13 * The Legendary Barnacle
Hells yes. I did a chapter. I apologize in advance for my excessive referencing of How I Met Your Mother. But yeah.
Thanks for almost 600 views, readers. Reaction picture above (Yes, that is Ashton Irwin. No, I'm not sorry). I'm excited. Well, I will be when I snap out of my 2:00 am daze.
The song is Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit from How I Met Your Mother. There will a recurring theme, as you can tell.
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I stared at the school building, wiping my slick hands on my jeans. The prospect of having to endure another school day full of whispered rumors and ugly stares was terrifying. I didn't think I could handle it.
"Okay, Delilah," I muttered to myself. "Let's do this. Elise is in there and Rodney. You're gonna be fine."
Then before I could psych myself out, I pushed the car door open, grabbed my backpack and French horn case and made my way towards the crowd of students flooding through the school's entrance.
It was amazing. Besides the odd whisper or glance, I was left entirely alone as I headed towards the band room to drop of my instrument.
Unfortunately, this lack of attention didn't last long. As I was trying to mold the mountain of papers in my locker into a shape that would allow my locker to close, a presence appeared behind me and every student within a ten-foot radius of me fell silent.
"Ah. Wesley, I have been expecting you." I said, my voice deeper than normal.
He snorted and I turned around, finding him closer than I expected. Wesley seemed to realize our proximity as well and shuffled away from me awkwardly. He glanced around nervously at the staring students. Then he cleared his throat and held out a pink slip of paper.
I put a hand to my chest and scrunched my face into an exaggerated expression of gratification. "How did you know?" I gushed sarcastically, taking the detention slip from his outstretched hand.
"Instinct," Wesley quipped, but he was still sneaking peaks over his shoulders.
I leaned against the lockers and crossed my arms loosely over my chest and studied him for a few moments. "Hannigan, why do you care so much about what they think?" I nudged his foot with mine.
"Instinct?" He answered, sounding a lot more unsure this time.
"Hmmmm," I hummed thoughtfully and Wesley glanced up at me. Then, loudly, "Wesley Hannigan--" his head snapped up and his spine straightened "--I am going to teach you how not to care!" I proclaimed.
"What?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunching together.
"You heard me," I replied. "Just you wait. It's going to be legen--wait for it--dary! Legendary!" I performed this so dramatically, I knew even Neil Patrick Harris himself would be proud.
Wesley, on the other hand shook his head, "Whatever you say, Barney Stinson."
"You'll see." I turned to my locker, looking hopelessly at the whirlwind of old papers. I spun back towards Wesley who was watching me with a bemused expression. "We will begin with you closing my locker because this son of a bitch won't cooperate with me."
He chuckled, pushing me aside. "Watch and learn, Barnacle."
"Why? Why must you call me that?"
"You chose to make the How I Met Your Mother reference, you have to deal with the consequences," Wesley said. Then, in one swift movement, he slammed my locker shut.
I let out a low, appreciatively whistle. "Will you be my official locker closer?" I asked. "This is normally a five-minute struggle for me."
"Why not? It can be payment for my not-caring lessons." He adjusted his backpack and looked around again. "So, what's your first class? I'll walk with you."
"Seriously?" I asked. "Wow, maybe you don't need not caring lessons."
Wesley scoffed. "Please. I'm not embarrassed of you."
"Oh, really? Because I happen to remember a rather heated argument in this very building caused by just that," I muttered. I really needed to get over myself but I couldn't help but bring it up again.
He sighed. "I know it was a dick move. It's just what I'm used to. But now you're here to help me not care!"
Wesley's grin was contagious and I cracked a smile. "Alright. It's not like I was much better. Let's do this. Inspiration five!" I raised my hand in the air.
He stared at my hopeful face, his expression blank before letting out and exasperated sigh and slapping his hand against mine. "Let's get you to class before you tell me to suit up."
"Ah, yes! Onward fine sir. To history with Mister Wagner." I said this way too loudly and Wesley cringed as the staring crowd turned bewildered. Their expressions were various shades of 'wtf.'
