Feeling Blue: A Smurfs Fanfiction

Chapter Fourteen

When Brainy and Star walked into breakfast the next morning, Brainy was hyper-aware of the fact that nearly everysmurf was scowling at him. He kept his gaze turned determinedly downwards, shoulders curling in slightly. The looks they gave Star were intrusively curious but were a lot friendlier. The trio created by Gargamel headed over, lead by Smurfette.
"Smurfette said you were created by Gargamel too?" Vexy asked, hand on him, giving Star an appraising look. She nodded shyly, playing with the long ends of her hair. "Wanna sit with us? It would be nice to get to know our new sister!"
"New sister!" Hackus cheered, loudly. "One, two, three sisters!"
"That would be nice," Star replied with a smile. "Do we help ourselves to food?"
"Yup," Smurfette replied. "It is the big queue for things like pancakes or waffles and the small one for oatmeal. We'll save you a seat at our table."

They headed back to their table.
"Are you going to sit with us?" Star asked Brainy, frowning slightly when he shook his head in response. "Why not?" He glanced at the table, seeing how busy it was and noticing he was still getting shot glares. Not to mention Hefty was sitting at that table and he didn't want to know what would be done to him after knocking out Hefty. Not to mention betraying everysmurf. He did not want to be kicked anywhere near hot stuff.
"Not to big on crowded areas," he replied with a loose shrug. He figured that wasn't technically lying so she wouldn't catch on.
"Want me to sit with you then?" she offered.
"No, it's fine Star," he replied, quietly. "Go spend some time with your siblings."
"Your my brother too bookworm," she pointed out, one hand on her hip and she gives him a very unimpressed look.
"You know what I mean though," he countered.
"Are you sure you don't mind?" she checked. A nod. "I'll see you later then."

She got into the long line whilst Brainy simply grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and headed to his usual corner. He wasn't sure of when he last ate and given his system took a hit from the poison he needed to eat something otherwise he would just skip breakfast. Every time his gaze flickered up he would notice Smurf's shooting glares his way. Surprisingly neither Grouchy nor Handy looked annoyed though but he only focused on the negativity. The sound of something being put down opposite him made him look up reluctantly, surprised when he saw Gutsy sitting opposite again.
"Morning laddie," he said, switching the food around so Brainy had the double chocolate chip pancakes and Gutsy had the oatmeal. "Why do you never get what you like?"
"Just...crowded," the brainiac mumbled, having a small bite of the pancakes which were still hot and the chocolate chips were melting slightly.
"No it is more than that," Gutsy said, not starting on the oatmeal, attention locked on other Smurf. "You never act like yourself anymore to the degree you left. You are deliberately isolating yourself."

The smurf shrugged slightly. Gutsy sighed.
"Just...what happened to make you change so much? You always used to smurf advice and now you're almost always silent. Even when you clearly know what to say."
"Have you seen how things turn out when I do?" he mutters, slouching slightly. "It is just easier if I shut up. Or left. It isn't like I belong here. Everything is happy."
"Perpetually?" Gutsy repeated, confused.
"Essentially constant or always."
"Well I wouldn't say things are always happy," Gutsy said, shooting a slight glare at some of the smurfs that were giving the brainiac harsher looks. "And of course you belong here! Smurfs care about you." An eye roll. "Well they do. I do, Star does and so does Papa."
"Star, maybe," Brainy murmured. "As for you and Papa...well I don't believe you."
"Well I'll need to work on that then," Gutsy said, forcing himself to smile despite the pain Brainy's statement created. "Because I do care and nothing is going to change that, alright laddie?" Brainy didn't say anything but Gutsy took that as a positive given he wasn't protesting.

