Freshmen

And we're off to our new lives.

PoV Abigail Lincoln

High school really didn't start off as some grand new adventure. Truth be told, it was boring. Really boring. The staff was incompetent, the student body was just rude, and the facility was in dire need of repair. I had at least one class with each of the others, so I guess it was bearable.

I'd already found myself the butt of jokes, but I'd learned long ago – water off a duck's back. But where as I had learned this, other's never had the delightful opportunity. Any guesses on whom I speak of?

The delightful's were very smart children, but they didn't work to well split up. Lenny was in my creative writing class, and I found myself pitying him for the first time in the many years I'd known the boy. He was normal looking enough (with out the football helmet) but he had an attitude than suggested he was better. He didn't mean it like that, it was just how he was. He'd decided on his own that he wanted to experience life from a normal teenager's point of view.

He tried to fit in. He tried dressing like us, listening to our music, but we all had an option of him to begin with. We all hated him before we ever got a chance to meet him.

The welcoming committee tried to send him back to his private school, and he stopped trying. And during the first testing, he blew everybody away.

Well, all most everybody.

I'd made it a point to not screw up. After listening to you're sister bitch about failing high school, one catches on pretty quick. Oh, but I wasn't the top scorer. I was third.

Lenny took second.

And Wallabee took the highest test scores for the Freshmen.

What ever shell Wallabee'd been hiding in finally cracked. He broke away.

I told you before the Kuki and Wallabee were a couple. Not anymore.

You think differently when the rumors are about people you really know. Or at least thought you did.

I was right when I said Kuki had really changed, and she finally asked for something Wallabee wouldn't give. He had his reasons, and I'm sure it killed him to say no, but I applaud him for finally denying Kuki, the undeniable.

And because he wouldn't sleep with her, she stormed out. According to rumors, Hoagie fulfilled her wish instead. I was disappointed with them both, but the worst had yet to come.

Kuki was pissed that Wallabee would recover so quickly, and amaze us all, so she found away to ruin his life.

Because our friend wouldn't do something he believed to be wrong, she told the whole school he was gay.

And that's not something you want to be publicly know in a place like high school, no matter how untrue it is. People in groups tend to let the dumbest one lead them.

She spread that lie before school started, and by lunch, Wallabee'd been a victim of a hate crime. Some varsity jocks had worked him over, and left him a bloody mess in the school parking lot.

I spoke to Kuki about her lie during passing period. She had the nerve to laugh at me.

Angry and really not in the mood for algebra, I cut out early. With no real destination, I found my self at the Beatles residence.

I could tell from the brash language that Mr. Beatles was not home yet, nor Mrs. Beatles. The door was locked tightly. Like that ever stopped me before.

I found my childhood friend attempting to bandage himself, with no luck.

"Eh, hey?"

His expression was pained, but he hide it well as he looked at me. I was surpesed at how much he had seemed to change in one day. His blond hair had grown out in the last few years, and was no longer finely groomed. The once buzz in the back was almost long enough for a pony tail, and the original bowl was well past hiding his ears. Blood had clotted on his undershirt and face and I winced at the bruising on his arms.

"What are you doing here Abigail?"

The tone of his voice was not hard at all, but almost desperate. He ran a hand though the long locks, and pulled the front out of the way as to look at me.

"Can't a friend come to check on ya?"

The look was one that clearly said 'You're kidding, right?' and I help up my hands.

"What da hell happened today Wally?"

He did a visible twitch at the shortened name. "It doesn't matter now."

He limped to the door, holding it open, assumingly for me. "Would you please just go away? I have to clean up before dad gets home."

I look at my watch "Well, Abby can't be seen for a couple more hours, so how 'bout she help ya?"

He looked at me like I'd grown a third arm. He still was our 'Tough One' but he'd changed how it was defined. Personal home issues had erased the brash, impatient Numbuh Four I'd grown up with, and replaced it with a teen who'd learned the hard way how to take care of himself. Trust was no longer something he believed in. Even the past few days strengthened his personal resolve to never let anyone close again.

I looked him straight in the eye. "I don' know wha' da o'ers did, but Abby ain't like d'at. An' you know i'."

After all, that only ever got you hurt.

AN: I tried to get in dialoged, but I'm not liking how non-descriptive this is becoming. What do you think? Is this working, or do I need to switch to a third party PoView?

to Wusai . i didn't even think about Kuki's parents. perhaps they tried to stop her, and she's a rebel-type? She really don't seem like a conformist. I know people like that, and I've seen it happen. That's what kinda happen with my younger sister. Personally, I curse the laws against proper punishment of children.... I only used 7th grade, because it seemed to me that's when most of my friends did the flip. Musta been the sudden apperence of pubirty rearing its ugly head. Anywho I'm glad you gave my little fic a second chance!