Chapter Eight:
The lunchroom was chaotic, as per usual. And, like clockwork, students – being social creatures with unwritten social codes- made their way from the canteen to the tables, sitting in their regular spots. Alfred Jones was also a creature of habit, so as he emptied his pockets looking for some change to rustle together some form of lunch, he was rather shocked to find a ten dollar bill when really there should have been a safety pin and a piece of gum.
Maybe a crayon on occasion too.
"Iggy?" he wondered, sadly. This could not become a regular thing. He didn't want to be this big a burden on the English kid.
Alfred, with his stomach grumbling louder than Winnie the Pooh's, accepted the mysterious note graciously – not knowing that it wasn't from Arthur at all. But still, it was a burger and a coke that he hadn't been able to afford before.
The boy grinned. "Food!" he laughed, just about crashing into the person behind him.
"I love burgers!" Alfred was just about salivating on himself.
There was a slight giggle behind Alfred, another blonde boy tried to look away, blushing profusely. The large polar bear shaped backpack on his front was being just about hugged to death.
"You're welcome" he whispered, picking up his own tray and heading off in the opposite direction.
Alfred, being oblivious and awesome, laughed his way through the crowds of people to his table, sitting, like he did every day, besides Antonio. He was already chomping into his beloved burger when Heracles joined them.
"Antonio, you alright?" the Greek asked, lowering his head. Antonio was just about lying on the table. His head on his brown paper lunch bag – his second lunch on the tray besides him.
Antonio always ate two lunches.
Antonio always ate.
His mother had stopped making him eggs for breakfast because it was too expensive – now she made him six grilled tomatoes with toast with a litre of milk, and a granola bar for the walk to school. As for lunches, well, Antonio usually had the one made by his mum, which was two sandwiches and an apple, plus a sweet cake and a banana from Athena, and on top of that he usually bought himself a bowl of hot chips and a strawberry milk at the canteen.
And all of that was nothing compared to his dinner.
Yet for the first time since he had his appendix out in the sixth grade (where Heracles had cried profusely), Antonio didn't want to eat.
"I'm fine".
Alfred turned to him, "sure? You don't look so fine".
"I'm fine. Really".
Heracles bit his lip.
"I heard what you told Mum this morning" he said, softly. Alfred looked at his friends. Had something gone on without him?
"Eh?"
"Oh no, really?" Antonio sighed, pulling his head off the table. There was a perfect nose sized mark in his sandwich bag now.
"Yeah, well, bits of it. So spit it out, you bastard. What can you tell my Mum, but not tell your two best friends?" Heracles was leaning in really close. He knew Antonio had slept with somebody last night, somebody who might very well be a member of the same sex.
The Spanish boy sat still, before gently leaning in, drawing his friends in closer.
"So, remember how I was going over to Lovino's to study yesterday?" Alfred and Heracles nodded. "Uh... well, this morning I woke up in his bed".
"What's so bad about that, we used to have sleepovers all the time!" Alfred laughed, putting his hands over his eyes. For a second there he'd been really worried.
"Eh, you idiot!" Antonio stammered, face burning. "I woke up in his bed naked. With Lovino. Who was also naked". The table was silent, Alfred and Heracles looked at each other.
"Together?" Al asked.
"Yesss" Antonio hissed out, dropping back down onto his lunchbag. "Together... naked... in a bed..."
"At least it wasn't on somebody's lawn!" Heracles offered with a shrug, turning Alfred into a laughing mess on the bench.
"Shut up you BASTARD!"
Nobody seemed to notice as the small Asian boy approached, breaking free from the dozen other Asian kids. Short black hair and a clean ironed black outfit, Kiku was a perfect example of a proper Japanese student.
He stood directly at the end of the table, watching –in a confused sort of way – as Antonio began to choke the hysterically laughing Heracles, and Alfred attempted to eat while crying.
"Apparently this general area has one of the highest homosexual populations within the state, alongside a very multicultural population" he said confidently, pleased when all three teenagers turned to him.
Antonio dropped Heracles.
Heracles tried to hand-sign to Kiku to RUN LIKE THE WIND.
Alfred tried not to laugh again.
"HERACLES, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING PEOPLE!!?"
"N-nothing. Kiku was just giving some advice, jeez!"
The Japanese boy ignored them, sitting besides the brown haired Greek. He began unpacking his bento, whispering "itadakimasu" as he snapped his chopsticks.
He liked it here.
"S-so what if this place is full of fags, what's it got to do with me?" Antonio finally said, leaning in so close to Kiku that their noses nearly touched. Alfred fought the urge to lean into the conversation and say 'well, duh, you are one'.
Antonio's breath was hot and smelt of tomatoes, his teeth grinding against eachother as he glared at Kiku. Strangely, the Japanese boy didn't move back. "Well, I assumed that you were of that demographic – according to what Heracles-kun told me this morning" Antonio shot his friend a filthy look.
"If you are not, then I at least hope that your relations with Vargas-san were, how do you say, consensual? It would not be nice if it was rape" Kiku took another bite of rice, savouring the taste.
Antonio looked like he was about to die.
"HE DID NOT RAPE ME!!" he screamed, standing up and throwing his sandwiches across at the Asian. Being part ninja (or so Alfred guessed), Kiku dodged it. Leaving Antonio standing in the middle of the hall with the entire school gazing across at him in horror (Not to mention two sandwiches short!).
Somewhere across the room Lovino slunk beneath his table.
"Ve~ didn't you ask first, Lovi?" laughed Feliciano innocently, looking under the table at his twin.
"Oh fuck off".
AN: Man~! Nobody's guessed my favourite pairing yet! (But all good tries so far! Haha!) I shall give you a clue.
HINT: They both have this in common: red, or rather, something that links them to the colour red.
Gawd I hope that's not too vague... =___=;
Also, yeeeees, there will be RoChu. YAY!!
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...and thanks so much for that help with the Romano/Lovino question!! Everybody explained it, and as I read the reviews I nearly smacked myself in the face. How silly am I? It seems a little obvious after everyone explained it.
I learn something new everyday!
AND HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!
Thankyou~ and goodnight. ^^