Sandwich Boy

Rich Kid

Magnus was getting a sandwich so I decided to get a sandwich too.

We didn't know each other. We'd never even had a class together. But I just couldn't get over him. How he looked, how he walked, the way his messy hair fell in his eyes... Those eyes were so amazing. Big and green, yet folded. Someone said he was half Chinese, Isabelle thought he was probably Japanese, I heard his mother was Indonesian, and he dressed like he was in a Korean boy band. The best part was how tall and lean he was. I liked feeling small, which wasn't common, what with how tall I was myself.

Magnus Bane. God, even his name was cool. He was a little bit of an obsession for me. It seemed like my mind was always wandering back to him. Sometime's I just followed him around. Not in a stalker kind of way. I just walked where he walked. You know, so I could watch how he moved and listen to what he said. His sneeze was adorable. He chewed on his pen caps. He could lean back unbelieveably far in library chairs without falling over.

He didn't have enough money for a ham and swiss on whole wheat, which ironically enough was the same sandwich I was debating splitting a twenty over.

The lunch lady was arguing with him. "You're holding up the line, Mister."

"Yeah, I know. One sec. I think I have some dimes in here," he said spinning his wallet around.

"Dimes? You're three dollars short," she said.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Yeah, and I have thirty dimes."

She sighed. "It's a three dollar sandwich."

"And I have three dollars!"

The sun shone down on my opportunity to gain Magnus's attention/undenying gratitude and affection. I boldly slammed my sandwich down beside his and gave the lunch lady my twenty. "Both," I said as manly as I could. She rang it through before Magnus could realize what I'd done.

"Wait, no, I have the money - "

"NEXT!" the lunchlady shouted and we were ushered out of the food corral.

Magnus stumbled over a backpack and glared at the door. His ripped up wallet hung open. I caught a glimpse of a yellow foil package. Ohmygoditwasacondom. He shut it and shoved it in his back pocket with a scowl. I smiled and handed him his sandwich.

He turned his glare onto me and all but snarled, "Keep it, rich kid. I don't need your fucking charity."

"Uh... what?" I stared down at the two sandwiches and then looked back up at him, only he was walking away. He turned around the corner and was gone.

A hand landed on my shoulder and Isabelle laughed. "Smooth."

I rolled my eyes, but my knees felt weak and my face was hot. What the hell was wrong with me? I'd insulted him. Part of me wanted to cry while the other part wanted to kick Magnus. "What am I going to do with two sandwiches?" I finally forced myself to say.

Isabelle and I began to walk back to our table. Jace was sitting with his rugby buddies because it was Thursday, but Simon and Clary were at our table. I dropped the sandwiches to the table and then sat down. "Don't worry about it Alec," Isabelle was saying. "You did nothing wrong."

"What happened?" Clary asked.

Isabelle waved it away. "Alec bought that Bane kid a sandwich and got bitched out for it."

Ah, Isabelle. Good old observant Isabelle. Her sort-of-not-really-but-kind-of boyfriend, Simon, toyed with the charms on her bracelet absently, his eyes on the extra sandwich. "You gonna eat that?" he said.

I stared at it for a minute and then stood up. "No. Magnus is." And then I grabbed the sandwich and stormed out of the cafeteria.

It was Thursday, so the Badass Asians were hanging out near big tree in the courtyard. Not stalking, just observing. The Badass Asians were all untouchable and gorgeous and Asian. They were split up into different sections based on their language and talked in their national dilects, unless they were talking to other BA's outside of their language. Magnus sat with the BA's who only spoke English. On that fateful Thursday Magnus was sitting at one of the picnic tables, scribbling in a sketchpad alone. It was like bursting through a barrier into completely unchartered territory. The BA's went completely silent. Like, cricket silent.

"You," I said to Magnus, pointing the sandwich at him. I was winging it and my heart was pounding. Everyone at school knew me as fluffy Alec. Wouldn't hurt a fly Alec. I was good at keeping my temper under wraps, but Magnus had encurred my wrath. "You're a jerk." Oh yeah. Take that. Feel the burn.

Magnus looked up and cocked an eyebrow. It was pierced. Unf. "Excuse me?"

"I bought you this and you threw it back in my face." I tossed the sandwich at him dramatically. It landed softly on his sketchpad. "Ergo, you are a jerk."

He laughed without humor and leaned back. "I'm a jerk because I don't want your pity?"

I crossed my arms, feeling a dozen pairs of Badass Asian's eyes on me. Except for Bobby Yung, of course. He had a patch on because of his pink eye. "It wasn't pity. It's called being nice. You should try it some time."

"Hey, don't even act like you know me!" he half shouted.

I shook my head. "Whatever." And then I started to walk away.

"I'm not eating this fucking sandwich, you rich prick," he snarled.

My whole body froze. It was like he'd thrown ice water on me. There was no way I could turn around. There was no way I could let any of the BA's see that I was almost crying. I swallowed thickly and said, "I'm sorry that I didn't want you to go hungry. If that makes me a prick, then fine. I'm a prick."

And then I left.