Disclaimer: I do not own Halo/Red vs Blue or any of their characters
Seventeen
Morning was the worst part of the day. He hated getting up early just to go to a place he didn't even want to be with people he couldn't stand to be around. The wait at the bus stop was the part he hated most though. There were so many students that lived in his area that he had no choice but to get crammed into a seat with two other people. If it weren't for one little detail, he would have found another means of transportation a long time ago.
"Morning, Tex."
"Church," she replied.
Allison was the single hottest girl that Leonard Church had ever seen. She was also the bitchiest being in all of existence, but for some reason that only made her hotter. Long red hair, sharp green eyes, and curves Church wouldn't mind getting better acquainted with.
"Why does she let him get away with calling her that?" Church heard someone asking. "When I found out she was from Texas I tried calling her that and she punched me in the nose."
"She can't punch him," another answered. "That's the guy with the bone thing."
"Osteogenesis Imperfecta, moron," Church mumbled.
While it was true that Church had brittle bone disease, it was not entirely the reason why he got away with calling Allison Tex. Besides, it was not as though he could be killed by being punched in the face. His bones were just more fragile than the average person's. Tex might break a few ribs, but she wouldn't kill him.
Church had known her since they started high school two years ago. She was the only one who treated him the same way that she treated everyone else. Most people had a tendency to avoid him, and not just because of his offensive personality. They would all eventually see him as a burden since he could not do what the majority of guys his age did. Some other people treated him as though he were made of glass and needed to be coddled and protected. He hated that more than being avoided. Tex was different though.
It was refreshing to not be "special" in any way. He had never told her that outright, but Church was grateful for Tex being Tex. He knew she knew that. He didn't want her to be any different because her very nature was what he liked about her. Unlike the girls in school who were either jealous of her looks, scared of her violent attitude, or both; and unlike the guys who only seemed interested because of her casual approach to physical relationships.
As the bus pulled up Church joined the flock of students lining up. He climbed aboard without speaking to any of them and sat himself in the first empty seat he could find. Not too surprisingly Tex sat with him. Unfortunately it wasn't long after that some guy sat next to her and Church was pressed against the wall of the bus.
"So what kinda night should I plan for prom?" the guy asked. "You're place good, or should I book a room?"
Church smirked at the window and didn't bother turning around to watch. He knew what was coming. It was true Tex liked confidence, but this was a broken nose waiting to happen. No sooner than the thought crossed his mind, Church heard the sound of fist against flesh. He glanced over and saw the guy holding his eye and making his way to another seat.
"Black eye?" Church asked.
"I would've gone for the nose, but there's an idiot blocking my way over here." Her elbow jabbed into his side.
"I thought you wanted to go to the dance," Church said, ignoring the comment and jab. "You've turned down every guy that's asked and it's tonight."
"I'm not gonna go with someone just because they ask, Church. My social status isn't as sad and pathetic as yours. Besides, who says I can't go alone?"
"And that doesn't come across as sad and pathetic social status to you?"
"Not when you keep getting asked. How many girls are jumping at the bit to go with you?"
That was a cheap shot. Tex knew that no one had asked Church and that Church had no intentions of asking anybody. Dances just weren't his thing. Too many people jumping around like idiots and too many local idiots who would love to see him hurt by "accident."
"You really gonna go alone?" Church asked when the bus pulled into the school.
"Don't see why not. Plenty of people to dance with if I do and no date to get pissed off over it. Or maybe I just won't go at all."
Now that didn't sound like Tex. She didn't just suddenly change her mind about anything. At least not unless it had something to do with money. Something was wrong with this picture.
Classes went about the way they usually did with the exception of people acting even more stupid over the dance. Church barely paid attention to any of it. He was more focused on the idea that had been running through his head since morning. It was so unlike him, but for some reason he really wanted to do it. It would set him back, but it would be worth it if it worked out. He started making preparations as soon as the final bell of the day began to ring.
More than half of his savings went into this venture. She had damn well better appreciate what he was doing. His black hair was combed and under control along with the scruff of a goatee that he refused to shave. He was even wearing one of those stupid tuxedos. The worst part of that was how much it made the blue sclera of his eyes stand out. It made him feel self conscious of his appearance for the first time in a long time.
The first he saw of her was her face in the window. He couldn't tell if she recognized him at first or not. He walked up the driveway of the foster house she lived in and knocked on the door. A stern looking middle aged woman answered.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I'm here for Tex," Church answered.
"Who?"
"What're you doing here, Church? And what's with the secret agent look?"
"I'm taking you to the dance," he replied.
"I thought I told you that you weren't going," the disgruntled woman growled at Tex.
"My ass she's not going!" Church yelled. "I spent too much money on that damn rental car and this suit! She's goddamn going!"
While Church stood there and argued with the head of the foster house, Tex must have taken the opportunity to get changed. In just a few short minutes she came running back into the room wearing a long black dress open on one side all the way up to her hip. Her long hair was free and loose about halfway down her back and it smacked Church in the face as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back down the walkway to the car.
"Get back here, Allison!"
"You didn't really think you could stop me, did you?" she laughed.
Tex jumped into the car as Church started it up and floored the pedal. There was something different about her then. Nothing so cliché as "he was seeing her in a new light", but something genuinely different. The fact that Tex lived in a foster house was not exactly common knowledge. Other than the school staff, Church was pretty sure that he was the only one she ever told. He'd never been there before, but she had told him how to find it once. Maybe it was the fact that someone had actually come looking for her that was making her smile like that.
