Chapter Text
Your name is Dave Strider, and you have a schedule you would like to keep. Your school has on for you, too, but you're not about to listen to any schedule that has you down for an hour of American Literature, but no room for cigarette breaks or music or any of that shit. You basically ace your classes, anyways, and somehow, nobody is willing to try anything when your schedule conflicts with theirs.
You have this school under your fucking thumb. Students strive to be closer to you, imitate you, teachers are equal parts annoyed at your attitude and intimidated by your impassive stare, and for the most part, entirely willing to bend to your wants. Damn, it feels good to be a Strider.
Either way, you have your own schedule to follow. Right now, it's just after 4th period. You just had lunch, sure, but with your social status, that can be the most taxing part of the day. You need time to unwind, and on the front steps with your MP3 player is the best way to do it.
You get so caught up in your music as you make your way to the front doors that you almost don't notice when someone falls into step a bit behind you. The steps are hesitant, and when you look back towards the mystery perpetrator, he seems drawn in towards himself. Like he's hoping the world will forget him if he folds in on himself small enough. When he looks up at you, if becomes clear right away why. His eyes are startled and full of fear, like he'd been hoping you wouldn't notice him, and he's sporting a shiner and a still bleeding split lip. It's not hard to tell how one sided the fight must have been.
He must have noticed you looking, because he averts his eyes and mumbles, "H-hey. I hope you don't mind, just- Please, if you let me walk next to you, they might not try to beat me up again." You don't reply. You do, however, slow down, allowing him the well-coveted space beside you. He clears his throat before speaking again, raising his voice in pitch and volume and letting the next sentence rush out in one breath.
"And if you're going to beat me up too can I please ask you to stay away from my face we can't afford to replace my glasses again and I need them to see okay please thank you don't hurt me."
You snort in the beginnings of laughter, and shake your head. You don't start fights, but people found out ages ago that you not only can finish any that get brought to you, but will with brutal speed. But this pathetic nerd isn't starting anything, and you are so far above what he's expecting.
What you are going to do, though, is take a small detour, and take him to the nurse's office. He introduces himself about halfway there, his name is John, John Egbert, and he sits a few desks over from you in Trigonometry, don't you remember? You're not even the slightest bit guilty that you don't. You'd introduce yourself, but of course, he already knows.