[hider=Decky and Nolan First Meeting]Decky stared blankly after his new friend as she all but flew out of the cafeteria in a hectic flurry, desperate to make her forgotten Cheer Meeting. Did she just...leave him with some stranger? Ok, whatever, her [i]friend[/i], meaning he isn’t exactly a stranger aside from the fact that Decky himself had never met the guy; he knew a couple stories from the beginning of their year but he can’t honestly say he listened that hard to the details. Besides, he’d only met Lanie herself less than a month ago when she began tutoring him in the library, this is the first time she convinced him to venture away from his secluded lunch table and she just happened to have to leave with barely an introduction. 

He scratched absentmindedly at the track marks on his inner arm. Some had faded a bit, what with more of his time being taken up by Lanie and schoolwork, but despite her looks that he’s sure she doesn’t realize he notices, she hasn’t much brought it up yet.

[color=DC143C]”...Hi?”[/color] he ventured, trying to put some emotion behind it other than irritation. 


A part of him was [i]nervous[/i] once Lanie fled the scene, so nervous in fact, that he considered leaving himself. He didn’t [i]know[/i] Decky, not really. He knew him in rumors and murmurs but he did not [i]know[/i] him. While a part of him wanted badly to play the role of the protective best friend and sniff out this new guy in Lanie’s life, another part of him really valued not getting on the bad side of some guy with a track record. 

Nolan Santora was not a fighter, he was not someone to be feared or someone to be reckoned with. Nolan Santora was a coward and a part of him was feeling somewhat cowardly about… all of this. 

Of course, Lanie seemed to enjoy Decky’s company which held… [i]some[/i] value to him but it did not entirely squash the looming sense of discomfort he felt now. They were alone. The ice was unbroken and Lanie had evacuated. His fingers idly drummed the table for a short moment before-- 

[color=DC143C]”...Hi?”[/color]

His head snapped up and he knew he must have looked almost… comically startled. “[color=39B54A]Oh--[/color]” He stumbled for a moment, unsure of if he’d actually been addressed for a moment. Seeing as the table was isolated save for the two of them, he managed to respond without sounding like a bumbling idiot. “[color=39B54A]Hey, I’m uh- I didn’t mean to zone out there.[/color]” He was [i]used[/i] to socializing, this shouldn’t be so hard. “[color=39B54A]I-- Guess neither of us expected her to fly out like that, huh?[/color]”

Decky nodded, still not really looking the blond in the eyes. [color=DC143C]”Yeah…[/color] he replied, glancing back at the doorway. [color=DC143C]”She ditch like that often?”[/color]

He couldn’t really help the short laugh that escaped him, although he tried to muffle it behind his palm. The other boy was not keen on eye contact although that did not bother him much, in fact it kind of eased his anxieties, at least to some degree. “[color=39B54A]No, no-[/color]” He responded, still fumbling over his words somewhat but he managed to sound [i]friendly[/i] and that was really what mattered. “[color=39B54A]Lanie’s solid.[/color]” 

He meant that and it was said with all the earnest intent of a best friend. “[color=39B54A]She’s just-- more responsible than I’ll ever hope to be. She’ll be back before we know it, hell, she probably feels bad she left us here to begin with. I uh- I’m not always the best at making new friends and I’m a bit of a motor-mouth when I get goin’. I’m worried I’ll scare you off without her to interject.[/color]”

Decky smirked at the other boy, both happy at his reassurance and amused at seeing that he had already gotten himself going. [color=DC143C]”That’s good, I don’t handle flakes well.”[/color] he replied honestly, watching the kids around them laugh and toss pieces of food. [color=DC143C]”Don’t worry ‘bout rambling or nothin’, I got someone at home like that,”[/color] his thoughts moved to his brother, who was currently in 6th grade at Edenridge Middle per Decky’s agreement with his PO. [color=DC143C]”I’m Mordechai, by the way, you can call me that or Boaz. Nicknames come when I actually know I like you.”[/color]


“[color=39B54A]Then you’ll like Lanie, she’s about as good as they come.[/color]” And he meant that too. He’d never had much luck in friendships, he always gave too much and received very little but it had never been like that with Lanie. It was a healthy back and forth. She listened to him and he listened to her and he rarely felt that comfortable with anyone but her. 