Then it sank in that Brainy not saying his opinion was probably linked to how he had emotionally changed so much to degree he never gave advice. He was clearly scared of opening up anymore.
"Maybe I could talk to Papa about you being his apprentice again?" Gutsy suggested. "I mean he knows you weren't lying anymo-"
"No thanks," Brainy said, so inaudibly that Gutsy barely got what he was saying.
"Why not?"
"I...don't want to say," the brainiac said, shifting in his chair slightly. "I say the wrong thing I get kicked out the village. Oh smurf I answered back..." Worry flooded his features and he glanced up at Gutsy again to try and assess how angry Gutsy was at him. Instead he only saw confusion and concern.
"Hey, I'm not angry at you for speaking your mind," Gutsy rushed to assure him, giving Brainy a small smile. "In fact I kind of missed it." The phantom of a smile lingered on the brainiac's features for a few moments but didn't last long. Especially when he saw Hefty storming over.

"Oh look who it is..." Gutsy muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He was really starting to wonder why he was even best friends with Hefty.
"Oi, nerd! Are you bothering Gutsy?" Hefty snapped, slamming his hands down on the table and glowering at Brainy. "If you are then I will make you regr-"
"Smurf off, Hefty," Gutsy retorted. "If anything I was bothering him so you can go away. Now."
"But he betrayed us, Gutsy!" Hefty shouted, getting several other Smurf's agreeing with him gaining most smurf's attention to the argument. "Not to mention he is an insufferable nerd!"
"I'm surprised you know what that means," Gutsy retorted. "Leave him alone, we're eating."
"Thought you had a better sense of smurfy company," Hefty mocked.
"Oh I do," Gutsy said, standing up so he and Hefty were eye-to-eye. "That is why I am spending time with Brainy instead of you."
"Ugh!" Hefty said, storming off back to his table but not before giving Brainy a warning glare. Gutsy scowled at the retreating figure then sat back down, taking several calming breaths.

"Um...Are you okay?" Brainy asked in concern. He had seen Gutsy annoyed before but he was renowned for his loyalty and had just broke friends with somesmurf over him.
"I'm fine," Gutsy said, eating the oatmeal which had long since gone cold. "I can't believe it took me so long to see how much of a jerk Hefty is!"
"He isn't that bad," Brainy lied. "Well at least not to other smurfs."
"Yeah bullying one individual doesn't make it justifiable," Gutsy said, crossing his arms slightly. "Especially as it has impacted you so much." Brainy sank even further into his chair: Gutsy sighed, he wasn't good at this. "I'm really sorry, Brainy."
"You are?" he asked, perplexed, adjusting his glasses. "For what?"
"For never standing up for you for one," Gutsy said. "For Smurf's sake I was pretty bad for a long time. It wasn't just Hefty who kicked you out."
"But you stopped a long time ago," Brainy pointed out. He wasn't going to deny that it didn't hurt and Gutsy stopping confused him but it certainly wasn't a bad feeling.

"Well I'm still sorry," Gutsy said, gently. "I don't think I ever won't be." Brainy hesitated, frowning slightly. He had never had an apology this authentic before and the feeling of someone giving a smurf was a confusing one. He had a feeling that Gutsy was telling the truth which only made him more confused. "Doing anything today?"
"Probably just going to read," Brainy murmured with a shrug. He wanted to avoid everysmurf and think over Gutsy's apology. "Maybe see you around..."

He headed out, trying to get to his mushroom before he ran into anysmurf, especially Hefty/ Unfortunately Brainy never seemed to have the best of luck. He was intersected by Hefty, leaning against his door.
"Oh great..." Brainy muttered.
"We haven't talked about you being a smurfing traitor!" he snapped, taking a threatening step forward. Brainy remained silent, figuring the quicker he got kicked out the quicker things would be over with. He wasn't wrong. Yet again he was kicked out, this time rolling down a hill and feeling his wrist connect with a rock. He yelped in pain and tried to sit up, wincing as he did so. It wasn't broken or even sprained but there was definitely going to be some definitive bruising. He sighed, shoulders slumping even more. He was right, things weren't going to change. Nearly everysmurf was angry so things were only going to get worse. Maybe he should have lied and said he didn't know anything about what poison he used. Then Papa wouldn't find an antidote and things would finally stop hurting.