Chapter Two

The good thing about Freddy's English class, was that the teacher was as blind as a bat and never noticed if the Krueger boy transferred from the assignment, to his own thoughts.

Most of the students switched from their seat to go and sit with their friends and chat about everything trivial, while Ms. May proceeded to read from the Shakespearean novel they were engrossed in.

He could feel her presence when she sat down in the desk next to his. He could smell her perfume-a beautiful fragrance, and he almost melted. He wasn't the type of guy to really lose himself to a girl but Gabriella turned him into a whole new being.

"You're Freddy, right?" Her warm voiced asked in the loud din of chatter amongst the students.

He nodded, a thick lump forming in his dry throat as it always did when Gabriella neared.

"Jake's brother?" She continued, and his heart fell.

"Foster brother." He emphasized foster.

"Oh..." She replied and there was silence.

He began doodling in his notebook, not realizing what exactly it was he was drawing, in his chicken scratch.

"Well, it sure is swell to meet you."

His heart pounded in his chest and he nodded shyly- not wanting to spoil his good luck.

"How do you like English?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I hate it." He implied shortly.

"Me too." she chuckled. "Mostly because I can' t write but... Is that me?" She pointed to his sketch- he had drawn a girl that resembled Gabriella well, perfectly. His cheeks flushed brightly.

"It's really good." She spoke in awe. "Can I keep it?" He nodded still not able to form decipherable sentences.

"Thanks." She beamed and tucked the drawing into her thick binder. "You're a sweet guy."

Sweet?

She called him sweet.

"You're a sweet...girl." He mumbled but she had already turned her head and was engaged in a conversation with the junior sweetheart, Jeff. One thing for sure, was that he was far from sweet. Thinking of the tiny rodents he had crushed and killed, stabbing his mother wasn't exactly sugary sweet either-but coming from Gabriella, it seemed too right.

Another thing was, he was a terrible flirt. He couldn't talk to girls and especially Gabriella.

Science Class

"So, what are we going to do for our project?" His partner Catty asked, munching loudly on bubblegum. "You decide."

"I... don't know." He muttered itching the back of his neck.

"Well… I don't either." She snapped. Catty was stuck-up, beautiful, and fully aware of both. She waved to someone in the front of the class and mouthed an entire conversation to that person. Freddy waited for her.

"So maybe we can..."

"Here's a piece of paper. You write the idea on it and we'll get together at my house to do it after school." she replied.

He had never been to a girl's house, now that would be changed. He began to scrawl down his brainstorms in his untidy writing as Catty joked around with her boyfriend and members of a mutual clique.

Freddy continued to fade into the background; ignored like he almost always was- when they weren't using him as their scapegoat, anyhow.

The bell sounded and he let out a breath of relief, gathered up his science books, angry at the world- or at least at Springwood High. This place was hell and he was claustrophobic in it.

He headed for the door when a hand grabbed and pinched his cheek taut. He heard loud laughter and whirled around to see Catty erupt with giggles, tugging on her boyfriend for support.

Why had they done that?

"The look on your face, bastard!" Catty cackled cruelly. His crystal blue eyes narrowed. "SO funny!" She slapped her knees, revealed under the short denim skirt she wore, hiccupping with giggles.

"Oh, and Krueger? Maybe you could hook me up with your mommy? I heard she's good with men- she's screwed at least what? A 100 in one night?" One boy asked and more laughs.

That was that. When people started talking about the rape, the one hundred unidentifiable maniacs who made up his genes…

His eyes flashed dangerously. He wanted to lash out until they were left begging for their spleens. Instead, he turned and fled the classroom, their laughs still howling behind him- haunting him.

"Still pissed about the pinch?" Catty asked, still gnawing on stupid bubblegum- this time leering in his face, leaning against the locker next to his.

He ignored her.

"Are you coming over or what? If I flunk this project my Dad'll kill me- and they'll kick me off the cheerleading squad!" She rubbed her forehead tersely.

He was just as terrible at school as she. He planned to drop academics soon. But he didn't mention this to her. She didn't deserve a good grade anyway.

"Coming over," she snarled, "or not? Make up your god damned mind."

"Yes." He hissed and followed her down the hallway.

First they stopped at her locker. Five minutes to get her books and letter jacket. Then she stopped to swap saliva with her Neanderthal male counterpart. Freddy stood nervously at the side, watching. Then she had to ask her math teacher about an upcoming test. Finally she and Freddy were trotting down the sidewalk to her place.

The sky was a shade of bruised purple and clouds were scattered across the sky. Thunder clapped somewhere in the distant land. A full fledged thunderstorm would be brought in soon.

"Want a piece?" She asked and offered a stick of juicy fruit.

He shook his head no.

