"Alfred," Bruce groaned as he looked at his lunch box in distain. "Why do I have to switch schools?"
"Because, sir," Alfred was trying to drag the comb through Bruce's knotted hair that the boy insisted on keeping much too long for Alfred's refined standards. "Your old school had you expelled." Bruce winced. "You're lucky this school will even take you."
Bruce frowned at that. What happened wasn't even his fault. "But Alfred, this is a public school." He stressed and Alfred looked unfazed he continued trying to comb the hair into some form of order. I am well aware of what school I am sending you to, sir. Now is no time to get arrogant because of your standing. To be quite frank, I think a public school could be a useful experience for you more than the experience of sending you to yet another boarding school." Alfred's voice was crisp and made the sixteen year old feel like a young child again. He even lowered his head a little.
"I didn't mean it like that," He said quietly. "I…I didn't even have anything in common with anyone at the other schools I've gone to." Bruce's voice was unreadable, but to Alfred's trained ear he could detect hints of embarrassment, nerves and a little bit of shame. "What on earth am I going to have in common with anyone at this school? I'm just going to be that rich kid who everyone will only talk to if they need a new shirt." Bruce remembered a prior incident and added, "Or a car." He didn't like remembering that time.
Alfred set down the comb and settled for placing both of his hands on Bruce's shoulders. Bruce looked up at him, albeit cautiously. "Master Bruce," Alfred began. "You can only be yourself. You cannot help your inheritance, your bloodline or your status." Alfred had a way of sounding matter-of-fact, yet gentle at the same time. "What you can help is the way you act and the way you treat others. If you are yourself and people do not take to you and only wish for your wealth, or ostracize you because of it, then that is their loss and you should not fret, nor suffer for their ignorance." Bruce nodded slowly. "But my dear boy, you have a tendency to try to push away those who offer you kindness. That will not get your anywhere, at least nowhere you want to be." Alfred looked at him with meaning. "And nowhere I wish for you to be," he finished.
Bruce looked away and just nodded. Alfred eventually removed his hands from the boy's shoulders and eyed his hair. Bruce underwent another five minutes of torture at the hands of his butler with a comb.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Bruce didn't want to leave the car. "Master Bruce," Alfred repeated himself for what had to be the fifth time. "We have been parked outside the school for quite a while. If you are trying to take the attention away from yourself, might I suggest coming up with a much more useful tactic?"
Bruce winced and peered through the tinted windows. "It's the middle of the year, Alfred," he said suddenly. "Maybe we should wait until next year-."
"Master Bruce, you have been out of school and have been sulking around home for over a month now. You are fully capable of going to school and I'm sure you will be just fine." Alfred stated. Bruce closed his eyes and took deep breaths, in through his nose and out through his mouth.
"I'm ready," He said slowly. Alfred nodded curtly from the front seat and went to open his own door. "Maybe I should get out myself, Alfred." He's not nervous, he really isn't… "Just…y'know…maybe it'd be…y'know."
"I know," Alfred assured him. "Have a good day, Master Bruce." Bruce detected Alfred's sincerity, and allowed himself to exhale heavily. He then opened his door, after giving one last fleeting look of "save me" to Alfred. Luckily, Bruce thought, the whole situation with his former school and his switch to this one was hidden from paparazzi, so no one really probably knew he was even showing up. Though he knew they would...soon.
Bruce realized that, lucky enough, he was still early, despite hiding in the car for a prolonged period of time. Alfred always insisted on being prompt, and more accurately, showing up at places very early. Alfred explained that his early arrival would make the perfect first impression, since Bruce had to drop by the Principal's office to meet up with his "buddy"- the person the school assigns to you to show you around. Bruce begged Alfred to let him just ditch his "buddy," but when Alfred tried to get him out of it, the school insisted it was school rules and unavoidable. Bruce told Alfred they might as well hang him up and torture him, to which Alfred responded by inquiring of him if he'd considered enrolling in the schools' drama program.
Bruce eventually arrived at the front desk. He had passed a few people in the hall who had given him the "who are you" look…and he also got "checked out" by a few girls. He was actually accustomed to the last part. The first part…not so much. Usually, if he saw people they knew exactly who he was. It was almost…nice…not to have them know. It was somewhat refreshing to be "the new guy"...the stranger.
"Hello," he said politely. The woman looking at the desk glanced up at him and smiled politely. She was an older woman with gray hair and a kind face, so he found it impossible to be impolite. "I'm Bruce Wayne," he said quietly. What followed was an almost unnatural quiet, and then, the woman nodded her head at him. She looked understanding as to why his voice had sunk into a whisper. Despite that, all his best efforts will be put down soon, either way. "I was told to meet at the office early to meet my…um…" He tried not to groan, he really did. "Buddy."
