Walking into school he could feel the glances and stares, just like every day. However, he couldn't blame them, with his long blonde hair, different choice in style, pale skin, and fast walk. It would be hard to not stare. He walks up to his locker using muscle memory to quickly put his code in.
"Ryu!" A high-pitched voice squeals from down the hall. Scaring him he messes up the input of his code, cursing under his breath. He turns, looking down to see his good friend Amy.
"Hey Amy, how was your weekend?" Ryu says tiredly. Not that he was actually tired, that's just how he sounds, he was quiet and kept to himself. So whenever he did talk it was deep from no use.
"Great! Me and Tara hung out again." Amy giggles, rocking slightly on her heels. Ryu couldn't help but notice the little hearts she put under her eyes, everyday it were a different shape.
"So that's why she couldn't come over?" Ryu raises an eyebrow, a slight smirk growing on his face. Amy goes pale, knowing she said too much.
"I-no! I mean, I hung out with my family!!" She fumbles over her words covering her face with her stack of books. Ryu laughs turning back to his locker.
"Amy, I already know! Tara told me the night after" Clicking his locker open, a hand slams it shut walking past.
"Wrong! Try again loser!" Daren Perez. The tall baseball player with short brown hair, a bad attitude, and a broken home, almost wearing it on his sleeve. One of the many jocks Ryu disliked, constantly getting harassed and bullied by him and many other athletes.
"Damnit Daren! Don't you just stop!" Amy yells down the hall. Sighing to himself he turns and tries pulling open his locker.
"I think it's jammed again"
"Shit, really? I'll go get the janitor!" Amy starts walking away, getting stopped by Ryu's grip.
"No go to class you don't need to be late from my shitty locker" He let's go of her taking out his AirPods, tucking them away safely in their case
"It's only shitty because Daren abuses it every day." She retorts.
"True. But don't worry I'll go get him. We're on first name bases with how often I go there" Chuckling to lighten the frown on her face. She sighs in defeat.
"Fine... I'll see you in 5th?"
"Nowhere else to go." Smiling he waves to her as she leaves. The bounce in her walk was mesmerizing, he wished he could be as happy as her on a Monday. Ryu drags his feet walking to the janitor's office, hesitatingly knocks on the door, a tall, fat man with a thick beard opens the door, looking down at him.
"Again?" A rough, grouchy voice speaks. Ryu shyly nods, avoiding eye contact. With no words spoken he walks past Ryu, the annoyance clear in his heavy footsteps. Opening Ryu's lock took up the first 10 minutes of 1st hour. He hated being late to class, and ironically he was nearly every day.
"You're late again." Mr. Beckley says, not looking up from his computer. Daren in the back of the class snickers, covering his mouth.
"Sorry sir, my locker got jammed again." Ryu glares at Daren, sitting down at his desk and organizing his books.
"I'm having a hard time believing that with it being every day now." Mr Beckley looks up with an annoyed expression.
"The janitor can vouch for me." Ryu glances at Daren, who is staring out the window. Some clouds were starting to come in, and this worried Ryu a bit, hoping he wouldn't have to walk home in the rain. The teacher takes a deep, loud sigh standing from his desk.
"Okay, you children. As it's Monday and this is math. I hope you haven't forgotten your books. Daren." Mr. Beckley flashes a quick glare at Daren.
"Mr. Beckley. How could you think so low of me?!" Daren gasps, dramatically looking through the books on his desk. He pauses slowly looking up to the teacher.
"Go." Mr. Beckley sighs, lifting his thick glasses onto his forehead before rubbing his temples. The class laughs as Daren stands up walking through the isles of desks. Against Ryu's better judgment, he sticks out his foot, tripping Daren sending him on his face.
"Fucking Albino boy!" Ryu quickly regrets doing what he did. Daren walks over to him grabbing his collar lifting him out of his seat. His chair knocks over with a loud thud, the class watching in suspense.
