Fantasy High

Hanging Out

Lizzy got changed quickly, she was eager to get home and reflect on the day and reassure her mom that her new school was just the best so far. In her haste, she started to run and accidentally clattered into a slightly larger form than her own.

"I'm so sorry!" Lizzy squealed as she staggered backwards slightly.

Lizzy looked up at the face of Bruce who's entire facial features had contorted into those of pure anger and rage, his body shook and Lizzy quaked slightly in fear - she just assumed that Bruce was extremely mild-mannered.

"Watch where you're going you idiot!" He bellowed into her face.

The boys began shouting and a few of the girls' had joined in too, Thor and Tony ran over to Bruce and heaved him away from Lizzy while Clara and Pepper grasped hold of her arms and tried to reassure her.

"Whoa, big man," Tony patted Bruce's face while Thor held Bruce's arms behind his back. "Calm down alright, she didn't mean anything by it - just chill bro."

Lizzy watched as Bruce slowly regained control of his anger and watched as Thor slowly relinquished his grasp on Bruce's arms and Tony slapped Bruce on the back friendlily. Bruce tussled his dark hair and looked at Lizzy in shame.

"I'm really sorry, Lizzy," he apologised. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay, Bruce," Lizzy tried to stop shaking and stuck an unconvincing smile on her face. "It's fine."

Tony and Thor guided Bruce away while Lizzy stared wildly at Clara for an explanation and she responded giving her a sad look.

"Bruce's dad was a scientist, he was killed by over-exposure to gamma radiation," Clara told the story with a sorrowful look on her face. "Bruce hasn't ever gotten over it, he was always quick to lash out and since his dad's death his temper's just gotten worse. You just have to give him a wide birth and we've taken it upon ourselves to remind Bruce to take his meds - he forgets a lot."

Lizzy gaped and then felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, all she could think about was poor Bruce and how he was the least deserving person in the whole world to deserve that sort of grief. Tony jogged back to Lizzy, Clara, and Pepper and stuck his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Sorry about all that, he gets worked up easily," Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Thor, Bruce, and I were gonna go get some chips and sit on the field, do you guys wanna come with?"

Clara and Pepper nodded eagerly and said they were going to fetch some of the other girls to drag along, Tony waited with Lizzy and asked her about her family. Lizzy told him that her parents were divorced and that she lived with her mom and how she planned to go see her dad in the summer holidays for a couple of weeks. Tony then told Lizzy about his family, how his dad was constantly working and it was rare for him to see him and that he'd sent Tony to America to a posh and expensive boarding school but Tony was kicked out after numerous accounts of truancy. There was a screech of excitement as a gaggle of girls shot out of the PE block and circled Tony and Lizzy.

"Are we going or what?" Nat asked. "I'm starving."

Maria finished off tying her hair up and asked Tony. "Who else is going?"

"You, me, Nat, Clara and Pep, I think Peter is bringing Gwen but it may be the other way around," Tony listed, ticking everyone off his fingers. "Thor, Steve and Bucky, Bruce, Clint, and Watts."

Lizzy's head snapped up and she looked at Tony. "I'll have to ask my mom first but-"

Nat and Maria grabbed Lizzy's arms and began to march her away. "No buts." They said.

The lads were waiting for them by the school gates and Steve and Bucky were throwing a rugby ball between the two of them, Tony jogged over to Bruce and they began talking about an experiment or something science related. Nat ran over to Clint and he threw an arm around her shoulders and everyone started to 'ew' as they started snogging. Lizzy saw Sherlock and John walking home with Molly and she nudged Maria.

"Aren't they going to come with us?" She asked pointed at the trio.

"No, Sherlock doesn't like anyone other than John and Molly, sometimes Greg, so he'll just go home and play his violin and do his freaky deductive stuff," Maria said. "John's only interested in his Xbox and shooting games and Molly is socially awkward."

"Are we ready to depart?" Thor called to the group.

Lizzy chuckled at Thor's strange use of vocabulary and pulled her phone out to ring her mom to tell her she would be home late. Her mom's number was on speed dial so it didn't take long to hear the dialling tone.

"Hey, Lizzy," her mom's voice answered. "How was your first day, are you on your way home now?"

"It was good, really good actually," Lizzy was truthful with every word. "I'm going to hang out with some of my new friends tonight and I doubt I'll need dinner."

Whilst her mom started to ask questions, Tony appeared beside her and pointed at Lizzy's phone with an evil grin on his face.

"Is that your mom?" He asked quietly and Lizzy nodded in response. "Hey Ms Watts, don't worry we'll make sure that Lizzy doesn't do too much cocaine!"

"Lizzy who is that?" Her mom demanded strictly.

Lizzy whacked Tony and batted him away as she screeched down the phone. "It's just Tony Stark, he's just messing mom," she tried to explain. "We're only going for chips, they're not junkies I promise."

Her mom reluctantly agreed to let her daughter go with her new friends and when she ended the call with her mom, Lizzy ran over to Tony and started slapping him crazily.

"You idiot, my mom thinks you're all junkies now."

The group started laughing and Pepper poked Tony in the ribs painfully, Steve accidentally dropped his rugby ball in the road and had to stop the busy traffic to retrieve it, the drivers honked their horns at him angrily and he held up a hand in apology.

According to Clara the chip shop was only a five minute walk from the school and then the field they were going to go to to eat was another five from the chippy. Apparently it was their regular hanging out area and they went there a couple of times a week. As they walked, Tony mentioned something about hosting a party at his house with a barbecue and then started going on about his swimming pool and jacuzzis. He only shut up because Bruce tried to push him into the road.