Today is the day...huh, great. Beastboy thought bitterly, his hands unconsciously gripping tighter to his blue 1 Subject notebook. The building he stood before was anything but welcoming. Its large stature and starch white bricks looming over his small figure; as if silently screaming to the empty yard that he was different.
"So this is...school." Beastboy said to himself. And with each step he took towards the white prison he could feel a ghost-like weight hang off of him. This mass would be categorized as fear or nervousness by most, if not all, of the "so called" educators that reside inside the brick walls. And they would be wrong. Beastboy knew what he felt as he stepped up to the large white doors, and it was anything but a childish case of nervousness or cowardly fear. Ok, maybe I am a little nervous. Beastboy rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, before pulling open the school's main doors and stepping into the stale hallway.
The weight just seemed to fester at this point. His torn purple sneakers sending light echoes as he reached his destination. The main office. The small changeling gently knocked on the glass window of the wooden door, and almost instantaneously receiving a squeaky "Come in!" With a deep breath, Beastboy pushed open the thick door and walked to the counter. His throat contracted as the mousy service typist's teeth snapped on the chewing gum in her yellow tinted mouth. The woman's eyes widened for a moment, before they seemed to die as she pulled a small folder from beneath a stack of folders that were in many ways similar, except for the fact that the one he was handed seemed almost empty while the others had at least an inch with.
"So you are the new meta-...student enrolling this week. My name is Mrs. Armstrong, I work here in the main office, so I will be handling all of your paperwork." The woman rose from her rolling chair and pulled a few sheets of paper and placed them on the counter. Beastboy took a few steps closer and grabbed the paper.
"So this is my schedule?" Beastboy said, turning the paper around several ways, trying to figure out how to read the chart. Mrs. Armstrong could see that he was having trouble with the chart, but turned back to her paperwork and fell into her chair once again. "Uh...how do I-" Beastboy began, but was cut off by the loud clicking of computer keys.
"So young man, your first class has already began, which means that you are late. Not a very great way to start your first day. I hope that you will not keep this as a daily routine." Mrs. Armstrong snapped harshly on her gum, causing the changeling to flinch slightly. I swear she is imagining biting me in half! Beastboy thought dramatic, but managed to keep a stoic face.
"Yeah I was-"
"This may not be the most prestigious high school, Mr...Logan, but we have standards. And we are not lenient when it comes to punishment. Do I make myself clear Mr. Logan?" The woman sneered condescendingly and snapped her gum a final time as she waited for an answer from the small teen.
"I understand." Beastboy said, quickly turning away from the typist and briskly walking out of the office.
Well that could have gone a lot worse. Beastboy concluded on a positive note. I'm still allowed into the school, that's a start!...And who knows? Maybe that lady is just rude to everyone. Or maybe it was because of all the paperwork she had to type up for me. Yeah.
Beastboy glanced down at his schedule, moving his notebook to rest in his other hand. He sheet of paper consisted of six columns with six rows. Beastboy grumbled and read over the graph, trying to find where his first class would be. Alas, the classes were ordered differently in each column, and by the numbers at the top of each row, the chart was ordered into a six day revolving schedule.
"So then what is today's number?" Beastboy said aloud, a hint of hopelessness clinging to his voice. The hallways were completely empty seeing as first period had started and every student was in there class. Looking left and right, the green changeling sighed and rubbed the side of his face. Guess I'm winging it! Deciding to just venture into a classroom and ask what day it on the schedule, Beastboy sauntered up to one of the numbered doors. 207.
Beastboy clenched his notebook and breathed in yet another deep breath, grasping tight to the handle and pulling the classroom door fully open in one swing. A middle aged man stood a few feet from the door, leaning against a wooden desk that came to his hip. The man, who appeared to have been in mid speech, stood rigidly from his once relaxed position and turned to face the green teen who stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"Ah, this is not your classroom…young man." The teacher gave a nervous chuckle and stood in the line of sight between his students and Beastboy.
"Oh, um ok. I was just wondering which day in the schedule today is." Beastboy said in a softer tone than his usual voice. This teacher seemed almost…scared. And it is not every day that you see a teacher afraid of a student.
