Chapter 6: Misery Loves Company
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Authors Note: I'm so excited! I just order myself a bunch of beanos off ebay and they all happened to have the Bash Street Singled Out comic strip. That's the only reason I read that comic anymore, especially nowadays, when all the art has gone to shit and they've introduced so many crap characters (Robbie Rebel, what the fuck?)
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The bell shrilled, commencing lunch. Danny yawned from where he sat and lazily turned to Spotty. "How long did I sleep for?"
"The whole math lecture." Spotty chuckled, scooting out his desk. "Did you have sweet dreams?"
They marched out the classroom and filed in a hallway brimming with students. "Not really," Danny rubbed his eyes. "I dreamt that I was running away from a huge avalanche of rocks, and then out of nowhere, a huge bolder crushed me-"
"Oh-oh. Trouble at 3'oclock." Minnie and Dennis lurched through the crowd, their venomous scowls shot squarely in Danny's direction.
As they passed, Dennis slammed against his shoulder, sending him flying and then merely grunted an apology as he carried on his way. "You can't let him treat you like that!" Spotty gave Danny a hand up.
"It's better to let it go." He narrowed his eyes. "Trust me."
Everyone in the school knew the large burly figure of Dennis the Menace was well equipped with a short temper and a love of cruelty. Danny was the only one who ever stood up to him. But lately, even Danny could sense there was something bubbling inside of him, something intense.
Now Danny wasn't an A-student, but he was a thinker and an observer, and between him and Minnie, there was some definite tension. The two would burst out into arguments every 5 minutes, and when they weren't arguing, they were attached to the hip.
It was weird. It was a frustrating for them both. There was some obvious unresolved conflict.
Danny supposed the worst thing to do was get in the middle of that. And he shook with fear a little every time he remembered the kiss he and Minnie shared at the Navity Play.
And he could feel Dennis shooting dagger glares at him every so often. Did he know?
It was too horrible to even think about.
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The lunch hall was bustling with the sounds of loud chatter and clanging cutlery. The rest of class IIB were already seated at their usual table, Olive the school cook dishing out discolored goo that must have been the chicken soup special.
"Looks vile." Plug groaned while Toots nudged him delicately. "A bit like your face"
"You know, I don't really appreciate that kind of humor."
"Who's joking?" She snorted, immediately being met with a smack against the head.
"Oi. Lets all calm down eh?" Danny ordered as he and Spotty approached the table. His gang of loyal friends looked on at him expectedly. "What?"
"So how do we dodge out of eating lunch today?
"I don't know." He sat down gruffly, grabbing a head of hair. "Listen. Just leave me alone. I can't tell you what to do all the time."
"Dennis put him in a bad mood." Spotty explained.
"He's being a right bastard lately." Wilfred shook his head. "Just stay well away from him."
"I plan to." But the words came out too soon, because as if on cue, the same two people, as well as Roger, Pie-Face, Curly and some others had gathered around. Through gritted teeth, Danny's eyes furrowed. "god dammit. What do they want now?"
Dennis sauntered over and slapped a note down, right in front of Toots face. "What's this?" she barked and Minnie merely grinned. "We found it. In the boys changing room. Lookit."
She uncrumpled a pink sheet of paper, with the words scrawled on.
"Dear Toots. Be my valentine. All my love. Danny."
Little hearts framed the message, and the signature was Daniel Deathshead trademark skull and bones.
The color drained from her face, as Sidney poked his head in. "What's it say?"
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"I didn't do it, honest!" Danny yelled as Sidney smacked him square in the eye. Sidney had yanked him outside by the collar and threw him into the dirt. Danny struggled to reason with him but there was no point.
He could only fight back and eventually they were scrapping furiously on the school yard, as students whom gathered around cheered and roared in blood-thirsty encouragement as they pulled hair and punched each others teeth out. Minnie and Dennis were screaming with laughter while Walter, whom meekly stood by the sidelines, groaned at the twist of guilt in his stomach.