Kyle and Allison (IV)

[FLASHBACK]

"What's his problem?" the boy clicks his tongue at the child who is curled up at the side of the computer lab's doors. "Hey," he called. No response. "Hey," he called again, yet a bit louder. No response. "Hey!" he calls with a small slap on the child's shoulder. The child finally reacted, at least a small flinch. He looked up to see an annoyed face of a boy.

"You're kind of the way?" The standing boy says. "But you can open the door right?" he answered. "Yeah, but completely opening it would squish you, dummy. Get up," he helps the other get up on his feet. "Why are you even crying? What's your name?"

The boy sniffs for a second before answering, "I'm Kyle. I'm too scared to go inside there," his gaze points at the double door of the computer lab. "Why?" the annoyed boy asks. "They'll call me nerd and will make fun of me."

"What makes you say that?" the boy crosses his arms. "It just happens. That always happens," Kyle answers. "Hey, listen, am I laughing at you right now?" the boy asks. Kyle shakes his head. "Honestly, I should be laughing at you right now because you look ridiculous, curled up out here like a worm that can't even fight what's challenging him."

The boy cries even more.

"You're even crying, makes you really funny." Kyle pushes the boy, "Who are you to say that to me, huh?!" The boy grins, "You don't like my thoughts about you? How unfair."

"You're unfair!" Kyle shouts at him, "judging someone before knowing their story. At least give them a shot." The boy tilts his head, "You're the one who's unfair. Why do you care so much about the things that those kids, inside the lab, would say at you yet care less about mine?"

"What do you mean?"

"You think of what others would think of you too much that it makes you look ridiculous. You're not even putting up a fight. You surrender too quickly. Why don't you try not giving a damn about what others say? Fight the thought in that head of yours that needs their validation. Either they know your story or not, they will still judge you so that 'giving them a shot' bullshit is pointless."

Kyle didn't answer. His tears kept running down his face as the words of the other drilled into his mind. "H-How… can I start?" he asks. "Start tomorrow. Mop my floor and wash my bag. Pay would be at the end of the month." Kyle stared at the boy. Eventually he laughs at the silliness.

"Just kidding, Kyle," the boy pats his shoulder, "cheer up." Kyle smiles slightly and nods his head, "Thanks… I needed that wake up call. You're so emotionally strong. How can you manage to do that?" The boy replies, "It just happens. That always happens." The two giggled at the reference that the boy made.

"Can we be friends?" Kyle asks the boy. The boy seemed hesitant for a second that struck a bit of fear into Kyle but ended up agreeing. "Sure," the boy answers with a smile, "I'm Jeiro. You can call me Jei or whatever." Kyle smiles and nods, "Are you going to the computer lab? Let's go together."

"Sure." The two of them went inside with the thoughts of their new found friendship.

Summer school seemed okay as time goes by for Kyle and Jeiro. Having company at a place they both hated really made it a hundred times less awful. On lunch breaks, they would meet up and eat together. On a particular day, the two shared insights of an announcement said in their individual classes.

"Is your class going to be a participant too?" Jeiro asks. Kyle nods, "Apparently the cooking class is being trained for customer serving. Looks like we'll be leaving much later than usual," he frowns at the fact of being dismissed late. "Whatever, at least there's free food."

"Welcome, Sir," a greeting from a lady as they entered the cooking class' event venue. "Wow, this summer school really know simulation," Jeiro commends the design of the whole room, making it look like an actual restaurant. Tables were covered with white silk and chairs were welded with fine details. Students from different classes entered as waiters entertained them quickly.

The two sat down before a girl approached them. She was blond and pale. Her eyes were reddish pink and her hand was twitching while trying to hold the small notepad and pen. "H-Hello, h-how can I h-help you?" She stuttered most of her sentence. "Hey, are you alright?" Kyle points out. The girl sniffs and tries to smile, "Oh, sir, I'm okay. I'm here to take your o-order. For th-the main c-cour—."

"You're not okay," Jeiro cut her sentence. "Sir, please let me do my job. I'm here to take your order," she insists. Jeiro suddenly notices that her clothing differed to the others who are also taking orders. Hers were white with black buttons that has sleeves all the way to her wrist. She's no waiter; she's a cook.

"Why are you taking order?" Jeiro asks. "Sir, this is a special task," she reasons. "Yeah, your uniform is different. Aren't you supposed to be a cook?" Kyle adds. She does not respond. After two seconds of dead air, she spoke, "So… what would be your order again?" she kept her head down. "No, something's not right. What's going on in there?" Jeiro points at the kitchen doors.

"Please, Sir, don't make this difficult for me than it already is," she begged, voice shaking. With no hesitation, Kyle stood. "Sir, where are you going? Sir?" The girl tries to intervene the walking customer, ready to barge into the kitchen doors. With his might, he pushes the big, double doors and made his way inside.

What greeted him twisted his gut.

