~VI~

There's more people out in town Pete notices. Maybe it's due to the rain lightening up? No matter. He just wants to get his pizza. His mouth waters at the thought of it. How long had it been since he ate pizza? Too long, he's sure. Considering the fact that Jimmy didn't hang out with him much anymore because of his love life, and the fact that Gary was completely out of the picture, Pete was alone. Sure, Cody had always offered for him to go hang out but did Pete really want to go smoke or vandalize property? He wasn't sure his parents would approve, no matter how little they chatted lately. Yes, his parents lived close by the school, but they had sent him to the academy for a reason: peace and quiet. Maybe deep down, that was the reason Pete always felt so shy and awkward. His parents shipped him off and now he only went to see them on holidays or when it was summer. And honestly, it did hurt.

Closing in on the pizza place, Pete notices a familiar student standing under an awning. He puts on a smile, walking over.

"Hey, Ink! What's up?" His voice is cheerful and it catches the teen off guard.

"Oh! Hey, Pete," they greet, giving a small wave. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah," he chuckles, "I would've stayed back at the dorm, but I really wanted some pizza. So, here I am!"

Ink giggles softly at Pete's attempt to be more energetic.

"So, why are you out here?" he asks, "It's not raining that hard anymore."

"It's still sprinkling," they reply, looking out at the street. One of the puddles nearby has a consistent display of raindrops hitting it. "I came out when it wasn't raining at all, but it's started up again."

"Why, though?" he questions. Ink just stays quiet, closing in on themselves. "You can tell me, if you want. I just don't understand why you're so up on not getting wet."

"How about you get your pizza and I'll tell you when you're done?" they suggest. Pete sighs softly, but nods anyways. He walks inside the pizza place, expecting Ink to follow him, but they stay outside. He doesn't push it. But now, he's feeling rushed. He doesn't want Ink to just wait on him, and he does want to know why they've been acting so weird. He remembered they also wanted to tell him something yesterday before he went to go see Gary.

Gary. He wondered how he was holding up. He wondered how the medicine was reacting today. How the orderlies were treating him. If he was taking his pills willingly yet. Knowing Gary, probably not.

Pete orders a small pepperoni pizza to go, and sits down at a nearby table as he waits. His thoughts drift back to last year. How Jimmy arrived. How Gary befriended him. How Gary told Pete his plan to take over the school. He had promised Pete a more calm life at Bullworth, one where he felt more wanted and accepted. A school experience he deserved. Of course, Gary also told him Jimmy could have some glory. He painted the picture for Pete so vividly. Gary would be their leader, Pete would be the brain, and Jimmy would be the brawn. Together, they would rule the school. And when Gary would graduate, Jimmy would become leader, then Pete, then whoever would be next in line. He knew it sounded too good to be true.

It's funny, though. When Pete got to Bullworth and met Gary, the teen would always comment about topics he grew to like. His visions of being a mighty ruler, plans to do this and that. Pete always thought he would be cut out for the military, or something of the sort. Gary was always so knowledgeable about weapons. And at first, Pete didn't question Gary having so many prescriptions. Who was he to judge? He only got worried when Gary started to neglect them, claiming a genius like himself didn't need medicine. How wrong he was. In the beginning, Pete was sure Gary would graduate with all A's but when he started losing it, that thought went out the window. Still, Gary was the only person who interacted with him, even if most of the time it was just to annoy him.

Time flew for Pete and before he knew it, the lady at the front was calling his name, a cardboard box in her hand. He thanked her and left, Ink outside and scribbling down something in the sketchbook he had looked through a while ago.

"Ready to go?" Pete asks, smiling at the teen. Ink just nods, putting their sketchbook away. They walk back to school, the rain no longer. Though, Pete did feel the occasional rain drop on his face. He never said anything, not wanting to hear Ink panic. They were close by the school, anyways. And when they got onto campus, Pete suggested they go to the jocks clubhouse. Jimmy had given him permission to stay there anytime he liked, considered he valued the lighthouse more than this old home on campus.

By the time they get to the stairs, the rain returns and Pete groans. The rain, though not too hard, was making his pizza box damp and he didn't want his pizza soggy. But Ink, on the other hand, let out a terrified shriek, one would make if they faced their greatest fear. And with that, they took off running, making a beeline for the safe house. Pete picked up his pace, worried about his friend.

Pushing his way through the doors, Pete was horrified to see Ink leaning against the counter, their skin looking as though it was melting. Setting his pizza down, he made his way over to the other teen, hands awkwardly reaching out and then recoiling, unsure if he should touch them.

"AC, please," Ink's voice is a mixture of fear and calm, and Pete can't wrap his head around what's going on. Had he fallen asleep waiting for his pizza? Though, he goes over to where the AC is set, turning it on and shivering when the air suddenly blows out and hits him.

"What's going on?" Ink seems to ignore him, walking over to where he is and standing in front of the air, seeming more relaxed. He watches them, still so confused. They rub their arms in an odd manner, almost as though they're molding them.

