Glade High

Chapter Three

Thomas had never seen such an insane lunch.

Currently, there were kids running throughout the entire downstairs of the first floor, all laughing and talking and shoving and overall just being loud. Most were in groups of two or three as they talked with their friends. When Thomas looked up at the balcony above them he caught sight of a teenage guy with black hair dangling a red water balloon over a stern looking adult.

"Gally!" yelled the guy's friend as he ran up to him on the balcony. "Save that for later, will you?"

Thomas cracked a grin and kept walking with Minho, Newt, and Alby. The dining rooms were just as crowded and he walked in relatively unnoticed until an extremely small kid with blonde hair shouted, "Newbie!" and pointed a finger at him.

Immediately, it was like the place was paused. Every face turned to look at him, eyes wide, some with devious smirks on their faces.

"Hey?" Thomas waved awkwardly, arm jerking forward from nervousness. "I'm Thomas?"

"Oh!" came a shout from across the room.

Thomas peered around a group of people and down one of the tables. A young kid with curly brownish red hair was standing at the end with another guy who looked to be a little older.

The kid blushed as everyone's eyes turned on him and said, "I'm Chuck, one of your new room-mates."

Raising an eyebrow Thomas replied, "Nice to meet you, Chuck!"

"Okay, shanks, get out-of-the-way and let Thomas meet his new room-mates!" shouted Newt, waving his arms so the mass of people would shift out-of-the-way. "Long story short; this is Thomas, he's new, and if you mess with him you'll be forced to answer to me and Alby."

"And me!" Minho added with a smirk. "Just give the Greenie some breathing space."

The teenagers did just that as the chatter started back up again, but Thomas could feel their eyes on him as he waded through the crowd to get to Chuck. The kid was rather short with innocent blue eyes and curly hair.

"Guess I'm not the new kid anymore," he mused with a sly smile when Thomas approached him.

"Guess not," was all Thomas said in reply, instead choosing to sit down at the table next across from Chuck. "So you're one of my new room-mates?"

"Yep!" Chuck nodded and then put an arm around the boy sitting next to him. "And this is Terry! He's one of my best friends."

Terry, a black-haired boy with a small build, gave a forced smile to Thomas. "Yeah, we're pretty close. Nice to finally meet you, Thomas. We've heard a lot about you."

Thomas nodded at Terry and grinned. "Cool to meet'cha. Where's the other guy?"

"Right behind you," came a familiar voice from behind Thomas.

He whirled around and came face-to-face with the feminine looking guy who had been down on the track field. "Brendan, right?" he asked, giving him a smile. I hope he's not as impossible to deal with as it seems.

Brendan nodded and sat down next to Thomas. "Yeah, that's me alright. Sorry about the misleading introduction down at the track field; Minho just pisses me off to no end."

Thomas looked across the room to where Minho was laughing loudly and obnoxiously with Alby and Newt. "I believe it. What did he do to piss you off so bad?"

"He broke up with me and then tried to keep hanging out with me," Brendan explained. "He's an idiot though and was a complete jerk during the relationship. Why would I ever want to talk to him again?"

Thomas nodded. "Good point."

"I still don't understand how you two were ever a couple," Terry snorted through a laugh, though he kept his face slightly shadowed by his hoodie. "You never got along."

Brendan shrugged. "Minho is actually a nice guy once you get to know him."

Chuck shuddered. "Anytime else he's a complete jerk though."

"So what's up with this school?" Thomas asked, looking around at the room full of students. "It's complete chaos here."

"A chaotic environment, when tuned correctly, can create the most organized mind," his new room-mates chorused at the same time.

"That's what Janson and the rest of the teachers always say," Terry explained. "I don't really see the logic, but if it keeps me out of the foster homes, I'm not complaining."

"Good that," Brendan agreed suddenly. "How's your first day at Glade High been, Thomas?"

Thomas shrugged and then smiled. "It's been hectic."

"That's how this school is all the time," Chuck laughed. "My first day was last month and I still haven't gotten used to everything."

"So you really are relatively new!"

"What did you expect?" Chuck asked. "Actually, the four of us are the Newbies of the school. We aren't all exactly the most popular."

"Speak for yourself," Terry exclaimed. "Brendan here definitely has his string of admirers."

"I wouldn't say that!" Brendan said in surprise. "It's really just you people."

"And Minho," Chuck added. "And Winston and Stan and Tim and - "

"Shut up!" Brendan snapped, a blush highlighting his cheeks. "Whatever!"

Thomas fought down a laugh. "My god, is everyone here gay?"

"Basically," Chuck laughed.

"Not true," snapped Brendan. "It's just Minho and Ben..."

"And Newt," Terry added. "And you."

"Newt is not!" Brendan seemed surprised. "What makes you say that?"

"Alby is why," Chuck said. "C'mon, even I'm not blind to it!"

