5SOS Book of Imagines

You Meet Him on the First Day of School (Michael)

It's your favorite part and least favorite part of the school day: lunch. You're happy to have a thinking break, but the cafeteria food is disgusting. You could bring your own, but do you really want to get up earlier every morning to make it? So here you are with your plate of goo. You're sitting with your friend looking around at all the people who are obviously freshman, struggling to find a seat. Most of them end up sitting awkwardly by people they don't know, others sit alone.

"Uh oh. Look who's getting targeted again." your friend Y/F/N says gesturing with her head to behind you. You turn and see a guy with bright blue hair, dressed in what would be labeled "punk" clothing. He's being pushed around by some seniors. You've never seen him before.

"Again? How often does this happen?" you ask her.

"Since last year. I had the same lunch as him last year too. All year long, those guys were messing with him and I guess they're continuing it this year." she answers, too nonchalant for your liking.

"And you didn't do anything? You just watched as this poor guy was being bullied?" you ask shocked.

"No. There's nothing I would be able to do. They won't stop just because I say something." she returns.

"Maybe not, but did you at least talk to him after? Make sure he's okay?" you ask predicting her response.

"Nah, he seems fine. He shrugs it off and moves on." Of course. You look back over and he's gone. You find him in the lunch line, indeed looking perfectly fine. But you still don't feel good about the situation.

You continue poking around at your food and a few minutes later you hear a group of people say "Ooooooooh!" and look towards the noise. It's the same guy and the seniors from before had clearly taken his food from him and dumped it on his head. Students near the scene started laughing.

"That's it." you say. You get up, your friend trying to stop you but you don't listen. You go to the scene and say, "Hey! What the hell? Why did you do that?"

"'Cause we felt like it. What's it to you?" the biggest one says. But you're far from intimidated. You're fuming.

"You don't just put food on someone and push them around for no reason. It's not cool." you retort.

"C'mon, look at him. He's a freak. Whose hair is blue? Who wears stupid clothes like that?" another one says.

"Just because he wears certain clothes and dyes his hair doesn't mean he's a freak. He's just different from you! That doesn't make him a freak, a weirdo, or stupid, or any other negative names like that! Piss off!" You had enough. Apparently they did too. They walk away and you turn to the guy, food dripping from his hair. "Are you okay?" you ask.

"I'm fine, thanks." he says low, moving to walk away.

"Wait, do you want me to help you get cleaned up?" you offer.

"No, I've done it myself enough times. I think I'm good." he says not giving you an opportunity to respond. He quickly walks out in a huff heading for the bathroom. You can't believe him. You follow him out and actually go into the boys bathroom. You don't care, you need to talk to him.

Guys currently in there yell "Whoooa!" before running out. "What the hell!? Why are you in here??" the guy shouts.

"I just stuck up for you when you've apparently been getting this shit from those guys for a whole year and no one did anything about it. The appropriate response might be that you're a little happier about it." you state.

"Happy? You embarrassed me in front of the whole cafeteria! I don't need a girl to fight my battles for me. I've been handling myself just fine since this shit started, I still can. And I don't need your pity." he says resuming washing out his hair. You get where he's coming from but still know what you did was right.