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Rule #1 of playing computer games at Bullworth Academy- bring your own laptop. If that’s not possible, at least make sure you’re alone in the computer lab.
Pete Kowalski’s first mistake was forgetting to bring his laptop to Bullworth with him. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind until English class, when everyone except for him— mainly the preps— brought their devices out to take notes. Petey wouldn’t normally have been nearly as embarrassed as he was, had Gord Vendome not called him a “blue-collar, breadline luddite”.
Petey wasn’t stupid. He knew that kids at Bullworth were rough. You could spend your whole life building walls at that place, but someone would always find a crack and take a swing.
Petey’s second mistake was failing to realize that before he dressed them up, Picrew characters started with a non-clothed base, and to a random onlooker, it would look like an unfinished character was naked. Petey had never thought of it that way. To him, the character base was just a blank canvas.
Two hours had passed after classes, and Petey was still completely absorbed in his childlike mission to recreate all of his teachers in Picrew.
BURTON.png. Drag and drop in the Bullworth Picrew folder. Nice! Maybe I should make Jimmy, too.
Petey paused, the mouse hovering over the reset button. Maybe he shouldn’t. He already felt like a creep for even thinking of Jimmy romantically. What weirdo makes a cartoon of their crush in a dress-up game for girls?
Petey let out a sigh. Resetting his Picrew for the umpteenth time, he started with the usual. Hair, freckles, skin tone, just the facial features in general. But what to do for the outfit? Jimmy had so many clothes! Petey secretly wished that this Picrew had Jimmy’s infamous dunce cap.
Unbeknownst to him, the computer lab was no longer as empty as he had once thought. His mind simply didn’t register the click-clack of shoes on the tile behind him. Petey was so fixated on his screen that he didn’t notice Gary Smith’s wandering eyes peering over his shoulder.
“Look at you, Petey!”
Petey jumped, breaking his concentration. He felt his stomach sink as Gary placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gave him a smug grin. “Y’know, when I’m looking at porn, at least I try to hide it.”
“Knock it off, Gary. it’s just a dress-up game—“ Petey shut his mouth, instantly regretting his choice of words.
Gary scoffed. “Dress-up? You might as well go hang out with the girls!”
A silence fell as Gary’s hand found its way to Petey’s chair, slightly rolling it out of the way so he could get a closer look at the computer. Petey’s heart was beating a million times a minute.
“Wait a second,” Gary chuckled lightly.
Please don’t say anything. Please. Please don’t recognize him. Just let it go.
“Is that supposed to be… Hopkins?”
Petey felt his body stiffen. The roaring laughter that was erupting from Gary certainly wasn’t doing him any favors, either. He couldn’t speak. He could only watch in horror as tears of glee began rolling down Gary’s acne-ridden, rosy cheeks.
“Oh my God,” Gary wiped his scarred eye, trying (and failing miserably) to maintain his composure as his body racked with laughter. He swiveled the chair around to face him, making eye contact and towering over Petey, hand still gripping the back of the chair. “I knew you were weird, but you’re also a queer? You’re gonna get what’s comin’ to ya, pal. I bet you’d like that too, huh? Being pushed around by a man?”
Petey took a short breath, trying to find the strength to do something, anything, in defense of himself. In a rare moment of confidence, he used all his might to push Gary’s chest. Gary almost seemed taken aback as he stumbled backward. Petey leaped from his chair, grateful that no one else— especially Jimmy— was around to see this.
“Why don’t you leave me alone, Gary? The reason I was… The context is… Just let me explain—“
Petey didn’t get to continue with his cluttered justification. He could have sworn he felt his collar rip as Gary clenched it in between his fists. A thud reverberated throughout the computer lab as Petey’s body collided with the wall, his body caged between the rock-hard concrete and Gary’s looming stature.
“You don’t need to tell me shit, Kowalski,” Gary snarled, still gripping Petey’s collar and resisting Petey’s struggle to elude his grasp. “I always knew that you and Jimmy had something going on.”
As if on cue, the doors to the computer lab swung open with unapologetic force. A spark of hope ran down Petey’s spine. Had a teacher come to save him? He caught a look over Gary’s shoulder to meet his savior, face falling as he realized who it actually was.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jimmy interrogated.
Petey let out a sigh of relief as Gary loosened his grip on his collar, craning his neck to face Jimmy.
“Oh, look out,” Gary teased, throwing his hands in the air as if to cheekily admit defeat. “Here comes Jimmy.”
“Cut the crap, Smith.” Jimmy folded his arms. The more he ran into Gary, the more frustrated he seemed to get. This kid caused trouble no matter who he was around. The only reason Jimmy was even at the computer lab was to print a fake hall pass for that highbrow prep asshole, Eugene Fitzpatrick Graham IV, or so he liked to call himself. In a normal world, Jimmy would never be doing Eugene’s bidding, but he would much rather be wasting his printing credits than be getting beaten to a pulp by Eugene’s meathead boyfriend.
“Oh, Jimmy!” Gary dramatically raised the back of his hand to his forehead, feigning despair. “I’m just so distraught over what I found on Petey’s computer! I really thought he and I had something special!”
It took Petey a minute to gather his senses. A ball of heat was ready to explode inside of him. “Please don’t listen to him, Jimmy.”
Jimmy didn’t bother to look at the computer. He seemed more exasperated than anything. He didn’t want to confront Gary, he didn’t want to be Petey’s white knight, and he didn’t want to deal with whatever unresolved feud he was being roped into here. He just really, really wanted to get his shit done and leave.
Jimmy didn’t have to say anything. His glare said enough. Gary gave Petey one final shove backward before storming out of the lab, not breaking eye contact with Jimmy. The door slammed behind him.
“Have fun spreading AIDS, gaywads.”
Jimmy glanced over at Petey, who refused to look him in the eyes. Petey shuffled past him, not caring anymore if Jimmy looked at the computer. He just wanted the Picrew folder deleted and his browser history cleared.
“Hey, Pete.”
Petey sighed again. “What, Jimmy?”
He didn’t say anything. The hum-buzz of the overhead tile lights filled the silence between the two but didn’t do much to ease the awkwardness.
Jimmy’s eyes shifted to Petey… then to the Picrew… then to Petey again.
“You like guys, Kowalski?”
Now that was a shock. Petey still couldn’t figure this guy out. A million questions flooded his mind. Would Jimmy stop being his friend if he said yes? More importantly, would he get his ass kicked?
Through clenched fists and a flustered face, Petey finally looked up at Jimmy, who was already staring him down.
“Don’t. Tell. Gary.”
“Not like it matters,” Jimmy quipped. “I think he’s got you figured out.”
Petey groaned, covering his face with his hand. “Look, I’m sorry, Jimmy—“
“Wait.” Jimmy cut him off, pulling something from his backpack. He thrust a bouquet of flowers into Petey’s hands, much to Petey’s surprise. He was probably saving those for Gord, no? Then again, it was rumored that Jimmy got around with everyone eventually.
“Just wanted to show you I care,” he flirted with a wink. “Also, if you wanted to see me shirtless, you could've just asked. Now move, I have to print this, or Chet Miller is gonna beat my ass.”