Just The Four of Us

The First Three

     It was the last day before summer started and the hallways were packed with kids. They were all rushing around in different directions not really caring where the others were going. "Why does everyone rush? It's just three months of doing nothing with the occasional swim." Some kids gave the mumbling skeleton dirty looks for no apparent reason, just to start some shit most likely. Though she looked like she could care less and seemed to be tired of everyone's shit even though it did hurt on the inside.

     Not far off a squirrely looking boy stood tiredly next to a locker watching the swarms of people rush by. There was a bright smile on his face, but his tired and heavy-lidded eyes didn't match. "Three months without this is all I get? Would it really have killed the school system to give us four?" He hoisted his scrawny self onto his crutches and hobbled out into oncoming hormonal teens. He wasn't paying attention as he stumbled forward and into another living person. At least he was pretty sure she was living. I mean he had only heard about her from fire fueling gossip but had never talked or really even seen her. Well, that was true until now as he stared pointedly up at her skeletal figure.

     She looked him over, "You ok?" She didn't sound concerned, but her eyes showed a slight hint of nervousness. One of them looked very off and couldn't seem to stop moving, changing and... glitching in a way. She had an air of anxiety but appeared to just be tired and looked like she needed to eat. Then looking back it's really just because of how thin she appears because of her figure. Indents of her ribcage could be seen through her shirt and it would be safe to assume the same in the back of her shirt with her spine.

     He nodded dully, "Assuming that your definition of ok is the same as mine, then yes. I'm ok." His words didn't really hold much emotion other than a tinge of annoyance but that was normal. He attempted to push himself up but soon abandoned ship and gave in. He leaned back on his left hand and pushed his crutches behind him with his right.

     He grinned up at the pink haired girl, "So, what's your name stranger?" He asked looking around at the people shuffling by. The look in his eyes was one of someone searching for a specific character. Probably a friend or something. It left anyone looking wondering who the person was, but he wouldn't tell you. His eyes eventually drifted back to the thin skeleton as he awaited her answer.

    She looked curious now. No one ever seemed to care so someone asking her name was new. "I'm Ryle. Who're you?" She asked, sounding a bit louder than before now that the hallway was starting to clear as teens shoved each other out. Even though she appeared like she might be more comfortable, she remained cautious. Maybe this was one of the gossipers (though it seems unlikely) trying to get information about her to take back to the main group. She decided that, just in case, she would be on her best behavior.

     "The name's Matthew. Better known 'round these parts as Squirrel." He made a tired gesture to the fluffy ginger tail waving behind him. He scanned her over quickly taking in Ryle's cautious stance and his smile dropped. "I'm not one of those asshats," He quickly snapped his mouth shut as a teacher walked by but didn't pay them any attention. Once they were out of earshot, he continued. "You don't have to be so alert. I'm not gonna spread any rumors, not really my thing!"

     She was still on edge but she visibly relaxed, "Congrats on being one of the few here that doesn't gossip." She made a little jazz hands gesture and chuckled a little at herself. She looked around the hallway and back at Matthew, "So uh... you gonna head home? The school's practically empty now." The only thing that was in the hallway other than them were some crumpled up papers, pencils, a whole binder?! She shook her head at how kids left things everywhere.

     He shook his head and cocked a fuzzy eyebrow. "Nope. I've still got some "things" I need to do." He let out an annoyed sigh and pulled his sleeve up to reveal an old and worn out wristwatch. "I'm just... waiting for now though." His eyes landed on a discarded binder and his face dropped as he read the name.

     His head lifted up to the ceiling and his mouth fell open as a long and exaggerated yell echoed through the hall, "JUSTIN!" As if on cue a low but still pubescent voice yelled back with just as much annoyance, "DOOR-MATT!" Matt's head went back to a normal angle as he looked down the hall confused. "I guess he didn't leave?" He looked back up to Ryle. "What about you? You leaving now or you got a partner in crime to meet up with too?"

     Ryle just looked confused, "I-I uh... no, I don't. But uh, I'll probably grab some food on the way home." The truth was, she just didn't feel like going home yet. Her parents wouldn't care, so she didn't care. She planned to grab some donuts, go home, take them to her room, and not share. "Who's Justin?" she stopped herself, "I-If I may ask."

     Matt laughed a short stuttery laugh, "He's my partner." He quickly blinked as he registered his own words. "LIke in a friend way. He-I mean we're partners in crime. Not, you know..." He bit his lip to keep from making things worse. He'd probably already weirded her out enough and fucked up his chance at a new friend. A low blush shaded his cheeks as he messed with the hem of his sleeve. "We're gonna paint a big mural outside on the back wall. It should only take a day but that's usually with three fully functioning people. Who knows how long it'll take with just the two of us!"

     He shrugged, "Maybe this year we just-" "If you say we just won't do one then I'm gonna drag you out of here by your tail!" The random and very loud voice made them both jump. A boy with light brown hair and green, no wait blue... purple eyes? His eyes couldn't seem to pick a color. One could only assume this was Justin and that became more evident as he introduced himself. "Sup bruh? I'm Justin and I believe you've met Door-Matt here already!" He jumped over and hauled Matthew up on his working foot and steadied him on his crutches. "I hate to end this so soon but we've gotta get going if we're gonna finish this thing today. Feel free to join if you want, we can always use the help!"

     Ryle was a little shaken from all this attention in a positive way for once. She just nodded blindly, accepting the fact she was gonna help them. "I've never worked on a mural before but I'm not bad at painting so... Does that fit the criteria to let me join?" She looked very awkward and didn't really know how to phrase her words. She could feel her left eye buzzing and glitching in her socket out of anxiety. Ryle mentally scolded herself for losing composure to awkwardness since this is the ninth time this week. She had a million questions, she couldn't keep her unstable eye still, and it was pretty obvious she didn't know how to exist in this moment.

     Matt rocked back and forth on his crutches, "If you can use spray paint or a brush dipped in paint you should be fine. Justin here ain't exactly an artist so I doesn't really matter if your good or not!" Justin slung an arm around Matt's shoulders and the other around Ryle's and lightly tugged them towards the back entrance.

     "Justin, you can't just throw your arms around people without asking first! You'll run Ryle off and maybe even me!" Matthew laughed out but there was still a hint of seriousness to his tone. Justin shrugged and looked over at her, a smile big as half a moon on his face. "You're cool right?" Ryle nodded, with a more relaxed look on her face and chuckled a bit, "I mean I think so anyways!" She was definitely starting to enjoy herself again.