Small Trigger Warning for blood! I promise, everyone is fine, nobody's injured too badly, but Zach's an ass so-

*   *   *

"Good morning," Lizzie sang to Scott and Jimmy - who looked like they'd fallen out of bed rather than getting out of bed - as she flipped over a slice of toast in a small frying pan. "How'd you two sleep?"

"Awful," Jimmy answered in unison with Scott's grumbled, "Horrible."

Grian snorted. "Sucks for you, I slept great," he boasted, earning a snicker from Lizzie. He took a tauntingly prideful (and unnecessarily loud) sip of his orange juice, making direct eye contact with Jimmy as the latter scowled at the younger.

Scott yawned. "I'm so exhausted," he grumbled. "Can't we sleep for another hour? Or day..."

Lizzie laughed. "My sincerest apologies," she jokingly said in a ridiculously regal voice, "however, we are running quite late this early morn, Your Highness." This made Scott laugh, and she smiled when he did.

She turned the burner off and took the slices of toast off the pan and placed one of them in a sandwich box to place things on top of, before putting the other slice on top and shutting the box. She put the box and a few other containers into a miniature tote, which sat next to quite a few others.

"Here are your lunches, good sirs," she announced, scooping the five or six bags from the counter next to the stove and setting them down on the island counter. "Take your pick."

Grian stood up from his place at the table. "I call the red one," he said, snatching the red bag as he made his way to the sink to drop of his cup and plate.

Jimmy sighed. "Dang it, I saw Lizzie put a brownie in there," he grumbled. Shrugging, he grabbed a yellow one. "I'll have this one, I suppose."

Lizzie turned to Scott as Jimmy and Grian left to gather the rest of their things. "Your turn," she said.

Scott looked around to make sure nobody else was around him. "Me?" he asked, pointing to his chest.

"Yes, you, silly," Lizzie answered. "What? You think I'd make lunches for everyone else but not you? It's only fair."

Scott nodded, muttered a quiet, "Right..." He was hesitant and took a moment to decide, but eventually he settled for a bag similar to the color of his hair. "Thank you," he said.

"Of course, doll," Lizzie said with a wink, making Scott groan.

"Is that what you're calling me now?"

"Yep!" With that, Lizzie gathered the three bags left and started down the hallway. "Everyone head out to the van now, or I'm leaving you behind," she called to whoever was listening.

Grian shocked everyone when he shouted, "I call sitting next to Scott!"

Jimmy came into the foyer, where Scott was knelt down and tying his shoelaces. "Are you alright sitting next to Grian?" the blonde asked.

Scott nodded. "Yeah," he answered, looking up at Jimmy. "I think I'll survive." He chuckled as he rose to his feet. "Though, I think the real question is, are you alright with me sitting next to Grian?"

"Oh my God," Jimmy murmured, playfully nudging Scott with his elbow.

Scott threw his head back in a laugh. "I'm just joking." Tossing his duffle over his shoulder, he grabbed the lunch Lizzie prepared and they headed out the door.

The ended up picking Joel up when he called saying it wouldn't start.

"Imagine having a crap pick-up that won't start," Grian snickered, earning a half-hearted glare from Joel.

"Oh, hush, Mr. I-Don't-Know-How-To-Ride-A-Bike," Joel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Grian let out a cackle. "Says the one who owns a motorbike and doesn't know how to use it." He laughed again when Joel rolled his eyes. Sighing, he turned to look at Scott, who was half-asleep and staring out the window. "Hey," Grian whispered, nudging Scott's shoulder. "Scott."

Scott lifted his head off his hand and turned to look at Grian. "Hm?"

"Uh..." Grian looked away for a moment. "Thanks for, um... Thanks for last night," he said finally. "I guess... I guess Daniel was right, and you're not such a jerk after all."

Scott smiled. "It's no problem. So, does this mean you like me now?"

Grian scoffed. "Ha! Of course not," he said. "But, I suppose you're tolerable."

"I think I can settle for tolerable," Scott said with a smile.

*   *   *

"Before you guys open your lunches," Lizzie began as she sat down at the lunch table, "I have something for you guys." She pulled a small box out of her backpack, setting it on the table and opening it. "Father and I made macaroons last night, and-" She looked around at the boys at the table. "Hold on..." Looking at each person, she said their name out loud, "Jimmy, Joel, Grian, Mumbo, Fwhip... Where's Scott?"

Grian shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll be back," he said before standing and walking toward the buffet counter to search through the containers of plastic-ware.

Jimmy looked around. "Uh... I'm not sure either," he said slowly. "I thought I saw him in the hall earlier-"

"Hey, guys," Scott shouted breathlessly, practically slamming into Jimmy as he slid into the empty seat next to the former blonde.

Fwhip looked between the others. "He's not sitting with us now, is he?" he asked, before looking above and behind Scott with an "I'm done with this" look.

"No," Scott answered, still trying to catch his breath as he sat upright and helping Jimmy up from his uncomfortable position. "I just needed to get away from-" He froze as hands rested on his shoulders.

