Gordy didn't like TJ. He didn't have a particular reason why or could name an event that lead to his opinion, but that didn't matter, the opinion was still there. But he didn't hate Detweiler.

Hate was different. Hate was wishing the worst on someone, there was little chance of coming back from that, but while Gordy didn't like Detweiler, that didn't mean he disliked him. He was strictly neutral towards the guy.

Hate was what that Austin guy had towards him. Gordy had seen Austin trip him, knock his books out of his hands, he was there for their fights. What was Austins probably, anyways? It wasn't like he went to Third Street, so he didn't have any history with Detweiler, or anyone for that matter, so why pick on him? Gordy didn't like him either, but going out of his way to bully him, that was excessive.

Gordy didn't laugh when garbage was dumped on him at the dance.

Detweiler didn't look at anyone at school on a normal day, but after that, it was like his head hung even lower in defeat. He wondered, if he should ask Detweiler if he was okay. They were in the same science class after all.

But he didn't. Gordy didn't like him, so why should he?

ZZ

Even though she was no longer hanging off the monkey bars, she saw things get turned on their head in middle school. Heidi, formally known as Upside Down Girl, walked through the middle school halls with her friends, some new, some old, all making the most of their time of middle school.

But she noticed, one her way through those halls, Detweiler walking with a new group of friends. Spinelli with the Ashley's of all things. LaSalle, Grundler, Griswold, and Blumberg, all in different cliques that, she admitted, fit them better based on what she knew about them, but it was still shocking to see it.

Those six were the closest group out of any back at Third Street. They had their arguments, but no one ever thought they wouldn't come back together and make up. But now?

They barely acknowledged each other. Heidi was curious, what happened with them? If any group of friends were going to stick together in middle school, it was going to be them, but they didn't even spend the first day of the school year together, like they broke apart over the summer. Maybe it was before summer came; they didn't do much of their whole 'plans' thing in sixth grade.

She could always ask. . .but. . .she wasn't close to any of them. So it wasn't her place. They all seem to have moved on, anyways.

ZZ

Francis knew Detweiler smoked. He saw him one day, just off of school grounds where teachers who really didn't care didn't have to report it. It wasn't like the formerly nicknamed Hustler Kid was against smoking or anything, cigarettes were just another thing he sold to students who wanted it, if they wanted to mess up their lungs, it wasn't his problem.

But he also knew that Detweiler didn't get his cigarettes from him. He got it from those goth kids, Francis saw that one day when he went to pick up some inventory. Fine, he didn't get it from him, one customer lost, who cares?

Detweiler was one the last kids he expected to start smoking. Francis knew his customer base, he knew enough about every kid to roughly estimate what they would want when new stuff came in.

Maybe he needed something to take the edge off with how much that Austin kid has been messing with him. Francis couldn't blame him for that. The few times Austin came to him to buy something, he learned that guy was a dick, and he considered cutting him off as a customer to not deal with him. But he wasn't on the receiving end of bullying like Detweiler was.

Granted, given his position of providing the goods made him immune from bullying, but either way. . .Francis had to wonder if the bullying was getting to him. Threats and intimidation weren't things that Detweiler yielded to, at least not back at Third Street, everyone knew that. But this wasn't Third Street. Francis would bet a nice chunk of change that's the reason behind his smoking habit, something to calm his nerves or something like that.

Maybe he could find some nicotine patches, so he wouldn't hurt his lungs at least.

ZZ