3rd Person Pov
As a group of four people sat gathered around their kitchen table most of them remained silent though as one noticed the time he decided to speak up. "Do you think he's done getting ready yet? If we don't leave soon then we'll all be late... Why don't you go check on him Katakuri?" The teen in question was texting on his phone though soon looked up but he started to shake his head.
"No, leave him be. He'll be down soon but we shouldn't rush him... Galette have you talked to him lately? He wouldn't even sit me at lunch yesterday and I know the other kids have been bullying him again. Something needs to be done about this... Kato is a sensitive boy and the next person that talks shit about him will be dealing with me"
"Becoming violent will not solve the problem Katakuri. Even if you take out one of his bullies ten more will step up to take their place" The girl with the fuchsia locks might have been rather blunt though it was the truth and the rest of the family knew it as well since they each had their struggles with the schoolyard bullies.
"I'm ready! Sorry that I took so long we're not going to be late, are we?" As the others turned towards the boy that walked into the room, they each greeted him before standing from the table. "It's fine Kato let's go. Did you finish that History essay yet? I could use some help with mine if you're not too busy"
The boy's voice came across a bit muffled but that was due to the thick metal helmet that sat perfectly in place around his head. "Yeah, I finished it last week. What's your topic?" He might have sounded cheerful and happy though his siblings knew otherwise. A mask couldn't hide anything when someone knew you better than you know yourself.
"The fall of Dressrosa. I would go straight to the source but Doflamingo refuses to even talk to me and I even asked his girlfriend to sweet talk him for me. That man is a stubborn bastard!" As a picture of the King of the County of Passion formed in their heads it made some of them cringe but Kato quickly replied. "Hehehe. Why don't you ask Katakuri's girlfriend? From what I've heard she's best friends with that girl but if you still want my help Smoothie then I'm free after school"
"Hm, I'll ask Star first though maybe you can help me with my terrible sentence structure after?" When the boy nodded his head, Smoothie started to smile though the oldest of the five quickly started rushing them to the door since it was already half-past eight and class started in 15 minutes. "Geez, Katakuri don't push me! I can walk perfectly fine!"
"Sorry, Flampe but we need to go. Did you already put your lunch into your backpack?" Even though the girl looked young she was still a freshman attending the same high school as the others. "Yes, big brother!"
"Well let's go before Perospero finds out that we're still here" Even though the oldest member of the Charlotte Family was only a few years older than his siblings he was the guardian of the children. Though there was always this fear that their Mother would try and come back into their lives even after she had abandoned them. "Yes, Sir! Hehehe. Come on Kato you can sit with me. Are you going to the school dance at the end of the month?"
Kato's Pov
When Flampe brought up the dance I took a minute to respond though I couldn't help when the lie spilled from my lips. "I didn't really plan on going since it's a couple's dance. Are you going?" After we had left the house, I heard Katakuri locked up our home though I was a little distracted by the thoughts of a certain girl.
"Yes! I'm going as a ladybug and Luffy is going to be my date" Right this dance was supposed to have a masquerade theme. I had overlooked that small detail but I knew that asking her to be my date would only end in rejection plus why would the most popular girl in school go with someone like me? "Over my dead body! I told you to stay away from that brat!"
"Kato! Kata-chan is being unfair!" Flampe was a spoiled brat but we really didn't mind it since after Mama left, she refused to speak for a few weeks. Her leaving affected us all though Flampe took it the hardest. "Hehehe. I think they'll make a cute couple. What do you think Galette?"
"I think your right, Kato. Maybe we should invite the young man to dinner" We could tell Katakuri was growing angry though we were just trying to have a little fun. "No! Both of you stop it right now or else you can walk to school!" It was a small moment of fun though as we all climbed into the car, I allowed my smile to fade as I sandwiched between Flampe and Galette.
"You should really come to the dance Kato. Having a date isn't required and you can always go with me since no one has asked me yet" I knew Galette had a crush on one of the Vinsmoke siblings though I wasn't positive with the person she liked even realized it. "What about Reiju, aren't you going to ask her?"
