Chapter Text
He stood halfway across the bridge, bent double in order to rest his awkwardly lanky arms on top of the railing. A drop of rain fell from above and splashed onto his hand, so large and cold it made him jump.
He almost laughed at that. You're pathetic, said the low voice in the back of his mind that sounded like his own, his mother's, and his father's all rolled into one. Scared by everything, hounded by bullies... not even TRYING to get yourself together. The worst of a crappy family. Just waiting for someone else to come and magically fix your life.
Absently, he tugged the brim of his cap down to shadow his eyes. All he could see now was a thin strip of concrete-coloured water, filled with dead leaves. He liked this little brook, not because it was especially scenic, but because it soothed his soul to look at something as drab, cold and grey as he felt.
What a loser. Look at you, thinking the world revolves around you. Get your act together and do something productive. You're not helping anyone, least of all yourself.
'Oh, shut up,' he muttered.
'Talking to yourself, Waluigi?'
A snide, nasally voice, a voice he loathed, came from the other side of the brook. Pronouncing Waluigi's name as if it meant something hilariously inappropriate.
His muscles tensed as he turned to view the stocky younger boy who was standing there with his arms folded and a grin on his face. Michael held a high position in the local bully hierarchy, being the best friend of the leader's brother. Sure, that was three degrees removed from being the biggest guy in the school – but he did have a good right hook.
'Screw off, Michael,' he scowled, pulling his cap down and straightening to his full, impressive height. But Michael was a guy who'd seen him crying for mercy, lying in the mud with snot and blood pouring down his face, so nothing he did now would make him look tough.
'Or what? What are you going to do to me?'
Michael was grinning hugely. This was all a game to him. He started to walk across the bridge, his footsteps heavy and stupid. Like most bullies, he didn't have two brain cells to knock together, and it showed. Waluigi tensed even more, curling his fist and preparing to hit the other boy square in the face if he came too close. Not that he'd be able to do much damage; he was half again as tall as Michael, but he weighed about half as much.
'Michael! Shove off!' yelled a voice from further away, this one feminine and clearly pissed.
Both boys turned to see a familiar figure storming onto the bridge behind Michael. Daisy, one of the most popular girls in school, had arrived. Her auburn hair floated behind her like a wave of sunlit sand, and she wore an orange shirt with her namesake on the front. The flower-adorned garment didn't make her look girly, though – she was the opposite of Waluigi, able to seem tough no matter what. She had a reputation as a defender of the weak, and kids befriended her just for the protection she offered.
'Oh boy, she mad,' Waluigi muttered, just loud enough for Michael to hear him. The bully raised an arm in a threatening gesture, but when Daisy got close, it fell limply to his side like a wet sock.
'You stupid jerk! Didn't I warn you not to pick on anyone again?! Do you want to get expelled, huh?! CUZ I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!'
She wasn't messing around. Daisy's best friend, Peach, was the daughter of the school's headmaster. She pretty much had her father wrapped around her little finger.
'I-I...' Michael stammered, before raising his hands defensively. 'It's none of your business!'
'I'm making it my business! Because I'm sick and tired of watching you bully people just because you're insecure about yourself; why don't you go find something useful to do, you pathetic little-'
'Why do you even care what I do to him?' Michael shot back, pointing an accusing finger at his intended victim.
Daisy didn't even look at Waluigi. 'I don't,' she said flatly. 'But I have to protect everyone from your disgusting behaviour, and unfortunately that includes him.'
Waluigi slumped. The momentary flare of excitement he'd felt when Daisy first showed up fizzled out like a dead firework. She wasn't here because she wanted to protect him; he'd just given her a convenient excuse to shout at the bully who she hated with a passion.
It was very likely that she hated Waluigi almost as much. He was the opposite of popular. Pretty much everyone thought he was a freak just because he wasn't social and because he kept piranha plants as pets. There was no reason for Daisy to feel any different to the crowd she ran with.
This was confirmed a moment later when she suddenly whipped around, strands of hair flying about her face like sand whipped by hot wind. Her azure eyes flashed with annoyance. She was beautiful, but the twisted contempt on her face ruined his ability to appreciate her.
'Why are you just standing there?' she snapped. 'This isn't about you! What, did you think I came here to rescue you? You're lucky I didn't let Michael rip you to shreds, you piranha-loving freak!'
What a horrible person, Waluigi thought, bitter and humiliated as he stalked away. He'd glimpsed the look of smug satisfaction on Michael's face when Daisy had turned on him. The bully was happy to see Waluigi being put down, even if it meant he was being yelled at too.
All in all, Waluigi rather wished that Michael had just beaten him up and called it a day. That would have been less painful than what actually happened.
The rest of Waluigi's school years went by in much the same way, except he tried even harder to avoid people and spent most of his time shut up in his dormitory. Nobody liked him anyway, so what was the point in making an effort? Salvaging his reputation wasn't possible when he didn't even know what had destroyed it in the first place.
When college ended, he wasn't sure what to do. He went home for a few weeks, but his parents had sunk even deeper into alcoholism since he'd last seen them and his older brother, Wario, had already moved out. Waluigi had never been close to Wario, so this wasn't a big deal to him.
Eventually, he managed to rent a nasty-looking apartment in the middle of Mushroom City. The city was cool. The apartment was disgusting. And life was still meaningless.
He didn't work, so he paid his rent by selling piranhas and occasionally robbing places. He got surprisingly good at this – enough that he was actually able to afford a few luxuries, like alcohol and weed. He'd spend his weekends slouched on the couch, smoking joints and watching TV, wondering if he'd ever escape to a better place.
And after a few years, things actually did seem to be getting better. He decided to try kart racing on impulse and discovered a previously unknown talent. Now the money was pouring in as he won race after race, competing in every local tournament and even signing up for the Royal Summer Races.
Being among the other drivers was... weird. There were a lot of familiar faces, namely Wario and Daisy. Finding his brother after three years of no contact was kind of nice, especially since Wario had also turned to crime to support himself, which gave them something to bond over. And the latter...
When he first laid eyes on her, he was struck breathless.
He had always known that, despite her horrible behaviour towards him, he had a bit of a crush on Daisy. Now those feelings came spiralling back with the force of a tornado. She looked mostly the same, but something intangible had changed. No longer a short-tempered girl... now a gorgeous fiery woman.
He wondered if her attitude had changed over the years. Would she still look upon him with hatred? Did he have a sliver of a chance? He knew he could change, could improve himself for her...
Just then, she happened to turn around and catch his gaze. Her blue eyes widened, and then her whole face contorted with disgust. He sighed and walked away. No change there, then.
As he tried to concentrate on tinkering with his kart, he could hear Daisy loudly complaining to Peach for letting that horrible skinny freak join the races, to which Peach replied placidly:
'It's OK, Daisy, I know you'll beat him!'
'That is not what I'm angry about!'
'You don't need to talk to him or anything.'
'I don't care! I don't want that weirdo anywhere near me, he smells like a dump truck.'
He tuned the two women out, feeling a dull lurch in his stomach at the realisation that some things wouldn't change. Whatever had driven everyone to hate him back in college was clearly still driving them now. And they've got even more reason to hate you now; look at how you've spent the last three years! Disgusting, useless, creepy.