Prince makes his first friends shortly after his eleventh birthday.

Rosario “Rose” Ricci is a total asshole, but so is Prince, and when the two meet by crashing bikes on the first day of school, they’re practically attached at the hip.

Felix Greymare is, in his own way, their unwitting sidekick. He’s jumpy, nervous, studious, and, when he puts his mind to it, an excellent roaster. Of course, while Rosario and Prince become fast friends, Felix takes a little more coaxing.

“Morning, asshole,” Rosario greets as he plops down in the spot next to Prince’s desk.

“Good morning to you, too,” Prince chuckles, and finishes sharpening his pencils, wood shavings all over his desk.

“Prince,” his dark-haired companion groans, “Can you not be a nerd, for like, a minute? It’s not even nine.”

Prince ignores him, reaches into his backpack, withdraws a large stack of papers. “I finished your English homework for you,” he says, and Rosario snatches it from his fingers lightning-fast. “I did it because I don’t want you to utterly fail and stay stuck in the sixth grade. I won’t do it again, so get your ass in gear.”

“Jesus, Prince,” Rose gasps. “I, wow, this is -  shit, you didn't have to - wow,”

He smiles, but only just. “You’re welcome.”

Felix, skinny and scrawny as usual, walks through the classroom door with his worn out backpack and baggy, oversized brown trousers. There’s a hole in the back of his yellowing white t-shirt, and his tennis shoes have been fixed multiple time with large bands of silver tape.

Clover stares at her own shoes, half a size too small and fraying at the edges. The soles came off last week. She hasn’t told her mother.

“Hey, Felix,” Prince calls out, and Felix flinches. “You okay?”

Without a word, Felix nods, and retreats to his desk on the other side of the classroom. Rose snorts, exasperated. “That kid is weird, dude,” he murmurs. “Never talks to anyone. I’ve never heard him speak. Why do you try?”

“Maybe he never talks to you because you never talk to him,” he suggests, watching as Felix fits awkwardly in the small chair at his desk. At her high school, Clover glances up from her feet to catch a glimpse of the back of Lisette’s head, and she wishes she was strong enough to say hello.

It isn’t until lunch that Prince musters up the courage to approach Felix. He sits by himself in front of the school, where the others can’t see him from the playground, and instead of food he had an old, beat up, portable video player. Rose is skeptical, but resigns himself to stand quietly next to Prince as they approach.

“Hey,” Prince greets again, and Felix looks up, a panicked gleam in his eyes. “Rose and I were wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us, maybe?”

For a long while, Felix doesn’t say a word. Then, a tongue darts out to wet his lips, and he shyly murmurs, “Only if you don’t mind that I’m done.”

Prince grins. “Not at all. This is a cool spot, nice and shady. Can we sit?”

They form an awkward semi-circle, and although Rose pigs out on the leftover ravioli his mother, who owns her own Italian restaurant, has given him, Prince watches as Felix’s stomach grumbles. He offers half of his tuna sandwich.

“I had a big breakfast,” Prince lies, and shrugs. “I know you already ate, but you can help me finish my lunch if you want.”

Felix clears his throat, calm, but the hungry gleam in his eyes remains. “I guess,” he accepts, and takes the sandwich.

“Holy shit,” Rose barks, spraying pasta sauce across the grass. He seizes the video player and wipes the fingerprints from the screen. “Isn’t this Ghost Docs? That scary show about haunted houses?”

Felix hesitates, looks at his feet, nods.

“Oh man, I love this show! My mom won’t let me watch it alone. How’d you get a hold of this, man?”

Felix shrugs, not meeting their eyes. “My dad’s the producer.”

“What?!”

“Wow,” Prince breathes. “That’s cool, Felix.”

“Cool?” Rose echoes. “It’s fucking awesome! Do you ever get to follow him to the houses? Are they really haunted? Have you ever seen a ghost?”

“He takes his stepson, sometimes. I just stay here with my mom.”

There’s a very pregnant pause. As big of an asshole as Rosario is, he still has the decency to clear his throat and say, “It’s cool that you have this episode, though. It’s a really early one, hard to find.”

Felix withdraws two CDs from his backpack and deftly hands them out. “Here, I’ve got a few extra copies, take them. He forgets to send different ones.”

Written in spidery, messy script on the top of Prince's CD are the words Happy Birthday, Felix.

Rosario’s says the same.

Rose claps Felix on the back. “Thanks a bunch, buddy. This is so cool - I can watch it on my computer when my mom isn’t home!”

It’s faint, almost imperceptible, but Felix smiles.

Prince holds out the other half of his sandwich. “I’m stuffed, guys,” he says. “Help me out, will you? There’s some grapes, too.”

Felix holds it carefully, lifts it to his mouth, and takes a bite. “Do you guys want to visit a real haunted house tonight?” he asks, and the three are inseparable.