Chapter Text
Your name is Dave Strider. You’re fifteen years of awesome, you’re originally from Texas, and you are officially the new kid on the block.
At least, that’s what you tell your new class. You don’t actually think it’ll go over very well. You’re kind of freaking out, actually. Like what if the teachers ask you about you’re sunglasses? (But it’s in your file, so they shouldn’t). Or what if you’re doomed to hang with Bro for the rest of your days? (Not that he’s not totally awesome or anything.) That it’s not any different here, and you’re still revered but slightly ostracized. So you didn’t actually think about what you were going to say. (Didn’t think they’d make you introduce yourself, what is this? Middle School?) But you’ve got half the class laughing, about a fourth of them smiling, and the rest giving you mixed looks of raised eyebrows and confusion.
The teacher rolls her eyes at you and tells you to go and sit in front of one Jade Harley.
Jade seems pretty cool and you introduce yourself to her as ‘Just Dave’ and she tells you to call her ‘Just Jade’.
You ask if you could call her ‘JJ’ for short. She laughs but tells you ‘No’ and you don’t push it.
Jade invites you to sit with her and her friends at lunch, and you say ‘sure’ because you’re not sure who else you’d sit by and were honestly just planning on hiding out on the roof or something.
The teacher calls everyone’s attention to the front of the class, and you give Jade a Strider smile before you turn around. Which is just you quirking up the corners of your mouth slightly because you like to think you’re cool.
She smiles back but you’re kind of weirded out because just as you turn around you think you see her blush.
But maybe she’s just a shy person.
Your next two classes are rather uneventful, a few more girls and even a couple of guys ask you to sit with them at lunch, but you’ve already got plans to sit with Jade (which kind of thrills you) so you tell them no.
The guys just kind of shrug it off but the girls seem genuinely let down.
And you’re thinking, maybe it will be different here.
You have Art fourth block, and sit next to a girl named Terezi Pyrope.
She’s wearing a pair of rad red sunglasses, so you almost instantly like her. It turns out she wears hers because she’s actually blind (but it’s more like cataracts or something so she can see some large blurred shapes and massive blobs of color). The drawing that she’s currently working on is pretty sweet, and she really likes colors (especially red). By the end of class you’ve pretty much forgotten that she can’t really see.
Lunch rolls around and you follow Terezi to the lunch room. She continuously wacks people in the shins with her walking stick seemingly on purpose and you’re the closest to a giggling fit that a Strider can be. Meaning you’re mouth was quirked on one side without sign of end.
She says that you should come sit by her and meet her friends, because they would probably either really hate you or really like you and she’d really like you to piss her friend (Cat something) off. You’re actually sort of cursing yourself for taking door number one and not waiting to see what your other options were, but a promise is a promise, and a Strider keeps their word. Even if you didn’t really promise.
You apologise, because you really would like to sit next to her, and split off to find Jade.
You find said girl sitting off at a corner table with a blonde girl and a brunet boy who has the dorkiest glasses you have ever seen. They’re large, and square. And you guess now that you think about it, Jade has large round glasses, but on her they seem like they belong.
Not that Brunet Boy’s glasses don’t belong on his face. You think they look fine. You go around with giant aviators all the time. So, each to their own you suppose.
Jade calls out to you when she sees you approaching. “Dave!” She yells, and waves her arms in the air.
You tilt your head up slightly and grant her with a “Sup.”
She pats the seat next to her so you sit and turn to stare at the other two participants at the table.
“Dave.” Jade says again, then motions to her table mates, “This is John and Rose. Some of my very good friends! Guys, this is Dave! From my Math class!”
John smiles over at you and says “Nice to meet you.”
Rose nods and sends you a gentle, knowing, calculated smile, “Pleasure.”
You nod your head at them and they quickly fall into conversation.
Jade was a gardener and loved dogs.
John liked movies (but mostly ones with Nicolas Cage) and played the piano.
Rose was (not? she was pretty vague on the subject) into wizards and was an aspiring psychologist.
You wanted to be a DJ and liked drawing.
John thought that it was pretty great that you liked to draw, but you assured him (adamantly) that you weren't any good (ironically. on purpose.).
Jade and Rose had started a fairly involved conversation, something about ducks and cheese, but you weren’t all that interested and it seemed to be an ongoing argument, so you just turned to talk to John.