"No... I'll just go alone it's fine" So, Galette was afraid to ask her crush out as well that was interesting since I didn't think she would hesitate like this. "Did you want to eat lunch with us today Kato?" I usually sat with my family during our lunch hour but I was rather busy lately with a project I was working on. "Not today"
"Awe, why not Kato?" It was a simple answer though I really didn't want them to know about it. "I'm working on a secret project and I can't tell you" When they each nodded their head, I relaxed against the seat though I knew it was only a matter of time before they would ask about it again.
"Fair enough brother... Does anyone have any afterschool activities that I need to know about?"
Later That Day...
3rd Person Pov
The school day had been oddly boring and quiet though it would only be a matter of time before the bullies would start tormenting some unfortunate student. Two students out of the pack had been cutting class in the one place the teachers wouldn't find them but it didn't matter to them if someone stumbled upon them or not. "Have you found an appropriate date for the school dance yet Cinder?"
"Nope... There's one guy I like but he hasn't asked me yet. Do you think I should just ask him, Hawkins?" These two didn't look anything alike though everyone knew who Basil Hawkins's little sister was and you couldn't go anywhere near her if the older man didn't like you. "Which boy are you interested in Cinder?"
"Charlotte Kato... You know the boy that everyone in this toxic school picks on. I don't know why but there's something I really like about him. He's such a mystery and I want to unravel it one strand at a time" The girl's word held such trust within them but since she was facing away from her brother the girl couldn't see the way his eyes narrowed at the mention of Kato's name.
"That's the boy that wears a pumpkin helmet and covers his skin in orange body paint, right?" Hawkins wasn't one to bully others in this school though he knew that boy didn't exactly have a spotless record. He had witnessed a fight or two between Kato and a few other morons but after the students teamed up the fights became one-sided. "Yup that's him! He's Katakuri's little brother"
"If you want to go with that boy then feel free to ask him though the probability of him asking you is less than five percent... It's almost time for third period and Drake told me to attend class today. Do you need a drive home or are you staying after school?" There were few people that Hawkins would listen to and his boyfriend happened to be the focal point for the man. "Oh, really? So, if Drake asked you to jump off a bridge would you do it?"
"No comment. Let's go Cinder" As the older of the two stood up he held a hand out for the younger to take though Cinder hesitated for a moment. "Hawkins... what happens if Kato doesn't want to go to the dance with me?" She might have been given the title of one of the popular girls though Cinder knew there were still a few people that hated her guts.
"If you ask him there's a zero percent chance that he'll say no but the responsibility rests on you to ask him. I'll meet you in the parking lot after school, don't be late" There was something everyone in this school knew about Hawkins and that was this man's ability to lie without anyone being able to catch on. "Okay, are you going to buy me lunch today? There wasn't anything in the house to eat this morning... I don't think Mom's even been home for the past week now"
"Did you want food from the cafeteria or should we order in?... Cinder that woman has been unwell for years now and she's not going to get better. Why don't you come live with me? We have a spare room and Drake won't mind" It's been almost a year since Hawkins moved into his own place but Cinder didn't want to give up on her Mother so easily. "Can I think about it?... Maybe she'll change b-but I don't want to give up hope j-just yet"
There was a lot a person could hide behind a smile though for Cinder she was hiding everything about her terrible home life and it's been like that for as long as she could remember. Hawkins always protected his little sister but the girl refused to leave their Mother's house even though the older offered her a room countless times before. "Shhhh. I didn't mean to upset you, Cindy"
"Don't call me that Hawkins!" Cinder's brother wasn't one for joking around though he knew how much the girl hated that nickname but it always would cause her mood to brighten up. "Get your ass to class before Drake comes looking for you. I have art class... with Kato. I need to go, goodbye!"
