Hey, second chapter. If any of you have read my other stories you know, I hardly ever update this quickly (yes this is quick for me) I will try to update every week, but I can't make promises. I have a busy life, full of coursework and more coursework so finding time to write isn't easy.
Thanks to OhJay and sathreal for reviewing, and thanks to people who favourited and to any silent readers.
Anyway, I want to apologise for any dumb mistakes in my last chapter, I was checking it at night, when I needed sleep. Also I there were some things I forgot to say last time. One of them being if you didn't know what a colorimeter is then it measures how much light is absorbed by different colours (you don't need to know that, but in case you were interested) secondly, I want to apologise in advance (or retrospect) for any mistakes I make about american high school culture, I'm British so my knowledge comes through T.V and books mostly.
Now a quick warning: there are some fairly nasty things said in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. (Sigh)
Anyway, I'll let you read now. Enjoy!
Chapter 2
Winry pulled her hair into a pony tail and checked her appearance in the mirror. She stuffed some items into her satchel then pulling some pumps on, she grabbed her keys and ran out of the house, and she legged it to the bus stop just reaching it in time. She didn't want to be late on her second day of school. She sat on the bus for 10 minutes, before getting off at a bus stop 20 minutes away from school.
Central High was the most prestigious and most expensive school in the area. Winry's parents were working all hours so she could attend Central High. Winry didn't want the mostly rich students to see her climb off a bus.
She hadn't walked far when a car horn made her jump out of her skin; she looked as a black truck pulled up in front of her, Edward Elric leant out of the window.
"Want a lift?"
"No, I'm fine."
"You're kidding right, you're going to walk to school. Get in." He jerked his thumb into the interior of the car, indicating her to get in. Winry hadn't spoken to Ed after the maths class, he hadn't seemed happy with her during their last conversation and now he was offering her lift. Sighing, Winry walked round to the passenger side, the truck had three seats in the front, and Alphonse was sitting in the middle seat, he leaned over and held a helping hand out, Winry grabbed it and he pulled her up into the seat.
"Thanks." She said collectively to both of them.
"Finally, let's go." Ed said, pushing his foot down on an accelerator.
"So don't you have a car Winry?" Al asked.
"Yeah, I do it just doesn't work right now." She said truthfully.
"So why'd you get off the bus this far away, there is a stop closer to the school." Ed said, eyes focused on the road.
"Oh, erm, well..." Winry felt her cheeks begin to burn.
"So you're embarrassed." Ed said turning to flash a grin at her.
"Watch the road!" Al yelled at him and Ed looked back at the road. "Idiot."
"Sorry." Ed mumbled.
"It's amazing you haven't killed us yet Ed." Al sighed.
"Oh shut up, or you can drive tomorrow."
"You're the one who never lets me drive."
Winry giggled at the brothers bickering and settled back into her seat. She tried to figure Ed out, he seemed so different to how had he been yesterday.
The truck bumped over speed bumps as Ed pulled into the parking lot too fast.
"Oh come on Ed, you could try to pay attention to the road." Al said in a tone that suggested he didn't have much hope Ed would pay attention. He didn't, choosing to ignore Al as he pulled in to a parking lot next to a shiny black SUV. He cut off the engine and jumped out of the cab, Winry climbed down from the passenger side and Al followed her. Together they walked round to the driver's side, where Ed was already in the middle of an argument with Roy, who owned the SUV.
"I swear if you got so much as a scratch on my car I will burn you alive." Roy menacingly flicked his lighter on.
"I didn't touch you're damn car." Ed growled back. As Al and Winry appeared around the corner of the truck, Roy's eyebrows rose.
"Hello, Winry, Al." He said before turning back to Ed.
"It's bad enough you drive that recklessly with your kid brother in the car but with Winry as well."
"Shut the hell up." Ed yelled as Al said,
"I'm not a kid."
"Roy are you causing problems again." Riza appeared, Rose at her side.
"No, it's the runt." Roy said defensively.
"Who the hell are you calling a half-pint, ant –sized midget runt?" Ed yelled. Everyone in the group sighed.
"He didn't say that." Riza and Rose said in unison. Winry clamped her hand over her mouth trying to laugh. Seeing she was about to crack, Rose grabbed her and tugged her off.
"Come to the bathroom with me before class."
*******
Winry had just left her classroom and was now facing a free period, with which she had no idea what to do with, her arms were full of books, papers and notes, work she had to catch up on. She glanced down at the copy of Macbeth on the top of the pile, she wasn't the biggest fan of Shakespeare but she knew the story. She bumped straight into someone in the hall and her papers scattered everywhere.
"Sorry." She said as she scrambled to collect her stuff together.
"Watch where you're going woman." A rough voice said. Winry looked up to see the dark haired boy who'd knocked Kain's lunch tray over yesterday. Kimblee, she thought, remembering his name.
"Wait, you're that new girl right, I see you don't waste time getting into Mustang's group. Well, maybe he's already looking for another innocent young girl to occupy himself with, although maybe you aren't as innocent as you look." Winry finished gathering her stuff as Kimblee said his little speech. She straightened up angrily but not really sure what to do.
Thump. Someone slammed into Kimblee's shoulder, knocking him back a step. He whirled round.
