*FLASHBACK CONT'D*

The bells sounded to signal the end of school. Students began to pour out of classrooms. The sound of lockers being opened, books being shoved around and chatting filled the halls.

"Did you get much homework, Luigi?" Sofia asked, squashing her large Chemistry book into her bag.

"Nope," Luigi chirped,

"My teacher's were pretty nice today. Really surprised my Physics teacher didn't assign me, like, half of the book!" he laughed.

Sofia chuckled at her friend's joke. She quickly reverted back to a serious mood.

"I'm so sorry about the cafeteria incident! I wonder how those freaks have managed not to get expelled!"

"It's alright. Thanks so much for caring, though." Luigi replied, putting on his backpack.

"No problem! It's what friends are for, right? Also, do tell Mario I said 'get well soon.' "

"I shall," Luigi exclaimed,
"See you tommorow!"

"Bye, Luigi!" Sofia chimed, flashing a warm smile at him before heading off.

Just then, there was an announcement on the intercom.

"This announcement is for students that will be taking the bus home. Unfortunately, the bus will be about fifteen minutes late due to a car accident occurring on the road it usually takes. Thank you."

"Ugh! Why?" Luigi moaned.

He decided to wait on the bench outside the school building. To pass the time, he recited his Spanish verbs.

"Caminé, caminaste, caminó, caminaron, caminamos..."

He kept repeating them over and over until he felt fully familiar with them...

"Hey! Nerd! This ain't Spain!"

Luigi paused.

It was none other than Antonio.

Luigi had his backpack on the bench next to him but it wasn't there anymore.

Panicking, he turned around in every direction- but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Aw, has the poor wimp lost his bag?" Benito sneered.

The three boys strolled up to Luigi. He was too intimidated by them to even want to look them in the eye.

Carlo held Luigi's schoolbag on one shoulder.

"G-give me back m-my bag.." Luigi spoke, his voice shaking.

"Or else what?" Benito wanted to know.

"J-just g-give it back.."

Carlo unzipped Luigi's backpack and poured out all his books, folders and stationery all over the ground.

Luigi gasped and the bullies roared with laughter.

It was at that moment that the bus pulled up. Other students began to make their way up, and enter it.

"That must be your lift home. Right, nerd?" Antonio asked.

"Y-yes," Luigi said, trying to hold back tears.

"Too bad that by the time you've managed to get all your shit off the ground- it would have gone!" Carlo laughed.

They left Luigi to it.

He tried as fast as he could to retrieve all his belongings scattered across the lawn. However, just as he picked up the last book- the bus doors shut.

He didn't bother putting the book away or zipping his backpack. He darted towards the schoolbus...

It was no use.

It had taken off.

Luigi was going to have to walk home.

• • •

Mario was on the sofa with a blanket over his lap watching the TV when he heard a knock at the door.

"That must be Weegie!" he exclaimed, getting up to answer the door."

"Don't worry Mario! Leave me to it," his father said.

Marco opened the door to a red-faced Luigi with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Just look at the STATE of you!" he exclaimed.

Luigi sniffed and didn't utter a word.

"Why were you late coming home from school?" His father demanded to know.

"T-the bus got held back for 15 minutes." Luigi stated between sobs.

"Then-a why are you almost half an hour late?"

"I had t-to walk. I got delayed by these bullies-"

"Those BASTARDS!" Mario yelled from the living room.

"Mario! What did I say about using profanity?" His dad scolded him.

"Sorry, Papa!" Mario sarcastically apologised.

"IS THAT WHY YOU'RE CRYING?!" Marco suddenly yelled at his younger son.

Luigi went silent.

• • •

"You shouldn't be crying! Men don't cry! If there's one thing that you and Mario must know in this life: it's to NOT display sadness! NEVER EVER!

People will look down on you. People will see you as total WEAKLINGS. The same goes for discussing things that upset you. There's no need for that! Just get over them and move on- like a man.

Luigi nodded and quickly wiped his tears away. He headed up to the bedroom and shut the door.

Mario got up off the couch and climbed upstairs to check on his brother. He slowly opened the door- just to see Luigi frantically wipe away more tears.

"I'm not Papa, sheesh..."

Luigi looked up at his older brother.

"Those scumbags still-a pushing you beyond your limits, huh?" Mario asked, cracking his knuckles.

Luigi nodded.

"Just you wait and see, Weeg. I'm gonna punch them into oblivion tommorow morning!"

"C-Calm down, Mario," Luigi finally said.

"A-anyway, Mrs Russo gave me your maths test," he added.

"What did I get?" Mario asked.

"Fifty-four percent."

"Not too shabby. I barely studied for it." Mario commented.

"What? That's a D grade, Mario! You probably didn't study at all!" Luigi protested.

"Shut up. Anyway, what Pa said about crying and being emotional. He told me that once before and I've since went by that. Weegie, to be respected, you really need to stop being a cry-baby and a wuss. Don't go telling anyone your problems no matter how big they may seem."

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Luigi never took in his dad's advice. In fact, he found that having a good cry and sharing his problems benefitted him. Mario, on the other hand, took on what their Papa had told them and it has had negative effects...

A/N: Back fully to reality in the next chapter! And sorry about the swearing, that's going stop now. XD

-NintendoNatalie