AN: Hey guys. Third fic is finally up. I decided to try something new and actually post something in more than one day! Allthough, since this is a collection of character blurbs they're still technically one-shot stories. I hope you enjoy. Constructive critism appreciated.
1. Suit
It's a practice he does almost every day, almost like a ceremony. Wake up at 6:45 sharp. Have a quick breakfast and shower. Five identical jackets are lined in his closet, encased in plastic wrappings from the Laundromat. A sixth is kept in his locker, in case of an emergency. He selects the first one on the left, even though it doesn't really matter. He buttons up and smooths out the creases. His ties are kept in a small dresser next to his bed. In one seamless motion he ties it around his neck. He gives it one final tug, adjusting it to perfect symmetry.
By 7:30 he gives himself a final once over in the bathroom mirror. His hair is neatly combed and gelled, his teeth pearly white, blemishes on his face well hidden or nonexistent. Like every morning he smiles at his reflection, sings a few bars of his favorite song this week and smooths his jacket out one more time.
The boy in the mirror is not the same one who would run from his school the moment final bell rang. It's not the one who was forced to wear make-up, not because it made him feel pretty (as some had speculated) but to hide bruises from that week's beating. It wasn't the coward who fled.
Instead, this was the jock. The prince charming with a smile as big and warm as his heart. The big man on campus. He winks at himself almost mockingly, then grabs his bag and heads out the door, all past scars forgotten.
The clothes makes the man, or so they say.
Tokens