"Oh look it's the older Elric, going to protect your precious Colonel's reputation." He sneered at Roy's title.
"I don't give a toss about that idiot, I just think it's about time someone broke that face of yours." Ed said squaring up to Kimblee.
"Haha, and you think you can do that."
"Yeah." Ed balled his fist up. Winry quickly stepped in front of Ed putting one hand on his chest.
"Leave it, it's not worth it." She begged.
"Like hell it is." Ed relaxed slightly.
"What's this the wild kid tamed by the new girl." Kimblee laughed. Ed growled and tensed again, ready to fight.
"Please, Ed if you fight him you're as bad as he is." Ed puffed out a breath then took a step back, completely relaxing. Kimblee laughed again.
"Bye bye Elric, look after that little whore of yours." Winry narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, slamming her foot down on Kimblee's he swore and stumbled back, face contorted in pain.
"Bitch."
"Next time it'll be your crotch." She hissed at him. Turning on her heel she strode away down the corridor.
Ed caught her elbow.
"Hey, not that I'm not impressed, but you're a hypocrite, you know that don't you."
"Never said I was perfect." Winry answered shrugging. Ed laughed. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued to walk next to Winry.
"Where are you going?" she snapped at him.
"I don't know." He answered looking at her.
"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, noticing she was shaking.
"He-he called me a whore, it's not true you know."
"Of course I know and so will everyone else, he's a bully, no one believes what he says. Oh and while we're talking about it, the stuff he said about Mustang's a lie too."
Winry covered her face with her free hand, she was shaking slightly and tears were in her eyes blurring her vision as she tried to hold them in.
"It's my second day and I've already made an enemy."
"Don't worry about it. Kimblee could pick a fight in an empty room. Come here." Suddenly he wrapped his arms around Winry holding her close. She moved her hand away from her face, grabbing a fistful of shirt and burying her head in his shoulder. They stood like that for a while before Winry took in a shaky breath and stepped back.
"Thanks." She said smiling.
"That's ok don't mention it, seriously please don't tell anyone, I couldn't stand the jibbing from the smug Colonel." Ed said slightly desperately, Winry laughed.
"I won't tell anyone promise. You don't have a lesson do you?"
"Err...yeah I do." He said glancing at his watch.
"Then go. Now." Winry shoved him in a random direction.
"Ok, I'm going, hey Roy's got a free now, he'll be in the common room."
"Thanks, see you at lunch."
"Can't wait." Ed called over his shoulder as he ran down the hall. Winry leant back against the wall and bit her lip, she couldn't help smiling.
As Winry left the building at the end of the day she heard pounding feet behind her and a hand clamped down on her shoulder making her jump.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ed said breathlessly as if he'd run after her.
"Home."
"Come on I'll take you." Winry let herself be tugged towards the parking lot by Ed. When they reached the cars, Roy was leaning on the door of his car, his arm around Riza, talking to Al.
"Hey, Winry you coming to the beach tonight?" Riza asked.
"Huh?"
"We're meeting up by the pier, few drinks generally hanging out that sort of thing. Please come."
"Sure."
"Great. You two are coming too aren't you?"
"Yeah, sure." Ed said absently focusing on Al who was looking pale. "Time to go." He said. And everyone climbed into their cars.
"Where do you live?" Ed asked.
"Just drop me off at the bus stop. I already have a return."
"Whatever, tell me where you live and I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."
"I can't ask you to do that."
"You're not I'm offering." Winry stayed silent, looking uncomfortable.
"We'll pick you up from the bus stop then." Al said weakly, compromising.
"Ok." Winry answered.
"Fine." Ed huffed, irritated at being beaten.
The sea wind tugged slightly at Winry's dress and hair, pulling her towards the noises coming from under the pier. She walked towards her new friends, marvelling in the familiarity of the greetings and hugs from the people she'd only met the day before. Several rugs had been spread out on the damp sand and the friends lounged around. Maes had his legs either side of Gracia as she leant back into his chest. And Roy and Riza were stretched out next to them. Havoc tugged Winry down next to him on one of the rugs where Rose was also sitting. Winry glanced around, noticing everyone one was there apart from two. She also noticed with a pang how much her heart sank at their absence.
"Where are Ed and Al?"
"Not coming, Al's not feeling well." Roy said.
"Oh." She vaguely wondered why Ed couldn't come without his brother but Havoc was soon demanding her attention, showing off too her and Rose.
During the night Rose decided Winry should have everyone's phone numbers. As Winry walked home by herself, having refused Havoc's offer to walk home, she stared at the screen on her mobile, the text was written out: Hi, it's Winry, I heard Al was ill, tell him I hope he gets better soon, see you tomorrow. X. It was already to send to Ed but her thumb hovered over the send button. She laughed at her own stupidity and hit the button, sending her message through the ether towards Ed.
Her phone buzzed as she reached her house, unlocking the door she entered and pulled out the phone, reading the message from Ed. Al says thanks, he won't be in school tomorrow but he says if I'm late then you should tell him so he can beat me up. Don't worry I won't be late Al's punches hurt. Ed. Winry couldn't help grinning at the light hearted message, she shook her head as she thought about how much her opinion of Ed had changed in one day.
Review please, XD!