The woman tried to fight back a smile as she nodded at Bruce. "I see, well, dear, sadly your buddy is a tad bit late. He really is a lovely boy. Fastest runner the school has ever seen, but he's terrible at being punctual." This time, she smiled, kindly, at him.
"Ironic," Bruce offered a small smile back. It was more than he usually gave people. "You know, if he's late than I can just save him the trouble and find my classes by myself," he offered, praying she'd agree. But she leveled him with a look of "I know what you're up to."
"I'm sure he'll be here soon, dear," she said politely, and Bruce's posture began to sag just a little. "Why don't you take a seat?" she offered.
Bruce nodded and sat down in one of the chairs to the right the side of the office. He sat there with just himself, his thoughts and the clicks of a keyboard before someone came running into the office, nearly smashing through the door. He skidded to a halt, stopping himself by setting his hands against the desk. "I'm soso sorry," His words were all jumbled together.
"IwokeuplateandIhadtoeatandshowerandthehotwatertoo kforevertocomeon-." He was cut off, thankfully, by the woman at the desk.
"It's quite all right, dear," The woman comforted him. "Your buddy is right over there, safe and sound." Bruce stood up slowly to look at a boy with bright red hair, and green eyes, who was now smiling brightly at him. He also had a smudge of peanut butter on the side of his mouth. "Wally West, meet Bruce Wayne!"
Wally smiled even brighter at him and extended his hand. "Hey, buddy," Wally greeted, good naturedly. "How're ya?"
Oh God, Bruce thought. He seemed talkative. He felt that someone out there must really hate him. "Good," he replied, with a bit of caution. He then slowly accepted the hand shake. "How're you?"
If Wally was put off by Bruce's lack of friendliness, it only showed for a split second before a big grin spread across his face again, as he and Bruce pulled their hands away. "I'm fine! Wild morning, though, I tell ya!"
The woman at the desk cleared her throat and the two young men looked at her, and she nodded at them. "Now, Bruce, I assume you have your schedule?" she inquired. Bruce dug through his backpack and pulled it out. He nodded, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Wally was holding it and looking through it. Bruce frowned. He was fast. "Good! Now, Wally, you have everything we provided for you, correct?" Wally's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he set Bruce's schedule down and tore through his backpack. "I brought extra copies." she told him, and he straightened up and smiled. They both thanked her and left the office.
"What other stuff?" Bruce inquired as he tried to grab his schedule back from Wally.
Wally held his hand away from Bruce and Bruce bit back a growl. "I'm not done looking yet! Also…just…y'know…thebuddykit."
"The buddy kit?" Bruce raised both of his eyebrows. "You're joking."
Wally chuckled nervously and tucked the schedule under his arm while he took out the buddy kit. They were still standing outside the office - the passing students just raised their eyebrows. The bell hadn't rung yet.
"There's…um…nametags." Wally pulled out a nametag that said "Hi! My name is Bruce!". "Please tell me I don't have to wear that." Bruce looked at in horror. "Or do they have a sign that says "Kick me" to go with it?"
Wally let out a surprised laugh at the last part, and Bruce blinked in surprise. It wasn't often that someone laughed at his jokes. Mainly because he never told any. "Let's just throw it out," Wally suggested as he crumbled the name tag up and tossed it towards the closest trash can…and missed. He winced, but then just shrugged and went through the rest of the kit. "This is a little sheet we each fill out," he informed Bruce, who was looking at him like he had three heads. "To get to know each other better." Wally squirmed a bit under Bruce's intense gaze. "Look, I know this is lame, okay?"
"Then why are you doing it?" Bruce questioned.
Wally shrugged. "They roped me and some of my friends into signing up for it. No one else would." He looked a bit sheepish, and the shrugged again.
"So what else is in that kit?" Bruce really didn't want to know. He really didn't.
"A get to know me game." Wally responded, and Bruce almost laughed.
"Right, of course," He shook his head and Wally actually looked a bit nervous. Bruce had always been told he comes off a bit…strong…if not rude and terrifying. "I…uh…guess I'll fill out the sheet when I do my home-work." Wally's face brightened up a bit. It better, he thought. It was the stupidest thing he had ever been roped into doing.
