11th grade. August.
Lydia's blue eyes scanned the letters of the building before her, a schedule and map in her pale hands.
Endsville High School.
Band period began, but it was uneventful, the directors only issuing this year's instrument cubbies and going over the usual rules that should not even need explaining.
After study hall, she had chemistry. Two periods of AP Environmental Science were next, followed by AP English and finally AP American History.
A few weeks passed, and no one bothered to talk to her. Fine. She didn't need them anyway; her classes were enough to keep her busy, and she enjoyed the songs in band.
She stood at her locker one morning before school, depositing the previous night's homework. Across from her locker was a library she spent much time in. Her locker would progressively become more chaotic with time.
She entered the library and left when the bell rang, a biology book now within her grasp. As she opened the door, a passing student hit the door from the other side with a thud. Lydia rushed out, closing the door behind her.
"Oh, I didn't mean... I don't..." Her attempted apology laced with social anxiety only further angered the large boy with a now-bloodied nose.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" he demanded.
"Oh, well, my name is Lydia and -"
Sperg grabbed her shoulder, shoving her into a row of lockers. He grabbed her biology book, sneering and flipping through it. There were no pictures!
"What a loser!" He threw the book at her.
Lydia lifted her hand to shield her glasses, then stood up. After she hurried down the hallway to find a teacher, she froze upon hearing another comment from the fat boy.
"FREAK!" he had called out amidst the voices of the halls. The word stood out from everything else, reaching her soul with ease.
Students passed Lydia without a second glance at the girl's tears. Her throat and eyes burned, and she was overwhelmed with sorrow and hate. Hatred of the cruelty of others, and of the uselessness of her existence. Seperately, sorrow and hatred could be dealt with, but together... Together was a misery few could comprehend.
She slowly travelled to a staircase. As she began to descend, she tripped, sliding down a few steps and bursting into more tears while papers flooded out of her notebook.
Lydia hid her face in her hands while trying to calm down. This was horrible; she knew people must have seen it. When she looked up again, a pale boy handed her the notebook with the papers neatly inside again.
She rubbed her eyes and arose, accepting the notebook and giving the boy, who she recognized from her AP Environmental Science class, a look of confusion and intrigue.
She could not remember his name, but he soon spoke, "I am Nergal Junior, and I know what it's like to be a freak."
Nergal led Lydia to the band room, picking up his clarinet case while Lydia assembled her saxophone. Of course - the reed was chipped. She would have to use a new one without breaking it in; all she could do was hope the band director did not notice a change in clarinet. During rehearsal, Lydia ignored the director, too lost to figure out where they were in the music, not to mention terrified of squeaking on the new reed. She instead watched Nergal. Everything about him seemed… perfect. Inhumanly perfect from the absence of pigmentation in his skin, his intense green eyes, and long, gorgeous hair.
Lydia followed Nergal to his locker. While finding his math book he stated, "You're supposed to watch the Mr. Carrier, you know. Not me."
Lydia's eyes widened. How could he possibly know?
He smirked.
September.
Lydia entered the mall, heading toward the food court in need of a frozen milky way mocha. She stood in line at Sweet Bay, her eyes down on her iPod.
"Lydia!" the cashier greeted her.
She looked up, removing her headphones and smiling widely. "Hello, Nergal!"
"What do you want?" he asked.
I want you love and I want your revenge… She thought, but answered, "Small milky way frozen mocha, no whipped cream."
Lydia held a Visa card out to him, but he shook his head, flashing an enchanting grin before stepping over to make her free mocha.
"Oh, so she gets free stuff, but I don't!" a boy from their AP Environmental Science class said from behind her.
"I demanddd a banana smoothie, Junior!"
"Oh, do you now? Fine, Lucien, Fine." Nergal went to turn on the blender. "You're going to get me fired."
"Oh, but this chick isn't?" Lucien pointed to Lydia.
Nergal handed Lydia her mocha, and Lucien continued speaking, "Billy told me to tell you that Sierra said Hannah says Mandy thinks Mrs. Rickman said Mrs. McBride says you left your trench coat in her room."
Nergal groaned in dismay. "Lovely."
Lucien took his smoothie as he finished his report, "And the potato points east."
"Only on Tuesdays…" Lydia commented, making the two boys grin.
Nergal looked to the clock, "Oh, look, I'm off work now. How convenient."
"Let's go to Romancing the Stone!" Lucien suggested quite loudly.
"Yeah, sure." Junior answered after clocking out.
"Am I invited... ?" Lydia asked timidly.
"NO!" Lucien shouted, his green-hazel eyes narrowing into a sharp glare.
"Yes, she can!" Nergal argued.
"OKAY!" Lucien smiled brightly, his eye twitching.
