The Apprehensive and The Optimistic

Chapter 10

AN:: IMPORTANT! FIRST! Okay, so yes, it's Monday. I won't be able to update Wednesday because I'll be going to Philadelphia the next two days. (fuck yeah! I miss a quiz in Algebra II!) And I'd rather update early then late. Second, I lost chapters 14 through 16? The files got corrupted somehow, so I'll be taking a hiatus after I upload chapter 11. The hiatus will probably last two weeks. Just so I can pump out a few chapters. I like staying ahead of what im uploading! So, chapter 12 will be uploaded May 7-ish. It seems like a long time, I know! But I may end my hiatus early, it depends on how quickly I meet my quota! Keep an eye out you guys! And thanks for the cooperation.

all mistakes are mine

The group exited the theater and walked into the lobby, laughing and talking about the film, "Thanks for inviting me guys." Josh said, wiping a happy tear from his eye.

Anthony rolled his eyes, "Well, we didn't have much of a choice. Ian said you'd whine if we didn't."

The group laughed harder, and Josh pouted, "Well, regardless, it was fun. It was better then fucking with 12 year olds on Xbox."

"You fuck around with 12 year olds?! That's disgusting!" Matt yelled, causing a few people in the lobby to look over at them.

Josh quickly covered Matt's mouth, cheeks warm, "Shut up, asshole! Don't yell stuff like that!"

Ian grinned mischievously, "Josh fucks around with 12 year olds!"

Josh hissed another shut up at him, and Anthony laughed. Suddenly Mari's arm was looped around his, "C'mon, Anthony. I challenge you to a round of Area 51!" She pointed to the arcade. Anthony happily let Mari drag him in the direction and They put in their quarters, pressing start. Once the game was set, and They began shooting down Aliens, Mari asked, "When do you start school?"

"Wednesday is my first day." He said. Mari was the only one who knew. Anthony was probably closer to her then any of the guys, She was cool and easy to get along with. They texted a lot surprisingly, and sometimes She dropped by his job to say hello a few times. She helped him pick out some classes, and made sure They all got the same lunch.

Mari grinned, "Awesome. Ian is gonna freak when he finds out you're going to the same school. I think you might actually kill him."

Anthony shot down the last alien and talked as the scene changed, "I don't want him to die. But I'm excited for his reaction."

"He'll be happy." She grinned.

Anthony frowned for a moment and looked at Mari. Then back to the screen, he glanced in the direction of their other friends. Ian, Josh, and Matt were all surrounded by the claw machines, laughing and making faces at each other. Anthony smiled and looked to the game. "Hey, Mari, can I ask something a little personal about Ian?"

Mari hummed, "I'll try my best to answer."

Anthony shot down a few more enemies, "Is Ian, like, bullied?" He felt a little weird asking, like maybe he shouldn't. But he was curious about it, he didn't want to be wrong, but there was a possibility he was over thinking the girls and guidance councilors reactions. Or Ian's reactions to the football players, and Trevor. Although, it was better to get a straight answer.

Mari frowned, "Um, yes?" She sounded a little confused herself, "It's a long story." She took a chance and glanced in their friends direction, "To summarize; When Ian came to school our freshman year, he was public about a lot of stuff. His opinions especially. The cool kids would pick on the usual dorks and nerds, and idiots, but Ian would always get involved. Which, well, was a horrible idea." She scoffed, "But Ian's made a lot of friends with the outcasts. Although, a lot of the guys, and even girls, that are popular constantly rag on him. They say crap to him, a few guys that are huge dicks shove him around, but Ian fights back."

Anthony was a little shocked by the last statement, "Ian gets into fights?" He asked shocked.

"Not really, he's only been in two. And they were his freshman year."

Anthony nodded, frowning, "Don't...you guys stick up for him?" The Japanese girl lowered the plastic gun and had a look of guilt over her face. Anthony lower his too, and the screen flashed a warning, he sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"We're horrible friends." She said and looked over at Ian, "He's stuck up for us on multiple occasions, and he's takes a lot of shit because of us misfits." She smiled sadly, "But when it comes down to it, and Bobby is in Ian face, Calling him horrible names, or when he's being shoved into the lockers, or when Hilary talks trash behind his back. We don't say anything. We just..." She shook her head, "We duck and hope they don't notice us."

The brown eyed man lifted a hand and squeezed her shoulder, "Don't be so hard on yourself, you're there for him still. You don't leave him because of the fact he's picked on. You take the shit people give you for talking to him, and that matters." He holstered the plastic gun as the game over screen flashed.

Mari smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Anthony. But, um, how'd you know?"

"Um, when I was at the school today. I was talking to the guidance councilor about the people I know that go there, she absolutely changed when I mentioned Ian, And another girl did the same when I accidentally bumped into her. Plus, he talks negatively about the football players, and everything. I could only assume there was something going on." He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, leaning against the arcade machine.

"Ah, the guidance councilor is never on Ian's side, she can't actually get the big athlete's into trouble, so she's use to punishing or ignoring Ian." Mari sighed, "I think it kills her though, she just keeps the facade that she doesn't care."

