You Can't Hurt Me

They'se deserved it

Race bit the inside of his lip, it had been 3 days and he isn't sure if he's ever felt so cold. He wondered if he just died and is watching his body go through life as a zombie corpse, but he hasn't eaten anyone's brains yet though so that's a no. However, the horrible part was he also felt horribly hot, his body broke out Into cold sweats and his feet felt like a furnace. It was like being sick without a sour throat.

His friends had learned to back off a bit, giving him his room. Finch had to physically push him down when he started to tell off a teacher with a few fancy words he learned in the poker rooms.

He grabbed his lunch tray, scooping the...uh... brown goop. Maybe he should start making his own lunches before school, certainly a peanut butter & jelly would be better than artificial beef No.54. He's pretty sure vegans could eat this, not that they would want too. If this is meat however he briefly debated going vegan, the fumes from the brown soggy mess making his stomach turn uncomfortably.

To his left, Oscar and Morris were eating Bolay, their dad taking them every day to get a fresh bowl to put inside their mini lunch coolers. Race wondered if they could be any more extra. Considering they were wearing tight exercise shorts, Morris sporting a mesh tank top that could easily pass for a males crop top and Oscar wearing a tight muscle shirt. Their Yankees hats worn backwards.

Still, as stupid as they looked, Race craved their food.

"Dude, stop staring at the brothers, you sweet on them?" Albert teased.

"If I was you think they'd bring me Bolay?" Race joked back, finally breaking eye connect to smile at Albert. He liked everyone but Albert was definitely his favorite.

"I think they'd beat you into a pulp." Albert deadpanned, leaving Race to snort into his palm.

"Damn right we would." Said a heavy voice. Race rolled his eyes, pushing his food away. He wasn't hungry anyways.

"You hear that Albert? I think it's a fly buzzing around my ears." Race replied easily, Albert shook his head in warning. That's fine, he didn't need his help.

"Yah the 14 year old freshman thinks he's funny." Morris gabbed.

"I'm actually 15, turning 16 pretty damn soon." Race made kissing noises, "so you ain't too old for me Delancey."

Race looked for a reaction, anything, but they just seemed highly amused.

"You were held back a grade? Look at that, he ain't just a queer, he's a retard too." Oscar shouted in the room, the cafeteria got silent.

Race tugged on his dad's jacket.

"Seven out of ten! look!" He bragged.

"That's a c, it's good but youse smarter than that. You ain't no retard like Joseph's boys. Go redo it." His dad pushed him off.

Race's fist crumpled up the paper in his hand. He wasn't a retard, he was smart and could do better.

"What did you just call me?" Race said lowly, standing up.

"Race..." Albert grabbed his shirt.

"Stay out of this Albert!" Race roughly shoved Albert back, causing Albert to stumble back. True to his word, he didn't get involved.

"I called you a retard, fairy."

Race's nostrils flared with smoke, and he punched Oscar in the nose. Blood spewed like a sink faucet. He could hear Alberts surprised gasp, but he just lunched farther, punched as hard as he could. He didn't have big muscles and certainly didn't work out often, but damn if he dad taught him anything it was how to hold his own in a fight, so despite the attack back Race just fought harder and nastier.