"Keep your eyes on the road there, genius," she ordered. "And you are not going to be staring at me like that all night or I'm going break both your legs."
"You are such a bitch," he smiled.
"Asshole."
The looks on people's faces when he stepped into the dance hall with Tex on his arm were priceless. Hell, even he was surprised she had gone with the idea. Maybe it wasn't so much the fact that she was with him, but the way she was that night. She smiled a lot more, seemed more at ease and relaxed. Of course even though he had brought her, Church didn't expect Tex to spend her entire night with him. He mostly helped himself to the buffet and watched from a table as she danced and laughed and acted like a regular girl for once.
As the night began to wind down, the crowd started thinning out. Church sat at their table with three empty buffet plates and a very self satisfied smile on his face. A quiet, slow song began to play and he felt himself starting to nod of.
"Hey," Tex's voice said softly. "Come and dance with me."
Yeah, he had totally fallen asleep. Tex would never extend that kind of invitation. Not only would she never ask him to dance because he would never actually dance, but she'd never do anything that would make this look so much like a date. He was just her driver tonight. Dream or not, he may as well enjoy it though, right? Any minute she was going to be coming along to wake him up for that ride back to the foster house. Church rose from his chair, let out a yawn, and opened his eyes. There she was with that strange new smile on her face reaching out for his hand. It wasn't a dream, was it?
"Serious?" he asked.
"I could always go give the last dance to someone else," she frowned as she began to cross her arms. Before she could though, Church took her hand quickly and smiled.
"I'd love to," he said. "But you're gonna have to let me lead."
"Oh, this is gonna be good."
And it was. Even though she was being sarcastic about it, it was nice. They moved slowly, mostly rocking back and forth as he guided her in a small circle close to the table, but that was all he needed. Usually if he had seen Tex wearing something so low cut that showed off so much of her figure, this would be about the time Church would be getting hit for ogling her. Tonight really was different though. As the song played on he found himself locked in her eyes. She smiled serenely at him like for once there was nothing in the world that was pissing her off and she laid her head on his shoulder.
Everything was going so perfectly that somewhere in the back of his mind Church knew that something was about to go horribly wrong. Leave it to the back of his mind to be right. Church barely felt the guys hands before whoever it was had pulled his pants down around his ankles. Right in the middle of dancing with Tex. Getting embarrassed would be a normal reaction for most people. Church wasn't most people.
His first reaction was to be royally pissed off. Unfortunately it's hard to express unprecedented rage with your pants around your ankles and someone pushing you on top of the hottest girl in school. Tex reacted quickly enough to save Church a potentially nasty fall from getting pushed from behind, and sat him down in a chair so he could get his pants back around his waist. He looked around for her after that, but she had already disappeared. After the anger subsided the mortification began to set in. That probably just ruined the night that he tried to make for Tex.
"You okay?" she asked, reappearing from where ever she went.
"Totally fine," he answered. "Nothing like showing off my underwear and a bit of my ass to a bunch of jackasses to make a night complete, huh?"
"On the bright side you look kinda cute in boxers."
"Ha ha. Where'd you run off to?"
"I introduced your friend's face to the DJ stand. They didn't hit it off too well. Got into a fight. The DJ stand won."
"Guess that kinda ruined the night, didn't it?"
"Are you kidding?" Tex asked. "What kind of night is complete without me getting to bash a skull in? This was a blast."
"You know, it's really hard to tell when you're being sarcastic sometimes."
"Church, why don't you stop worrying about it and just ask me to go get a picture with you before we leave?"
"Sounds like a plan," he said.
"What does?"
"What you just said."
"What did I say."
"That I should ask you to get a picture taken with me."
"Did you ask me if I wanted to get a picture taken? I just beat the crap out of someone, what if I don't feel like having my picture taken?"
"Do you want to get a picture before we leave, Tex?" Church sighed.
"Sure," she smiled. "Why not?"
"You really are an annoying bitch sometimes, you know that?"
They were told that the pictures would be sent out in just over a week. Tex didn't want the house mother to try and keep them from her, so she said that they should be sent to Church's place instead. She also said that Church would be more than happy to pay. Not surprising.
It was well after midnight when Church walked Tex up to the front door of her foster house. They just stood there for a minute, neither one really knowing what to say at this point. Finally, it was Tex that broke the silence.
"This is really weird for me," she said.
"You know, most girls just say thanks before either kissing the guy goodnight or inviting them inside."
"Shut up and listen to me for a minute, I'm being serious," she ordered. "You know I grew up in the system. It's weird for me to have anything . . . I don't know, stable I guess. I'm not used to having someone whose there for me. That's what you were for me tonight. That's what you are for me pretty much every day. I've been in more houses and homes than anybody I know, but ever since high school started I finally have something that doesn't change. Thanks for that."
"Wow," Church replied. "Never thought I'd ever hear you open up like that. You're welcome, Tex."
Then she did something he wasn't expecting. Tex must have felt that what he had done was pretty special, otherwise she probably wouldn't have leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before going inside and leaving him alone out there in the dark. She didn't even turn on the porch light for him. Honestly he felt a little bit cheated there, but it was still pretty rewarding. It wasn't the most romantic moment that had ever come to pass, but it was definitely a moment. One that Church didn't think he'd ever forget.