"Anthony! DUDE!" Ian ran up to him, grinning. Anthony smiled at his excitement, Ian held up a stuffed cat with a smirk on his face.

Anthony blinked, and took the plush from Ian, "Dude this is...friggin' adorable." He laughed.

Mari awed and Ian shot her a look, while his cheeks turned pink, "Well, y'know, we talked about stuffed animals earlier." Anthony looked at him, slightly shocked, "And, well, um, I wanted to show you that yeah, stuffed animals are okay too." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the arcade, "Oh... heh... Mrs. Pacman." He walked away from Anthony, Mari following him and nudging him in the side.

Anthony watched him walk away, and looked back at the striped cat. He rubbed his hand across the fake fur, and felt himself blush. He wondered if Ian realized that Anthony was asking if you could buy your boyfriend stuffed animals. Anthony smiled and chuckled, he liked to think Ian did. He walked over to him and Mari, watching Ian play Mrs. Pacman. He wasn't going to let himself read too much into this, and he was just going to enjoy the butterflies in his chest when Ian smiled shyly at him. Which he did a few times that night.

He didn't realize how nervous he'd be on his first day. Even though he had friends, he walked through the halls in complete confusion. He held tightly onto the straps of his backpack, as he looked for his homeroom. He hadn't seen Mari, Josh, Matt or even Ian. He never felt so alone. The halls were loud and there were kids everywhere. At his private school, there were normally teachers walking around keeping everyone in line. Sure, there was talking, but hell, some of these kids were screaming at each other. Even teachers were talking to each other being loud and laughing obnoxious like too.

Anthony wasn't sure how he felt about the whole scene, it was exciting sure, but it all seemed out of control. He had always been prone to anxiety and panic attacks, and he felt like any moment he was just going to faint. He was light headed, and his steps were growing heavier. He swallowed, realizing how dry his throat got. He shut his eyes and took a breath. When he opened them he looked around the hall for his homeroom, when he found it he walked nervously into the class room and up to the teachers desk.

"I-I. Uh, I.." He felt his face flush as he lifted his schedule and showed it to the man. He felt miserable.

The teacher smiled and looked at the schedule, he read over it and looked up at him, "Anthony Padilla? Well, we don't have assigned seats in homeroom, so sit where you'd like. Do you have any questions?"

Anthony smiled slightly and shook his head before taking his schedule back and taking a seat in the front row. He dropped his bag on the floor, and shut he eyes and let his head rest on the cool plastic of the desk. After a few minutes he sat up and frowned, he looked around class and there were a few girls giggling in the corner and giving him flirty smiles. Anthony blinked and turned to face the front of him. Why were high school girls here so interested in him? The teacher chuckled and shook his head. Anthony itched the back of his neck, "Um, Mr...?"

"Fine." He curly haired man said, "Mr. Fine."

"Oh...uh, Mr. Fine, are we allowed to have our phones...out?" He asked slowly. There were a ton of kids in the halls on their phones, and he had to ask.

"In the halls and lunch, yeah. Some teachers let you have them out before and after class. So, yes. Go ahead." He smiled kindly, "My advice is to keep in your pocket today in your other classes, though. You don't know which teachers are going to snatch it from you."

Anthony nodded, smiling some, "Thank you."

"Of course."

He took his phone out and texted Mari automatically. 'You never told me that your school was so intimidating!'

After a few minutes Mari replied, 'Sorry! It's not bad. You'll get use to it =D'

Anthony groaned and set his phone down, rubbing his eyes, there was creaking beside and he glanced at who took the seat next to him, "New kid!" The girl grinned at him.

"Uh...Yeah." Anthony nodded, putting his phone in his hoodie pocket. He looked away from her but she spoke again.

"You don't remember me?"

Anthony looked at her again. He gave her a one over. She had blue hair, and was wearing a tan dress, cardigan, and boots. Anthony blushed as he noticed just how nice the dress complimented her curves, "I-uh-um..."

"I saw you Monday. Track and Field girl?" She smiled, but she looked a little offended.

"Oh!" Anthony blinked and looked at her face, he was able to see it now, "I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to your face...you're hair is different."

"Hehe, do you like it?" She ran her fingers through it, and winked, "You don't have to look at my face, I'm okay if you look...other places."

Anthony blushed, "Wh-What? N-No, I didn't...I'm not..." He rubbed his neck awkwardly and looked away from her in embarrassment.

The girl chuckled, "God, you're cute." She rested her head against the palm of her hand, "What's your name?"

Anthony still looked away, "A-Anthony..." He took a quick glance at her, and looked away again, "What's yours?"

"Call me Kalel." She giggled again, "I wanna ask you something, Ant." The pet name sounded weird on her tongue, "Are you like Ian?"

Anthony furrowed his eyebrows, and looked at her, nerves gone, "What do you mean, like Ian?"

Kalel blinked, "Oh, I'm not insulting your friend. I just want to know if you're gay, is all."