At his quick reassurance, Nolan found a genuine smile appearing on his face. He didn’t know that he believed him but it was nice, at least. The gesture. “[color=39B54A]That’s a floodgate you might not wanna open, my friend.[/color]” He joked, leaning on his elbows. “[color=39B54A]I can talk your ear off ‘bout nothin’ and that’s probably why Lanie hadn’t introduced us yet. She knows I won’t shut up.[/color]” 

“[color=39B54A]Mordechai.[/color]” He tried the name on for size, testing the pronunciation. Nolan had a tendency to speak too fast at times and bulldoze through names like they were nothing. “Lanie” had been easy enough. He’d have to keep tabs on himself when addressing Mordechai, because while some found his rapid word-vomit [i]charming[/i], he was still somewhat worried it would rub him the wrong way.

Astonishingly though, that worry was lifting as they spoke more easily. “[color=39B54A]I’m Nolan. I’ve known Lanie since-- well-- [i]forever[/i]. She’s my best friend. You can call me Nol, if it suits you or Santora if it don’t. Where are you from, Mordechai? I don’t know too much about you and it can’t hurt to ask, right?[/color]” 

It was better than taking rumors at face value, at any rate.


The same feral grin that greeted Lanie upon their first meeting made it's way onto his face at Nolan's question. He gave the boy a lazy two fingered salute and straightened up a bit. The other boy probably didn't know it, but this was now a test. [color=DC143C]"I'm a born and raised Southie, both before and after the Juvie sentence. My PO thought Northie was a nice change a pace or some shit. I think the bitch just wanted to take me away from my crew and corner as much as possible."[/color]

And for the first time, Decky met Nolan's eyes and held contact, waiting for the other's response while cataloguing the reaction.


He watched the grin spread across Decky’s face. It was a wolfish thing, really, he wondered briefly if that made him a rabbit. He had heard the rumors, of course, so there was little surprise to be found in his face but he did follow the statement with an inquiry. “[color=39B54A]What were you in for?[/color]”

It wasn’t judgemental or even rude. Just curious. “[color=39B54A]If you don’t mind me asking.[/color]”

Decky’s eyebrows ticked up just a bit at the little reaction he received, and mentally he thought that maybe he could have a little fun with this guy. [color=DC143C]”Some dickless baby bangers tried muscling into our territory and when they hit our corner I stabbed one-a them,”[/color] He shrugged, as though it was just another day to him instead of him recalling the night he was incarcerated. [color=DC143C]”He survived, of course, or I wouldn’t be here. His crew did get me back on the inside though, stabbed me twice in the same spot ‘fore the guards got to us. Luckily he missed any important organs.”[/color]


“[color=39B54A]Oh.[/color]” The response was startled to a small degree but not appalled, or disgusted. His eyebrows may have been pushing his hairline but he mostly seemed alarmed at the idea that anyone his age could have been through something like that. 

“[color=39B54A]I think-- I’m glad you’re alright though.[/color]” He tried, shaking off his alarm. “[color=39B54A]Ain’t ever been stabbed myself, been in a fist fight or two but I’m no fighter, really. I’m glad I asked you directly, ‘cause I’ve been kind of curious, admittedly. You’ve made a bit of an image for yourself.[/color]”

Decky blinked at the other boy, a bit startled himself at how much Nolan was just going with the flow. Seriously, what was in the water at Northie? Aren't rich kids supposed to run in fear at the mere mention of gang activity? Of violence and prison? Decky's shoulders finally relaxed from the harsh line they had been held in as he slumped forward and put an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand as he stared at the other boy with disguised wonder.

[color=DC143C]"...huh, I think I like you, Santora,"[/color] he stated simply. [color=DC143C]"I can teach you how to fight, or I could just give you a knife for protection…"[/color] a grin split his face, then. [color=DC143C]"I got an image that quick? Shit, I ain't the only Southie here, must be the good looks and traumatic past."[/color]


“[color=39B54A]Well, good thing. I think I like you too, Mordechai.[/color]” He beamed at the boy across from him. He had the sort of smile that just [i]seemed[/i] genuine and maybe that was why he and Lanie got along. They were both the unflinchingly genuine sort. “[color=39B54A]This place can be… judgy sometimes with the wrong people, but Lanie an’ I are pretty open-minded. You don’t seem bad to me and--[/color]”

He passed a conspiratorial glance over his shoulder and continued. “[color=39B54A]I might actually take you up on the fighting lessons. Can’t and won’t tell you how many of those fist fights I lost. I’m uh- not real equipped to that sort of thing, you know?[/color]”

Decky let out a surprised laugh, his grin following suit of Nolan's and become a bit more genuine. [color=DC143C]"Promise not to tell?"[/color] he leaned in conspiratorially as well. [color=DC143C]"Didn't learn to fight till I was jumped into my crew an' the boss decided I needed to bulk up if I was gonna be worth the corner space. Won my first fight three weeks later at the boxin' club."[/color]
[/hider]