A King & His Queen (Reader X Arlo)

Chapter 4- The Cripple.

In the lightest part of her slumber, (Y/N) heard voices speaking in the woken world. "John, I thought you wouldn't be showing your face today. And as always expected, I'm disappointed." A voice growled, waking up (Y/N). She rubbed her eyes to clear her tired vision. The tonic really works. (Y/N) inspected her leg, bending and stretching it, she could only feel a small barely noticeable strain at her injury.

"What can I say, Doc? Everyone is just too attracted to me~" A black-haired boy with gelled down hair stumbled into the infirmary. He was gripping his badly bruised arm while limping, and blood dripped from his nose and mouth. But despite all those injuries, he had a carefree smile as though the pain didn't phase him.

"You're reckless. Now I'm going to spend days on end treating two students?!" Darren grumbled as he entered his storage and returns with the same bluish purple liquid given previously to (Y/N). The doctor also handed John two rolls of bandages, telling him to wrap his own self up and left the room to do his own business.

The newcomer took a swig of the medicine like it was the norm. "Wait hold-up, did you say two?" He had finally noticed (Y/N), propped up and watching the casual exchange.  "Oh hey!" He limped over to the infirmary bed (Y/N) sat at and took a seat at the edge. "My name is John, you must be new here!" He extends his uninjured hand to the (E/C)-eyed girl.

"(Y/N)." She nods, returning the gesture and shaking his hand. "So..." (Y/N) started off, slowly and unsure how to ask her question. "...Are you the infamous John I've been hearing about?" She inquires directly. "The school's cri-"

"Cripple? Yup! You guess it!" John intervened before she could complete her sentence. He spoke optimistically as though his disability did not phase him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound intrusive.."

"Oh it's alright." John shrugged it off.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a cripple too."

"Yeah. I can tell." His golden eyes winced at his slip up, he prayed (Y/N) didn't notice. Secretly, John had his own small passive ability; the ability to detect energy, within, expelled, or absorbed, and the girl sitting on the bed did not have any energy.

It seemed like the (E/C)-eyed girl did not get the implication. "It's probably not everyday you see someone else in the infirmary, isn't it? Must be tough and lonely." She commented before lying back down.

"Hey, don't be so down! It's not that bad!" John tried to reassure her, "Usually I play some games such as Angry Pigs, or Tap Tap Prance. And sometimes my friend Seraphina visits me!"

"... So not everyone's an utter bitch.?" (Y/N) remarked gazing at the ceiling. I'm probably going to have to get used to this. She sighed.

John was amused at the profanity directed to the entire school on her first day. "Ah no, everyone is, especially Asslo, the biggest bitch in the school. But Sera is chill, you don't have to worry bout her."

"Oh, okay."

An hour after (Y/N)'s conversation with John had died out, the doctor dismissed her. Lunch had just finished, and Darren was afraid that he'd have to spend overtime to tend to her. She had said goodbye to John, who sat on the other bed in the corner of the infirmary. He was happily chatting to Seraphina, the uncaring girl (Y/N) sat beside in class.

I'm lucky to at least have someone in my class who doesn't despises cripples with a passion. And the Ace for goodness sake! It was then as (Y/N) was leaving, she had noticed her binders and textbooks— all of which she dropped— neatly placed on her bedside table. When did that get there? And then an epiphany; how did I get here?