Teehee thanks for the reviews!

And just for LTspade, I'm putting a character from Heart of a Warrior in here! Also, this chapter contains mild language. It's high school, what do you expect?

Chapter 2: Fatso

Po was practically in heaven for the first half of the school day. It turned out that he and Viper shared most classes together, save for electives (certified band geek versus dancing queen). They literally did everything with each other for the whole day.

Talk about ecstasy.

When lunch rolled around, Po actually dared to meet her eyes when she spoke. The gaze lasted for less then a second—but that was good a start. He gripped his tray tighter, praying he wouldn't drop it, and looked over to her and smiled nervously. She was talking about her old school and friends, and a childhood friend whom she hadn't seen in years. So caught up in rambling, she didn't notice he was asking her something until her snapped in front of her face.

"Yo, Viper!" Po said for the fifth time. He should've been annoyed, but how to get irritated with perfection?

She blinked and blushed. "Wha—sorry. I got carried away there. What did you say?"

"I asked you where you wanted to sit," he gestured with his free hand to the entire cafeteria. He had to talk a bit loudly to be heard over the roar of students talking and laughing.

"Oh, I don't know. How about over there? There's a few seats open." Viper pointed to a table filled with kids. Po gulped and shook his head furiously, making his curly hair bob to and fro.

"How about not?" he replied, trying to turn her attention away. "There's a nice empty table over there…"

Viper was determined to stay on topic. "Why can't we sit by those kids?"

Po glanced at the table again, just to double check. Yup; the biggest, loudest guy at the table had that unmistakable forelock streaking his otherwise dark brown hair—Tai Lung. His arm was draped around his girlfriend, a gray-eyed blonde that had a knack for insulting people, and his eyes were focused on her like she was a piece of meat he couldn't wait to eat.

The insufferable douche.

Po shook his head vehemently. "Because, it's taken up by that guy's huge ego," he responded bitterly. "It'd be best it you didn't meet him." He tried to walk in the direction of the empty table, but Viper grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. She was staring intently at Tai Lung.

"Why not? He looks interesting." Was Po imagining things, or did her voice sound…dreamy?

"The food fumes are messing with your head. He's a jerk," Po said flatly. His palms were sweating now, and he was at risk of dropping his tray any second. "Why are staring at him like that?"

As if he pulled her back into reality, Viper's gaze snapped away from the table. "I wasn't staring…well, not at him anyway. See the girl next to that blonde?" She used her chin to point. Po followed the gesture until he was looking at a girl with golden eyes, serious features, and light brown hair streaked with red and cut shorter then his. He winced and turned away before she could catch him looking at her. That was Tigress—a member of the martial arts team and the kind of person to punch you in gut if she caught you merely glance her way. She was the very definition of tomboy—right from her crude attitude to her cropped hair.

The boy looked at Viper again, who was frowning deeply. "What about her?" A horrified expression took over his face as the petite girl started walking to the table. "Viper?"

"That's Tigress!"

"Uh, yeah, and she'll force your tray down your throat if she catches you staring," Po hinted.

"No she won't!"

"What makes you think that?"

However, Viper didn't respond. She was too busy squealing and hugging Tigress.

Hugging. Tigress.

This day was just full of firsts.

Po watched in confused fascination as Viper threw her arms around Tigress again, and the other girl returned the embrace. "Oh my gods! It's been so long!" his friend exclaimed. She let go of the other girl to grab her hands. "I haven't seen you since we were seven!"

"I haven't seen you since then either!" Tigress replied, sounding just as excited. So far, no one had noticed Po—and he planned to keep it that way. Moving quickly, he spun on his heel and started to slink away.

"Who're your friends?" he heard Viper ask.

"That's Crane, his girlfriend Mei Ling, Monkey, Tai Lung, and his girlfriend Dai Li," Tigress said in a cheery voice. Odd; she was usually brooding, or beating people up. Or being too busy to do something like smile.

Po was really starting to think that Viper was an angel or something.

"It's great to meet all of you!" Viper's bubbly greeting was met with equally happy responses. "Have you guys met my friend…"

Oh no. Po froze in his tracks, crossing his fingers and praying she wouldn't say—

"…Po?"

—his name.

Slowly, he turned around, eyes cast at the ground. He wanted to glare at Viper, or suddenly become charismatic and say hi, or better yet just disappear completely, but none of the above happened.

"Oh yeah," a cocky voice said as its owner stood to his feet, "we've met Po. He's our good friend, aren't you buddy?"

Just as expected, Tai Lung punched Po in the arm. It was by no means a brotherly punch either, since it left Po rubbing his shoulder. "We're n-not friends," Po mumbled.

"What was that? I can't hear you," Tai Lung asked seemingly innocent. When Po didn't repeat himself, the bigger boy laughed and smacked the back of his head. "That's what I thought you said, Fatso."

Po took the abusive words without as much as a grunt. He knew today was too good to be true.

Viper cleared her throat before bouncing over to the two boys. She squeezed herself between them and pushed Tai Lung back politely. "That's awesome!" she said obviously missing the point of Tai Lung's tone. "Po was the first person I talked to today. He was so nice to me! He showed me my way around." She nudged the chubby boy, winking. "He's a real Prince Charming."

