A/N: This was a plot bunny that has tortured me all week. If you want me to continue this, I gotta see those follows, favorites and reviews! Let's keep it small for now. 2 reviews gets you Chapter 2. Fair?
Chapter 1
Introductions
Gregory Jones, linebacker and vice captain of the Darkland High football team, slammed his locker shut for the 4th time that week. The koopa found it cathartic and the junky door had a habit of not closing properly.
He ran his claws through his jet black buzz cut and sighed. It was only a month into his senior year and he already wanted it to end.
He'd woken up late that morning, received a cherry juice stain on his black shirt that seemingly resembled blood courtesy of an unattentive freshman, his blue jeans were caked in mud from a slip and fall not 15 minutes ago, and he was trying to keep his emotions in check, failing hard.
"Hey Greggy! Great game last night!" A seemingly random girl congratulated him as she walked by with her posse.
"Oh right, Kristie. She looks to be doing well." He mused to himself. Ok, he was coming down a bit.
He picked his bag up off the floor and noticed a note fall from the side pocket that usually kept his water bottle.
He picked up the piece of paper and read it to himself. His half smirk fell, replaced with a frown. It was a note from another cheerleader trying to use his status on the football team to step up the metaphorical social ladder.
"I swear all these girls care about is being popular. She's not even the bottom of the pyramid, she's second to the top. I'm not helping her."
He ripped the note in half and incinerated it in his hand.
Unlike other koopas his age, he was a pyromancer like the king of their land. He hadn't gained full control over it, but he could use his flames in short bursts.
Greg trudged off to Calculus with a deep scowl overtaking his features.
Meanwhile, Roy Koopa, son of King Bowser, was fast asleep in his Algebra 2 class. He had stayed up all night playing video games and couldn't keep his eyes open for anything or anyone.
It was a good thing he always wore his signature dark pink shades or they'd know his eyes were closed. His snoring on the other hand was a dead giveaway.
"Prince Roy!" The teacher threw a piece of chalk at his head and he sprung up suddenly.
"Y equals mx plus b!" He spouted in his sleep stupor.
"Lucky guess, but I'd advise you not to sleep in my class again." She turned back to the board and began the next problem.
His head slammed into the desk once more, unable to remain conscious.
Once lunch hit, Greg and Roy crashed next to each other at their normal table.
The room was full of muffled chatter and reeked of mystery meat. The mystery was how it was legal to feed it to the teens without a release waiver.
Greg's breathing hitched as he caught a whiff of Roy's musk. He must've ran out of the house without showering. This wasn't exactly a bad thing as it helped Greg get even more comfortable next to the prince.
"Late night playing Light Souls?" Greg asked Roy.
The pink Koopa nodded. "Bad day?"
"It's like you can read my soul." Greg chuckled.
"I saw the blood on your shirt."
Greg slammed his head into the table. "It's cherry juice. My teachers all sent me to the nurse's office when they saw it."
"They are fucking morons." Roy remarked.
"You're one to talk Mr. C Average. How do you get away with that and stay captain of the team?" Greg side-eyed his best friend, face still partially on the table.
"Pure skill. And being a crown prince helps as well."
"Must be nice." Greg rolled his eyes.
"Eh, it has its perks." Roy patted him on the back, trying to give him some kind of brotherly comfort.
Greg's eyes glazed over slightly at the touch. He didn't want it to end.
Two other koopas sat at their table, one of them wearing their football jersey. They put their trays of food in front of them.
"Seriously, why do you do that? The game ended 10 hours ago. Take that shit off." Greg had decided to sit back up and stare at his other friends. He mentally growled as the hand on his back retreated.
"It helps bring in the ladies. We can't all have a magical milkshake that brings all the girls to the yard." The red scaled koopa replied, obviously proud of his response.
Greg pushed his face into some mashed potatoes. "Damn it, Reggie. Even as wide receiver, you're a dork."
"Hey Barron, are the others not coming?" Roy asked the blue scaled koopa.
"Pete is with his girlfriend and Fred is home sick."
"What's he got?" Roy continued his line of questioning.
"LAF. Lazy As Fuck syndrome. His dad wrote him a fake note. It pays to have a dad that spoils you and has connections."
"He would know." Greg chimed in. Roy dunked him in Reggie's mashed potatoes in retaliation.
Their group of 6 had been close since they all tried out for football their freshman year. Roy took command and led them and their team to 3 championships.
The 4 kept poking fun at each other until they heard the bell ring.
"Remember, coach wants to see us after school so don't be late." Roy reminded them as they dispersed. He and Greg had their next class together so they went together.
"What do you think he wants?" Greg broke their established silence as they weaved through the crowded hallways on their way to American Lit.
"I dunno. I couldn't even begin to guess." He crossed his arms, the muscles under his scales flexed reactively.
Greg bit back a gasp. His eyes were locked in on his friend's arms.
He licked his lips, catching a bit of leftover potatoes. It helped play off his strange behavior.
Once in class, their teacher quickly went over their lesson from the last class, which was poetry, and their assignment ended up being create a poem using free verse. Roy struggled quite a bit while Greg couldn't stop his pen from moving.
He had a lot of pent up emotions to convey and only one piece of paper to put them on.
"Ok, who wants to read their poem to the class?" The teacher scanned the room and locked eyes with Greg. He shook his head, but the older koopa took this as a challenge. "Gregory Jones, you're up."
The dark koopa glared at his teacher as he stood. He stepped to the front and stared at his paper full of words. He swallowed, then began to recite them.
Playing with the lace on my converse
Thinking of the ways you can get hurt
Saw you with that girl and my heart burst
I'm letting go I'm letting go
Looking at my eyes in the mirror
Contemplating life and I shiver
Cause it's all like a river
Take you up take you down
Take you all the way around again
Yeah, and all the way around again
My mind don't wanna hear what my heart says
My heart says to my mind mind your business
Always seeing green when the lights red
Can't look back I can't look back
Running out of luck on a Sunday
Good to know that I got a Monday
And it's all kinda funny
You go up you go down you go all the way around again
And all the way around again
Every things cool
The glass is half full
Too much sun, back in the shade
Life gives you lemons make lemonade.
Everythings cool
Whatcha gonna do?
Four foot one standing on stage
Life gives you lemons make lemonade
Drink it down, yeah drink it down slowly
Spike it up with some chips and guacamole
Good for you soul
Make you feel whole
Just a taste and you'll never be lonely
Never never no never be lonely
Drink it down yeah drink it down slowly
The class erupted with applause. He'd completely forgotten they were there. He felt like he was speaking directly to Roy. Sadly, the shades wearing koopa was as oblivious as the rest of them.
"Nice work, Gregory. It's as if this isn't the first time you've written poetry."
It definitely wasn't and chances are it wouldn't be the last.