Arya

Hot Pie was talking about food. Arya wasn't listening, but it was usually safe to bet he was talking about food. She was lying on the grass, reading a book on urban legends. Students were milling around the pavilion, enticed outside by the warm sunshine. Here and there she spotted teachers eating their lunch, keeping a lazy eye on all the young people. The three of them were sitting in the shade of a huge oak tree, Hot Pie in the middle and Arya on his left.

'...and you have to be really careful with how you mix it. If you get water in it, it's game over.'

'Really.' Gendry lay on his back on the other side of Hot Pie, eyes closed and arms folded behind his head. 'Please tell me more.'

'Someone once found a mouse in a tin of beans.' Arya told them.

'Don't tell me more.'

'And then there was this time a couple were sharing a chicken bucket in KFC and found a deep-fried rat.'

'Arya, please,' Gendry said. 'Canteen food isn't easy to keep down under normal circumstances.'

'I can read you one about murders.'

'No.'

'Speaking of murders,' Hot Pie said, opening a chocolate bar, 'Sandor's in detention for nearly killing Joffrey Lannister.'

'Only nearly?' Arya frowned. 'Shame.'

'Isn't he your future brother-in-law?' Gendry smiled.

Arya ignored him. While Sansa was, for the most part, bearable, her attraction to Joffrey was Arya's cut-off point. Even in her wildest dreams she could not understand it. He was a pompous, bullying little shit who was only in school because his mother was a teacher and gave him As in everything. If he ever crosses me, Arya thought, even his mother won't be enough to protect him. She closed her book, and sat up.

'What happened?'

'Apparently Sandor made a pass at Sansa, and Joffrey intervened. Then Sandor grabbed him by the throat and said he'd do whatever he wanted. Then he punched Boros in the face and walked off.'

'Let's translate that into truth, shall we?' Gendry said. He sat up halfway, rubbed his eyes and returned to his reclined position.

'Joffrey was being a wanker,' Hot Pie mumbled around his chocolate.

'While making a pass at my sister,' Arya added.

'And Sandor told him to stop.' Gendry finished. 'As for Boros... his face is too fucked up to disprove anything.'

'Oh, here we go,' Hot Pie said. 'He's out.'

Arya looked across to the school. Sandor had emerged from its shadows and was walking quickly into the middle of the open space. When he reached the sunlight, he paused and took a moment to luxuriate in its warmth. He began looking around, and Hot Pie raised his hand.

'Sandor! Sandor!'

Arya grinned. She always said it was all the talking that made Hot Pie's shouting so powerful. The people in the direct vicinity were looking around, startled by the sudden noise.

Sandor heard him. His long, powerful legs carried him smoothly across to where his friends were sitting. He sat down beside Gendry.

'Did you have to shout so fucking loud?' he snarled at Hot Pie.

'Yes,' Hot Pie replied calmly. He rummaged in his bag for a few seconds, and pulled out a sandwich wrapped in clingfilm. Sandor held his hand out, only for the sandwich to be held away from him.

'The magic word?'

'Gimme the fu-' he sighed, and gave up. 'Please.'

'What happened with you and my sister?' Arya asked as Sandor ripped the clingfilm open. He ripped part of the sandwich off, and stuffed it in his mouth. His detention had cost him most of his lunch break.

'Nothing,' he said. 'She was staring at me. I gave her a good look,' he pointed at his ruined face 'and Joffrey started shouting about how I wanted to pop her cherry. I just told him to shut up, and got detention from his bitch of a mother.' He swallowed a piece of sandwich. 'The little twat.'

Arya nodded. Sounded about right. She put her book into her bag.

'It was very good of you,' Gendry said, 'to defend Sansa's honour like that.'

'Fuck honour,' Sandor growled. He stared down at his sandwich, and focused on tearing off another piece. 'I did it because Joffrey's an annoying little prick.'

Gendry did not reply. After a few seconds Sandor looked at Arya. She could feel the anger coming off him in waves.

'What does your sister see in him anyway?'

Arya shrugged.

'You should have heard how he talked to her. Talking about popping her cherry...' he muttered, nearly beyond the range of hearing, 'I should have punched his fucking head off. Or she should've.'

He gulped down the remains of the sandwich. Gendry sat up, and met Arya's eyes. She raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, and he covered a smile with his hand. His dark blue eyes twinkled at her, and Arya felt a strange flutter in her chest.

You've got to be kidding me.

His hand fell from his face, and as he placed both hands palms-down on the ground Arya could see the muscles flex under his t-shirt. Her eyes roamed over his messy black hair, across the powerful shoulders and down his legs. He's actually not bad, she thought. As if he heard her his gaze snapped up to hers, and he grinned. Oh no.
The bell rang, signalling five minutes until class would resume. She hopped up almost immediately, wanting to get away, to diagnose – and destroy – this weird jittery feeling elsewhere.

'See you guys later,' she said, hauling her bag up onto her shoulder. Sandor grunted.

'Bye Arya,' said Hot Pie.

'Wait,' Gendry said. He too jumped up, and stretched. 'I'll come with you.'

'I want to go on my own.' She told him. He stared at her, puzzled and slightly hurt. She felt another sensation in her chest, more of a swoop this time, that was followed by a sharp anger. Before Gendry could lift his bag up, she turned and stomped away towards the school.

No. She thought. No! This isn't fair. It's disgusting, is what it is. He's my friend.

'Arya! Arya!' Someone was calling her. Not Gendry.

'What?' she snapped.

'Um,' It was Ned Dayne. He trotted after her, and caught up. 'Where are you going?'

'Science lab,' she replied. 'Pycelle said something about dissections for this lesson.'

'He lied,' he said. 'They do that to stop people bunking off. Even we haven't done dissections yet.'

With that, Arya slowed her pace. She turned her head to look at Ned. He was two years older than her, and handsome in his own way. He wouldn't be bad to have a crush on. Sansa and her mother were often disappointed at her own lack of affection for the opposite sex. They never came right out and said it, but Arya knew. And to have a crush on Gendry, of all people! Ned wasn't her friend, it wouldn't be complicated. And he had asked her to the graduation dance, meaning he must have some interest in her beyond sitting around playing video games. She could switch her crush to him, and keep Gendry as her friend without everything getting weird.

'I like your hair,' he said. 'Red suits you. And the half-side thing looks really good.'

Arya went to run her hand over her hair, but Sansa's warning from earlier stopped her. Instead, she smiled at Ned.

'Thanks.'

He had to stop at his locker on the way to class, so Arya paused beside him. She ran her eyes over him, over his ashy blonde hair and the eyes that were too light a blue to be compared to Gendry's.

He's not as tall as Gendry, either. And he probably isn't as much fun.

'Have you asked anyone else to the dance yet?' she blurted out.

'Not yet,' Ned said. 'Why, have you changed your mind?'

'Maybe.' Arya said. With this, Ned turned to her, eyes widening with pleasant surprise.

'Really?' he smiled.

It's a lovely smile, Arya thought. And I bet he's not as boring as he makes out. This shouldn't be a problem.