Chapter Eight

It had been a week of tossing and turning on his mattress all week, pleading with himself to fall asleep and wake up a full grown adult and well graduated from school. It made matters even worse when he finally did fall asleep, only to have nightmares that he was being burned alive. He would wake up sweating with a high temperature. It was like an omen, or something of the sort.

It had also been a week of avoidance, avoiding Brittiany's calls. Doing anything in his power to keep her from him. When he woke up, it took moments to realize today was his seventeenth birthday and he knew for a fact he wouldn't be delighted with a present.

It was almost surreal not hanging out with Brittiany anymore. He had grown accustomed to having the girl always tailing him. They spoke little, but they had communication just going on between their gazes. Although he did knew one thing, and that was that he didn't love her. He didn't even feel even the slightest attraction to her.

He was going to be late for first period class due to sleeping in, so he grabbed a muffin half blanketed in mould, sliced off the rot and shoved it in his mouth whole.

They announced his birthday over the announcements at school along with two other names but it didn't change peoples' minds. They didn't like him anymore then they ever had, and they didn't go out of their way to wish him a happy birthday either. But then again, he didn't even care about his birthday. Indeed, it was his seventeenth birthday and most teenagers turning the big 1-7 would be sending out invitations for a major blow out bash. Not Freddy.

"Hey you, Krueger." Catty, vicious girl that she was, called him across the room. He would of preferred to ignore her, but was curious to what she had to say. He hadn't forgotten being her partner not too long ago and it hadn't been pleasant.

"What?" He hissed, turning around to face her sitting on her boyfriend's lap in the middle of the classroom.

"That Brianna chick has been looking for you."

Brittiany. Not Brianna. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the blackboard. Was gossip the food for everything? Did anyone ever grow up these days, or was it just him?

"Freak." Catty retorted, and then made herself a suction cup to her toy. Some ho-hum jock.

Freddy didn't scowl and silently seethe while planning all his revenge on Catty and the evil cheerleaders of Springwood High like her and others. This time he agreed- he was a freak.

He was opening up his locker combo when Brittiany finally caught up with him. He had seen her leave her last class in a breathless rush trying to find him in the crowd of noisy students but had not yet succeeded till now.

"What?" He didn't have a reason to be mad at her, so he didn't snap or growl or anything else he normally would have done to spite or snub someone.

Her eyes were outlined in dark bags and her rims were red. She looked at him pleadingly."Can we please just talk?" He noted she was wringing her hands impatiently.

"Fine." He muttered. But she heard him. She always did.

They walked out onto the campus where she led him to a enormous oak tree in the back courtyard of the school. Far from people, school buses, and behind trashcans where heavy groping sessions commenced.

Freddy crossed his arms over his chest matter of factly. What she going to say?

"First off, happy birthday." She gently touched his chest, but then seeing the daggers he shot in the direction, she pulled away quickly. "And second, I'm sorry about you know…what happened." She didn't avert her eyes from his gaze. "The kiss. So sorry I don't know what had come over me to behave like that."

"Oh."

"And it was stupid."

"Oh."

"Is there anything you're actually going to say?" She said bitterly. "I'm SORRY Freddy. I can't help the way I feel about you. I like you." She gulped. "A lot, 'kay? And I've never felt this way before."

Excellent way to scare him off. People just didn't like him. Therefore, she was a freak herself. "You can't like me." He practically said in a whisper. "It just doesn't happen. People will hate you too. They're terrified of me." He added. This didn't bother him. He didn't mind at all that people sensed he meant trouble- fearing him. He liked to be in control.

"They hate me already for just hanging out with you! Do I really look like a girl who'd care what those stupid bastards think?" She had a valid point. He knew she didn't care what anyone thought. Except for him-she cared what he thought.

"Do you honestly think I like you?" He snarled, slamming his fist on the trunk of the tree.

She stared open mouthed at him. Her mouth a little "o" shape. She had dared to think he had shared some sort of feelings for her. Apparently not.

"Don't you care about anybody but yourself?" Her eyes shone with tears.

"Never." He whispered.

"Fuck you, Krueger." Her eyes bore into his and she turned and fled. He watched her run, her black skirt flying out behind her as she disappear into the throng of Springwood High students walking home.

"Happy birthday to me." He grumbled under his breath.