Chapter Text
Alice Hwang was many things. She was smart, popular and downright gorgeous. She was a member of the student council. She had an amazing boyfriend, great friends and she knew that she would be the prom queen. That was until she met the transfer student. Danny Nightingale, a quiet messy greasy new kid. Alice didn't understand how the academy would let a rat into the school. When she first saw him from behind she was so confused, why was there a poor man in an oversized sweater and sweats just standing in front of the office the week before school started back up. He wasn't exactly tall but he was taller than her. He looks Shaggy and scrawny at best.
Ms. Blair asked her to guide the new student around the school. Alice bared it with a smile. The secretary walked off leaving Alice and Danny alone. She went to grab him but he pulled away rather quickly. Alice looked up at him and she tried to look at his face but his hair, as messy as it was, was covering it up. Ms. Blair returned in a bit of a rush holding out a piece of paper.
"Forgive me, Mr.Nightingale, Ms.Hwang. This is actually your adjusted schedule. Ms.Hwang, our new student uses sign language which is why the headmaster chooses you to guide him. I hope you find our school to your liking Mr.Nightingale. If you have any issues please come see me or your guidance counselor." Danny nodded before facing back to Alice. Alice and Danny were shown out the office and into an almost empty hallway. Alice looked around to the teachers with their freshman students. She was reminded she had a job to do.
Alice knew she wasn't the only student on the student council that knew sign language but she did know she was one of 4 students that arrived early. Alice was prideful at best but to set a good example she will make this best tour. Danny didn't ask many questions. Aside from the occasional where was the exit. Alice took notes of his questions and took one long look at him and classified him as a delinquent that skipped often. How the academy let someone like him into the school Alice was slightly offended.
"Have you received your uniform?" Danny nodded. They finally reached the end of their tour. Alice showed him to the front of the school when she felt an unnerving chill down her spine. When she turned to look back at Danny he was already gone. She looked down the stairs to see a tall lady in leather talking to Danny. When Danny got past her she didn't know but she wasn't going to ask. Alice went back into the school still feeling chilly, she assumed that fall was setting in sooner than usual.
If you had asked Alice if she was going to be okay after giving it an entire tour to basically a delinquent. She would have just scoffed at you not really thinking much of it. She was never going to run into him again they were two different people from two different worlds she really didn't care much about it. And she would have been right not until the first day of school. She walked into her first period, AP Chemistry, looking down at the desk's corners, this teacher had everyone alphabetized by their first name. She found her seat and looked at her neighbor's desk on her right. In big bold letters. 'Danny Nightingale'. Just her luck. As other students started to file in, almost everyone had arrived aside from her neighbor. She expected as much and really didn't care if he didn't show up. At least then they wouldn't be aside as lab partners.
"Hello students, please take your seats so I can take attendance. My name is Dr.Greenhorn, not Mr greenhorn, not Mr.G or Dr.G. Dr.Greenhorn. anything else and I will take 5 points from your next test next week." Alice could hear the groans across the classroom. Every year she would get a teacher like this and even worse she knew teachers like this wouldn't accept her complaints about a certain neighbor and she would have to make do. Once the professor started taking attendance, when he called for Danny there was going to be no obvious response until the door busted open. Messy hair and not even wearing his uniform correctly. He looked out of breath but was breathing just fine. The professor looked him up and down before asking him if he was Danny. Danny just nodded and the professor told him to take a seat. Even sitting next to him Alice could never see his face properly. She was tempted to tell him to get a hair cut.
The day moved on, she was almost glad that they didn't have second third and even fourth together. The less she saw the guy the better. He gave off "I will drag you into trouble" energy and she couldn't have that. One of her friends, Sabrina, told her that he was in her american history class, sat right behind her and slept right through the class. Typical. Alice spoke too soon however for Danny Nightingale shared Gym with her. At least he kept his distance from her, Alice couldn't help but notice he was signing to none other than Duke Thomas. A Wayne kid, even if adopted held so much power. Alice only wished to have classes with him. Danny being with him looked weird, almost wrong. It didn't seem like he was antagonizing him. Even worse it seemed that Duke enjoyed his company.
It was finally lunch and Alice absolutely starved after having to go to the gym on an empty stomach. She sat with her friends and boyfriend and watched Danny and Duke walk into the cafeteria. Duke was carrying most of the conversation but Danny looked to laugh at certain things Duke was saying. They sat a few seats over and Alice couldn't help but glance over once and awhile. Wondering how their dynamic even worked. It was all peaceful until a group of football players came in. Alice Hwang was many things. Beautiful, Smart and Popular. One thing she was not was a bully. She had her moments for sure but she mostly kept her thoughts to herself. Watching the football kids walk over to Danny while he was in the middle of signing something to Duke, she knew exactly what was about to happen. She whispered to one of her friends to go get a teacher and to the others, to record just in case. She was a student council member and they were supposed to be the best example for students. She wasn't going to let this slide if it came down to it.
"Well would you look at that, the charity case found another freak to bring home to Daddy." Alice could hear something along the lines of 'how original' but she couldn't tell who it came from. The player that said that try to took a hold of Danny. "Black hair right, lets see if he has the eyes to match it!" Grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled it back to show his face. Alice got up to help but as she got closer she stopped. Alice was stunned, this was not an appropriate time to be admiring Danny. She could have sworn someone behind her took a picture, but her train of thought was interrupted by a teacher who was yelling at the player who was holding Danny. The other (cowards) players scattered as soon as they heard the door open. Leaving the jock to get trouble on his own. The teacher noticed Alice and signaled her and Duke to come with as witnesses. Alice told her friends to send her the videos so she can have them.
While waiting in the waiting room, her group chat was blowing up. Her friends were getting into details she really didn't want to know about Danny and her boyfriend messaged her on the side asking for forgiveness. She looked confused at her phone before asking him was he was talking about. He told her that Danny gave him a bi panic and she couldn't help but laugh. If she wasn't being asked to be a witness she would be teasing him ruthlessly about it in person. When she was finally called into the headmaster office she was met with almost everyone eyes on her.
The jock and his mother who looked almost intimidating, had it not been for her very obvious favoritism for her son and the look of 'she was always going to get what she wanted'. On the other side was Danny whose hair was back to how it was. Perfect for her because she would be blushing like a school girl and not thinking straight at all. The older man next to him most have been his father and oh wow beauty was genetic for sure. Alice was screaming internally. Alice presented the video from her friend to both Headmaster and parents and it was very clear who was leaving scott free. She wondered what lie the mother spun to cover for her son before then. Even with Duke's testimony. Screaming from the mother and threatening to sue everyone in the room for defamation. Danny's father just scoffed and didn't even bother responding to her excessive rambling.
It wasn't until she started calling Danny slurs that his Dad had enough. Had it not been for Danny holding his dad's shoulder Alice was pretty sure she was able to witness a murder. The headmaster also seem to have had enough and dismissed everyone else but the mother and jock. The academy had a no bully policy, and with how the mother acted in the office Alice was pretty positive that they were never going to see them again.
Alice was so ready to get back to class but she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned to see Danny who was being sent home for the rest of the day. She asked him why he was still in the school and he signed to her a thank you. He was glad that she and her friends were quick thinkers. He noticed she send her friend to get a teacher and appreciated the gesture of help. Alice was definitely wrong about this guy. She was a bit stupid for assuming this guy was delinquent, at best he was a nerd. She giggled at herself for that dumb thought. Instead of accepting the thanks she just signed to him about his uniform being on incorrectly before pointing to the uniform board by the entrance. Alice walked off to go find her gay panicked boyfriend and tell him about the wildest things that just happened.