"It is day 3." The man said quickly, grabbing his classroom door and quickly shutting it. Beastboy stood in front of the door for a moment, but then clicked his tongue and stepped back a few feet.
Well at least I got the number. Beastboy quickly checked over his chart and saw that his first class of the day was English in room 146. Looking back to the hallway, he saw that there was a sign for a flight of stairs about twenty feet down from where he stood. Folding the schedule and shoving the paper into his back pocket, Beastboy jogged over to the stairs and went down to the lower floor.
Finding room 146 was simple enough. But it was the confrontation that he was avoiding as he leaned against the wall adjacent to the room. A deep female voice pounding through the walls, making Beastboy give a light laugh. Haha, I wonder what sound she's going to make when she sees me? Well there is only one way to find out. But I'll knock this time. The green teen softly knocked on the wood of the door, taking a step back and steadied his notebook in his arms. The door was pulled open at an alarming rate, making Beastboy's eyes widen as they settled on the plump woman who in turn was glaring at him.
"You are late Mr. Logan!" The teacher chastised in a ferocious growl. Her beady brown eyes squinting as her thick eyebrows lurched down in a scowl. She turned her nose to the air and walked back to the front of the class.
"I-um…ah-" Beastboy stammered, his elfish ears downcast as he slowly entered the small English room. The teacher stalked behind her desk and sat with a thump.
"Save the excuses for another time Mr. Logan. Now your seat is the third row fourth chair, be sure to remember it." The teacher's stubby fingers tapped away quickly on an oversized laptop. Beastboy quickly ran to his seat, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground.
The room felt like an open meadow. The teacher being the coyote waiting in the brush, him the deer standing at the highest point and his classmates being the vultures that sit and watch in the trees.
A whisper was quickly exchanged a few seats behind the green changeling, the voices were hushed, but that didn't mean squat to a being with super enhanced hearing.
"What is that…Thing?" The whisperer stressed. It sounded to be male.
"You don't think it's a m-" Another voice whispered, but stopped as the teacher rose from her seat and threw packets of papers to the front row students.
"Ok class this is a review packet that goes through all we have learned for the past two months. I expect it to be turned in tomorrow at the beginning of class. We have fifteen minutes left, begin. And keep your voices down!" The teacher snapped, flopping back into her chair and pulling out a stack of paper from her desk and began scribbling out grades.
The class passed the packets around, a few students quickly getting started, while others turned and starting chatting with their neighbors. Beastboy looked down at the thick packet that sat on his desk. He flipped through the first few pages before pushing the papers to the edge of his desk and resting his head in his arms. Crap! I don't understand any of this! Beastboy scratched behind his ears. Maybe I should have gone to school before…Maybe it would have been different. The teen closed his eyes and listened to the chatters of his classmates. Man, it's so loud in here! Who knew such a small classroom could get this loud! Beastboy clasped his hands over his ears to muffle the sounds. And to a degree; it worked.
"What is it doing?" A sharp voice whispered, clear to the green teen even with his hands over his ears.
"I don't know." Another voice said, in a matter of fact tone.
Sighing, Beastboy picked his head up from the table and brought out his pencil from the coils of his notebook. And with a frown, tried writing down a few sentences on the packet. Looking for questions he could understand and guessing on the answer.
I said I would go to school, but I never said anything about getting good grades. Plus it's my first day, they can't expect me to everything. Beastboy thought as he wrote. From his peripheral vision he saw that a few students were watching him, but they just seemed curious, so he turned back his full attention on his work.
"Hey." A voice called softly over his shoulder, making the changeling jump slightly. "What's your name?" Turning around in his seat, Beastboy saw that a boy around his age, with short brown hair and matching eyes, was smiling at him.
"Uh, Garfield." Beastboy said, his ears twitching as he heard the talking in the room to almost vanish. The boy turned away from the green skinned teen and slapped hands with another boy he sat next to.
"See! Told you it could talk." The boy sneered.
Beastboy scowled at the two teens and turned to face the board along with his packet.
This day isn't turning out the way I hoped.
~BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST~
The classes seemed to mold into one long agonizing experience. Either the teachers were afraid of him or he was despised. The students were a little varied, with mixtures of fright, curiosity, hatred, ignorance, or pity. Pity; the one emotion that Beastboy couldn't handle. To be looked at as if you weren't strong enough, that you were weak. As if you were some lame duck. Beastboy was strong, he didn't need such a filthy emotion thrust upon him. What would pitying get him? Nothing. If you have the time to pity another, than you should be using it to help instead. At least, that is what he believed.
Lunch time. This was originally what Beastboy had been waiting for since he had entered his first class, but now he started to dread it. Crowds of teenagers parting like the red sea as he walked down the hall ways. The closer to the cafeteria he got, the quieter the chatter seemed to get. And before he knew it, he was walking to the lunch line, the only sounds being his sneakers on the tile and the whispers.
I hope they have vegetarian options. Beastboy walked up to the main lunch line and saw that the dish was a chicken wrap with a side salad. With a smile he happily ordered.
"Can I have just the salad, please?" Beastboy asked politely. The lunch lady hadn't looked up from making the wraps, and with a small nod she put two side salads together on one tray and placed it on the ramp. Finally! I'm starving! Beastboy grabbed the tray and quickly added cinnamon apples and a water.
Walking up to the cashier, he could see that she was terrified. Her eyes were wide, her body tense and ready to run. Beastboy ignored the lady and placed his money on the table and kept walking.
Ok…Now where do I sit?
Most of the teenagers choose this moment to stare at the green changeling.
Strange
Scary
Weird
Creepy
Dangerous
Different. That's what he was. And it was obvious that none of these students were ready to deal with one who was different.
The only ones that seemed to be unaffected were in the back corner of the cafeteria. All clad in black garb, and a few with brightly colored hair. Piercings and thick eye liner brandishing them all. Youths that society would instantly label as "Goths", "Punks", "Emos", "Delinquents", or "Deviants". Deviant; a word that, like these young teens, is completely misunderstood. Its actual definition meaning "different", not "bad" or "unjust" or "evil", but just "different".
Beastboy stilled for a moment as he watched the deviants converse and laugh as they ate. Looking down at his worn shoes he sighed and walked out of the cafeteria. As soon as his body was no longer visible, the unease was lifted from the lunch room and the young adults went about with their normal routines of gossip and conversation.
The green teenager ate his salad as he walked down the halls of the school, listening to the quiet squeaking of his shoes. As he turned the corner he found a long hallway of large windows that had a one foot wide windowsill.
A perfect sitting spot! Beastboy smiled as he sat down on the windowsill and looked out the window as he ate his salad and apples. I wouldn't mind school if this view was in every room. The small teenager munched happily on his lettuce and tomatoes when his hypersensitive ears picked up the sound of feet stomping up to him. Looking up he saw that a group of Juniors just turned the corner and was walking toward him.
Beastboy turned back to look out the window as the group stomped up to him. Why do I get the feeling that they aren't just going to say "Good afternoon". Beastboy thought.
"Man! They weren't kiddin when they said he was green!" One of the teens laughed and punched another of the boys playfully on the arm.
"Yeah, dude look at the ears!" Beastboy unconsciously grabbed at his ears, this action got a harsh reaction from the teenagers. Loud laughter filled the halls. One ripped the tray out of the green skinned hands and tossed it into a trash bin that was conveniently a few feet away. Beastboy stood up from the windowsill as he watched his lunch fly into the trash.
"Hey!" The changeling said, but was grabbed by the shoulder.
"Ryan, Jason, Jared, don't you have some place to be?" A stern voice cut through the teenagers laughs. The three boy's stopped in their tracks, sweat building on their brow. The tallest one opened his mouth to speak, but was shushed.
"No excuses! Now hurry on or I will notify the principle of this behavior." The boys all shook their heads no and all but ran down the hallway.
"And you." Beastboy turned to see a kind face. A young teacher with half-moon glasses, long and wavy coffee hair and fair skin. Beastboy blinked as he watched her mouth turn from a frown to a smile. "Class is starting soon, you might want to start walking, get there before the crowds you know." And with that the women turned and walked down the hospital. Her long brown skirt making her glide on the floor.
