#[just some good natured ribbing. the besties initiative has begun]

[gingermuses]

@trouticecream | from here

As soon as the bell rang, Threed's elementary school doors burst open and a large flow of kids spilled out, racing towards the bus, flopping down on benches, or walking home with friends. Jimmy and his own friends usually tried to be some of the first ones out, and he was able to catch up with a few friends before the crowd died down. An excitable-looking blond boy, who had been animatedly describing the next evil villain idea for when they next played superheroes, eventually gave his goodbyes and raced towards another group of boys heading towards the school bus.

Even when he wasn't planning on practicing his teleport skills, he liked taking the long way home.

He usually didn't really run into many people, but after a bit he passes by a kid he'd never seen before. Threed was a pretty small town, so there weren't really any people he didn't know. But the kid was also far out in a field looking at the dandelions, so maybe he just couldn't tell who it was from a distance.

The kid walked up to him, though, and Jimmy's well used to getting looks, but there was something about the stare that made him feel like the other kid was trying to read his mind - and he already knew how that felt.

After a pretty roundabout speech full of words Jimmy's pretty sure he's only heard in textbooks, the kid outstretches their hand and offers him a book - and the familiar orange cat on the cover and the call number on the spine makes his eyes light up in recognition.

"Oh hey, thanks." He takes his arm out of the brace of the crutch to take the book, then offers a lopsided smile. "The librarian woul- w... would have had my ass if I lost this."

He unshoulders his backpack - and of course, it had been left unzipped, and he puts the book back inside after giving it a quick dust off.

Upon closer inspection, he really hadn't seen this kid before, and really did get that sense like he was being x-rayed, but he's not gonna judge. He'd hate to be a hypocrite.

"The guys were telling me there was a new kid ar- around. That must be you, huh? Or did ya just get out of the hospital after swa- swallowing a dic... di.. dictionary?" Another award-winning smile, showing off his brightly colored braces, and a beat.

"...Wow, what a fantastic audience."