroom. Oh no- really oh god no. No one can know.
I pull down the sleeve, and tear to the bathroom, backpack on my back.
I have to do what Technoblade said. Replace the bandages. Then I can think of a lie. A good lie.
But after all the generosity Tommy's shown me, how can I lie to him?
"Tubbo! What is going on!" Tommy yells after me. He grabs the back of my shirt. I flinch down, instinctively, crouching down and curling into a ball on the floor.
I can feel myself start to shake.
Will Tommy hurt me? Is Tommy going to hurt me? These are the only thoughts passing through my head at the moment.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm sorry. It's okay, it's okay." Tommy comforts. He pulls me into a hug, wrapping himself around me the way a man might lay across a rock, and yet it's strangely comforting, being the rock.
After a moment, Tommy crouches down in front of me, rubbing my back. I look up at him.
"Are you okay?" He asks, his voice soft. I nod. Tommy wouldn't hurt me. I can trust Tommy.
"Why don't we head outside. The cool air will clear your 'ead." He says.
I nod, slowly standing on my shaky legs. He slowly guides me out of the school, through a back exit he know, going at my pace.
We walk to a bench around the school, sitting down. It's cold, but nice. He was right, the air clears my head.
He folds up the sleeves of my shirt, and I don't protest. They have bled through in some spots, and I'm tired.
"Tubbo. What the fuck happened?" He asks. He's trembling.
"Technoblade bandaged me up." I mumble.
"Technoblade- you know Techno- never mind. What happened so that Technoblade had to bandage you up!?" He exclaims.
"I-I..." My voice trails off. I feel like I'm screaming, yelling and thrashing, but my body is still. I can't move.
"It's okay, Tubbo. Talk when you're ready."
"He-He-He- I'm adopted and he- don't-" I stutter. My mouth doesn't fucking work.
"Hey- hey it's okay. It's okay." He comforts. I can sense anger in his voice.
"Okay, okay, we're leaving here. And you aren't going back there." He says, standing up.
I don't feel like I'm in my body. My body feels like it's weakly following any direction it's told. I feel like a ghost, hovering above my body. Everything feels... surreal.
I only snap back into reality when Tommy hugs me again, right outside a large home. It's a big hug, he wraps his arms completely around my body. It's a protective hug, a warm hug. I've known him for days and yet I feel like I've known him for years, for all my life.
I decide right then and there that he's my best friend.