Junji sat on the grass of Mangrove Garden High School, surrounded by a slightly less summery air. It was early enough in the school year still that the weather was really quite warm, and air conditioning would’ve been preferable in a perfect world, but Junji didn’t want to eat inside. Too many people he didn’t want to deal with; the heat was the more tolerable option.
Rather than soak in the ambience of the carefully landscaped scenery and enjoy the moment as the world went by, Junji’s face was glued to his phone screen. He was taking in the highlight reel from the most recent episode of SOTF-TV’s fifty-first season. He grinned from ear to ear as a Roger’s body got bashed in with a golf club, Curtis scoring well over par. His loss was Junji’s gain, as he enjoyed the glorious broadcast violence that so often got him through these tedious days. Although he would’ve enjoyed browsing the internet on any day, the quality of the content being utterly irrelevant, there was a secondary purpose to his phone use that lunchtime.
Junji had found a spot to himself out in the fields near the cafeteria, within easy sight of anyone leaving the building. He found himself occasionally breaking his glued state to glance up at the exit, keeping an eye out for a single person. Around him, other students were heading off to their designated turf with their group of friends. Occasionally he would see some snicker in his direction when he glanced up, but he didn’t pay attention. His lack of territory in the school grounds might’ve mattered to some people, but he didn’t care. There was only one person at his new school that he wanted to see anyway, and she didn’t give a fuck where they ate lunch. Cliques and groups were just a way for people to jerk each other off, anyway.
Meanwhile, his phone provided all the entertainment that companionship could have and kept his mind off his isolated state. A constant stream of digital entertainment distracted him from the difficulties of adjusting to a new school, one filled with rich kids and smart kids who had gotten in the honest way. One where he had already been deemed an outcast, thanks in no part to the bitches and assholes who had graduated from his middle school with him. His own lack of efforts in presenting an appealing attitude had of course hurt his chances from the get-go, but Junji was never one for acknowledging his own faults.
Finally, Stokes emerged from cafeteria. He waved at his best friend, the one person at this school he actually wanted to spend time with. “Yo, Stokes! Get over here, bitch!” he yelled, loud enough for everyone in a good range to hear and grinned once again from ear to ear.
Why Your Cool Friend Still Hangs Out With That Loser
Private. Freshman Year (2017-2018).
High school was different. Bigger, more people, more complicated lessons, leaderboards, the works. New people, too, so that was weird, cause even with some other kids from middle school there, the groups weren't really the same. Left her trying to get to know the whole social thing all over again; luckily Stokes was good at it and usually could pick up some common ground. Everyone liked TV. Well, everyone that didn't hate fun. Once she got that in, then other conversations opened up and check it, now she was making friends. Still early, yeah, but Mangrove wasn't gonna be so bad.
Course, Stokes did have one particular familiar face along for the ride, and as Stokes stepped out of the cafeteria with a meal tray in hand, she was already scanning left and right looking for him. He spotted her first, calling out, and if Stokes didn't have both of her hands full she probably would have flipped him off. Jerking motion, minimum.
She didn't yell back, just changed direction and headed straight for him.
"Bitch yourself. How'd you getcha ass out here so fast anyway? Didn't see you." She flopped down next to him, craning her neck over at his phone.
Course, Stokes did have one particular familiar face along for the ride, and as Stokes stepped out of the cafeteria with a meal tray in hand, she was already scanning left and right looking for him. He spotted her first, calling out, and if Stokes didn't have both of her hands full she probably would have flipped him off. Jerking motion, minimum.
She didn't yell back, just changed direction and headed straight for him.
"Bitch yourself. How'd you getcha ass out here so fast anyway? Didn't see you." She flopped down next to him, craning her neck over at his phone.
“Got those fucking ninja skills don’t I? And that’s not cause I’m Japanese, I’d be a fucking ninja if I was Mexican or, fuck it, white.“
Junji shoved the phone under Stokes nose the moment she was settled, moving to restart the bloody scene without a moment's concern. “You seen last night’s episode yet? Spoilers Dalton gets fucked up and it’s awesome. Check it.” he said, pressing play to relive the bloodshed he’d enjoyed not seconds ago with his best bud. Junji’s heart beat in excitement with the rhythm of Roger’s beating, gripping Stokes by the shoulder as a particularly gruesome dent was made.
“See? Awesome, right? People think golf clubs are weak draws cause they’re not conventional weapons, but those things are long and hard. You can do some real damage with that. Some pussies on the message boards were bitching about it, but those people don’t know shit what they’re talking about.”
He paused the phone as he looked to Stokes for her input, still grinning with excitement. After a whole morning of spending hanging out with his phone, trying to ignore the fuckers at the school who thought they were such hotshots looking down at him, hanging out with his best friend and sharing in his favourite thing was just the ray of sunshine he needed.
"But wait until you see the rest of this, it's hilarious." he continued, pressing play and letting the highlight unfold in full. His laughter as Curtis crashed the golf cart he had tried to make his daring escape on rang out across the quad. "Fucking retard! I was wondering if he'd be a player right up to that! Dumbass ain't going to make it past day three I bet!"
He wiped a merry tear from his eye, putting his phone down for the first time in a good long while and turning his attention to Stokes. "What did you think? Can’t beat that shit, right?"
Junji shoved the phone under Stokes nose the moment she was settled, moving to restart the bloody scene without a moment's concern. “You seen last night’s episode yet? Spoilers Dalton gets fucked up and it’s awesome. Check it.” he said, pressing play to relive the bloodshed he’d enjoyed not seconds ago with his best bud. Junji’s heart beat in excitement with the rhythm of Roger’s beating, gripping Stokes by the shoulder as a particularly gruesome dent was made.
“See? Awesome, right? People think golf clubs are weak draws cause they’re not conventional weapons, but those things are long and hard. You can do some real damage with that. Some pussies on the message boards were bitching about it, but those people don’t know shit what they’re talking about.”
He paused the phone as he looked to Stokes for her input, still grinning with excitement. After a whole morning of spending hanging out with his phone, trying to ignore the fuckers at the school who thought they were such hotshots looking down at him, hanging out with his best friend and sharing in his favourite thing was just the ray of sunshine he needed.
"But wait until you see the rest of this, it's hilarious." he continued, pressing play and letting the highlight unfold in full. His laughter as Curtis crashed the golf cart he had tried to make his daring escape on rang out across the quad. "Fucking retard! I was wondering if he'd be a player right up to that! Dumbass ain't going to make it past day three I bet!"
He wiped a merry tear from his eye, putting his phone down for the first time in a good long while and turning his attention to Stokes. "What did you think? Can’t beat that shit, right?"