"Mr. Perez! Let go of him now!" Mr. Beckley yells, resting his hands on his hips. Daren stares at Ryu with a deadly glare
"Next time you pull some shit like that, it'll be your face that I slam against the wall." Shoving Ryu into the next desk back, the girl scoffs moving her papers. Ryu sighs, relieved he got got of that unscathed. Silently apologizing to the girl behind him. After 1st hour, the rest of the day was long and drawn out. He was just waiting for 5th hour so he could talk to Amy. Amy was one of his only friends in school, she was dating his best friend and he happened to move to the school this year. He was surprised when Tara announced she was dating her, Amy being raised in an Asian household it was unexpected that she was allowed. But all the more he was happy for them. Listening to music to drown out the noises of the halls of Maplewood High. Ryu bumps into a kid sending his airpod across the floor.
"Hey watch it!" Ryu snaps, looking at the floor for his airpod.
"My bad bro" The kid laughs. Ryu could recognize that laugh anywhere, it was the same laugh as Erin Fearce, from his 5th hour. His heart drops, looking at Erin his perfect smile, sharp features, amber eyes, dark skin, and messy hair. The running back "star" of Maplewood High.
"O-oh it's fine..." He grumbles looking around for his airpod.
"Here!" Erin bends down, handing Ryu his AirPod. He takes it, putting it back in his ear.
"Didn't see you there." Ryu looks at him funny, no one has ever said they couldn't see him, he was 5,11. Far from short.
"Yeah, it's fine." He replies quickly, not wanting small talk with him. Ryu hated Erin just as much as he did Daren, although Erin never made fun of him and often shut Daren down when he did. He still hated him for being associated with him.
"You're in my 5th hour, right? Always talking with that one Asian girl?"
"Amy." Ryu glares at him.
"Yeah, Amy! I'm not good with names... Yours?" Erin looks around, the halls are starting to clear as the passing period is getting closer to ending.
"Ryu." He sighs, picking at his fingers. Stressing out about being late to yet another class.
"Ryu? What kinda name is that?" Erin chuckles. Glaring at Erin, he internally groans. He did not want this conversation to go on any longer.
"I'm sorry but I have to go to class." Ryu turns away, beginning to walk down the hall to his 4th hour.
"Whatever. Don't answer my question then." Erin flips him off walking away. Ryu unknowing to this walks to his class sitting down for English. His friend Nick walks up and slaps his neck.
"Ryu!! My man! How the hell was your weekend?!" Nick says loudly, the class looking over at the noise. Rubbing the back of his neck he groans out.
"Boring and long. Now I'm back with your dumbass." Nick chuckles at this comment, leaning on Ryu's desk.
"You're a funny guy. That's why I like you." He points at him. Tapping on his desk.
"So, did you get that paper done for me?"
"Oh yeah." Ryu looks through his folder and grabs Nick's homework passing it to him. Nick smiles nearly snatching it from his hands. Ryu had met Nick at the beginning of the year, him being new and Nick being nice he talked to him, most likely out of pity. They quickly became friends and an actual friendship blossomed.
"I owe you again." Nick shoots him a finger gun, walking him back over to his desk. The chair scratches the floor as he pushes it back to its original position. Ryu thinks to himself that Nick already owes him 5 other times.
"Alright, class! Sit down and shut up!" The teacher walks in. Mrs. Casey was his favorite teacher, probably from the fact she was so young and her attitude towards the class amused him.
After 4th hour he walks up to Mrs. Casey, and immediately she smiles looking at him.
"Ryu!! How was your weekend?!" She takes a sip of her smoothie
"Good! It was boring and full of drawings! It was amazing!" She chuckles putting her, kelp and strawberry smoothie down. It was an acquired taste and she acquired it.
"That's awesome! You'll have to show me some more tomorrow." She looks at the clock.
"You should go so you don't have to worry about being late, between the kids and the distance. You wouldn't wanna risk it" She was right, the kids and the cramped halls were a bad combination with trying to get to class on time.
"Aw okay. I might stop by at the end of the day!"
He waves turning to leave.
"You're always welcome!" She waves goodbye turning back to her smoothie. A slight smile on his face as he leaves her room, Amy walks up next to him a pout on her face.
"What are you so happy about?" She says once she notices Ryu's smile.
"Oh, 4th hour?"