"GREAT!" Wally said so loudly that it drew people to stare. Bruce wanted to go hide - in a very dark corner. To make it worse, Wally threw his arm around him and pulled his schedule back out. "Now Bruce, my buddy, you are a lucky man." Bruce's posture was stiff, but Wally didn't seem to be receiving the message. "You've got quite a few classes with me." Bruce weeped internally. "As well as lunch! Which means you get to sit with me and my friends. A very exclusive invitation provided by yours truly! You'll love them! They're great! But beware, because, while you have gym with yours truly, you also have it with the fearsome trio." Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"The…fearsome trio?" Bruce was starting to believe he had entered and insane alternate reality.
"Named them myself," Wally smirked, and seemed to take in Bruce's tense posture at long last. He awkwardly removed his arm, to Bruce's relief, before he continued talking; "Just Luthor and two of his goonies."
Bruce blinked in surprise. "Lex Luthor?" he inquired. Wally nodded. "Didn't know he went to school here." Wally's eyes went very wide and he seemed to pale.
"Are…you two…friends?" He asked the question as if being friends with Lex Luthor was the most terrifying and atrocious thing you could involve yourself in as a human being.
"Not at all." Bruce actually snorted. He couldn't stand Luthor from the few times he'd met him.
"Good." Wally looked relieved, and Bruce raised an eyebrow. More kids started filing into school. "I should probably show you to your locker, my buddy." Bruce really hoped Wally wouldn't keep calling him that.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
As it turned out, Bruce even sat next to Wally in homeroom. When he had been introduced to the homeroom class, a few people gasped and gaped at him, Bruce found to be ver uncomfortable. He even saw one person mouth at Wally "No way" to which Wally mouthed back "Way."
By the time lunch rolled around, Bruce was considering asking Alfred if he could be home-schooled. Little to no social interaction, no "Buddy program," and eating Alfred's cooking all day sounded like the most heavenly thing he had ever heard of. But he knew it would be a hard sell.
Bruce considered ditching his lunch plans with Wally to hide in the school bathroom with his lunch box, but of course, Wally snatched him right from his locker and pretty much dragged him to the cafeteria. Bruce found himself becoming increasingly annoyed. He was struggling to keep his temper in check, since that had been what had gotten him in trouble at all of his other schools.
He found himself dragged to a table that held…more people than he wanted to deal with, to be frank. Most of the kids were smiling politely at him. There were some that were just eyeing him warily, like he was suddenly going to "go psycho" and take out a knife and start murdering them. He imagined he most likely looked to be one of the most unfriendly people in the cafeteria. He wasn't really in a good mood. According to Alfred he rarely was, and when he was he never really ever saw anyone.
"Everyone, may I introduce you to Bruce. He is my buddy, and he can be yours too." Bruce rolled his eyes at Wally's introduction. Most of the table groaned, while some snickered. "Bruce, may I introduce you to my loyal followers," He gestured first towards a boy who had a muscular build that was covered pretty well by an oversized flannel shirt. He had bright blue eyes, a kind face and dark hair. "This is Clark Kent, he's a quarterback for the football team and a total boy scout." Clark frowned in response to his introduction. "Helps old ladies cross the street and everything." Clark rolled his eyes but still smiled good naturedly and nodded at Bruce.
"Nice to meet you," he said with a big grin. Bruce simply nodded back at him.
"Then this here is Diana Prince." Wally gestured to a girl sitting beside Clark. She was beautiful, with long flowing raven hair that unraveled down her back. She had fierce eyes that reflected a light of kindness, and a smile that made her all the more gorgeous. "She's in our high school Human Rights club, and is trying to get the school to make a female wrestling team." Bruce raised both of his eyebrows at the last part and Diana simply sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.
"It is ridiculous the limits they put on females when it comes to sports in this school," Diana informed him levelly. "Other schools at least have a half decent sports program, offering up for more selection. At this school it's pitiful."
"Have you put together a petition?" Bruce inquired.
"Well…no…not yet," Diana responded, with her head cocked to the side as she eyed Bruce suspiciously.
"You should definitely put one together," Bruce told her. "The school probably won't listen if just one student is sending in a complaint every once and awhile. It doesn't truly affect them. If you get enough people to sign that are into other sports, then perhaps they will take you more seriously." He said this crisply, his voice reminiscent of a business man. Perhaps, he thought, it was a good thing, since he would be inheriting his Father's company, and was at this point, being groomed for it.
"That might be a good idea," The boy, Clark, agreed as he looked directly at Diana. "You could get your human rights club to sign it. Also I'm pretty sure a lot of the girls here would sign it, since you're not the only one frustrated by the lack of choices."
"I'd expect a signature from the football team's quarterback," she informed Clark, with a teasing smile. "Perhaps the entire team."