Anthony shrugged, "I don't think so." He itched his cheek and glanced around the room as more people entered, "Ian's more than gay, by the way. I'm like him in a lot of ways. Don't be so small minded." He must of said it bitterly because the girl scoffed, and looked away from him. Anthony sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just...He's my best friend and I know he doesn't have the best school life."

The bluenette looked at him, smiling sympathetically, "You got that right. It's fine, I forgive you! Ian and I aren't enemies, by the way. We get along."

"Good," Anthony smiled, and took his schedule from his pocket, "Do we share any classes?"

The girl gave Anthony a big smile, which looked really good on her, Anthony noted and she took his schedule from him.

He and Kalel only had one class together, he didn't mind too much. She was actually really nice, and interesting they talked all of homeroom, and she walked him to his first period, which Anthony really appreciated. When Anthony made it to second period, there was a substitute in the class, so he was just told to take any seat, and they were all given worksheets. He was confused and tried his hardest to answer, but he was sure he did horribly. At his old school they never took Mythology, so he had to try to fill in the blanks about Greek mythology from just common knowledge he knew.

After that class, Anthony sighed as he entered another classroom, his third period to be exact. He looked up and saw Mari in the back, talking to a guy. Anthony grinned and approached the teacher, he showed her his schedule and rushed to the back, sitting behind Mari. The Japanese girl grinned, "Hey, if it's not the man himself. Wes, this is Anthony. Anthony, this is Wes."

Wes grinned and brushed his hair from his eyes before holding out a hand to Anthony, "It's nice to meet you."

"Like wise, Wes." They shook hands.

Mari chuckled, "You guys will get along." She looked at Anthony, smirking, "What was the bowl haired freaks reaction to you being here?"

Anthony blinked, "Ian? I haven't seen him."

"Let me see your schedule." Anthony handed it to her, and she looked over it, "You're supposed to have second period with him. Maybe he ditched class...?"

"He wasn't in first period." Wes said, and Anthony noticed just how quiet he was. His voice was kind of meek, but he had a kind face.

Mari made a face, "Is he late again?"

"...He's normally late?" Anthony asked.

Mari shrugged, "Sometimes? Josh will know next period if he's in school. God, if he's not I'm gonna punch him."

Anthony laughed, but he wanted Ian to be in school too. His first day without his best friend, when he was supposed to surprise him was the worse thing ever.

When they entered their next class, which he, Mari, Ian, and Josh all shared, she immediately marched up to Josh and slammed her books down on the table. She glared, "Where's Ian!?"

Josh blinked at Anthony, then grinned, "MAN! Anthony don't tell me you're going here now?!"

"Surprise!" He sang, chuckling and sitting beside Mari at the table.

"Aw, man!" Josh frowned, pouting some, "If only Ian was in school today."

Anthony felt his world crumble, and he sighed, "So he's not?"

"Nah," Josh shook his head, "He's sick today, David actually ditched class to take care of him."

"I hope he gets better.." Mari frowned, then she slammed her hands on the table, "So I can punch him tomorrow for ditching Anthony's first day!"

The class went by quickly, and so did his next few, and soon he was at lunch, Meeting the rest of Ian's friends. They were all nice, and friendly. There was a dark skinned boy who called himself Flitz, he looked like a hero, or a main character of a movie, book, game, whatever. He had cool come backs, and a Flash eye patch. There were a few others who didn't stick out as much, and they didn't actually sit that their table. A girl named Justine, who was loud and obnoxious, but in a charming way. There was also a guy named Harley who looked kind of scary, and had a full grown beard, but he was pretty funny. Mari told Anthony that he wouldn't see him a lot because he barely became to school. There were others, but Anthony had trouble remembering their names.

After lunch and a few other classes, Anthony was finally in his last period. He sighed as the teachers handed him the seating chart, "Write your name where you plan to sit." The woman said and went back to her computer. Anthony looked across the classroom. Anthony had never been more ready to go home. He was considering texting Ian, to see if he want his company, but at the same time he was kind of annoyed that the other wasn't in school. Even though he knew it wasn't even Ian's fault. He squinted at the classroom, looking at the empty seats, then he looked back down at the sheet, he went to write his name into an empty square when something caught his eye.

In one of the corner squares there was a name scribbled in, Ian Hecox, it was kind of off and by itself in the corner, and Anthony grinned, he looked at the teacher, "Uh, can I sit here?" He pointed at the square next to Ian's seat.

"Next to Ian?" She grinned at Anthony, "I think that would be great! He's always working by himself, and I can tell when he's struggling but he never asks for help. I think it'd be excellent if you went ahead and sat beside him."

Anthony blushed some with pride, "We're actually friends," He scribbled his name beside Ian's, "But I'll be sure to help him out." The woman laughed and took the paper from Anthony, and gave a few papers to catch him up with he class. Finally a person who seemed to like Ian. Anthony went back to his seat and smiled at where Ian would be sitting tomorrow.

But what Anthony didn't know was Ian wasn't going to be in school for the rest of the week.

AN: Sorry the last part is choppy, it was HARD to write. I knew what I wanted, but it just doesn't seem right on paper/computer. Thanks for reading! See you next week.