Chapter 1
When Arya finds out they are moving to Bristol, she feels moderately indifferent.
Sansa on the other hand, experiences the five stages of grief before organizing an elaborate goodbye party. She invites all her friends and her friend's friends, and everything turns into a huge, drama-filled event.
Arya rolls her eyes at the memory of the group of hugging teens weeping and kissing Sansa goodbye; dark tear streaks smudged on their glittered cheeks, as their father pulls into the school drop off zone.
What the hell was the big deal, anyway? A city is a city and this college will be as new as the last one. Making friends will be just as difficult as it had been in all the other schools.
"Good luck, girls," Ned kisses Arya's forehead as she clicks the safety belt off and shoulders her bag.
"Thanks dad," Sansa forces a smile and steps out of the car.
"You'll try and make friends?" he asks Arya with a warm smile as she pushed the car door open.
Her brows twitch with suspicion. What he's really asking is, will you stay out of trouble?
"I'll try," Arya promises him. She meant it too.
But bitches will be bitches, and the bitches in her first class made it impossible for her to stay out of trouble.
A few swings of her fist, two nosebleeds and a trip to the director's office later, Arya had received her first official warning.
She could already hear the speech her father would give, followed by the one her mother would give. She sighs as she stands in line at the canteen, frowning down at the limp chips on her plate. She hates upsetting her parents, but she does not regret what she did to those girls. Any punishment they think up would suit her just fine.
"That's her," she hears someone whisper from somewhere in line. Arya clenches her jaw and ignores the comment.
Something buzzes in the flap pocket of her bag.
"Spinach mushroom quiche?" the lunch lady asks as Arya steps ahead. She shrugs with a nod as she balances her tray on one hand and pulls out her phone. There's a message from Sansa.
Mom and Dad will kill you.
Arya's eyes sweep the room until she finds Sansa, sitting with a few girls in one of the tables. Her red curls bounce as she shakes her head disapprovingly. Arya rolls her eyes.
The lady hands her a plate with a slice of quiche and Arya turns to find an empty table in the back of the room. She sets her tray down, shrugging off her bag to sit, when two trays slam down before hers. Arya flinches back.
"Didn't mean to startle ya."
It's two boys. One with a mop of long, dishwater blonde hair, too many freckles and a gangly figure and the other with an even bush of brunette curls set thickly on his head and a few extra stone in his body.
"Mind if we... sit?" the blonde asks with a smile.
"Uh... Yea... I mean. Sure. Sit," she lowers into her chair and bites her bottom lip to hide her frown.
"Lommy." the blonde grabs her hand across the table and shakes it with excitement. "And this is Harry. But everyone calls him Hot Pie."
Harry's eye brows shoot up on his forehead as he forces a quick smile before his attention turns to his tray.
"So... we saw you fuck up Gwyn and Stef. Pretty badass."
Arya picks up a chip idly and nibbles softly at the tip. "Uh. I didn't catch their names."
"Well the hot black one is Gwyn and Stephanie the other one, the tall one. Good job by the way. They're evil cows, they are. They had it coming." Hot Pie mutters through a mouth full of food. Lommy nods besides him with a smile.
"Good job indeed." he agrees.
Arya is thankful when they drop the subject and oddly does not mind their probing and prying as much as she expected to.
From what she is able to gather, Hot Pie fills the role of the smart side-kick, while Lommy leads; though he probably has no idea where he's leading to. They're clearly loners, but Arya can't tell whether or not it is by choice. She does, however, know that she likes them.
"So what class do you have next?" Hot Pie asks as the three of them dump their tray's content in a trash bin.
"Economics."
"Us too." Hot Pie smiles.
"Cool."
They find three empty desks in the classroom, one next to the other, and Arya sits with one boy on each side. The teacher welcomes her, like the previous ones had, but thankfully she doesn't ask her to introduce herself.
"Well, good night gentlemen," Hot Pie salutes them and he curls his arms over the desk, tucking his head into them.
Lommy takes to scribbling all over his hands with a green ink pen for the first half of the lesson; showing Arya his creation progress every five minutes as she tries to fight off the boredom by finding shapes in the linoleum floor tiles.
About thirty minutes into the period, just as Arya feels ready to curl into her arms and doze off herself, the class door opens violently, and a dark haired boy steps in.
"So glad you bothered to show up," the teacher mutters sarcastically as she crosses from the board to her desk to make a note on a blue note pad in her desk.
The guy ignores her and walks to the very back of the class, taking a seat on the last desk.
The teacher shakes her head at him and resumes the lesson.
"He's back," a girl whispers somewhere in the room.
"Oh my God, he looked right at me."
"I can't believe he has the nerve to come back."
Arya notices as Lommy and a now awake Hot Pie discreetly glance at the guy over their shoulders and gives in to her curiosity.
"Who is he?" she whispers to Lommy.
"The Bull," he mouths inaudibly, making small horns with his fore and pinky fingers.
Arya twists her face into a grimace at the ridiculous name and twists in her seat to get a good look at him.
The guy was slumped in his desk with a bored, almost irritated expression; staring out into nothing. He seems as normal as anyone else.
"Don't look at him," Hot Pie chokes out besides her and yanks her shoulder, forcing her to facae forward. Arya slaps his hand away. Everyone was acting so stupid!
"Why not?"
"Because," Hot Pie whispers back in a nervous voice. "He's the Bull."
Arya rolls her eyes choking back a snort. She steals another cautious glance back at the dark-haired bull character and this time, his eyes are on her.
Her teeth quickly sink down at the inside of her cheek to keep from turning away as stupidly as Lommy and Hot Pie had. She glares right back at the guy until the he looks away.
Arya turns in her seat slowly.
What a stupid name. The Bull.
What did he do to gain so much fear from everyone? She rolls her eyes again.
Lommy is staring at her and Hot Pie is shaking his head. Well, whatever it was, she would find out. And not from Hot Pie and Lommy. No.
She planned to march right up to the guy and ask him herself.
I'll do it right after class.
A pitched shrill rings overhead and people quickly rise from their seats and collect their books and bags.
It already is after class.
AN
Well, I've piled on another story 0_0
This one is for my friend Grace, AKA magicmyth83. She suggested I turn a photoset I made into a short story.
A few notes. Gendry is maybe two years older than Arya... at most. I am physically visualizing Chris from Skins rather than the older, 25 year old Joe Dempsie we see.
I estimate 3-4 chapters spanning over a day and yes, as it appears Gendry is the bad boy at school.
:)
Enjoy.
Please review, as it keeps me fueled.