We're the Same

Somos Lo Mismo 2

(SONG: It's Alright - History)

We're the Same 2

It was the following Thursday when, at lunch, Killer informed Kidd of how the whole "open gym thing" had gone for him the day before. Killer said that it was kind of fun, hanging out with other people and so on, and he needed something to get him out of working on Wednesdays anyway. Kidd took note that Killer had already chosen his gym-day without talking to him. He sat through the conversation anyway, asking a question here are there.

"Oh, you should've seen it though, the bowling guys looked totally lost like they had never set foot in a weight room before. I felt kinda bad actually, but eh. They'll figure it out," Killer joked, laughing with another one of his friends. Kidd raised his eyebrows in response, taking a sip of Gatorade. He was not amused. He stood up with his bottle in hand and simply walked away, leaving to sit alone at another table. If he didn't have a friend to sit with, why sit with anyone at all?

Luffy spotted Kidd from across the lunchroom, also in a similar situation. Looking around him at his own empty table, he felt a little empty. He wasn't sure what to do. Their previous interaction had been sufficiently awkward, and Luffy wasn't sure how to approach him. Even with these thoughts, within several moments he found himself carting him and his lunch over towards the junior and his empty table with a determined face.

Kidd looked up as he heard footsteps stop next to him and found Luffy there, looking odd. The two were silent for a second. Several people passed by them, giving them side-eyed glances. The thought was exchanged- Kidd slid over and patted the bench next to him. Luffy sighed in relief and sat down. He didn't even have to say a word. In fact, most of the lunch period was spent in silence between them. Kidd didn't think it was uncomfortable, but he had no idea what Luffy was thinking. Luffy was unsure if whether he himself was being awkward or if it was Kidd, or both.

"Looks like we're in the same boat," Kidd finally said, looking up at the clock. There was only a few minutes left before the bell rang once more. Luffy nodded, putting the cap on his empty water bottle. Kidd stood with his tray in hand and reached his other hand down in front of Luffy. He was confused- what was Kidd reaching for? Money? His hand? Finally Kidd gave a point towards Luffy's tray, and the thing was silently passed off while Luffy turned red in embarrassment. He hadn't been expecting that. When Kidd had returned back to the table, the bell rang out and soon the room was shifting and growing louder. The redhead waited for Luffy to get up from the bench until he forged a path through the crowd to get out, Luffy following close behind. Upon reaching the more open hallway, Kidd turned and gave the younger one a clap on the shoulder, a smirk on his face. Luffy looked up, seeing Kidd's big hand in a wave to him above the crowd as he walked off to his next class.

Luffy was left once more in a fog, wondering..

"Where did you go today?" Killer questioned Kidd later in the day, at the end of seventh period. Killer's other friends pretended to be working around the two but had their ears pointed in the right direction. The feel of their shadowed glances burnt. Kidd looked away and rubbed a hand over his face. How could he put it simply..

"I wanted to be alone, that's all," Kidd mumbled, not proving to defend himself very aptly. It was as if their years of friendship hadn't told Killer anything about how Kidd ticked. Killer scoffed at him, looking up at the ceiling for a moment.

"And yet you sat with a guy you don't even know? That makes sense, Kidd."

Kidd was irked. He tried to ignore Killer as he further interrogated him. The pencil in his hand was tapping away furiously. What right did Killer have to go after an innocent guy? No right, that's what. He had no idea. The ticking of the second hand began to ring loudly in his head. The sound of Killer's chair squeaking against the linoleum and the cold feeling of a hand around his wrist jolted Kidd out of his head.