blue hair and bruises.

3 - Weak

He was there again. As the school bell rang out and the stampede of students passed by, he was standing  in place, by his locker. Travis sneered at him. Sal's deadpan eyes peering out at the other people looked so smug. What gave him the right? If he looked on others like that, then he couldn't be that anxious. Travis averted his gaze for a moment, looked around at the crowd; but when he looked back, his target was nowhere to be seen. 

Frustrated, he joined the crowd and began his sullen march to class. However, his walk was reduced to a limp from the night previous. Amongst the chaos and confusion, his injured foot collided with another student's. He stumbled and fell to the ground.

The mass of teenagers was growing smaller, and Travis was left behind them, attempting to haul himself to his feet. No one payed him any mind...

...except one.

Of course it had to be him. Who else could it be? 

There they were again. Those damn eyes. Piercing blue and empty, those eyes were staring down at him. Or... maybe it was only one eye? Travis couldn't tell, but he had a feeling. He rose to his feet once more, but as he did, Sal had disappeared.

~

Homeroom. Finally, a chance. Travis spotted Sal at the back of the classroom again, this time accompanied by Todd, Larry and Ash. He watched them closely as they traded numbers. Rather than writing a note or giving the group the same silent treatment he gave the rest of humanity, Sal began to tap away at his phone. It was Larry who then checked his phone. He smiled at the boy. At last, Travis had something he could use: the new kid had just joined his favourite group of victims. He rose from his seat and strolled over to them.

"Hey, freak," he called out. This grabbed their attention immediately. "I see you've finally made some friends."

"What do you want, Travis?" Larry groaned.

"Oh nothing," Travis replied, "just scoping things out. I really didn't think this guy had it in him. I guess miracles do happen." He smirked menacingly at Sal. "You'll fit in just fine with this crowd. A bunch of queer freaks, just like you."

Sal blinked. Whoa, he actually blinks. He doesn't just stare!  Travis thought, Good, it was kinda freaky...

"Hey back up, man," Larry spoke up again, defensive, "He's been here for, like, a day. Can't you let the guy settle in before you do your whole 'dickhead' thing?"

"A guy, you say?" Travis scoffed. "Then what's with the pigtails? Oh, is this another thing you queers do? Try and make yourself all pretty and girly?"

Todd cringed.

Ash stepped forward. "Would it make you feel better about that crush you have on him if he was a girl?" she mocked. Travis frowned at her.

"No one asked you, bitch!" he snapped.

"Hey, wait, whoa, good point," Larry added, "He's been stalking him and staring at him the whole time. Does Travis have a crush~?"

The bully was becoming the bullied. Travis was mad.

"That's it, fucktard! You're dead!"

He grabbed Larry by the collar, glaring. However, before the damage could be done, Sal slammed his hands down on the desk and stood up, catching everyone off their guard. The group fell silent. Travis released his grip on Larry's collar, feeling Sal's eyes boring into his soul. Or... no, it was definitely just one. He could tell, now that he was seeing it up close, that Sal's right eye was fake. Still, it possessed the same striking blue shade of that of the left, which drew Travis's interest.

Todd, Ash and Larry watched on, curious of the actions of the boy they'd befriended.

Sal lifted an arm towards Travis's face. Travis could see the subtle cuts, scratches and pink scar tissue that decorated his hand, and... black nail polish? His outstretched fingers lightly brushed his black eye, then quickly retreated. For once, Sal looked at Travis with emotion in his eye. His gaze was... sympathetic.

The others were very much confused, looking back and forth between Sal's almost invisible expression and the hint of red that currently occupied Travis's cheeks. Travis was slow at processing what had just happened, and even slower to find his words. It was so out of the blue.

"J-jeez, Fisher... what's your deal?" he stammered, before hastily making his was back to his seat.

Travis heard the chatter start up once again as soon as he had walked away. 

"Dude, what was that?" Larry asked.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Ash added, "Do you have, like, the magic touch or something?" There was a pause, then a phone buzzed.

"...huh? What do you mean?"

"You're a weird one, Sal. I like you."

Travis kept his eyes down, fixated on his desk. What was that? Why did he do that? What exactly was gained from all that? Why was Travis so affected by it at all? Whatever it was, having another person acknowledge that wound felt... oddly personal? Maybe it was invasive? He couldn't quite describe it. His mind began to wander. He shuddered. What would he do if... if...

Travis gripped both of his arms tightly. Whatever this feeling is, it would surely overwhelm him to no end. What if... he had someone he could relate to, about the pain of his wounds? He'd certainly melt into a little puddle on the floor. Travis wasn't strong. He acted it, but that's just what it was: acting. In reality, the only thing holding him upright still were his eternally tensed muscles, which he could never seem to relax.

He never said another word that day. Not to Sal, not to Larry, to no one. He mentally cursed himself for being such a vulnerable cry baby.

~

He's not as one-dimensional as you think. Trust me, I've had years of experience observing the behaviour of others. He just needs someone to care.