franzverse

3

Tango wasn't skipping class, actually. Mike, Parker, and Jackie found him in the ice cream place.

"Dude, why are you here?" Mike asked, sitting in the chair next to him.

"I got my braces tightened, so my mom took me out for ice cream," Tango replied, shrugging.

"Where's your mom?"

"Listen, I got my braces tightened. Look! They're different colors than before! They're black and orange! They were blue before!" Tango adjusted his wolf hat.

"Tango... That wasn't the question."

"I know. She went back to work."

"Have you seen Bob?"

"Not since homeroom!"

"That's what everyone's saying!"

"Maybe he went home early. He looked like something was definitely wrong."

"Well, Tango, that's why we're looking for him."

"You're skipping class?!"

"Yeah, obviously. You didn't get the hint?"

"Can I help look for Bobbo?"

"Sure!"

The squad left the ice cream place, heading for the supermarket.

Meanwhile, Eleanor was in study hall. She was alone, which was weird, because she wasn't early. Ivor and Gregor showed up, though, so she decided to text them.

Eleanor: hey
Ivy: oh hey El
Eleanor: do you know where everyone is?
Ivy: no clue. Alex and Katherine, right?
Eleanor: yeah, them, I guess.
Grey: shit sorry just got my phone out
Ivy: HAHA NERD
Grey: who you calling nerd, nerd?
Eleanor: and where's Nick??
Ivy: probably late idk

Eleanor turned around and glanced at the door. Grey gave her a quick shrug before typing something on his laptop.

The three distinctive beeps that signified an announcement went off on the speakers.

Eleanor raised her eyebrows at Grey, who shrugged and laughed silently.

"Okay, can anyone come to locker A74?" It was a kid's voice on the speaker, which was strange. Eleanor thought she recognized the kid, but couldn't quite make out who it was.

Ivy: ULYSSES????

Eleanor ran over to Ivy and Grey's table, somewhat intrigued.

"Should we investigate?" Ivor asked, slowly closing his laptop.

"Of course!"

"Wait, I might be wrong, but isn't A74 Nick's locker?" Grey tried to remember, but couldn't.

"Maybe. Let's go."

Eleanor sprinted down the hallway, trying to find A74. It was in the same wing as her locker, since her locker was A06. She continued running until she found Nick with his left arm jammed in his locker.

"Hey, uh, you okay?" She called, still around 40 feet away.

"Yeah, I think so?"

"Was that Ulysses on the announcements?"

Nick nodded, looking a bit stressed.

"I'm sure I can help you, dude. Where's Ulysses?"

"Trying to find someone who can help."

"Oh," Eleanor inspected the situation.

It appeared that Nick's arm was somehow caught in his locker while he was trying to close it.

"How exactly did this happen?" Eleanor asked, trying not to laugh.

"It... It just closed on me!" Nick shrugged, feeling the metal dig deeper into his skin.

"You're bleeding."

"That can't be good."

"Is this staged?"

"Well..... Okay. I'll tell you. Alex and Katherine didn't w-want to go to class so they asked me to stage something and Ulysses and I pulled this off... But it's an actual problem now."

"You did this for Alex and Katherine...?"

"Y-Yeah. I did."

"You didn't have to..."

"I know."

Eleanor pulled on the door of the locker, but it just snapped against Nick's arm again.

"Nicky... Why did you do this?"

"I don't know," Nick sniffled, looking at the ground.

"Listen... It doesn't matter. Alex is an asshat if he wanted this."

"I w-was trying to help him, Eleanor."

"You ended up helping Katherine."

"S-She can't be... That bad."

Eleanor sighed, glancing at the linoleum floor, "trust me, she is."

"Weren't you friends?"

Eleanor shook her head, turning away from Nick.

"I thought you worked at the radio station... With Lindsey... And Katherine..." Nick added quietly,

"I thought you had some decency, McCarthy, that we could be friends. I guess not."

"I-I was just asking a question..."

Nick noticed that Ulysses was sprinting down the hallway.

"Guess I'd better go. Good luck with... That," Eleanor started walking towards her study hall, ready to report to Ivy and Grey.

"What the hell was that?" Ulysses asked quietly, prying the locker door away from Nick's arm.

"I asked about Katherine," Nick shrugged, pulling his scraped up arm from the locker.

"I'm sure she'll chill out soon," Ulysses placed a band-aid on where Nick's arm was bleeding the most.

"Thanks, Ulysses."