"Yeah, they're always flirting with each other," Terry laughed.

"Really?!" Thomas asked. "I didn't even notice."

"You must be blind then." Chuck shook his head. "It's kind of funny. Anyway, while we've been gossiping like girls, Frypan has been making some sort of delicious lunch. Who wants to come find out what it is with me?"

Thomas stood up, relieved. Gossip wasn't his thing. "Let's go."

~WICKED~

The next day Newt shuffled through his closet, looking for his favorite Sleeping With Sirens t-shirt. Head stuck in halfway, it was beginning to get pretty hot.

"Alby!" he shouted. "Where's my Sirens shirt? I can't find it!"

His room-mate hollered at him from somewhere in the bedroom. "It's in the hamper, shuck head."

"Damn it," Newt cursed, pulling himself out of the stuffy closet. "Guess I'll have to wear this one then."

He snatched his short-sleeved My Chemical Romance t-shirt and walked over to the bathroom he shared with Minho and Alby, clicking the door shut with a soft schlick. His face stared back at him from the mirror, making him cringe.

Newt hated seeing himself. He hated his limp blonde hair and his weird nose and the way that his blue eyes were so light. He hated his pale skin and when he spoke, he hated the awful Irish accent his voice carried. Not to mention he was so thin, it was gross. When he tossed his pajama shirt on the ground, he could see most of his rib bones, and his shoulder blades stuck out. He just generally hated himself.

Tearing his eyes away from the awful thing in front of him he slipped the black shirt over his head, enjoying the cool air on his arms for a moment. And then his gaze trailed back down to his scar lined arms and that joy was gone, the cool air replaced by a thin red sweatshirt around his body.

God, he was so weak, he hated it. He had given into life and his scars were there to prove it. Newt didn't understand why Alby and Minho put up with him.

Of course, neither of his friends knew. He hadn't even told them why he had a limp.

"Yo, shank, you done in there?" came the teasing voice of his best friend. "I have to take a piss."

"Wow, be a bit more blunt will you?" Newt replied, though a smile graced his lips. "Yeah, I'll be out in a second."

The sixteen year old pushed open the door and bumped right into Alby on the way out, the shorter guy looking up at him with his signature sarcastic smile. His warm brown eyes seemed to shine. "Admiring yourself in the mirror, beauty queen?"

Though it wasn't meant to be mean, Newt winced inside, though all he said was, "Not at all; that's Minho's area of expertise."

Alby cracked a grin and shut the bathroom door behind him.

Sighing, Newt dragged himself across the room and collapsed onto his bed. God, he was exhausted. Coach Jorge had worked them like dogs during their last baseball practice and his arm was killing him. Since he couldn't run very well, the team used his throwing arm with stunning results.

But still, practice was taxing, especially when Newt hadn't been sleeping very well. There were just certain thoughts of certain people keeping him awake at night...

"Newt!"

Newt looked up and saw Minho standing in the doorway, a grin on his face. "Guess what just happened?"

"What?"

Looking about ready to burst with excitement Minho shouted, "Coach Jorge told me the track meets are starting up again tomorrow!"

"Really?" Newt exclaimed, eyebrows raised. "That's awesome!"

"I know!" Minho pumped his fist in the air and laughed. "I'm gonna kill it this year."

"Think anyone else is gonna join?"

"Probably not," Minho said as he walked over to the bed and sat down next to Newt. "Unless those Newbies can run, I highly doubt we'll have any new teammates this year."

Newt laughed. "Thomas looks like he could be fast."

Minho waved him off. "Please, that guy looks more like a football player. Broad shoulders and all that."

Making a noise of agreement Newt asked, "You don't like him, do you?"

"Not in the least," Minho muttered. "Messing with him is fun but he just seems full of himself."

"This coming from you?" Newt snorted.

"Slim it," Minho growled, though he was smiling. "I just don't like the vibe I get from him!"

"That's why you were flirting with him earlier," came Alby's disbelieving voice from the front of the room. "Because you don't like him."

"Please." Minho rolled his eyes. "I flirt with everyone."

"Yes you do, you man-whore," Alby said with a smirk.

"Man-whore? This coming from the all mighty bitch king," Minho snapped back.

"Girls, girls, now we're all pretty," Newt stepped in with a high-pitched voice before lowering it to his normal voice. "Get over yourselves and calm the bloody hell down."

Alby smiled and threw himself onto the bed next to Newt, wrapping his arms around the tall blonde's waist. "Whatever you say, Newt."

Minho smirked - his signature look - and laughed. "Gonna join the track team this year, Alby?"

"Maybe," Alby replied vaguely as he hugged Newt. "Basketball is more my thing."

Slightly uncomfortable at just how comfortable the position they were in was, Newt pried Alby's arms away from him. His face was burning up and he coughed.

