A.N. So, I was watching a lot of different group do 13 the Musical, and one stuck out to me. They weren't the greatest of singers, but one thing I liked that they did was, unlike everyone else, they casted Archie as a very good looking guy, which I liked, because Archie doesn't necessarily have to be dorky looking. So, now, he's my model for Archie
Archie rolled over in his bed and groaned quietly. His legs were aching more than usual, and not just a numbing pain. He rolled over onto his left side and curled in onto himself, he really didn't want to get up today. Maybe he could just lay in bed all day and never have to get-
"Archie!"
Well, that ended that. Archie groaned again, not painfully this time, and yanked the blanket over his head, which was promptly ripped away revealing his mother's annoyed expression. She rolled her eyes and opened his curtains, receiving another groan from him. Archie picked up his pillow and shoved his face underneath. He heard his mother sigh.
"Come on, Archie. Get up, it's time for school."
"No, it's too early."
"Too bad, get out of bed, now."
"But-"
"Now."
"Fine."
Archie rolled around a few more times before sitting up, rubbing his blue eyes and yawned. He squinted at the sunlight streaming into his room as he reached over to grab his crutches. He yawned again as he hobbled off to the shower.
After showering and brushing his teeth and what-have-you, Archie went back to his room and slipped, uneasily mind you, into a pair of jeans, a green lantern tee shirt and his red converse. Sitting on his desk was a green baseball cap and a tube of hair gel. Archie ran a hand through his blonde hair.
Hat…gel…hat…gel…
His laziness that morning won out and he donned his green cap, backwards of course, and grabbed his red hoodie off his door. He swung his backpack over his shoulder and walked outside.
The only good thing about being on the special needs bus was that it picked him up at his door, so he never had to worry about missing the bus. Other than that, the bus kinda sucked. It was too small for comfort, the benches all worn and sticky and the bus driver old and bossy. Archie sighed and clambered onto the bus.
"Come on, kid, we ain't got all day."
"Sorry, ma'am."
Archie plopped down on the closest, empty seat just as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled when he saw who it was.
hey wats up archie ~Evan
not much on the bus wbu ~Archie
umm yea i kinda slept in and i missed the bus so yea kinda running to school ~Evan
suck dont u have a bike ~Archie
tires dont work right i got 2 get new ones ~Evan
oh right just pulled up see u in a few ~Archie
Archie laughed to himself, just like Evan to miss the bus, and right before Thanksgiving break too. He stood up and hopped off the bus, heading off to his locker. He would have gotten there too, if he hadn't bumped into someone along the way. Or a few someones. Archie was face-to-face with none other than Brett and his gang. Brett looked at Archie and sneered.
"What are you doing bumping into me like that, crip?"
"No-nothing."
"Sure you were."
Brett shoved Archie backwards onto the ground and walked away, his gang following him, smirking at Archie. Archie sighed and attempted to get back to his feet, but was unable to get any leverage. Archie slumped back on the ground and looked wistfully at his locker not ten feet away. He was not crawling over there; not happening, he wasn't letting Brett win this time. Archie tried to struggle to his feet again and was relieved when two hands grabbed him from behind and helped raise him to his feet.
"Archie, are you ok?"
"Yeah, Patrice, I'm fine."
"Hey, what happened?"
"Nothing, just tripped."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Patrice looked at him skeptically, but let the matter drop. Just then, Evan came running in and bolted up next to the two, bending down at the waist huffing and puffing. Evan started to cough up a lung as Patrice rubbed his back. Archie laughed at him.
"Hey, looks like you made it."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Hey, let's get to class before we're all late."
Archie smiled, shaking his head and followed Patrice and Evan to English.
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The trio walked into class just as the bell rang, so they hurried to their seats and took out their notebooks, starting the prompt for the day.
Write about what you will be doing over Thanksgiving break.
Seems easy enough, for every other student. What if Mr. Vasquez made them read what they are going to do over Thanksgiving to the class? Archie doesn't like to lie, but he can't write THAT. Archie nervously tapped his chin with his pencil. He only had another minute to write. Gosh, what was he going to say?
"Ok, class, so because it is the day before break, we have some time. Let's read what we wrote out loud. Ashely, you start."
Good, he was starting on the other end of the room, Archie still had time to think. Oh geez. Archie could hear mummers of the other students' answers, but none really stuck to him. He was too nervous about what he was supposed to say. Wait, what was that sound? Was someone calling his name? Oh no. Archie blushed a deep red as his classmates laughed. He raised his eyes tentatively.
"Yes."
"What are you doing over the break, Archie?"
"Oh, right, um, just, you know."
Archie looked around at all the kids staring at him. He blushed again and ducked his head down mumbling an answer.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Oh, come on. Don't be shy, I'm sure you're doing something."
"N-no, not really."
Lucy rolled her eyes and kicked the back of Archie's chair.
"Oh my God, just tell us. It's not that hard."
"I-"
Archie looked up at the teacher, then around o all his classmates, finally landing his eyes on Patrice who gave him a small smile and a nod of encouragement.
"I-I'm getting, getting surgery on m-my spine."
The teacher looked slightly taken a back, but nodded his head and moved on with the lesson. Archie bit his lip and ducked his head down behind his journal, doodling on an empty page. It's not like he was unused to the idea of surgery, or the hospital, but he didn't like to share his personal life with just anyone. Who goes up to people and says 'Hi, I'm Archie and I'm getting surgery on my spine next week, which could possibly paralyze me. Have a nice day'? No one, that's who.
Not soon enough for Archie's liking, the bell finally rang and Archie hurried out of the classroom before anyone could say anything.
A.N. Eh, actually pretty terrible, but, oh well. R&R if you want me to continue.