Lunchtime rolls around, the only time any of the students really have the freedom to talk to anyone or do anything for that matter. Sal begins his trek to the cafeteria with a goal in mind: convince Travis to hang out with him. Sounds simple enough. He didn't even really have a plan beyond that. What would he invite him to do? What is going to be his reasoning? How does he plan to convince Travis if he says no? He didn't have time to overthink these questions, he just has to go with the flow and whatever happens, happens.
Scanning the lunchroom he quickly spots Travis and makes a beeline for his table. Walking past his own, ignoring Ash's attempt to wave him over. "Where's he going?" Ash asked in genuine confusion. "God I didn't actually think he was gonna do it. He's trying to become friends with Travis." Larry exhaled exhaustedly. Larry turned back to the table, continuing to focus on the homework sprawled out in front of him. Ash lifted her eyebrow, the question had been answered but it still didn't solve it all for her. Turning to Larry again she leaned closer "Why?" Larry shrugs in response. He doesn't understand a lot of the things Sal chooses to do. Sal's a big boy he can handle himself and he's got a good enough intuition for Larry to not yet have reason to doubt him.
Sal abruptly took a seat directly across from Travis at his lunch table. He sat waiting for some sort of response from him. Travis only lifted his head to look to him then continue eating. "Travis." Sal stated firmly, confidence is key after all. Setting his food back down on his plate and rolling his eyes, he sits back and makes eye contact with Sal. "What could you possibly want?" he sounded annoyed but not mad. Less angry than he usually did anyway. Sal wondered if something was perhaps upsetting him. "Come study with me after school." he replied, once again more as a demand than a question.
Travis was taken aback by this. Confusion written all over his face. Why in the hell would Sally invite him to study? Sal gets perfectly fine grades and so did he. He also tripped and insulted him just this morning. Sal didn't seem like the type to pull pranks or have ulterior motives but Travis wouldn't trust him that easily. "And why would I want to do that at all? No thanks, I don't want to catch your gay." Travis said in a monotone, standing up from his seat and walking away to dump his lunch tray.
Laughter suddenly bubbled up inside Sal and he couldn't hold it in. "Catch my gay oh my god Travis!" he spoke in between breaths. Now holding his stomach from laughing too hard, causing most of the room to stare at him, including Travis and his friends. Travis didn't understand what Sal found so funny about that, and on top of that was deeply offended. He just used the lord's name in vain how dare he? Sal's laughter was contagious and soon enough his friends were laughing too, what Travis had said was pretty funny. More chuckles started to join in too. Whether or not they meant it to however, it felt like they were laughing at him. Travis stormed out of the cafeteria. What was he supposed to do? Stand there like a complete idiot while the whole school mocks him?
While everyone was too busy giggling or discussing what had just happened, Sal caught sight of the look on Travis's face and immediately stopped laughing. He wasn't laughing at Travis, well maybe he was. But it was more what he said than him. So he guessed he technically was laughing at him. This made Sal feel immensely awful. His entire goal today was to try and begin befriending Travis, not making him endure what he had done to Sal since he got here. The moment Travis exited the doors into the hallway, Sal took off after him.
The blonde boy dashed through the empty corridor and into the boy's bathroom, Sal trailing shortly behind him. Travis entered a stall and slammed the door locking it behind him. This is where he came to have alone time. He never gets that at home and he never gets it at school either. This is the only place he can have peace and quiet to himself. Well, except for now of course. A familiar, muffled voice echoed through the barren bathroom "Travis I'm sorry." a tone of pure remorse. Travis wasn't even that upset. He simply didn't know how to handle the situation and certainly couldn't handle talking to Sal like a normal person. In fact, he was actually sort of grateful everyone started laughing. It gave him an excuse to cut the conversation completely off with Sal and hopefully get him to leave him alone. Still, he couldn't let Sal know that. He had a reputation to hold up "Fantastic! Just the person I wanted stalking me." Travis snapped back in a harsh tone.
Sal walked up to the stall door and simply stood in front of it. Opening his mouth a few times in an attempt to speak but words failing him each time. He kinda fucked up bad this time, didn't he? "Come to my apartment after school. I'll make it up to you." hopefully incentive would be more convincing. "Well let's see, I didn't want to to begin with. Then you sicked the whole school on me and you expect me to want to now?" Travis piped back. Sal then rapidly turned his back on the stall, causing his shoes to squeak on the dirty tile floors "Goddamnit Travis I'm just trying to be your fucking friend. Maybe what I did back there doesn't speak much for that but…" he stopped, debating if it would really be wise to say the next words he planned.
Sighing, he began to walk to the bathroom door. Lunch was almost over and he didn't want to get caught in here with Travis. That would only bring more of a shit storm on both of them. "I just know you're using me as a way to get out frustrations you have with yourself. We probably have a lot more in common than you think dude." pulling the heavy bathroom door open, the creak of the old hinges interrupting him. "Addison apartments. I'm sure you know where that is. Come over if you change your mind, but if you don't, I'm not going to be a doormat for your bullshit anymore Travis." and with that, the last footsteps of Sal exiting the restroom and the thump of the door sealing signaled Travis that he was alone again.