Winry
I sat at my desk waiting for Mrs. Hawkeye…I mean Riza, she said I could call her that outside of class. I'd asked Alphonse to wait but after a few minutes I ran out and told him to head off. He'd been in the gym working out with Coach Armstrong at the time so I left him to it. Now I was just waiting for Mrs. Riza to be ready to go. She was going to take me home after going to eat. She walked into the room with a warm smile. "Ready to go Winry?" She asked holding the door open I nodded and walked into the hallway.
So you know it's going to be a crappy week when things just can't go your way. Well nothing has gone my way in forever! I walk into the hallway and run right into Rose and Edward. Edward lets go of Rose and catches me, which gets Rose pissed. "Eddie can you go grab my books I forgot them." With that Ed dashes off and I'm alone with little miss pedicure; Mrs. Riza's getting her things from her desk.
"Look you need to disappear okay. No one wants you and no one likes you so get out of my school and stay away from my man." She said crossing her arms. I opened my mouth to speak but someone spoke for me. "I like having her in my class and I like her. And this isn't your school Rose Lior and if you don't leave now you'll have detention for a month." I turned and there was Miss. Riza her arm over my shoulder as she spoke and then lead me out.
I waited till we were at the car before I left out the sniff I'd been holding in and wiped at my misty eyes. "Thank you." I whispered wiping at my eyes with my sleeve. Miss Riza looked at me then pulled me into a hug. Ide known her for some time before I had her as a teacher. She use to watch me and the Elrics when Pinaka went out of town. Which hadn't been often because Pinaka was old, but she did come over just to visit as well.
Riza was like an older sister, or a mentor; or a mom type person. I mean I hadn't had a mom in a really long time, even longer than Alphonse and Edward. Granted I have a Pinaka and that counts for a lot but she's not someone you can just talk about anything to. Edward and Alphonse had Izumi and I had Riza, both filled a hole we have inside; both act as a filler for something we want more than we realize.
I hugged Riza back feeling the comfort she was giving me. She pulled away after a few minutes and looked me in the eye with a soft smile. "No need to thank me Winry." She said softly and gave me a quick squeeze. "Now let's go get something to eat! I've got burgers in the freezer at the house. While they thaw we'll take Black Hayat out for a walk." With that she unlocked the car and we got underway.
The drive was wonderful, we talked about school and my studies; Riza's always getting on to me for not applying myself in some of the subjects I don't like. And I got on to her for listening to old people music, basically our normal car ride. When we got to her house she got the food out and then we went to the park with Hayat. I played fetch with him as Riza purchased some vegetables from a nearby stand.
"So are you going to tell me what that whole conversation with Rose Lior was about?" Riza asked as we walked back to her apartment. I knew this was coming but I knew I would sound like a baby so I didn't want to answer. I kick a pebble down the sidewalk and avoided the question. "Winry come on, you know you want to talk to me." She said bumping my shoulder playfully.
I looked at her a sighed. "But if I tell you what's going on I'm going to sound like a baby and I don't want to sound like that." I said putting my arms behind my back and looking up at the sky. Riza chuckled and shook her head. "You'll sound like a young woman no matter what, and I know its bothering you so either tell me willingly or no desert for you." I looked at her indignantly and then pouted.
"Fine I'll tell you then. Rose Lior and Edward are dating and she doesn't like me. She's mean and foul and a horrible person but Edward doesn't see it. He's becoming such an asshole, one of them. I feel like I'm losing my best friend and I'm not sure if he can come back." I said finally looking at Riza. "I know I sound like a jealous middle schooler, and I know I'm not much older than one, but I don't know…." I finished lamely.
Riza looked at me and gave a sad smile. "I understand more than you know. When I was your age I was friends with Mr. Mustang even then, and he was a lot like Edward. Super smart and nerdy, but I good looking guy as well. All the girls liked him and after our freshman year he was in the popular crowd hashing it out with the cool kids. He was my best friend and he went off, but I told myself he was still my friend. So I promised myself I'd always be his 'real' friend. Because come senior year he realized not a one of them really cared. So you have a choice Winry you can either let Edward lay in his bed, or you weather the storm and wait for the day he falls."
I looked at Riza thoughtfully. "Waiting doesn't imply I can't have fun and live right? I mean I can just wait for him in spirit and be here when he needs me right?" Riza laughed and nodded throwing an arm over my shoulder. "That's my girl Winry now let's eat."
End of Freshman Year
Little did these ordinary people know that all of their worlds were about to be thrown around the twist. Edward and Rose survived a year as a couple, Alphonse made it through most of his last year of middle school without trouble with Seline and Wrath. Winry spent more and more time with Riza who was quickly falling for Roy while trying to escape her parent's attempts to marry her off. Roy, who made sure to keep his escapades a secret, was trying desperately trying to figure out how to win Riza; although if he stopped seeing girls in secret things might work better.
But one little death has a way of derailing even the fastest of trains. Can these seemingly normal teenagers survive when the rules change? You find out in the next installment of Full Metal School for the Hot and Nerdy Sophomore Year.