Chapter 3: The Transformation
Luke's alarm clock sounded at 7 AM Monday morning. He hated school, but he hated that his magical weekend was coming to an anticlimactic end even more. He upsettingly slid out from beneath the beige sheets, putting one foot down, then the other. He opened the bathroom and the bright light made him squint. He began brushing his teeth and the taste of the mint toothpaste started to wake him. As his eyes began to slowly open he observed his reflection in the mirror. He thought to himself how his hair was getting a bit too long for his normal preference. While further examining his hair style, he began to question what he would look like with a different cut, wave, and volume- perhaps like Tim's.
"Tim" he repeated in his head. "No no, no Luke stop, Tim is your friend, just like all your other friends," he tried convincing himself. The only reason Tim is special is because he is new, different, and exciting (as if he wasn't everything he wanted). Luke pushed these thoughts from his head as he began walking out the front door. He started driving slow down Lake Washington, making the dreadful voyage to West Shore Junior/Senior High School. His first three periods were the same as always, another teacher droning on about trigonometry or the demographics of southern India, but none of this mattered to him anymore.
At lunch Luke ran into Mitchell. "Hey Mitch, do you want to go to the Shit Shoppe tonight?" Luke always called the Sun Shoppe the Shit Shoppe in attempt to make it seem as though it wasn't his second home- even though everyone knew it was. "Uh yeah sure man, I'll probably ask Joey and Tim." Luke struggled to hide the smile that wanted to shine through his cigarette scented lips. While keeping his composure, he responded with an apathetic "whatever".
After school Luke was almost shaking with excitement. He came in the house and immediately hugged his mom and asked her how her day was. Luke's mom Sara was astonished. "Luke showing affection…..what the fuck?" Sara said inside her silent thoughts. "What has gotten into you Luke? Do you have a date tonight or something?" Luke gave a blank stare and then wordlessly went into his computer room.
Luke's phone sounded and he answered it after only one ring hoping it was Tim. To his dismay, it was just Mitch. "Hey, uh I don't think Tim can make it he got in a wreck after school and I think his Jeep is totaled". Luke spaced out, nothing mattered. Thousands of questions raced through his head, "Is Tim okay?" "Is he hurt?" "Should I visit him" and then a calming thought ran through his mind- Tim is going to need transportation… Luke's tense neck and raised eyebrows came to an ease, I could be that transportation, he reasoned. "Hey you there bro?" Mitch questioned, disturbing the fantasy unraveling in the back of Luke's mind. "Ummm hey uh yeah dude that's cool I have a ton of homework anyway so like let me know if he's okay or whatever". Luke hung up without saying goodbye, only to remain available while awaiting the news of Tim's condition.
The next day Luke drove down New Haven to the local watering hole, also known as the vinyl shop. As he pulled up he couldn't believe his eyes, there he was, Tim in all his lanky charming glory.
"Hey man heard about your accident you good?" Luke asked.
"Yeah dude it just sucks cause my car is totaled and I need to get my fade redone tomorrow" he said before blowing out a puff of smoke.
'Oh shit… Well if you need like a ride or something lemme know"
"Shit for real? That'd be cool"
"It's a date" Luke murmured to himself before turning to drink some wine joe was handing to him out of an old McDonalds cup.
The phone rang, waking him, Luke glanced over. It was 3 pm in the afternoon, he could smell the stench of liquor and cigarettes attached to his tan sweater he slept in the night before. It was a number he didn't recognize "Ayyyy who's this" he said half asleep.
"Yo man its Tim, sorry I'm calling from my friend Hayze's phone. You still down to take me to my barbers?"
Yeah sure man, text me the address and I'll come get you".
Luke scoured his closet for the outfit to impress his new friend, after finding the perfect match of a grey shirt with a camo jacket covered in various pins (despite it being 90 degrees in Florida) he was ready to set off. On the way to the barbers he and Tim discussed many refined arts, such as the best Four Loco flavor, Asap Rocky albums, and which girl has the finest butt.
"Hey man I think I'm gonna get mine cut too" Luke said nervously
"Alright whatever" he said while plugging his phone into the auxiliary port.
They rolled up to a rundown plaza, Luke picked out the small half broken swirling barber machine. "AYYYEEE LETS GOOO" Tim shouted before walking in. An hour later they walked out of the run down haircutters that Tim thought was the holy land. Luke had gotten almost an identical haircut as Tim, but Tim didn't seem to notice, or even care. The boys pulled up to Tim's house "Alright bye man" Luke let out with a sigh, almost sad the outing was over.
"You wanna come inside? I got some fire ass barbeque chicken"
Luke almost screamed with excitement at this offer. Before going down to the kitchen Tim went upstairs to change, with his shirt collar being covered in tiny, itchy bits of hair.
Luke got an idea "Hey man can I have some juice" Luke asked.
"Yeah sure there is some in the fridge"
Luke poured a full glass, so full that it was no surprise when he spilled it all over his shirt and jacket.
Luke ran upstairs, only to find Tim's door open. He stared as Tim unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his gleaming porcelain figure, he was slim, his ribcage, his protruding hipbones, his back vertebrae, it was all perfect to Luke.
"Hey uh Tim I spilt some juice on my clothes can I borrow a shirt or something?"
"Yeah dude I think I got something that will fit you"
Tim handed Luke the perfect option, a white tank top with a Japanese rising sun on it. He quickly stripped his soaked clothing off, making sure to flex what little muscle he had to show off to Tim. This was the beginning he thought. Luke just now started to admit it to himself- and this was the beginning of a new era. A change. A disruption in nature. A historical moment for man.
The transformation had begun.