Every Day is Summer by The Creepy-Psycho-Loner

Raph sat lonely at his desk, doing his homework. It was around 4:15 pm, a time he should be hanging around his friends. But they weren't his friends, not really, and his dad was already peeved from the last time he was out. Sure, by some graceful divinity, he wasn't exactly on punishment but Raph began to see what his father preached all these years. Truth is, no one ever wanted to be his friend. He's always been mean (even if he didn't mean it) but mostly it was his sense of humor to be sarcastic and rueful. No one seemed to get this, no one seemed to care to get this, and by deduction Raph was meant to be a lone spirit. Well, that wasn't exactly how he felt. No one is ever truly meant to be alone. Sure, he fared very well without having friends (true friends) but that didn't meant he liked it. Not really, not at all.

His father was a retired veteran and he only just retired after a decade of working. But after Raph was born, he decided to settle down. Raph was actually thankful for that. He couldn't imagine NOT having his dad around. Sometimes when his dad thought Raph wasn't looking, his dad would give this little brief look of sadness. It wasn't any secret that Raph wasn't like a Tim, or Joe, or Bob, but he also wasn't a kid who played cops'n'robbers with his friends. In his childhood, Raph was the pilot, the engineer, the zombies, and the princesses- by himself. Maybe his father was ashamed of him. Or worse- he felt bad for him.

Irritably erasing an error on his paper, he scowled. Raph hated to be pitied, because there was nothing to be sorry for. At least that was what his mother said. Because some days when he was younger, Raph would barrage through the door, crying with a defeat that was too nauseating to belong to a child.

Mommy, why doesn't anyone like me?

Daddy, it hurts! My chest hurts! Make it stop!

Mommy, Daddy, am I a freak like everyone says?

Other days he would just curl up in a tiny kitten-like ball of depression and self pity that made his parents feel like failures. But it was nobody's fault that Raph wasn't a cookie cutter kid. He was as unique as unique came. But he was so sad that he had to go to therapy. He remembered curling into his mom as she walked down the polished white hallway. He remembers the way his dad exploded when Raph cried for the 100th time that day; that he was so fucking tired of his son being so sad. He was going to therapy (by then maybe two years), so why isn't it fucking helping? And it didn't help when they changed his school. Same opinions, different kids.

When Raph turned 9, he decided that he'd had enough so he began fighting back, especially physically. And nowadays, the fact that he didn't have friends didn't bother him the same way it used to. Now he didn't have friends because he was intimidating. Raph deduced that it was better to be a scary freak than a full blown freak.

A knock came to his door and his mother peered into his room. Her hair was short and straight, a natural auburn that Raph adopted from her. She was beginning to look her age, 40, but she joked it off a lot. Raph felt bad sometimes, when his mom held him because he was too sad to go to sleep, that he must have gave her enough stress to last her the rest of her life. She couldn't have children, and Raph was her miracle child. And a lot of times, Raph would apologize for being the one that was born to her.

"Hey babydoll, what'cha doing?"

"Um, just some homework." It was pathetic, Raph thought. It was Friday and he was in the house doing homework.

"Why don'tcha come out and watch Transformers with us? It's your favorite."

Automatically, robotically, Raph closed his textbook and headed to the living room with his mother. His dad was already on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on his lap. His dad had a head full of shaggy black hair and green eyes, that Raph also adopted. His dad gave Raph a big smile before moving to make room for him. Raph returned it tiredly and sat down, parents on either end of him as they snuggled together to watch the movie. Life sucked really badly for Raph but at least he had parents who loved him unconditionally, even though Raph couldn't for the life in him figure out why.


The weekend went by relatively fast, but that was good for Raph. He sat in pre-calc for what seemed like hours but was only for about twenty minutes. Mondays were always slow. The teacher rambled on and on about whatever math was, but Raph couldn't stop thinking about the past. He felt weak and hopeless, but tried to stay optimistic. Who knows, maybe the thing that would change his life would barge right through the door-

-and literally it did. Well maybe not, but something did indeed barge in, in the shape of a boy. He wasn't tall, and his light blue eyes made him look like a 9th grader. He had on a pink graphic tee and khakis and green sandals. He was a colorful fashion nightmare but he seemed to actually enjoy it.

"Sorry I'm late," he said in a louder than normal voice and the teacher seemed actually delighted at this newcomer. The teacher skipped to his side, her long black ponytail swinging.

"Class, I am overjoyed to introduce our new student, Mike Marquez." Raph perked up at this. New student? At the end of March? "Please, Mike, have a seat wherever there's space."

"Oh please, ma'am," Mike said in an accent, "just call me Mikey."

The class was fairly small so there were dozens of options. The class made a point to sit far away from Raph and his 'gang' if possible. The kid scanned the room before looking at Raph confusedly. He probably caught on to why he was isolated. The kid made up his mind and headed his direction. Oh good, even the new kid was going to avoid-

"Hi, is this seat taken dude?" came the question that confused Raph.

"U-um nah," Raph stuttered before moving his bag out the chair. "I'm Raph."

"Hi Raph. That's a cool name. What's it short for?"

"Raphael. Like the renaissance." The teacher shushed them and Mikey pulled out his pre-calc textbook and began doodling an airplane assault on his notebook paper. Raph only stared at his textbook, flushed a deep red. Why did the boy talk to him... and why was Raph shaking? It made Raph angry, at how little he was experienced at socializing. Raph, oh how much he liked being talked to, but he wouldn't let his desperation show. Not at all. He was tough, a fighter, not some weak trembling mess. Sighing Raph began taking notes before the bell rang.

"Um, Raph? Can you help me with my classes?"

Raph looked at Mikey but nodded as Mikey handed him his roster. Raph was surprised that he had all classes except 2nd period with him. After showing Mikey to his class, Raph began his own trek down the halls to his English class, thinking about the new kid and how nice he was to him.

"Hey! Raph!" a familiar voice called out to him. Raph froze and turned around with wide green eyes to see Mikey smiling like a big, goofy idiot. "It was nice meeting you, bro."

"... Really?" Raph asked skeptically, his voice raw and monotonous. Mikey gave a loud chortle in return.

"Yeah! I hope maybe we can even be friends!"