-Chapter Nine-

Springwood High Principal's Office

Freddy was the surest he had ever been in his life. Now the school administration was trying to make him think otherwise.

"Are you positive you want to do this? Its not a very good idea." The principal, Mr. Paquette's eyes bored into Freddy's own pair.

"I'm seventeen." Freddy said slowly. "I am positive." He balled his knuckles into fists, behind his back. Mr. Paquette sighed. All through his career from math teacher to principal of Springwood High, he had been trying his hardest to keep the students' attitudes positive with a "don't quit school! Learn!" motto. Well it didn't work for everyone. Especially not outcasts like this kid. Fred Krueger. A lot of bad things had been said about this one.

"Well I can't force you not to make this choice." The principal sighed, and pushed a thick booklet of papers across his desk to Freddy.

"Sign here,"He pointed to one spot, "And here." He explained the procedures and Freddy hardly listened. He didn't care about the "fine print" or any shit like that. He just wanted to drop out of school, get a real job and live on his own. How much was that to ask for?

"Oh and of course." The principal's face went grave. "Do you have a parent or guardian signature, you aren't eighteen yet?" He thought this was it. He knew Freddy didn't have any parents taking care of him, and that his foster family seemed like real assholes, so he figured this was the catch and Freddy wouldn't have the signatures required to legally drop out of school. Well he was wrong.

Smirking, Freddy reached into the back pocket on his trousers and brought out a wrinkled ball of paper. He unfolded it and attempted to smooth out some of the many creases. Then he handed it into the principal's outstretched hand.

Of course his foster 'father' hadn't signed it. Freddy had forged it. But no one had to know that.

"I see...." Mr.Paquette's eyes roamed over the paper, then back to Freddy's face. He squinted his beady black eyes, as if trying to see if he could see a lie. Well he couldn't, obviously. And it was a lie, the forged signature. But Freddy was very good at lying. This wasn't the first time he had done it.

"Well, I see you've sighed all the papers so.....You're free to go." Mr.Paquette through up his arms in exasperation, while a small grin curled up on Freddy's teenage features.

"You're a brilliant young man Mr.Krueger, I think you could go far if you stayed."

Freddy rose an eyebrow the principal's way, turned on his heel and left that office for good.He was a free man now. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted where he wanted. No school to hold him back from what he really wanted to do.

He cleared out his locker of old text books he had never returned to class and the many drawings. Those drawings of the bladed glove. He crammed them in his bag and turned to stalk down the hallway and outta there for eternity.

Harold and Jake's Place

"You quit school?" Jake asked in disbelief, his deep voice raised an octave higher. He dropped his half eaten apple in the trashcan. "Wow kiddo, I didn't think you actually would..." There were a lot of things Jake wouldn't suspect of Freddy.

"So you gonna move outta here too?" He asked curiously.

"I plan on it." Freddy tried to ignore Jake.

"It'll be nice not having a retarded freak around anymore." Jake snickered.

You'll be sorry some day asshole. All the Elm Street parents and their children will be.

Freddy surprised himself. His eyes widened and his mind reeled. Why in the world would he have thought that? What was Elm Street? Heh, sounded like home.

"I'm going out right now." Freddy stood up, his eyes burning holes into Jakes. As if hypnotized, Jake gazed back. Unable to pull his stare away from Freddy's penetrating blue eyes.

"Whatever." Jake shrugged and grabbed a can of beer from the refridgerator, while Freddy quickly collected himself, pulled on a spring jacket and left the house. The air outside was chilly, but just right to Freddy. The jacket's sleeves clung to his arms giving just the right temperature to his body.

He found himself heading for Springwood Elementary, the local elementary school for grades kindergarten to grade six, where he had once attended school and had been damn glad to have finished it. Well, not like high school was any better. But at least kids didn't chant awful phrases to you "son of a hundred maniacs".

He was going to apply for a job here, to work, to earn money to make a living and live on his own. Without Harold and bullying Jake. Well, he would of got there sooner-if he hasdn't run into her. And it wasn't exactly that bad of a thing.

Of course, the two hadn't exactly ended up on good terms. Bad if anything.

Brittiany wasn't wearing a jacket, she wore a dark black silk blouse, and it billowed in the wind, she clutched her arms to her body for warmth and her long dark hair blew everywhere.

"Freddy?" She exclaimed, squinting. Each step she took to Freddy, Freddy told himself to turn the other way and run in the opposite direction. This chick was nothing but trouble.

"What is it Brittiany?"He sighed heavily. She stared at him, as if reading him like a book. Or looking into his very soul.

"I heard you quit school. Everyones talking about it." Was he that worth all the gossip?

"Really."

"I didn't think you'd give up that easily," She chuckled, "Especially as soon as you turned 17." There was a notable awkward silence. "You're on your own...Its cool."

He nodded, looking everywhere but at the teenaged girl. It was too hard.

"Still a virgin aren't you?" She rose an eyebrow and smirked.

"What?" Freddy sputtered, looking at her in disbelief. She had hit a soft spot. He was a virgin. He'd never had sex. He'd never experienced anything remotely close to sex. Why would he? No girl ever liked him. No girl had liked him as a friend, nor as a sex partner. Unless you counted this strange girl. Unless of course, some other Springwood High student had secret sexual fantasies she'd never confess to anyone about him. Doubtful. In fact, impossible. He had very low self esteem.

"Its okay Freddy. Don't be embarassed." She laughed softly, so soft he almost never heard, but then she looked almost sad. "I almost thought I'd be the girl you'd lose it too."

He stared at her open mouthed, in complete disgust. He couldn't believe her nerve.

"Move it." He snarled, pushing past the girl and heading up to the front doors of Springwood Elementary. Surely there would be an opening for a janitor, then he'd head over to that diner-that 24 hour truck stop diner on the outskirts of Springwood, the one where the cute waitress worked.

The End

Author's Notes

I've planned a long time, for this to be the very last chapter. Kind of odd to stop at chapter nine (an odd number) but I felt it was necessary. The end line, was suppose to be about Loretta. She works at a diner as you know. I also know it didn't end up happy. Freddy drops out of school (I got this from the Freddy timeline) gives up on this girl, and you goes to apply for a janitor position. Its sad. But of course it wouldn't be happy. Its Freddy's life. Nothing is happy in Freddy's life.

And of course, thanks for patiently waiting for the lengths of time between updating each new chapter and for reading. I appreciate all your reviews. Thanks,

Danielle