15 Minutes Later...
Kato's Pov
Cinder is so cute when she's invested in her artwork like this though the girl is cute all of the time. "Pass this to the Pumpkin Freak" The girl sitting beside me was wearing earbuds so she couldn't hear a thing but when their voices reached my ears, I found someone was holding a piece of paper out towards me. I shouldn't have taken it but before I knew it the note was already in my hands.
"What's that Kato, is someone sending you love notes?" When the paper left my hands, I watched in horror as Cinder unfolded it before her eyes scanned over it. Though instead of laughing like the others kids usually did the girl started to rip it up before she stood up from her chair. "Which one of you jackasses is picking on Kato? I might be small but I'll take a hammer and bash your teeth down your throats if this bullshit doesn't stop!"
As the teacher stood up from his desk, he had started down the middle aisle though fear was clearly written on his face. "Miss. Basil please sit down and stop yelling" I have never heard Cinder sound so angry but in a way it was nice. "Touch me and I'll make sure Hawkins knows about this! He's across the hall right now so keep your fucking hands off of me!" At this rate, Cinder was going to end up in the principal's office but as she turned, I could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Before the teacher could say another word, Cinder had started to flee the room but she left her stuff behind. "Look what you did freak. You made the cutest girl in school cry" I could feel the other students turn to glare at me though it was like the teacher didn't even care since he only called the office about the missing student before returning to his deck where he popped in a pair of earplugs.
"Basil Cinder please report to the office"
"You better hope we don't beat the shit of you later. No one hurts Cinder and gets away with it" How was this my fault? None of this would have happened if they didn't send that note in the first place. "No one in this school even likes you Pumpkin Boy so do us all a favor and don't bother showing up tomorrow"
"Hahaha. I bet behind that helmet your fucking ugly. What's the matter Pumpkin Boy am I right? Let's see what the Oompa Loompa is hiding behind this helmet" I had stopped fighting back against the bullies months ago but the moment one of them reached for the helmet I couldn't hold back any longer.
It happened quickly though as my fist started to connect with the other student's face, I could see the orange paint from my hands start to stain his cheek but I didn't stop. "Ahhhh! Someone get him off of me!" I would have continued with the assault though someone's hand had gripped my shoulder causing me to pause. "That's enough you've made your point... Now which one of you animals caused my little sister to cry?"
That was Hawkins' voice for sure though I was too afraid to speak encase it somehow upset him. "It was the Pumpkin Freak!" No matter how many times they called me that it never hurt any less. "I'll ask once more which one of you caused her to cry? Cinder doesn't lie and she told me exactly what happened. If no one wants to confess then all of you are going on Eustass Kidd's list"
"I-It was West!"
"Kato you'll come with me and you can carry my sisters' stuff. Let's go I don't have all day" There was something I could never quite figure out about this man but since he was Cinder's brother, I needed to respect him. "W-Where exactly are we going, Basil?"
"You can call me Hawkins though we are not friends" Quickly grabbing the girl's stuff I followed behind her older brother but the students still felt the need to gossip amongst themselves like they always did. "Where is the Voodoo King taking the Pumpkin Boy?" Hawkins' nickname was filled with such respect though mine didn't retrieve such high praise.
"Don't let them get to you. As Cinder puts it 'people are mean'" Speaking of Cinder I wonder where she went? I was well aware the punching that student would come with some sort of punishment but I didn't care about that at the moment. "Cinder is waiting in the parking lot. I'm taking her home early though I'll be escorting you to your older brother Katakuri. Word spreads quickly within this school I'm afraid"
"Kato what the hell did you do!?" As I walked over to Katakuri I looked over at Hawkins but he was already walking away. "Well, what were you thinking?" I knew my brother struggled with being picked on due to his appearance but after he started seeing Star everything got better for him. "He was going to take off my helmet and I was sick of being picked on! You know exactly what it's like to be called a freak every damn day! It fucking sucks Katakuri!"
"Let's go home, little brother... I'm sorry that I yelled at you but you can't go down to these people's level. It won't make you any better than them" I tried every day to ignore them but they kept pushing and pushing.
"People are fucking mean!"
To Be Continued...