Chapter Text
It was on Dream High when Quackity’s world changed for the better. Dream High is a school known for its high-level acting performance and just in luck, Quackity was able to pass the entrance exam.
Cause why wouldn’t he? He was a professional actor after all! Plus, free allowance every two weeks? Heck yes!
It was also in this school where Quackity first met BBH. He reckons that the boy was a nice lad. In fact, too nice for some. When Quackity first met him, Tommy told him all the basics to learn about Bad.
Firstly, the brunette doesn't like cursing. Now, Quackity didn't believe such a thing cause how could someone not like cursing? It's always so fun to yell out profanities whether at someone, at an object or to yourself. Quackity likes to think of himself as an S-tier sailor and hell, he proudly wears it like a badge.
Secondly, BadBoyHalo has a unique set of vocabulary and obsession over pastries - most commonly was muffins. That being said, the word 'muffin' is always in his book. Whether to insult: "you're a muffin head!", to compliment: "you're a muffin", or as an endearment: "you muffin", or to chastise: "you ragamuffin!" The word never fades out. You shall expect it to be in every sentence he gives out.
And lastly, Bad has a suspicious, friend-relationship with Skeppy - the Diamond boy of their school's football team. It would only occur in rare times that you won't be able to see the two away from each other. Usually, wherever the one goes, you'd expect the other to be there as well. They're like a couple of pre-school ‘couples’ except clingier.
Quackity didn't bat an eye much into it yet he kept the fact printed in his head.
When they first met, he was with Tommy when it happened. Skeppy had challenged the younger to a 1 v 1 involving robots that Bad had made in his spare time. It was amusing. Seeing how competitive the blond had gotten after hearing the offer from Skeppy. The Mexican didn’t think much of it, cause like grade-A school fights? Oh please.
But then, Quackity sooner finds out the excitement behind the duel.
Apparently, if Skeppy ever challenged you to a duel, there would always be a high amount of money involved. And Quackity could really use some to buy himself the whole menu from that Chinese restaurant right now.
So, Quackity when Tommy asked him to tag along, he followed.
The talking mostly occurred between Skeppy and Tommy. Mostly Tommy. The boy just can't get his mouth shut. Waiting by the sidelines, Quackity had let his eyes wander around the amusingly messy yet organized club room until it landed on a boy with a light shade of brown hair and glasses. He looks... out of place. Or at least, he stood out from everything. Silent and patiently waiting for his best friend.
"Big Q, Big Q, you're going up against BadBoyHalo, Big Q." Tommy helpfully informed him. Rolling his shoulders, he clenched a fist with a proud grin. Quackity nodded, hyping himself up by clapping his hands.
"Alright, Tommy. Tell me what to do." He wanted to make a first good impression on this BadBoyHalo guy - also Skeppy - so he’s willing to do it.
The blond roughly patted his back with aggressive nodding. "Yes, yes. You see, Big Q, all you have to do to BBH is to curse around him." He raised an accusing brow yet didn't disagree. He might as well trust the child who's been around in Dream High longer than him.
Skeppy, who was able to hear them, quickly interfered. "Hey, hey, no. None of that around Bad." He was pretty serious about it too and that only piqued Quackity's interests more. Tommy only laughed.
When the robot-duel started between him and Bad, he was nervous as hell. Sweating profusely while he began blabbering about winning the money and being able to pay today’s month’s rent. It was ironic considering how he still lives with his parents after all.
An amused giggle reached his ears and the Mexican dared his eyes to look up and met with a pair of emerald ones. Bad smiled softly, “Where do you live, San Francisco?”
And oh my did Quackity want to preen over the softness on the brunette’s tone. His voice was small yet pleasing to the ears. He wanted to hear him talk more; Karl wasn’t lying when he said that BadBoyHalo has one of the greatest voices out there.
“Why would you say that to me? Why would you- why would you even say that to me??” Quackity questioned with a fake whine. He held down on his controller, his robot going up against Bad’s.
“Cause that’s a really expensive rent,” BadBoyHalo replied with the same gentle and alluring tone. Quackity didn’t even know a smile had subconsciously wandered to his face. He then refocused back to the game they were having, getting his own robot to fight back.
Ready to listen to more, he tried, “Can you- can you give me the money instead?” and akin to running out of luck, Bad only responded with a shake of his head, going quiet once more much to Quackity’s disappointment. He proceeded to laugh it off.
