Author's Note: This takes place in Chapter 1 of Bookends (A So-Called Friendship), written from Wally's perspective.
Wally
Wally groaned as soon as he saw the crowd of girls blocking the entrance to the Cheezaria. Girls, he scowled inside. Why do they always, ALWAYS hang out in doorways?
He waited for a moment to see if they would notice him standing there, but it was pointless. Whatever giggle-inducing topic was being discussed among them, it was enough to absorb every single spec of their attention.
MOVE, he growled inside. I'M HUNGRY. Freakin' MOVE.
One of the girls turned her head and finally noticed him, and for a second, he foolishly thought that they would finally part and let him through. But then he noticed that the other girls started looking at him too, and when he finally realized what was happening, his eyes rolled towards the back of his head.
Ever since his height shot up and his jaw grew more pronounced (which he liked to think was from all his scowling), everyone seemed keen on telling him that his attitude towards girls would change. Don't break some poor girl's heart now, his Mom and Dad would tease, and it irritated the living crud out of him. He was more than happy to break a lot of things, but anyone's heart was most certainly not one of them. Not because he was a romantic - he wasn't - but because he had absolutely, positively NO interest in girls. AT ALL. The giggles, the high-pitched voices, the makeup, the cutesy interests, and now, the strange obsession with his eyes… It drove him crazy. Other than his own mother, there were only two girls in his life he could really tolerate: Abby, the sister he never had, and…
The thought of a certain someone clicked into his head and his eyes drew towards the windows of the Cheezaria as he searched the crowds inside.
Is she here yet?
His search was interrupted when he noticed the girls in front of him giggling and nudging each other.
"Go ask him his name!"
"Me? Why me? You do it!"
"No, you do it!"
"No, you!"
His stomach growled again, and he felt his temper rising rapidly. He'd gotten a lot better at controlling it over the last few years, but every now and then, the blazing fire that was his impatience would still get the better of him, and often it would result in some casualties. Vending machines have been rocked, garbage cans have been kicked, and basically anything throwable has traveled a great distance. He was just eyeing a very rippable poster nearby when - thankfully - Hoagie and his impeccable charm came to the rescue.
"Excuse me, ladies!" He said as he floated in front of Wally. "Mind if we come through? My buddy here and I are starving for some good ole cheesy goodness."
The effect was immediate. Almost in rhythm, the girls threw their hands against their cheeks and melted as if they had just come across a puppy doing tricks. If there was one thing Wally learned from observing Hoagie these last few years, it was that blue eyes, dimples, and a sense of humor sure do go a long way. The guy might as well have a wagging tail behind him, and all Wally could do was roll his eyes impatiently as the girls doted on him like he was the cutest thing that ever walked the planet.
A gap finally opened amidst the crowd, and Wally wasted no time walking through and pulling Hoagie by the collar along the way.
"What'd you do that for?!" Hoagie complained as soon as they made it through the doors. "They were cute!"
"And you're annoying," Wally said as he shoved Hoagie before him. "Go find everyone already, I'm starving!"
Like a trusty canine, Hoagie scoured the crowds until the sounds of familiar laughter drew his attention, and eagerly he ran towards the back corner of the restaurant to meet the rest of their friends.
"Heeeey, who said you can get the party started without me?!" He said as he reached the table.
"HOAGIE!" A light, airy voice exclaimed from within the booth, its owner concealed by the seat.
Wally's insides set ablaze as a pair of hands shot out from the booth and held Hoagie by the cheeks. He could recognize those slender wrists and that pink Rainbow Monkey watch from anywhere.
"Ow, ow, ow, geez Kuki!" Hoagie cried as his cheeks fell at the mercy of dainty fingers.
"I can't help it! You're so cute!" The voice giggled, then its owner emerged from within the booth.
Wally found himself slightly winded from the sight. There she was. Kuki. Long, flowing black hair that swayed with her every move, sharp lilac eyes that gleamed with perpetual laughter, and a wide, beautiful smile that shined with the brightness of a thousand stars. Her magnetism was going to be the death of him someday, and he just knew it.
Wally's temper spiked when Kuki brought her face closer to Hoagie's. There was nothing particularly intimate about it - she might as well have been petting a dog - but nevertheless, he strode forward as if his body had developed a mind of its own.
Oh no you DON'T! His inner voice growled as he saw Hoagie moving to take the seat next to Kuki. His hand shot forward and grabbed him by the back collar just in time, and with one easy hoist, he thrust him across the other side of the table.
"OW! Geez, Wally!" Hoagie groaned at him.
Wally immediately felt Kuki's eyes on him, and though his insides tensed with a brief panic, he didn't show it. He also made an extra show of his indifference by glancing at her only momentarily and blatantly walking past the empty seat next to her.
"That was for the noogie you gave me earlier, Baby Cheeks," He said to Hoagie, and in an effort to sound more casual, he added a punch on the shoulder. "MOVE."
Hoagie complied in good humor and moved inwards to the booth, even pushing into Nigel as a joke, but for a second he shot a knowing look at Wally. All Wally could do was smirk back. They never talked about these things, but they both knew that this wasn't about a noogie. In fact, there wasn't even a noogie. If anything, this quick exchange determined that Wally deserved one at their next encounter, and he gladly succumbed to that fate.
The weight of Kuki's gaze was still on him when he sat down, and it took every fiber of his being not to return it.
"Hi Wally…" She eventually said.
His jaw tightened slightly. He couldn't help but notice the hesitance in her voice. She was always hesitant when it came to him, and only him. Nigel and Hoagie always get eager hugs. They get teases, or pinches, and sometimes even a peck on the cheek. But him? Never. No hugs, no smiles, no light kisses, nothing. It was almost like, if Hoagie were a teddy bear that came to life, and Nigel was like a dashing prince who always came to the rescue, then he was more like a shadow constantly eclipsing her, always taking the sunshine away from her bubbly little life. So he acted accordingly.
He brought his eyes towards her, trying not to notice the way she flinched slightly upon meeting his gaze. Then he nodded at her as a way of returning her hello, not wanting her to realize that he had been waiting to see her all day.