"Did you guys talk to Brendan at all today?" Minho asked conversationally, though Newt could hear the real question in his voice.

"Not really," Alby replied, completely oblivious to how curious his friend actually was. "I don't talk to him much, he's kind of annoying."

"Funny though," Minho muttered. "But he acts all high and mighty."

"If you didn't want to break up with him, why did you?" Newt asked quietly, his hidden relationship advisor coming out.

"I didn't," groaned Minho, rolling over on the bed so that he was staring at the ceiling sullenly. "Brendan did."

"Did you ask him why?" Newt questioned. "Maybe there was a good reason."

"There was," came as a sigh out of Minho's mouth. "But I still sort of miss him."

"C'mon you shank, you gotta man up! Get over Brendan and go find yourself someone new to date!" Alby chimed in, slapping Minho on the shoulder. "Talk to one of the town girls or guys next time we go out."

"Yeah, Minho," Newt agreed. "You sitting here in your pity party will do nothing, you shuck head. Get out and talk to people! Brendan isn't worth this."

"We're such girls," Minho huffed, crossing his arms and sitting up. "But I guess you do have a point, it's time to get over Brendan."

"Good that!" Newt stood up. "Now let's go do something before I die of boredom."

"Not so fast!" Alby piped up, grinning. "Did I ever tell you guys about the party going on next weekend?"

"Oh god..." Newt groaned good-naturedly as Minho leapt at the news.

~WICKED~

"Think fast!" Brendan yelled as he pelted a red pillow with a white maple leaf sewn into it at Terry.

Thomas peered into the bedroom, amused. This was only his second day living with this group of guys and this was the fourth time a spontaneous pillow war had broken out between the two.

Said target didn't bother to look up from the book he was reading, ducked out-of-the-way, and then shouted, "Think faster!" before throwing a stuffed dog at Brendan.

Brendan reached up and caught the animal with the price of toppling back into a pile of blankets on the floor. "Score," he muttered quietly, making Thomas smile. "Next time, make the throw harder, Terry!"

"Well I'm sorry," Terry replied with a grin, setting his book down. His blue eyes twinkled. "It's not my fault I have arms like a girl."

"You so are a girl, Terry," teased Brendan.

"You're one to talk," snorted Thomas, making his presence known. "Brendan, have you seen your face?"

"Shut up, you ugly shank," Brendan growled, actually sounding relatively hurt.

Thomas winced. He hadn't meant to be mean about it. "God, sorry, Brendan. I didn't mean - "

"Thomas?" Terry interrupted. "Could you please excuse us? I have to talk to Brendan about something."

Miserable now, Thomas nodded and left the room. The guys shut the door behind him with a slam.

He walked through the little hall that separated their two rooms and then entered the bed room he shared with Chuck. Chuck, despite his young age, turned out to be very witty and sarcastic when he wanted to. He could keep up a good conversation and was already growing on Thomas, something that usually took time.

The kid was laying on his bed, scrawling notes out on a piece of paper that looked like science homework.

"Hey," Thomas greeted him before crossing over to his own side of the large room and beginning to unpack his stuff. He had been procrastinating since he had gotten in the night before and was now finally putting on an effort to get used to this school.

"Hey!" Chuck replied happily. "You are so lucky you missed the last science unit we did. I never wanted to learn about the formation of rocks and tectonic plates. It was literally work to stay awake in class."

Thomas grinned. "I'm just lucky that way!"

"Are you nervous about your first day of school tomorrow?" Chuck asked.

"Not nervous, just annoyed about waking up at six in the morning every day," Thomas groaned with a shrug. "How do you do it?"

Smirking (in a way that seemed unbelievably innocent to Thomas) Chuck returned, "I'm just awesome that way."

"Of course you are, kid." Thomas smiled and went back to unpacking his clothes.

Right then. XD Thank you guys sooo much for all the kind reviews. Do you think we could aim for around ten this time? I'm just curious to see how many people are actually reading this... Of course, I'm not picky. XD I adore all of the kind words I've gotten.

One person asked me if Brendan is an OC and I can reassure you that he isn't, and his identity will be made clear-er next chapter. (Though, I would have thought it was slightly obvious).

So, do you guys have any requests? I have most of the pairings figured out but I'd love some ideas for things that could go on in the fic... field trips, drama, little events, quotes you want me to use... And if you have a question, just PM me!

Thanks to: MuffinFactory, Absolutely Taylor, MazeRunnerGirl, Hi, Tolazytologin, No, Collie Parkillo, suddzero, I'mtoolazytobecreative, teamdauntlesstribute, and a BUNCH of people named Guest for reviewing. BTW - I want to be able to write out everyone who reviews, so if you do while not logged in, come up with something different so you'll be recognized!

Sorry for the super long author's note - more drama to come later. :D

~Dani