"She also takes fencing outside of school," Wally continued. "She used to be part of the school's swim team but the entire thing got dropped last year due to school cutbacks. She also refuses to try out for track." Wally crossed his arms and Diana rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, let us speed through the rest, John Stewart, Shayera Hol, Dinah Lance and-." Wally was cut off.
"Bruce," a voice said from behind them. Bruce turned to see Oliver Queen. He knew Oliver went to the school. He wasn't overly excited about seeing him. They both had money, but that fact didn't make them the bestest friends in the whole wide world. Though, Bruce did know him better than anyone else at the table. "Didn't know you switched here."
Bruce shrugged as Oliver took a seat right next to Dinah. "It was sudden."
"Uh-huh," Oliver looked at him strangely, as he put his arm around Dinah. "Sudden." He repeated.
"Yes," Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Very sudden." Stupid Queen. Why was he going to a public school, anyway? He had made the rounds to all the fancy boarding schools. Of course, if he got kicked out of any of them, Queen was probably the type to brag about it, unlike Bruce.
They stared at each other for a few moments before Wally cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, this is the group!" he announced, as he took an available seat next to John. It was obvious they had thrown extra chairs around the lunch table. It was going be a tight seating. "Take a seat!"
Bruce contemplated faking a stomach illness, but didn't want them to think he was wimping out…especially not Queen. So he assessed his seating options. The table was overflowing, but there was a seat next to either Clark or the other side of Oliver. So he picked Clark, who actually pulled the seat out for him like a good date and then pushed it in when he sat down.
"See?" Wally had a smug smile on his face. "Boy scout."
"It's called manners," Clark muttered.
"It's called a merit badge," Wally replied, and Oliver cracked up.
"So Bruce," Diana addressed him, just as Bruce was began taking out his lunch out. "What do you think of school thus far?" Diana asked pleasantly. Bruce stiffened his posture. He was hoping to just be able to eat while the rest of them conversed and ignored his existence. Of course the people he sat with had to be polite.
"It's nice," he responded politely back.
"Meet anyone interesting?" Clark asked as he bit into his peanut butter and…banana sandwich.
"Yeah, y'know. Brucie," Oliver's nickname for him really made him want to punch him. "Interesting." He repeated with a wink.
"No." Bruce replied curtly, and Wally looked around the lunch table as it fell into silence.
"It's raining out today," he eventually said, his voice a whine. "What do they do in gym when it's raining out?"
"Why are you complaining?" Diana asked. "You're great at dodgeball."
"I'm great at dodging," Wally corrected. "Besides, I run around enough during track and I prefer not to have giant balls being hurled at my head."
Bruce just listened while he ate the lunch that Alfred packed him. He even chewed quietly in an attempt to stay under the radar, to avoid any further questioning.
"Hey, Bruce, you should be much more interested in this," Wally informed him. Bruce swore Wally was attempting to peer under the table to figure out which foot was Bruce's so he could nudge him. "You have gym with me, Diana and Clark after all."
"Gym with Luthor," John winced. "Don't know if I envy your position. On the bright side, you get to hurl those things at his big head."
"Please," Wally dismissed. "No one's ever actually gotten Luthor that I can remember. Not with his goonies blocking the way. They throw so hard, kids go down like bricks."
"You good at dodgeball, Bruce?" Clark asked and nudged Bruce's shoulder. Bruce glared and tried to sit more on the edge of his chair. Which didn't go unnoticed by Clark, judging by his frown.
"Never played." Bruce shrugged.
"Yes, at Bruce's fancy boarding schools they didn't play dodgeball. They simple juggled diamonds and burned money," Oliver joked, and Bruce assessed the positives and negatives to tossing his bottled water at his head. It'd be good practice.
"Those games grow too complicated for you, Oliver?" Bruce questioned as he took a sip out of his water bottle in an attempt to avoid temptation.
"Look who's talking," Oliver snorted. "What are you doing here anyway, Bruce? Not like you can't afford to go to yet another boarding school."
Bruce gave him the biggest fakest smile he could muster. "Could ask you the same question."
"Boarding schools get a little boring over time, Brucie." Oliver responded, he returned the fake smile with one of his own.
"Indeed they do." Bruce agreed. The two kept eye contact for a tense period of time before Diana spoke up.
"Do you play any sports, Bruce?" She was obviously trying to change the topic from the growing rich boy brawl.
Bruce blinked and considered the question. "I've never really played any school sports." He didn't mention any of his out of school activities. But of course…
"What about out of school?" she asked, leaving him no opportunity to avoid answering the question.