"Is he... okay?" Lydia asked.
"Eh, he has his moments." Nergal answered. "We're all a little…insane."
The three entered the hippie store, greeted by strong aromas and spiffy music. A small, blonde girl exited while they entered, giving the group an intense glare, making Lucien cringe and mutter something about ugly girls.
"Hey, check this out, yo!" Irwin ran over to them, carrying a twenty dollar ankh and waving it about.
"And I thought we were weird... " Lucien mumbled.
"Huzzah!" Lydia commented on the ankh. "Dua Setekh."
"Gesundheit." said Lucien.
"Setekh? Great fellow, great fellow, mon." a Jamaican voice commented from nearby.
"You speak like you know the great god - " Lydia was cut off by Lucien's exclamation of, "GRIM!" He rushed around a table to tackle a hooded figure who was looking at some magnetic rocks.
"Get off me, mon!" Grim crashed to the ground, bones spilling onto the floor.
"Does he... know... that is... a … t-talking… skeleton..?" Lydia questioned, her eyes wide and her skin paler than usual.
"Yes. Yes, he does." Nergal answered. "How are you, Grim?"
"Well, you know, I just saw your face and fell to pieces." Grim answered while pulling himself back together.
"Ha. Ha. Funny. Hilarious, even." Nergal sneered. He turned back to Lydia, "Are you quite alright?"
Lydia stared at Grim, who was now putting his robe back on. Lucien grabbed the scythe and ran back to Lydia and Nergal.
"This is Grim! He's cool, huh? Look at this!" He lifted the heavy scythe. "This can do all kinds of things! Pzu pzu! Sha BAMM!" Lucien ran around with it, pretending to fire people with a gun... until accidentally incinerating some old woman. "Uh.. RUN." He fled out of the store, and Grim snatched the weapon of death and destruction and stuff away before Lucien could get far.
"You stupid kids can't leave me and me scythe alone for one day! One day is all I ask! Is that too much, mon? IS IT?" Grim burst into tears, his hands over his face.
"Yes. Yes, it is." stated Nergal as he and Lydia caught up with the hyper boy and sorrowful skeleton.
Grim began to walk off, and Nergal told Lucien and Lydia, "Excuse me for a moment." He ran to catch up with Grim, leaving Lydia with Lucien. The demi-god and Grim Reaper stood off at a distance, discussing something that appeared to be important.
"What's up with you?" Lucien arched an eyebrow at Lydia. She seemed to be in shock at seeing a walking, talking, and… somehow crying skeleton.
"Let's sit down!" Lucien led Lydia to a bench, "And you can tell me alll about your little - well...not so little - crush on Nergal." He successfully ended her shock.
"Wh-what? You! You cannot prove anything!" Lydia exclaimed, though sat down.
Lucien grinned, "Pretty damn sexy, isn't he?"
"Oh... uhm... I... I don't.."
"It's fine. He's freaking hot. But he's not gay, so… all yours."
"You're gay?" asked Lydia.
"Get your gasp of disbelief ready! Straight as a rainbow." Lucien smiled.
"Oh… I see."
"Surely you didn't think all gay guys are fat and ugly."
"No, of course not!"
"Okay, well. So. Tentacle rape."
"..What? Excuse me?"
"Tentacle rape! You know. Tentacles. Raping. You like it?"
Lydia's face became dark red. Why was this guy talking about something like that? Her eyes drifted to the ground.
"Yes, no, maybe?" Lucien asked. "It's a very simple question."
"It's none of your business what hentai I like!"
"Oh, so you do watch hentai!"
"GAH!"
" I win!" Lucien lifted his arms victoriously.
"You do no such thing." Lydia huffed.
"Youu like tenntacless. You like tentacles!"
Nergal choose that moment to walk up behind them. "What are you going on about?" he asked pointedly at Lucien.
"Oh, nothing, just about how Lydia has a tentacle fetish."
"I do not!" Lydia shouted.
"Clearly she does or she wouldn't be shouting and being red." Lucien said.
"And flailing..." Nergal added.
Lydia crossed her arms. "You are a perverted freak."
"Not as much as you, Ms. Tentacle Rape." Lucien retorted.
"Tentacle rape, huh..." Nergal muttered with a smirk.
"Aye, tentacle rape. She loves it. Mmmm, yaoi." Lucien mumbled.
"Whyy are you guys talking about tentacles?" Grim approached. "You dang ding-dong kids, with your hopscotch and your hula hoops and your Sony Playstation and your-"
"Enough, Grim!" Lucien rolled his eyes.
"Can we talk about something else?" Lydia asked.
"Sure! You like bondage?" Lucien asked.
"I don't wanna talk about it!" Lydia shrieked, standing and storming off.