“They get like this a lot.” He tells you as he rubs the back of his neck. You glance at them but they pay you no mind.
You shrug, “Well, sometimes you just gotta accept someone’s love for-” you pause to listen to the two girls for a moment, “-mold and webbed feet.”
He laughs and you engage in a conversation about music and your respective lives.
John shares the next class you have, Biology, so you and he walk to class together.
John seems like a nice guy, maybe not as fun as Terezi had been, but you still liked him alright.
You have Sociology with Rose and she motions for you to sit next to her, so you do.
“Dave.” She greets. “How has your day been?”
“It’s been rough.” You tell her, “People just keep jumping at my feet, trying to get a piece of me. Nobody can get enough of Dave Strider. It’s hard to even walk down the hallway. It’s hard, Rose, and nobody understands.”
Rose nods, “I’m sure it’s quite difficult being as big a celebrity as yourself.”
“You know it. Hardly been here a day and my popularity is too hot to handle. You can’t handle this Strider, Rose, you’ll get burned.”
“I’ll be sure to keep water nearby, Dave. Wouldn’t want any accident, now would we?”
Yeah, Rose was cool. You liked her.
-
The end of school finds you shoving your new text books in your locker, and your pile of assignments in your bag. Apparently, being the new kid doesn’t exempt you from school work.
Just as you close your locker, arms wrap themselves around your neck and you have to drop your backpack in order to gain your balance back and not fall.
“Dave!” John exclaims, and when you push him off the boy giggles. “Where are you going?”
You raise an eyebrow and pick up your bag. “I gonna go outside and try to find my brother.”
“Your brother picks you up?”
“If he doesn't forget.” You say, and John laughs, even though you weren't joking. Your brother would either be here right on time, or he wouldn’t come at all.
You and John make your way out the front doors. You scan the crowds of people and the vehicles waiting to pick up the adolescents.
There is no signature beat-up red pick-up anywhere to be seen.
You curse under your breath.
John glances over at you. “Something wrong, Dave?”
You shrug and try to keep the anger and disappointment off of your face. “Nah, just looks like I’m walking today.” If you even remembered the way.
John pressed his lips together and furrowed his eyebrows. “Do you know the way?” He asks.
No. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” You start to walk off and wave over your shoulder, “See you tomorrow.”
John doesn’t say anything for a moment, and you don’t turn around.
Then he’s grabbing your arm and pointing over to a white car a few yards away. “Hey, my dad could give you a ride!”
You glance over at the white car and the shadowed figure inside. “Look, John, I really don’t-”
But he’s already pulling you over to the car, saying “It’s really no problem! My dad won’t mind at all!”
Well, you suppose John doesn’t exactly count as a stranger.
He leaves you at the back door on the passenger's side and then circles to sit behind his father. You pull the door open and slide in only after John has seated himself.
“-So you can right? You can drive Dave home?” He’s saying.
“Of course son.” Says John’s dad, then turns around slightly to nod at you, “It’s nice to meet you David.” You’re about to correct him ‘it’s just Dave’, but he asks where you live before you can.
You give him directions (as best you can, at least you know the street name) and he starts up the car and pulls out.
John turns to you, “You live in an apartment?” He asks, and you nod, because you just said that.
Apparently it’s cool that you live in an apartment, and John has never been in one, and you two should totally hang out sometime, and you should come to his house sometime and then the two of you could watch movies or play videogames or-
and then John’s dad pulled in front of your apartment building and you’re hopping out (after thanking him of course, Strider’s aren’t rude) and running up the steps and in the doors.
You’re not trying to get away from John by any means (well, okay, you kind of are) but only so he won’t see the smile that you’re trying to cover over. Because someone wants to hang out with you. Actually wants to spend time with you outside of school which is awesome and scary. And you’re not sure how you’d deal with it if you actually became friends with the guy.
You make your way up the stairs, pulling your face together. Because Strider’s are cool and don’t lose control over their emotions. Even at the possible prospect of friends.
You pull yourself together as you enter the apartment.
It’s empty.
You grab an apple juice out of the fridge (carefully!) and make your way to your room.
You’re pretty sure there are some child neglect laws your brother is breaking but you could care less at the moment, because you like being alone and you might actually have friends.
You go to bed sometime after midnight (not that you were waiting up or anything) and almost forget to set your alarm.
Your brother still isn’t home.