"Needed to get away from what, cupcake?" Zach asked, leaning down to talk into Scott's ear. "Your boyfriend? And to do what, I wonder." He gave Jimmy a sideways glare. "To hang out with these losers?"

Scott sighed. "Zach, please-"

"To dirty your image with the filth of these idiots?"

"Zach-"

"Or to cheat on me with little bitch boy over here?"

Scott stood up and nudged Zach backward. "We should leave," the violetette said with a nervous laugh.

Zach shoved Scott, who yelped as his lower back hit the corner of the table. Joel and Jimmy both stood up at the same time, but Jimmy had only stood to make sure Scott was okay while Joel looked like he was fine with getting an extension of his house arrest.

Zach pointed an angry finger at Scott and growled, "You're on seriously thin ice, you little bitch." He stepped closer to hold Scott's face tightly in his hand. "Why the hell didn't you answer my texts?"

Scott had to wriggle free of Zach's aggressive hold to speak. "What fucking texts?" he asked. "You didn't send me anything!"

Jimmy felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. He thought back to last night, when Scott had asked to race, when Zach had texted and Jimmy swiped it away. It would be more than an understatement to say he felt like puking and curling up in a corner to sulk.

What did I do?

Zach scoffed. "You didn't see it 'cause you were sleeping with the swimmer boy, weren't you?" he accused, jabbing a finger at Scott's chest.

"Wha-" Scott shook his head. "What is with you and accusing me of sleeping with people? If either of us should be accusing the other of sleeping with other people, it should be m- Mmmh!" Zach covered Scott's mouth, Scott squirming in his grasp.

Joel stepped forward now. "Hey, let him go," he said sternly.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?"

Joel sighed, stretching his arms out in front of him. "Not sure, but your face looks pretty punch-able if you ask me," he said with a grin.

"Joel," Lizzie warned quietly. "Don't you dare."

Scott bit Zach's hand, and the latter pulled away, not hesitating for a second before slapping Scott with his other hand.

"Alright, what's going on over here?" a much deeper voice than a high-schooler's said. They all turned to see Mr. Fletcher standing with his arms crossed.

Scott huffed, elbowing Zach before crossing his arms. "I hope you get suspended," the violetette commented. Jimmy didn't miss the way Scott's voice quivered.

Mr. Fletcher pulled Zach aside to scold him while Jimmy pulled Scott into a hug. Scott broke into a sob almost immediately.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him over here, I just-"

"It's okay," Jimmy whispered. He pulled away just enough to look at the other. "Are you all right?"

Scott sniffled and shook his head before nodding, looking like he couldn't decide if he was okay or not. "I- I'm fine," he said finally. "Physically, at least. My cheek and back hurt a bit but, uh... I'm just a little shaken up, I think." He took a deep breath. "I'll be fine."

When Grian walked back over, he had somewhat of a traumatized look on his face. "What on Earth happened over here?" he asked as he handed Mumbo a spoon. "Scott, are you okay?"

Scott looked over to Grian and smiled, nodding. "I'm fine."

Mumbo looked over at Scott. "Uh... your nose is bleeding..."

"What?" Scott touched just under his nose and, sure enough, there were small droplets of blood left on his fingertips. "Dammit-"

"Here," Joel said, coming around the table to kneel in front of Scott. "Let me take a look."

From the opposite side of the rectangular table, Fwhip sighed, drawing everyone's attention except Scott's and Joel's.

"When did everybody become so buddy-buddy with Scott?" he asked, eyeing Scott with a near disgusted look before directing his gaze toward Grian. "Especially you. I thought you hated him."

Grian shrugged. "He's... he's really not that bad," he said shyly. "Why don't you, instead of being disgusted with everything that has to do with him, actually give him a chance?"

Fwhip scowled at Grian. "Of course you of all people would try giving someone like him a second chance."

Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, Grian looked away for a moment before returning his full attention to Fwhip. "Wha-"

"Or am I mistaken that every time you were beaten or yelled at, you would blame it on yourself and-"

"Fwhip!" Joel shouted, standing up from his place on the floor. "That is enough!" He let out a frustrated huff. "What is wrong with you?" He and Fwhip glared at each other for a moment in silence before Joel turned his head at the sound of Grian sniffling.

"It's fine, Joel," the dirty blonde said, sitting down. "It's true, anyway."

Joel scoffed. "My ass, it's fine! I don't care if it's true or not," -he turned back to Fwhip- "it's rude and uncallled for. I'd say Fwhip owes you an apology."

Fwhip stood up. "Good luck getting one," he said as he gathered his things. "I don't think I'll be sitting here anymore." With that, he left.

"Please don't cry," Mumbo said quietly to Grian, wrapping an arm around the latter's shoulders. "He didn't mean it."

Grian shook his head. "It's fine." He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "I don't care."

Mumbo and Joel exchanged worried glances.

"Are you sure?" Mumbo asked, and Grian nodded. "Okay..."

Grian didn't go with Mumbo to robotics club that day.