It takes a good few minutes before Ink turns their attention to Pete, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you," They go sit on the edge of the makeshift bed, head in their hands. "This is what I wanted to talk about, Pete. Yesterday."

"You mean you melting in rain?" he questions, taking a step forward. He gets a nod.

"I'm not exactly normal," they confess, "All of these things wrong with me is the reason why I decided to come back to Bullworth. No one here knows about any of it, except you. And I got harassed a lot at my old school because of it."

"Your sister didn't do anything about it?" Ink shook their head.

"I didn't want her to freak out and hurt anyone," they told him, "I didn't tell her about the bad parts, but I did tell her that people were bullying me over my condition and everything, and she agreed to have me transferred."

"So you came to Bullworth?" Pete chuckles, finding this town to be known for the bullies, especially the academy.

"We had to move anyways, because of her reputation at our old town," they reply, "So we figured a small town like this one was better for us. And really, everything was decent until the fighting started. Apart from the normal bullies, no one knew about what I am."

"What do you mean, "what are you"?" he asks. Ink just shrugs.

"I'm a monster," they speak, voice soft. "I can't be in extreme heat or rain or else I'll start to melt, and I can't be out when it's really cold or I'll freeze."

"You're not a monster, Ink!" he laughs, reaching out and gently placing a hand on their shoulder. "You just have a condition no one else does! Or in this school, at least. But that shouldn't make you see yourself as something you're not. You can't help what happens to your body."

"I guess you're right," Ink looks at him, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you, Pete. I really do appreciate the talk. It's helped."

Pete gives them a nod, going to retrieve his pizza and take a slice.

"No problem!" Take a small bite and turning his attention back to his friend, Pete swallows the piece in his mouth before continuing. "I might not understand fully, but I won't make fun of you for being what you are. Honestly, I know what that feels like."

"You do?" Pete nods. And that's how the story starts. How his parents dropped him off at Bullworth and how he had roomed with Gary, the student who started the fight and bullied him since day one. He told them about how Gary was his roommate, and though he was a terrible boy when off his meds, but how he did make him feel included in some things, even though he wasn't always up for it. He told them about Gary's "master plan" to overtake the school, having the three of them be the rulers of Bullworth, Gary passing down the title "leader" to Jimmy when he graduated, then to him whenever it was Jimmy's turn to graduate. He told them about how Jimmy had beat Gary in the end, sending him off the Happy Volts and how Pete actually did miss Gary and his shenanigans.

Ink sits there, listening to stories of this Gary character, and admiring how Pete seemed so infatuated with him, even if he wouldn't admit it. The stories of the pranks Gary would pull, how he could manipulate everyone into believing him, how smart but evil Pete made him sound. He did seem pretty interesting, and Pete had more than enough stories to tell. How funny it was about how so much could happen in one school year. Gary had convinced everyone that Jimmy was such a horrible student, all in the name of getting to be the leader of Bullworth. And even though Gary did harass Pete, he didn't really turn anyone against Pete. Sure, he didn't help against people bullying him, but he also kept him close by, most likely to use him for future plans. But, even though Pete seemed to understand this, he never left Gary's side. And though he hated to admit it, Pete knew about the fight Gary was leading Jimmy into. The one against Russell. Of course, he hated the senior for doing that, but honestly, what could he have done to stop it? Gary would've thrown him down there with Jimmy, and he knew for a fact he couldn't beat Russel. It was a wonder how Jimmy did.

By the time Pete's stories are done, the rain's stopped and the two are going back to their respective dorm rooms. Pete returns to his room, finding himself alone, a note on Cody's bed.

"Gone out to have fun. Be back whenever XOXO"

Dropping the note, Pete goes to lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He lets him mind wander. He wondered if Jimmy and Gord went on their date, or whatever it was they were doing. He wondered if Gord would go back to being the same old snob to him if he ever broke up with Jimmy. Who was he kidding? Of course he would. All of the preps were the same. But, if Gord would be decent to him for the time being, then that was fine by him.

He wondered what Cody was doing, and who he was with. Though the teen didn't belong to a clique, he did often times hang out with either the townies or greasers, having fun causing trouble with them. Cody could have been a good student, if he went to class. Pete saw the passion he showed for cars, and wondered if he would become a mechanic. Being a junior, Cody simply said he would make up his credits during the summer and would go out strong his senior year. He doubted he would.

He wondered how Gary was doing. All alone in that dark room, with the orderlies injecting medicine into him because he refused to take the pills. How horrible that must have been. Pete hated getting shots and having the hospital take blood. He couldn't imagine having an injection every day, especially with the side effects. Though Gary did still have his snide comments, he did seem a lot more calmer. And a lot more lonely. His parents didn't even visit him. Didn't they care about his son? He supposed not all families were close. The thought made him a bit sad. Though he did cause a lot of bad things to happen at Bullworth, he wondered if he regretted it. Could sociopaths feel emotions? Or was it psychopaths that felt nothing? He couldn't remember. So many people mixed up the characteristics of the two, he didn't know which was which anymore.

Rolling over, Pete let his eyes slowly shut. Just a quick nap. Maybe tomorrow, he would go see if he could visit Gary again.