Ink Flowers

Joe's nemesis

A/N: dedicated to she knows who

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The next day at school, everybody already knew about the fight, and whatever bond had formed between both groups of boys had been shattered, broken, melted.

Things were normal once again, and Caspar hated how somehow, normality didn't bring peace to his punk-filled thoughts. The fight hasn't fixed everything, it seemed.

"Your eye is blacker than yesterday" Will mentioned, as he sat by Caspar's side in the library, a week after the fight, both boys pretending to study for their midterms.

Caspar sighed "Shut up Darbyshire, you know there is nothing I can do about it" he moaned.

Will shook his head "you could have, I'd don't know, not hit Maynard in the first place"

Caspar's eyes were as wide as plates "No- no, he hit me first, haven't you heard?" He asked, aware that lying to his friend was not the same as lying to the whole school.

Will gave him a look over, and shook his head "Jack's not exactly the type to pick fights with boys twice his size. He's not stupid"

Caspar sat up "Why are you defending him? Saying he's not stupid? Can't you see we don't get along? Are you blind?" He half yelled, and the lady at the library shushed him.

Will didn't smile "You're oddly passionate about this subject. But I'm not stupid Caspar"

He continued "If you don't want us to be friends with them, it's alright. But we are not your minions and they are not the devil, so stop trying to control us all"

Caspar shook his head, aware that even if Will had him all figured out, it'd take a weeks for the others to understand. Will wouldn't rat him out.

"I just, I don't understand why all of a sudden they were saying things like "they're not that bad" and "Joe is a prick for hitting Tyler" and I just, I'm so tired"

It was easy, being honest with Will. "They needed to make up their mind, but I couldn't take it. So, Jack pissed me off and I reacted" Caspar looked into Will's eyes "Don't tell anyone, please?"

Will nodded, smiling. "Course not, buddy. Just remember, you punched a Maynard. Don't forget you punched a Maynard"

Caspar didn't understand why punching a Maynard was so important to Will. But he dropped the subject and went back to studying, and every once in a while, he made sure to make Will laugh like a dying sea lion, because his laughter was one of the few things that could ease Caspar's troubled mind.

A few days after said conversation held place, and after Caspar's lip stopped hurting, he saw Joe again.

It had been weird, how he hadn't seen him at all since the fight, as if his body was subconsciously avoiding Caspar. But it wasn't like Caspar cared or anything.

"Think imma have some chicken for today, and you, Jojo?" Asked Alfie, his arm linked with Zoe's.

Joe, who looked distracted, didn't answer.

He kept thinking about what laid hidden in his backpack, what he had tried to drown with books and pens, but that he couldn't muster the courage to throw away.

"I guess I'll have that too" he answered, and Alfie shook his head, but ordered another chicken for his smaller friend.

Joe moved uncomfortably, trying not to look at Jim, who kept stealing glances at Marcus, the only one of the pastel boys that wasn't scared of them anymore.