Silence…

And then laughter. A loud eruption of such hysterical guffaws, everyone else in the lunchroom quieted. Po went very red in the face, too stunned to move. Viper's smile slowly vanished as she stared at the others. "What's so funny?"

Tigress plopped back into her seat, hand over her mouth and trying to stop laughing so hard. It didn't work. She and Monkey doubled over each other, hooting hysterically. Crane frowned, not partaking in the teasing (he never did) but didn't stop anyone either. Mei Ling giggled and smile apologetically at Po, whereas Dai Li clapped her hands together and laughed louder then anyone else. Po met her gray eyes by mistake and she glared at him, an evil glint in her gaze. "What's so funny?" she turned to Viper, grinning coldly. Po's grip tightened on his tray; he was shaking with anger, and silently pleading Dai Li to stop talking.

She didn't. She never did.

"What's so funny?" The blonde repeated. "You just called Fatso charming! The most charming thing he's ever said is 'are you going to finish that?'"

Another chorus of laughter followed the insult. The tips of Po's ears reddened. Students from all over the cafeteria began to chortle quietly.

Tai Lung took hold of Viper's wrist, spinning her into the crook of his arm. "Po couldn't stop eating even if he wanted to! And his dad doesn't try to stop him." Sneering, he took on a perfect imitation of Mr. Ping's distinct accent. "'Po, you must eat more son, or else you bring dishonor on my rest-a-raunt! Be a good little boy and eat, eat!'"

If it was possible, his friends started to laugh even harder.

Viper gasped and looked over at Po. Too late—he had dropped his tray and was turning in the other direction. Tai Lung shoved Viper away, where she landed in Crane's lap (to her embarrassment) and grabbed Po's shoulder, forcibly pulling the boy back. "I'm not done yet Fatso. We ought to make sure Viper doesn't associate herself with fat-asses, don't we?"

Po took a deep breath. "Don't talk abut my dad like that," he seethed.

"What happens if I don't? You'll sit on me?" Tai Lung stepped forward, pushing against Po with his chest. "I'm not afraid of you, Fatso. I'm never going to stop. It's disgusting people like you that make me want to jump off bridge."

That was the last straw. Po pushed back, eye level with Tai Lung. "Go try it; you'll be doing the rest of us a huge favor."

"Po, stop," Viper said sternly, getting back on her feet. "Don't stoop his level."

Tai Lung sneered in the other boy's face. "Are you really going to listen to some girl, Fatso? What are you, her new project or something?"

Before Po could respond, Viper grabbed his elbow and pulled him away. "I'm sorry Tigress," she said flatly, "but your friend's giant head didn't leave any space for me with your group."

Tigress stopped laughing, becoming serious. "Viper, wait—"

"Let's go, Po," the black-haired girl growled, practically dragging the taller boy away from the scene. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I didn't know he was such a douche. I should've listened to you."

All eyes were on the two as they walked out of the cafeteria.

Po shrugged her hand off his arm when they reached the hallway. "Yeah," he said indifferently. "Why don't you just ditch me now? I'm a nobody; a social disease, Viper, talking to me is marking you as a loser for life. Just go while you still have a chance to be somebody."

"No." Viper shook her head firmly. "If having a reputation means hanging out with that jerk all the time, I'll pass."

"What about Tigress?" Po asked quietly. He had never really liked Tigress. She was always cold and abrasive, and even though she didn't insult him directly she never tried to stop anyone and she always laughed along. The last time they spoke was in the eighth grade…

Po picked himself up after another merciless beating from Tai Lung. He pressed the corner of his shirt onto his lip to stop the bleeding.

"Why don't you fight back?"

Po cast his gaze upwards and met the curious gold eyes of Tigress. Even back then she was a knockout; brown hair cut short around her ears, perfect smile and expertise sense of style, even if it was a bit guyish. The chubby boy shrugged. "Because, my dad told me not to fight. Violence is never the answer."

"But Tai Lung beats you up all the time. You have to do something."

"Maybe someday I will," Po responded. "But for now I'll just let him do it."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Tigress glared at him. "Maybe you deserve every beating you get."

And with, she spun on her heel and walked away.

Viper shrugged, pulling Po out of his memory. "She's not who I thought she was. Do you want to skip next period and get something to eat?"

Po looked down at the girl, and realized she had tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

Viper looked away, pulling at her hair. "Tigress is the childhood friend I told you about. The one my dad always made me practice Kung Fu with? She was so much better then me, but she never rubbed it in and she worked really hard—so I was never jealous. When I saw her, I thought I was hugging that girl I used to spar and get bloody knees with, not some bully that laughs at others expense."

"Well yeah. I told you, no one talks to me. I'm a nobody. I don't exist unless they need a punching bag."

Viper clenched her fist. "Then they're obviously boneheads! They don't deserve even a second of your attention! Now let's get some McDonald's; I'm hungry!" She grabbed Po's elbow and marched him out of the school, chattering excitedly as if she'd never been sad.

Po couldn't help but think the whole dragging him around by his arm thing was going to become routine. And, crazy as it sounded, he actually didn't mind.