I nudged Wesley with my shoulder and whispered, "It's more fun to make a fool out of yourself than to fit in, Hannigan. Trust me."
He looked at me for a long moment, then looked back at the people watching. Then slowly, but surely his hand pointed in the direction of the history classroom. "Lead the way, good sir," he told me, assuming a British accent. "I am sure this journey is not for the faint-hearted and we must reach the classroom before the final bell lest the monitors of the hall begin their hunt!"
A collection of disbelieving gasps rose from the crowd. I, on the other hand, grinned widely. "Hells yes, Hannigan. Can you hear the heroic music playing? Because I can."
Wesley grinned right back. "You know, I think I'm kinda glad you had that panic attack, Barnacle." We started to make our way down the hall, pushing past students who looked lost and betrayed.
"Gee thanks." I rolled my eyes but smiled, nonetheless.
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do."
We reached the history classroom and Wesley turned to me dramatically. "I suppose this is goodbye, good friend."
"Don't say that, ol' buddy, ol' pal. I'll see you again soon."
He shook his head and turned down the hallway. "Have fun in history," he said.
"Thanks," I replied. Then, when he'd made quite the gap between us, I couldn't help but shout, "Legen-dary!" Quite a few people jumped, giving me dirty looks.
Wesley turned around, still walking backwards. "Shut up, Barnacle," he called back, flipping me off but grinning good-naturedly all the while. The dirty looks became looks of utter disbelief. I rolled my eyes and turned to walk into the history classroom.
Before I could move however, I was pushed into the wall by a band-tee-clad strawberry blonde. "What the fuck just happened and why am I not the first to know that you and Wesley fucking Hannigan are all buddy-buddy?" Elise growled at me.
I laughed nervously. "Um, Elise, I didn't exactly know anything was going to happen until about five minutes ago. But if it's that important to you, I'll tell you what went down."
"You bet your signed Panic! CD you are." Elise released me and we walked into the history classroom, taking seats next to each other.
Students were milling around, waiting for the bell to ring. There was a low buzz of conversation and some snores from a desk in the back. As I told Elise about the morning, I noticed that the small group of girls sitting near us had fallen silent.
"...decided I'd teach him to be himself around other people and then I was super obnoxious and he was super obnoxious with me. It was really funny. People actually gasped," I told Elise who had a smile on her face. I shot a pointed glance at the group of girls in front of us. Elise noticed and looked up.
She grinned deviously and turned back towards me. "So what happened next?" she asked before mouthing, "make up something."
I wracked my brain before deciding on what to say, "well, first Wesley finally got my locker to close and then he walked me here. But before we got here, he pulled me into the janitor's closet--" eyes were widening "and, well" backs stiffening "he put his arms around me" involuntary glances in my direction "and taught me not to listen in on people's private fucking conversations," I finished turning pointedly to the girls. Elise snorted.
Most of them turned red or looked angry and turned around quickly, muttering things under their breath.
"Continue," Elise told me.
"Well, I made a ton of How I Met Your Mother references and now he insists upon calling me Barnacle."
"That explains that," Elise said.
"Yup."
"Well, to the next order of business. I will do my best to switch my schedule around so we will have the same lunch period. And all three of us will be hanging out together," she informed me.
"Elise Rosenquist. Are you using me to become more popular?" I asked, feigning indignance.
She shrugged, "I knew befriending you would pay off."
"Haha. But in all seriousness, I don't expect him to actually hang out with me during lunch."
"Woman. He played along when you pretended to be a knight in the middle of a crowded school hallway. Don't be surprised if he decides to move one table to the right."
"I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up," I told her. Then the bell rang, Mr. Wagner walked in and hell began.
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Thanks again, guys. Vote or comment if you like. Don't if ya don't. Okie dokie. I'm gonna attempt to sleep now. *winks* Byeeeeeeeeee! *Troye Sivan's end theme plays*
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