"Wait!" Beastboy called out, running up to the teacher. The women turned and waited for the green boy to speak.
"Yes?" She asked. Beastboy looked down at the floor for a second, trying to figure out what to say.
"Well, you were…and…um, I just wanted to say thanks." Beastboy said, kicking his foot on the ground. The teacher gave a small laugh and patted the boy's green hair.
"I will say this just once Mr. Logan. I treat all my students fairly. I hold no favoritism. Now hurry and get to class." The teacher snapped her tone completely serious. Beastboy smiled and ran down the hallway.
"Yes mam!"
~BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST~
The last bell rang, music to Beastboy's tired ears. Even if the bells cut through his head like a butcher's knife, it was bliss to push open the doors and feel the cool breeze of freedom.
The students seemed to lose interest in the green skinned teen as they rushed to their cars and met up with friends. The smiles and happy tones were picturesque in a way.
I don't know how long I can stay hidden like this. Months, weeks, days? Sooner or later I will be found. But right now…I'm not really worried. Strange.
Walking up the street Beastboy made his way toward his house. Well, not so much a house, but a place where the small teen slept and relaxed in from time to time. It was a temporary station for him, a pit stop. A "home" was hard to come by. And so far for Beastboy, non-existent.
As he walked up the rickety wooden steps, the teen came to a ripped screen door, pulled out a key from his black jeans pocket and slipping it into the lock. Pushing open the door Beastboy tossed his notebook onto the coffee table and flopped down onto his couch.
Ahhhhh, long day! I need a long cat nap. Beastboy smiled as he transformed into a small green tabby cat and curled into a tightly packed ball. The light ticking of an alarm clock filling the room along with the soft purrs of the green feline as he fell asleep.
After a few hours of rest, Beastboy awoke and stretched his tight muscles. And with a large yawn the green skinned teen shifted back to his human self. Scratching his head lazily as he moved into the small kitchen and grabbing a cup and filling it with tap water from the sink.
"Meow" A small cry came from his window. Beastboy looked up from his glass and smiled. It seems that friends can be found almost anywhere!
"Hey there little guy! Where did you come from?" Beast boy walked over to the Kitchen window and pushed open the glass. The small calico cat happily slunk into the room and rubbed up against Beastboy's shoulder.
"Haha!" Beastboy laughed and watched as the cat jumped out the window and almost silently hitting the ground on its paws.
"Hey. Wait up little dude!" Beastboy transformed into a similar looking calico to the cat and leaped down to catch up to him.
Following the cat was the highlight of his day. It seemed as though the feline saw him as nothing other than an equal. They bumped shoulders and tackled each other as they ran around the park. Squishing the falling leaves and chasing after the small mice that scurried the streets for food. Of course, the green teen would never harm the small mammals, it was all in fun.
The sun had set a half hour ago, drowning the city in a deep black.
Beastboy and the calico cat had ventured far from his apartment, seeing the sun's rays disappear alerted the green cat about the time. Oh no! I have school tomorrow! Beastboy said his farewell to the calico feline and dashed down the streets. Startling a few pedestrians as he leaped from under their feet and ran across traffic. The dark would be a handicap for most, but a cat's eyes were made for the night. And with lightning speed, the green shape shifter was only a few blocks from his apartment.
That is, until he heard the tell tale sounds of a fight. Grunts and the sounds of shuffling feet came from between two brick houses. Beastboy stopped in his run and walked up to the small alley. Trying to identify the reason these two were fighting.
It looked to be two males, one a foot or so taller than the other. Punches and karate kicks were thrown left and right. The taller was pushed up against the brick wall by the front of his shirt.
"Ok, thief, hand over the wallet and purse!" The small male growled. Beastboy's cat ears pirked at the tone of the voice. It sounds like…a teenager! Why the heck is a kid attacking a pit-pocketer alone?! Beastboy stalked forward, trying to get a better view.
"Stupid kid, aren't you supposed to be in-" The pit-pocketer sneered, before being slammed back into the brick wall by the teenager.