~
As fate would have it, they met once more, this time when Karl asked for Quackity’s help to decorate a certain classroom he asked permission for. All for a certain girl he’s trying to impress. Pokeman? Pokimon? Quackity doesn’t really remember the girl’s name, all he knows is that she’s some popular girl from Karl’s previous school.
As they struggled with every intricate design they’re trying to come up to, Karl decided to ask a fellow student with a tiny obsession around foxes. Quackity scratched the back of his head, remembering the deed he had done earlier where he overheard Fundy and BadBoyHalo negotiating for a type of book. He had walked up to the pair with amazingly confident strides and said,
“Get a room, you two!”
When he heard no laugh coming from either, he slowly made his way out of view, now scared at the thought of his first impression on them. He really did come out like an asshole, didn’t he?
When Fundy and BBH arrived, Quackity was quick to make an obvious lie of an excuse.
“Oh, Fundy, by the way, I’m sorry for my behaviour earlier that day, I was hacked.”
A bit nervous from the appearance of BadBoyHalo, Quackity bit down his anxiety and began thinking of a couple of ways to befriend the brunette. As much as grateful he was, Quackity didn’t think he had ever been so nervous of talking to a person before. He always went out of his way to create the best first impressions he could have and yet, he freezes his words when he tries talking to Bad.
Then again, Bad’s been tasked to do the biggest project - which was to make a statue out of paper mache so maybe he was only busy.
Quackity raised an eyebrow at Fundy. They were trying to bribe Bad into taking the credit for his building. It was when he heard Fundy call BadBoyHalo by his initials when a plan started brewing.
“Hey, BadBoyHalo, your initials are BBH, right?” Sure, he tried talking to him a few times but all of it was left futile when BBH’s response would contain short words or non-verbal at all.
“Yup”
“The first two initials are BB? Like Baby?”
You could probably see where he was going with this…
“Can I call you baby?”
Bad faced towards him, an unreadable emotion displayed when he gave out the simplest and most straightforward answer a human being can give: “No.”
Q straightened his back, “Okay.” and there goes his attempt. “Anyways…”
Talk about awkward, right? Quackity forced a laugh, shrugging it off like it was nothing. Anyways indeed… Karl and Fundy did not let this horrible moment pass up because they started saying his action out loud.
“You fricked up,” Fundy announced as if it wasn’t obvious enough along with Karl’s ‘disappointed’ tone.
“Gee, I don’t know why you have to honk up like that.”
Ahh, yes. What great friends he has indeed.
The Mexican raised his hands in a surrendering manner, chuckling when Fundy repetitively reminded him by going up to his face. “I just wanna get to know him a little better, bro, what can I say?” he exclaimed with a shrug.
Thankfully, as if remembering what they were supposed to do in the first place, Karl pulled the pair apart and began chastising them about the planned decorations. Amid the slight chaos, BadBoyHalo asked Fundy for some extra supplies and the latter, as sly as a fox, agreed with a loud volume. As if to purposefully mock Quackity in the process.
“Of course! B-B-H!”
A bitter smile played on the Mexican’s lips, annoyance hung around him when he hummed in thought. He surely wasn’t gonna let some fox show him up. Rolling his shoulders, Quackity began grabbing a couple of spruce wooden chairs and started dragging them to the middle…
Which of course was denied by Karl Jacobs.
Quackity glanced back at the brunette, watching as he carefully structured out the statue at the middle of the wall between the boards. He pinched his nose, inhaling a few times as he tuned out the background chatter coming from Karl and Fundy. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled towards the closest friend on his contact list and began typing them a question. He knows that BBH hates cursing so he’s trying to find alternatives for it.
His friend, ‘Chat’ short for Cheil Atikus - seems to know almost every other thing so maybe he could ask Chat for some advice. After all, Chat knows everyone in Dream High, so they must know the solution to his problem.
Quackity: Chat, you know BadBoyHalo, right?
Chat: Yes, the muffin man? Of course!
Quackity: I can’t curse around this guy. Can you give me an alternative for curse words, please?
Chat: Oh, you could mention Skeppy! Or troll him, annoy him!
Holy heck. Even Chat couldn’t make up their damn mind. Then again, it has always seemed that Chat had multiple minds at once; clashing thoughts and usually unrelated words in a sentence.
Quackity huffed, guess even Chat wasn’t helpful that day.
Quackity: I am not mentioning Skeppy.
And with this, he begrudgingly shoved his phone back in his pocket and opted for a different approach next time when BadBoyHalo wasn’t too busy with requested tasks.