"Alright then, suit yourself bas-" She bit her tongue to stop the bastard remark from slipping out. She wanted a good mark-not a fail.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?" She glanced down the street, not caring at all. "In Lamewood n' all."

"I..." Sometimes he just lay on his bed thinking about a purgatory, Gabriella... hell...Gabriella...but he mostly inflicted pain on himself with a variety of different sized knives. Drawing blood. Inflicting pain on himself when he felt a low that he couldn't come out of. He always felt like that. Low. He began training himself on the art of pain to the point where he would just stop feeling it entirely. Sometimes he watched the black and white television set with terrible reception.

"Not much." He growled low in his throat.

"That's nice." She yawned. She wasn't being friendly, she needed a mop for all the sarcasm that dripped from her words.

"There's my place- my parents are out so we have the place to ourselves."

He gulped silently and nodded. Wondering if sexual innuendo was actually implied.

Catty's Residence

It was a neat and tidy house. Something from a home magazine- something you'd see out of a TV sitcom about a perfect 50's era with perfect homes.

"Come in." She beckoned him and opened the door right up. In 1954, locking doors during the day was unnecessary. Everyone trusted everyone. Well, Freddy didn't even trust himself.

"Check in the fridge for a snack if you want." She flicked her hand towards the refrigerator which stuck out awkwardly amongst the wholesome decor.

Instead she grabbed them two bottles of cokes and led him into her bedroom.

His heart raced. Pounding like a bongo drum.

Her room was a mess unlike the rest of the cozy house. Bras were strewn around the furniture and her bed was unmade. The calendar was still on August when it was September and dates and events filled every small box.

He glanced at a lacy bra and exhaled deeply.

She cleared a heap of unwashed clothes off her bed and spread out her textbooks and notes.

"So, what's your spiel?" She asked, popping another stick of gum into her mouth. The wad of gum swished around her mouth, gathering spit.

He hadn't said much all day, just passed her the stack of notes. None of his notes made any rational sense. It was one big jumble that not even he understood- as mentioned before, he was terrible at schoolwork.

"Good, good. Now let's just write out what supplies we'll need." He sat at the edge of her bed and she uncapped her coke and took a long swig.

"Oops." She giggled. "Swallowed my gum."

He didn't pretend to be even remotely amused. "Oh." He replied raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She said sharply-before popping in another gum! He rolled his eyes and almost ripped it out along with her lungs. STOP CHEWING THAT! He felt like shouting.

He still couldn't believe she had pinched him- there. Much less at all.

The sky was dark by the time he started out for home. Inky black crept across the skies.

He stuck his hands in his pocket and walked along the sidewalk, his shoes crunching on the autumn painted leaves. He heard the giggles of a child up ahead and quickened his pace.

There was a tiny blue eyed baby girl in her stroller cooing and giggling at the end of a driveway. Where was her family? Her mother? He saw whom he assumed to be her mother solicitating on the porch of a house and turned his gaze on the girl.

He had a special spot in his heart for children. So innocent- innocence he wanted to take away from them.

He bent down low so that he was squatting in front of her. "Hello." A strange smiled curled up on his face. "Who are you?" He almost purred.

"Awe, would ya look at that? She likes you." A woman's low voice sighed behind him. The child's mother. Her face was lit up with a smile and the baby giggled and mumbled gibberish.

Her light brown hair was tied up in a pleasant French twist and her forehead was covered in wrinkles, obviously from stress. She couldn't be older than 35.

"Why, hello." He said pleasantly, shaking the woman's hand.

"Are you an experience sitter?" She asked suddenly her eyes glowing.

He bit his lip. He was not. He had never babysat for anyone. "Yes. Yes. I am."

She wiped her forehead in relief. "Great, because tomorrow night I have a big meeting with my boss and no sitter! Could you do it? At about 5:00?" She asked worriedly, still mopping her sweat drenched forehead.

"I could." He replied softly stroking the child's baby soft skin.

"Phew! You're a lifesaver. How old are you anyway?"

"Sixteen."

"Perfect and you are..."

"Freddy."

"Freddy." She repeated slowly and beamed. "I live on 1430 Elm Street." He nodded quickly, they exchanged phone numbers and parted their own separate ways.

Oh yes, indeed he did have a way with children. Now, he was babysitting an infant no older than two.

He recollected today's conversation with the beautiful and humble Gabriella. Was he wasting his thoughts on the girl that he would never have? She was obviously friendly- that was apparent. But she was like that with all of his peers. She probably felt sorry for the bastard son of a hundred maniacs. If they didn't hate him, they pitied him.

He hated Springwood High with a passion so fierce that it showed in everything he did. Even more, he hated Gabriella for making his life more desperate and lonely.

Time to get out the old razor and reflect.