John was the sort of person who wore cargo shorts even when it snowed. He was also the sort of person who wasn't able to fathom why that was uncool, and even put him in danger of getting sick - he just goddamn loved to wear cargo shorts. So he did. No matter what.
That was usually one of the first things people learned about him - that, and that he was huge dork. His hair stuck up every which way and the glasses - oh lord, the glasses. He didn't care.
That's what Vriska noticed about him first.
He didn't care.
Her family - Terezi, Vriska, and their mom - was the first to move into the neighborhood after elementary school. Dave, John, Rose, and Jade were all there already - they had grown up together, were the best of friends. It was like a special club, the Fearsome Foursome, and attempting to penetrate it was not one of the best ideas Terezi had ever had.
The weird part was, it worked.
They were nice.
Vriska wasn't used to nice.
Vriska was used to competition and ridicule and hatred and horror. She was used to scrabbling in the dark for control of the remote and going to school with black eyes. She was used to fighting for what she needed, let alone what she wanted.
They just gave it to her.
They just let them in.
Like they were happy to make new friends.
Vriska just couldn't wrap her mind around the concept. Where she and Terezi grew up, it was every kid for themself. Wanted lunch? Had to run. Wanted breakfast? Better practice your sprints, friend, or else you'll go hungry and then you won't have a chance at lunch. Only the best got what they needed, and only the ones on the very top got what they wanted.
So it was just too good to be true.
Dave made wearing sunglasses seem ridiculously cooler than it should have been. Rose could make you feel dumb just by looking at you - just a glance. Jade was a more exuberant, female version of John.
They were all so impossibly, awfully, nice. Vriska was weirded out. Terezi was excited. So, so excited. She latched on to Dave like a lamprey. She trusted them.
Vriska had a much harder time.
They moved in during the summer after fifth grade. Their house was across the street from John's. Jade's was right next to his, and Dave's and Rose's were a block down.
John came over the first week they lived there. His dad had baked cookies - they were piled high on a china platter, still warm, smelling of chocolate and sugar.
"Why are you giving us cookies?" demanded Vriska.
John was bewildered. "We're your neighbors! I'm in the house across the street. Welcome to the neighborhood!"
Vriska just stood and stared at him, all skinny limbs and goofy grins and dark spiky hair. Terezi elbowed her way outside and smiled widely at the smell.
"I'm Terezi," said Terezi, stuffing a cookie into her mouth, "and that's Vriska. What's your name?"
"John," he said cheerfully. "It's nice to meet you guys! Are you sisters?"
"Yeah," Terezi replied, spraying crumbs in a contented sort of way. "Thankf for th' cookief."
Vriska was handed the plate, and as John gave a partially confused but mostly happy nod and turned to go back down the steps, she croaked out a tiny "thank you" and backed into the house, tripping over her feet in her haste to get away.
Terezi slammed the door and grabbed two more cookies. "Thefe are good," she said blissfully, "I like it here."
Shellshocked, Vriska just stood there.
Cookies?
Neighbors?
John?
A slow smile spread across her face.
"I think I'm going to like it here too," she said softly.