A group of students, wearing the same uniform as the girl, was laughing their hearts out, tears streaming down their faces from the overflowing joy. Their words disgusted him. "She was like, 'let me cook, that's why I'm here isn't it?' but ends up outside with the filthy students from other classes," he laughs.

Kyle crossed his arms, waiting for this group to shift their attention unto him. "Remember that one time that she tried to beg Ms. Kelly to have her on the kitchen?" A redhead asks, the other nodded in response. "She was about to get Ms. Kelly on her side, luckily Tracy and I managed to frame her up with unsanitary issues." They laughed harder.

"Oh," one of them finally got their eyes on Kyle, "Hello, Sir, I'm sorry but this is off limits to other students. How can we help you?" Kyle laughs slightly. Then his grin transitioned into a serious tone. "How about a bath?" The cooks were confused, "I'm sorry, Sir, a bath?" one of them clarifies. "You heard me," Kyle answers, "seems like I'm too… well I don't know… filthy?"

The groups' eyes widened. "I'm sorry, sir, but you're not allowed in this place, please leave." Kyle smiled at him, "Why? Is it unsanitary?" A girl from the group whispers, yet her voice was loud enough for Kyle to hear, "How long has he been standing there? He heard so much!"

"Listen, I came here to report an incompetent waiter," Kyle states, "you see, she's wearing a uniform for cooks yet she's serving for some reason? She's also shaky and stuttering every word that came out of her mouth. She didn't even smile at me and my friend. Is this the service that you really offer?"

"No." Everyone laid their eyes at the door. It was Ms. Kelly. "I'm here for inspection. What is this that I'm hearing?" She asks. "Well, Madam, a waiter student of yours is, number one, not following the dress code, number two, doesn't know well communication techniques, and number three, is bullied by the people of this kitchen that made her serve food rather than cook them."

The cooks gasped. "Wait, who is he talking about?" Ms. Kelly asked in a quite angry tone. Her eyes moved around to see who was not present. "Allison," she whispers. "Where's Allison?" She asks. "Ms. Kelly!" Allison barges through the door, "I'm sorry I'm out of place. I just looked at something outside and—." She was cut off from her words when her eyes saw Kyle.

"S-Sir, you're still here," she says. "Yeah, and you're not," Kyle answers, "this is where you're supposed to be." Ms. Kelly interferes the conversation, "Allison, why are you outside of your post? I forgave you already with your unsanitary issue yet you're still not falling in place. How about I just suspend you or even give you a failing grade?"

"S-Sorry, Ms. Kelly…" was all Allison can answer. Kyle wonders why Allison is not doing anything. He wonders that, even though it's obvious, why isn't she saying anything about the bullying? "She's being maltreated," Kyle steps in, "She was framed with the unsanitary issues that you said and is being made fun by the cooks here."

"Excuse me, but how can you prove your claim?" Ms. Kelly asks for support on what Kyle said. "I'm sorry but I don't have anything to prove what I said. I came here to check why this girl, Allison, is taking orders while in a cooks' uniform. She also had red eyes which looked like she cried on. When I got here, they were talking about her and that's when I knew."

"Is this true?" Ms. Kelly asked. The group didn't respond. "IS THIS TRUE?!" She shouts. "No, Ms. Kelly!" They claimed. "Liars!" Allison shouted, "You're liars! You said that Ms. Kelly gave me a special task that's why I'm taking orders. Althroughout summer school you did nothing but bully me. Why are you doing this, huh?"

"Enough," Ms. Kelly commands, "Finish this event. The remaining customers will be the last. I don't want the food to be made by the hands of those who bullied my best cook." Their mouths opened in shock. "Ms. Kelly, wait!" the group followed the angered teacher, eyeing Allison before leaving. Allison raised a brow at them and they proceeded outside.

"Why did you do that?" Allison asked Kyle. "Do what?" he asks. "Confronting them. Do you need something from me?" Kyle giggled. "Why are you smiling?" She asks once more. "It's called help out of empathy, Miss," he answers, "You've been bullied for a while yet you didn't even do anything." Allison crossed her arms, "If you would just nag about that, I'd rather not hear what you'll say." Allison starts to walk towards the door when Kyle calls her, "Hey. Name's Kyle. Let's be friends."

She gives a confused look, tilting her head, "And why?"

"Looks like you need one. Besides, not everyone will be bad to you, Allison, some would even help you on your way," he claims. "What makes you say that?" she questions. "I've met one that helped me once too," Kyle referenced—

"Where's the food, I'm starving," Jeiro entered the kitchen with an annoyed expression, "Is the drama over?" The two just stared at him. "Good, let's eat ramen, I'm starving." Kyle laughed, "You ever-hungry ogre." The two walked forward, leaving the blonde behind. Kyle stopped and turned to Allison. He gestures his head an invitation for the blonde to come with them.

She had hesitations at first, but ended up coming with the two men.

From there, a powerful trio was formed.