"Yeah, she had her weird ass smoothies" He sighs as a frown slowly creeps its way back onto his face.
"She always does" They walk into the 5th hour, each having a love-hate relationship for the class. Daren, Erin, and Grace were all in that class. Grace Hoss, being Erin's girlfriend. She was captain of the dance team, attached at the hip with Erin. Grace was nice when she wanted to be, but still the same amount of obnoxious as her friends.
"Ultimate Cracker!" Daren yells when Ryu steps into the room. This getting a pretty big laugh from the class, not including Erin. Erin punches his arm, shanking his head.
"Fuck you, Daren! At least his dad's not in jail!" Amy yells back.
"Wanna say that again you Korean bitch!" Daren pushes his desk standing up, the chair flying back. Erin groans rubbing his face.
"I'm Japanese!" She raises her arm, readying herself to throw a book. Daren gets ready to walk over. Erin stands up, putting a hand on his chest, shoving him back in his chair.
"What you gonna hit a girl? Sit your fucking ass down!" Erin yells, turning back to Amy. The book had already left her hand by the time this happened. Hitting Erin smack dab in the middle of his face.
"Fuck!" He yells, holding his face.
"Class didn't even start yet..." The whole class turns to the teacher standing in the doorway. She sighs, donut in one hand coffee in the other.
Ryu, Daren, Amy, and Erin were all called to the office. Ryu was called a "witness" to what happened, and he wondered why they couldn't get anyone else in the classroom to do this. Amy was sitting in her chair, legs crossed arms crossed. Daren, manspreading in his chair, arms crossed. Erin was at the very end a bag of ice pressed against his nose. A scowl on his face.
"So anyone want to explain why we're here?" Principal Matthews said, leaning on his desk hands intertwined. In unison they all started talking, speaking over one another, Matthews groans. Speaking loudly.
"One at a time! Let's start with Mrs. Mori..." He nods to Amy, she takes a deep breath before talking.
"When Me and Ryu walked into class Daren, yelled Ultimate Cracker at Ryu... I said something, I probably shouldn't have and he got mad. Then he called me a Korean bitch then I threw a book and it hit Erin..." Amy says quickly.
"Okay, now Daren?"
"She said some shit- I mean stuff about my dad."
"Erin?" Matthews sighs
"I made sure he didn't do anything stupid. And I got hit with a book"
"Ryu?" Ryu sits there as everyone looks at him, he turns a bit red shaking his head.
"Okay, this is what we're going to do. Amy and Daren are going to have after-school detention. Ryu and Erin, go back to class. I'm going to talk to these two some more." He sighs, waving the two of them away. They stand up walking out of the office, pushing the door open they leave. For some reason the halls seem to get longer as he walks with Erin, taking some glances at him.
"You never answered my question." Erin states throwing his bag of ice away in a small trash can.
Ryu looks at him confused, then remembers the conversation they had this morning.
"Oh. About my name? I was trying to get to class"
He says looking back down to the floor, pushing his glasses up. Erin says nothing, putting his hands in his pockets.
"But to answer your question, my family was stationed in Japan when I was born. My mother is an interesting character" He chuckles
"Boy, do I get that." Erin takes a deep breath, silence fills the air between them. It was awkward and tense. Ryu didn't know what to talk about, he was the most popular kid in school. What do you say to him?
"Sorry, you got hit with a book." Ryu mumbles.
"I'm a football player and that hurt more than any hit I've ever taken on the field!" Laughing together, they reach the class. Erin pulls open the door, holding it for Ryu. The class was bustling with chatter, the room was separated into duos. Duos that would normally not be together.
"Ryu, Erin. You two are partners, for the project." The teacher says, writing their names down.
"Wait I'm sorry what? What project!?" Ryu says walking up the her desk, his hand grilling the sides leaning his head over trying to see what she was writing down.
"No, no no no I can't work with him!"
"Ouch." Erin mutters
"You all weren't here when I assigned partners, so I paired the last ones up. You and Erin, Amy and Daren!" The teacher hands him the project paper with their names on it. Ryu really wished they picked someone else to be a "witness".