Chapter Four

Study Hall
"Freddy, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." Gabriella gasped for air, wiping a thin layer of perspiration that had gathered on her forehead. He clamped his textbooks shut and cast a fleeting look at the exhausted teenager. Lately, he had certainly been talking to her a lot, but her seeking him out was something strange, new and almost special.

"Yeah?" He asked weakly, his math equations a million miles away. He didn't know exactly why he was in the library attempting math homework. Maybe because he had no friends to spend time with.

"Now then, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the Malt Shoppe with me after school tomorrow." She asked nervously, fidgeting with the collar of her plain white turtleneck.

At first he felt glee unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life. It wasn't even registering in his brain quite yet. But then, why the hell did she want to go to the most popular teen burger joint with the class outcast anyway? She'd be taunted for days being seen with him.

"Don't you have other people to date?" He snapped. He wasn't going to let this girl get the better of him, despite the chance that she already had.

Her face fell immediately and the colour drained from her flushed cheeks. "I'm...sorry...I just think you're real cute. Nice too." Her face was now a peculiar red hue. He felt sorry for upsetting her when in truth it was more likely he should be grateful-not snapping at her.

"I'd like to." He cleared his throat.

"Meet me at my locker, 1107, 'kay?" She lightly touched him on the shoulder and went frolicking over to her noisy table of friends.

What had just happened? Had Gabriella asked him out on a date? He must of been dreaming.

He resisted the urge to stand up screaming at the top of his lungs, I'M GOING OUT WITH GABRIELLA!

Harold's Residence

"You are so going to get your ass kicked!" Jake slapped Freddy on the shoulder. "Do you know how many guys like that Gabriel chick?" So much for being happy for Freddy. Jake was never happy for anyone but himself. Go figure, the guy was deprived.

"It's Gabriella." Freddy hissed. He was starting to feel a tinge of worry at the back of his mind. Jake was starting to scare him, because Jake was probably right. He always was.

"Whatever. Same to me."

He heard the sounds of a honking horn.

"Man, that must be the guys. Later!" He pushed Freddy out of his path and made a break for the door. Freddy would be home alone.
He was a teenage male and he was going on his first date! Victory! He grinned broadly and started out for the small dingy bathroom where he planted himself in front of the mirror.

His face was scrubbed clean and smooth. He didn't need to shave. He had never grown a single strand of scratchy facial hair in his life. A light scattering of acne along his hairline- minimal. But tomorrow he'd probably be a pizza face and Gabriella would find it impossible not to reveal her disgust.

He had great eyes, a light shade of indigo blue. Why did everybody dislike him? He wasn't stupid, only lacking the facial hair that would give a more manly appearance. Gabriella liked him, did this mean other people would follow suit? Sure, he was harboring something a little twisted upstairs, but like anyone would know that from the outside.

He ran a small black comb through his short, parted hair and smiled at his reflection. Something he hadn't given himself in a long time. He wasn't an unattractive kid and Gabriella had said he was cute for that matter-that must of meant something.

What was he going to wear? He didn't own a spiffy leather jacket like other guys his age. He couldn't afford those luxuries- Harold used all their spare cash on prostitutes and booze. He would just have to wear a pair of plain, faded jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing nice but it was average. Nothing that would make him stand out.

He actually looked forward to the following day. He'd never been to The Malt Shoppe and it'd be a nice change of his usual self-agony at home. He always felt gravely sorry for himself and perhaps now he could be an ordinary teenager and forget all the bullying he'd endured over the course of time. The constant verbal and physical abuse from the nuns at the orphanage, who had told him he would grow up to be a monster like his father(s).

He chose a presentable outfit and laid it out on the dresser top making sure there were no stains and finally satisfied, he took to the kitchen.

He was no apron-wearing motherly cook, but he could whip up a satisfactory meal for himself. Too tired to do anything, he cracked open a can of tomato soup and heated it up.

The creamy red could hardly make its way down Freddy's throat. He was too anxious to eat.

He was still hungry even after the soup but really...Harold never bought anything that could suffice. He realized he'd probably need to stop by the supermarket and grab something.

Springwood Supermarket

He hummed to himself as he dropped a couple of items into his grocery basket. He couldn't afford much, but after the money from his babysitting job he had enough for some. He would spoil himself and just hide the food when he went to bed so Jake or Harold wouldn't make themselves a feast.

He dropped a head of lettuce into the basket deciding on making himself a big sandwich for dinner when he heard the giggles and saw four girls pushing their way through the opposite aisle.

Nervous, he realized they went to his school and that one of them was Catty.

"Oh MY god. Did I tell you guys?" One girl gasped and grabbed her other friend by the shoulders.

"What?" Catty whined, hating to be the last to hear the gossip.

"Guess who's going out with Krueger tomorrow? GABRIELLA!"

"No WAY. Oh my gosh you're so kidding me."

"Nope. She likes him. At least I think."

"God, and I thought Gabby had taste?"

"I bet Krueger has never even been laid."

"I've never been laid either..."

"That's just because you're a virgin, girl."

"Oh my gosh! You don't just broadcast that all over the supermarket!"

"Any who, AS I was saying. I bet Krueger's thingie is 1 inch. So even if Gabby did get some-"

Freddy chewed on his and fought back tears. He didn't hear the girl finish the sentence. No way would these juvenile girls make him cry here in public. He never cried. He was immune to tears. He had gotten over that long ago.

"NOT EVEN ONE INCH!" One squealed with laughter and let out a donkey-like snort. She stifled them by covering her mouth with her hand.

He tried to move but couldn't. He felt glued to the ground-with super glue at that. He couldn't budge, unable to escape from their harsh words.

"I wonder what it would be like in bed with him..."One mused.

"Unpleasant!" Shrieks of giggles followed this remark and the sounds of hushes.

They were right. They were all right. Gabriella had very bad taste.

Freddy's hands clenched into fists and he grit his teeth. He'd get even with them...someday. A revenge so bittersweet it'd ruin them. He wasn't sure how or when, but he knew why and that was enough to keep him walking out of that supermarket with his head held high.