"Not any more. I work alone." The gruff voice of the teen cut through the night, and with that he dropped the criminal to the stone street, snatching his coat and pulling out the stolen wallet and purse. The man then sprang from the ground and pushed the teenager out of his way. He ran down the alley as fast as his feet could take him, hoping to out run his attacker and steal away into the night.
"Not so fast!" The gruff teen growled and chased after the thief.
Beastboy watched as the thief choose to run toward his end of the alley, the teenager not far behind him. The pit-pocketer laughed as he ran, unknowingling running right into a green calico cat.
"Ah!" The thief grunted as he tripped on the shape shifter and landed harshly on the street.
"Ooooowwwww!" Beastboy's cat form transformed back to a human, rubbing his head where the man's foot came into contact.
"Who are you?" The teen from the alley stepped into the street, letting the street lamp's light show that he had black spiked hair and matching eye mask. He wore a neon green hooded jacket with a black R sewn on the front, along with black cargo pants with red pockets. He looked down with a calculating gaze, his aura one of seriousness and anger. The thief groaned from his place on the street and went to pick himself up, only to have the spikey haired teen's foot stomp him back to the ground.
Beastboy panic and froze in place as he looked back up at the stern face of the taller teen. The masked eyes swiftly turning their attention back to the once cat, now human, that sat on the concrete. But they were greeted with nothing.
"What? Hey! Come back here!" The teenager growled, taking his foot off of the thief for a moment to look around. But after a few seconds he abandoned the effort and picked the groaning criminal off the ground by the back of his shirt collar. And then proceeded to drag him down the street.
Beastboy crept from his hiding spot in the shadows as a green mouse. His beady green eyes watching as the masked boy dragged the pit-pocketer down the street and toward the city police station.
Who am I? Who are you!? I've never seen that guy before!...At least I don't think so. I know I have only been here for a few weeks, but that guy…I know I would recognize a guy that…intense.
Beastboy sniffed around to make sure that the teen was far enough away. And after checking for any movements, the green mouse transformed into a large greyhound. The fast creature could nimbly make it around people or cars and aroused little to no suspicion seeing as it was too dark to notice his fur was green. He was just another stray dog running the streets of the city. The wind picking up hundreds of smells as he raced home, hoping to slip into his house without alerting anyone else of his abilities.
The last thing I need is for people to find out that not only am I green, but also a shape shifter too! Man, if I thought school was hard today, I don't think I could get through the next 179 days if everyone knew that….Maybe it's time to move…again.
Beastboy sat on his old wooden steps and leaned against his door, shifting from his greyhound body to human once more. Looking up as a light breeze swept passed over his face, Beastboy saw that the moon was halfway through its phase. Its eerie light calming the green skinned boy and put his mind on something less frustrating. The night was beautiful.
I don't think I've thought about it, but I think I am a night person. Beastboy thought with a smile. The air was cool, the streets quiet as its citizens all went off to sleep, and the animals were free to roam peacefully. It's shadows striking fear into the humans while Beastboy laughed and played in the cool embraces of night. For at night; it is hard to see. Beastboy could relax and run free without worry he would be spotted or ridiculed for his abnormal hue.
Well, guess I should get inside and get some sleep. And with that the green teenager walked into his apartment, lifelessly falling into his couch after shutting and locking the door. Stretching into a long haired rabbit and fell asleep.
~BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST-BEAST~
That's it for this chapter! I wanted to get straight into it, so here are some things that might clear up the introduction for you!
Beastboy (in this story) never was a part of the Doom Patrol or the teen titans. Instead he travel around trying to find a place to call "home" after he was discovered in Africa alone without any parents and was taken to America. (Beastboy got his powers the same way he did in the comic books, a monkey bite infecting him with Sakutia and his parents giving him a cure that caused him to turn green and develop shape shifting abilities. The only thing that changed was he never broke into the Doom Patrol building and hadn't met the Teen Titans yet.) Beastboy hasn't attended a school past his education his parents gave him until their tragic death when he was...9? 10? I can't seem to remember :/. This means that he is six or five years behind in his academics.
The reason he must attend school now will be announced later in the story as will other questions.
This fanfic will have Beastboy as its main focus. (I love Beastboy :3 ) I will update as soon as I can!
