A "Request"

"He really said that?" Kate takes a sip of her orange juice as she spoke. She and Rio now sat in the cafeteria. The place where disgusting food was served along with unneeded additude. Rio and ca sat across from each other with the same tray of what would be called orange chicken and rice.

"Yeah," Rio nodded as she wore a shocked look on her face. "It seems like he's really tired of hiding." He began to think about Adrian's last words as he digs his fork into the food. Adrian wasn't the type to just stand up and fight the guys that were messing with him. So what was he thinking?

"Well I think it's a good thing," Kate seethed as she began to take a bite out of her apple. "It's about time he stopped taking crap from people."

"I know that," Rio sighed. It's not like he didn't want Adrian to defend himself, he just saw one too many movies about how the victim became far worse than the bullies themselves. "I just don't want him to feel like he had to prove anything."

"Who to prove what?" The voice caused Rio to quickly whip around. He was not expecting Adrian to come so early. Adrian wore a confused look on his face as he began to move and sit down beside the boy. Rio let out a nervous laugh as he tries to redirect the conversation.

"Nothing. We were just talking abou-"

"Oh, I know what you were talking about," Adrian reads right through Rio bull. It's not like he wasn't expecting him to. He just wanted to wait a better time to bring it up to him. "I'm not gonna prove anything. Fighting them would get me nowhere, I wouldn't fight them just to lose my scholarship and my position on the team. I said no to skipping because that would just be giving them a reaction. Besides, skipping on the first day is tacky." he then rest his hand on the other's shoulder to reassure him that he's not changing for some stupid jerk who didn't know anyhting, but Rio couldn't focus. He was too busy watching the group of popular kids. He watched as Haris and James both notioned where they were and continued laughing. He would give anything just to go over there and punch one of them in their jonatha- suck-up faces, but… a three v one is not something he's looking forward too. He's hotheaded, but he knows when to pick his battles. He watched as the three boys would get the girls at their table to look and laugh with them. Then came something Rio couldn't have predicted.

"Oh boy," Kate whispered to herself as they saw Johnathan get up and head toward their general direction. There weren't any trash cans where they were so he couldn't be throwing anything away. Usually he goes out of his way in private to do something cruel. Why was he doing it in public? "What's he doing?" RIo would answer, but he felt as if no one would hear him from the loud voices colliding in the room. He then turns to pretend he never saw the vile creature walk up his table.

"Hey Adrian, what's up?" Jonathan begins his conversations if they've always been friends, but… Adrian doesn't budge. The awkward silence quickly creeps up on Jonathan, as his face turns a slight bit of red. Rio couldn't tell if he was angry from being ignored, or embarrassed because his friends were watching. Maybe a little bit of both. Either way he still continued to try and conversate.

"Wow, tough crowd. I can feel the hostility from here." His words started to get more and more shaky as he spoke.

"What do you want, Johnathan?" Kate was the first one of the three to entertain his words. His awkward smile then turned into a sadistic one. Rio could see his friends back at the table smiling and slightly shoving each other.

"Actually… I need to talk to you, Winter ." Rio rolled his eyes at the nickname. Winter is what everyone at that school called her. Apparently it's for her mad pitching skills. Right before you think she is about to throw the ball, she freezes and leaves you with a miss. This wouldn't be such a bad nickname, if she didn't openly tell people how much she hated it. Just the name itself sounded weak to her. She wanted something better, so she wouldn't stop until she found something worth her own standing.

"What about?"

"I would much rather like to talk in private,"

"Good thing I don't care what you like." Kate turns to where her back was now facing him. Rio looks to see his face completely red. The embarrassed man lowered himself to be the same height as us.

"Listen," He began to whisper, but none of the three bought into it. The three continued to be silent and not lend him a word. "You guys are really making this harder than it has to be. Especially you, Winter. I have a deal that would benefit the two of us. Only if yo-"

"We'll talk after school." Kate waved him off dismissively.

"That's not early enough! we need to talk now!" He continued to insist, but Kate continued to ignore his whining until the bell rings.

"Listen, we talk after school or we don't talk at all. And by the looks of it, you need me more than I need you. " That was the last thing Kate said before grabbing both her boys and walking out.