"I take martial arts," he said slowly, his voice quieter than normal. He noticed that Wally and Dinah leaned in a little more to hear him. Dinah looked very interested, as well as Diana. "I've taken fencing." He nodded at Diana. "I just…take a few things here and there," he responded. He didn't feel like revealing too much.
"You ever tried football?" Clark asked as he took another big bite of his sandwich and then a sip out of a juicebox. "You seem fit enough."
"Not interested," Bruce answered plainly, and Clark frowned again.
"Not much of a team player, Bruce?" Oliver asked. Bruce shrugged. Guilty as charged. Well, not that he'd ever really tried.
"Like you're one to talk," Dinah shot back at him, and Oliver shrugged, as well.
"You two should create a team of your own," Wally suggested. "The Billionaire Boys."
"Saving people from bad caviar." Oliver added, and Bruce actually had to stop a smile...though he was pretty positive his lips turned up...a little.
"Would I get to be a member?" Wally had seen who has spoken these words, before the rest of them. Or, at least, Bruce assumed that's why his eyes went very wide before the person standing behind Bruce even spoke.
"Sorry, Lex." Oliver didn't skip a beat. "You gotta have hair. Team rule."
Lex's eyes narrowed, but he directed his attention to Bruce. "Bruce." His voice was silky smooth. "I had no idea you were going to attend this school."
"It happened pretty suddenly." Bruce's voice was guarded. He didn't trust Luthor. He never did.
"I guess so," Lex agreed, his eyes focused on an obvious mission. What exactly that mission was, Bruce wasn't sure of. "I see you've already made some…friends." Lex looked at the rest of the table dismissively.
"He's Wally's buddy." Oliver informed him, and Wally looked like he wanted to murder him that very moment.
"How…well…how unfortunate." Lex looked Wally up and down before returning his gaze back to Bruce. "I know it's a tad late…I really did mean to catch up with you earlier, but I had some other matters to attend to, and a red blur seemed to keep dragging you away." He didn't even look at Wally, but Bruce knew he was referring to him. "I'd like to invite you to sit at my table for the rest of the lunch period. I can assure you the conversation is probably a lot more intelligent."
Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce could see that Clark was seething. He knew Lex saw it, too, which made his smile grow that much more smug. The two must hate each other. Maybe he and Clark had more in common than Bruce originally thought. "I've always been one to enjoy the more simple things in life, Lex," Bruce replied. "I'm keeping up with this conversation just fine and well," He looked at his lunch and then back at Lex with a fake smile. "I'm really quite comfortable where I am. Like you said, pity you didn't find me earlier."
Luthor's eyes darkened, and when he replied, his voice was strained. "Really, Bruce? Always thought you had finer taste."
"I prefer the atmosphere here," Bruce replied curtly. He really just wanted that to be the end of it.
Luthor tsk'd. "You know, Brucie, it's quite rude to shoot down a polite invitation like that," His eyes lit with fire, and after his next words, Bruce himself was seeing red. "But I understand your parents weren't around long enough to teach you manners." Bruce felt a fire ignite in his stomach, he found his fists clenching. Luthor's hand then gave his shoulder a pat and he leaned in as he said. "Lay a rose on their graves for me, okay?" With that ,Bruce's vision blackened, and he wasn't even aware he was starting to rise from his seat until he felt a hand restraining him. He turned to see it was Clark, who was looking at him intently. He gave a small shake of his head at Bruce, his eyes had anger in them, too, but much more aware and calm than Bruce was capable of being at that moment. Luthor gave his shoulder another pat, his eyes shining. He then nodded to the rest of them before he swiftly walked away. Just about everyone was now looking at Bruce, mostly stunned and nervous. Except Clark who was still restraining him slightly.
Bruce glared at him and hissed out; "I don't need to be restrained."
"Fighting back wouldn't have done any good," Clark calmly explained as he moved his hand. His eyes now looked almost sympathetic, which at the moment, annoyed Bruce. "Luthor has almost the entire school wrapped around his finger, you would be expelled immediately."
"I can handle myself." Bruce seethed.
"For what it's worth," Oliver cut in. Bruce wasn't really in the mood for him. "I think you would have kicked his ass." Bruce blinked in surprise at that, and the whole table quickly nodded their heads in agreement. Including Clark.
Bruce considered that for a moment before he snorted and returned back to his food. "Please. I would have wiped the floor with him."
The table continued to nod their heads in agreement, while they compared the smashing of Luthor's head to cracking an egg open. To his surprise, Bruce actually found himself enjoying some bits of the conversation. He even felt slightly amused. He'd never really…hung around people or had people make such a strong effort to hang around him. He vaguely wondered if this is what it was like to have friends.