Disclaimer: I don't own FOP.
Bold is for thoughts.
(Following Day at school)
Timmy walked into the hallway like always. He went to his locker and opened his combination with the usual numbers and picked out the books that he usually used first period on every usual school day on Thursday. What wasn't usual was that he hadn't seen Tootie and usually he'd see her at least once before first period. She was also absent yesterday. Timmy had seen her on Tuesday and she seemed quite fine. She was unusually nervous in class that day but besides that everything went on as usual.
(Timmy's POV)
I wonder why she was so nervous on Tuesday. More so why she was she absent yesterday? Maybe Chester would know. Oh yeah, Chester. Like I'll really ask him anything, especially about Tootie.
"Well someone's fixed up today," Tad suddenly said sarcastically and I turned to see what he was talking about.
My mouth nearly fell to the floor. Chester had just reached his locker and he was MORE than just fixed up. His hair was neatly combed, he had on a white cotton shirt, black vest, black pants, black socks and shining black shoes with neatly tied black laces.
What the hell's going on here! Usually Chester's wearing his old tattered green over shirt, a white T-Shirt or marina, baggy blue jeans and a dirty pair of white sneakers. He wears the same clothes everyday and they've never been pressed nor nearly as clean as what he's wearing now makes him look as if he's richer than Tad and Chad, compared to what he used to wear. And since he lives in a trailer park and Tad and Chad live in a mansion, that's REALLY saying something.
"I just decided to take a change of pace," Chester responded, "I'm personally surprised that you're taking such high interest in clothes that I got from the Salvation Army," he added and opened his locker.
"They are interesting when your former clothes look like you rummaged them from the city dump," Chad countered and a crowd of nearby kids started laughing.
"Har, Har," was all Chester said in response.
Students gasped as I looked at him totally dumbfounded. By now Chester was usually up in arms shouting expletives and other angry words at Tad and Chad for teasing him. But now he was just calmly answering them as if what they were saying didn't even faze him.
"You want to say that again Trailer Trash," Tad said suddenly and there was a DEAD silence.
Chester had never reacted well or calmly when someone called him trailer trash. Especially when that someone was Tad or Chad.
Chester's face became red and he walked right up to Tad who was wearing a superior grin on his face.
"Har, Har," Chester repeated as he pushed his face into Tad's.
Suddenly Chester nearly doubled over. I soon saw that Tad's right hand was in a fist and quickly realized that he had punched Chester in the stomach. Chester glared up at Tad as he (Chester) knelt on his knees. Tad stood over him grinning.
"Got anything else to say trailer trash?" Tad asked.
Suddenly Chester started to laugh. I stared at him in surprise and noticed that other students looked confused while Tad looked annoyed and was clenching his fists.
(Normal POV)
"It just burns you that I'm not getting angry doesn't it?" Chester asked and Tad surprisingly started to blush despite his face looking angrier and angrier, "well get used to it," he told Tad, "because this is how it's going to be from now ON."
"You think so huh?" Tad asked, "you just earned yourself a lifetime of hell from Tad and I," he said and Timmy noticed that Chad nodded hit his right fist into his left palm, "you're going to be sorry," he whispered to Chester.
"I'm only sorry that I didn't do it sooner," Chester said boldly then stood to his feet, "I'm not going to be scared of you guys," he said, "and I'm NOT going to be your punching bag anymore," he added.
It was Tad's turn to laugh.
"And how exactly will you do that?" Tad snapped.
"By reporting you until you get into trouble," Chester responded and Tad's face contorted with fury, "I hear that Chad has a small misdemeanour on his school record," he said and Chad's face went red, "but your record's spotless Tad," he said, "or at least, it's currently spotless," he added with a grin.
(Timmy's POV)
Suddenly Tad was on top of Chester and I watched with widened eyes as they toppled across the tiled floor striking blows at each other. But then Tad got the upper hand and held Chester down beneath him with his body weight.
"You think you're such hot stuff, don't yah?" Tad snapped as he breathed hard while Chester struggled to push him off, "is it that you have sex with a whole bunch of girls or that you feel like some cool rebel why you think you're so hot?"
"Could you please not call me HOT?" Chester asked pointedly, "people might start to think that like you, I'm a homosexual," he added.
"There's nothing wrong with being a homosexual!" Tad exploded and several students including myself quickly looked the other way and I distinctly heard whistling which sounded like Chad, "thanks for the support," he said cuttingly and I looked to see that Chad was whistling and looking in the opposite direction.
"Whatever man," Chad responded but still looked away from Tad.
You know what," Chester said suddenly and I turned my attention back to Tad and Chester, "I'm bisexual," he revealed and I dropped all my books in absolute shock and disbelief.
Both Tad and Chester turned to the source of the noise and saw me. Tad raised an eyebrow but Chester suddenly looked pale and scared.
"Get off me," Chester said suddenly and I noticed not only that his eyes were closed but also that his voice was very firm.
Tad looked at Chester closely then he turned to look at me then back at Chester. Suddenly a grin appeared on his face. He leaned forward and whispered something in Chester's ear and whispered something in Chester's ear that I couldn't hear. Chester became even paler and worse started shaking almost uncontrollably.
"What's wrong with him?" I feared a female student whisper and she sounded scared.
What's going ON here? I don't know WHAT Tad could've said to make Chester THIS frightened. But I can't interfere. Messing with Tad or Chad is social suicide. (Plus) Defending Trailer Trash, even worse.
"Okay," Tad said with a shrug and got off him.
Chester rose to his feet shakily and walked to his locker.
I noticed that Chester was even paler and sickly so. He went to his locker, got his books, and walked away. Leaving his locker open. I watched him walk away; his whole disposition exuded solemn sadness and defeat.
"The tardy bell will ring soon," A.J. said suddenly and I turned to see him not far from where I stood, "you should all get to class," he told everyone and walked off as I looked after him, wondering how he could be so close to me and I never noticed him.
I knelt down and picked up my books and hurried to my first period.
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(Lunch Time)
I couldn't help but give furtive looks in Chester's direction. He looked horrible. His clothes now looked crumpled, he still looked sickly pale and I could've sworn by his taut expression and entire look, that he had lost ten pounds since this morning.
"I don't blame you for being worried," Chad said suddenly and I nearly jumped ten feet, "I'd be worried too if a bisexual person looked at me moments after his confession," he added and the other boys at the table murmured in agreement.
I nodded and returned to my lunch. Today I was sitting at the table with the rest of the soccer team. Tad played American Football but was sitting at the popular elite table where Chad would usually also sit if he weren't sitting here with the rest of the team. I sat at a different table for semi-popular students. The geeks, weirdoes and average students sat either at their own personally designated tables or at random tables that weren't taken by the popular kids.
I felt guilty as I ate, knowing that Chester was very likely still twirling around his fork and not eating anything. Soon lunchtime was almost over and the team and I rose to leave.
"Timmy," Chester said and I turned around in surprise to face him, "I have to tell you something."
"Um, what?" I responded.
Remember back in primary school," Chester started, "when A.J. started to pull you away and just plain wouldn't hang out with me?" he asked and I nodded carefully, "it was after I told him that I was gay," he said and an immediate silence fell over the entire cafeteria interrupted temporarily by the drooping of books, bags, eating utensils, and other stuff dropped from the hands of shocked students.
"You're g…g…g…gay?" I stuttered.
"Mainly in primary school," Chester told me, "I just didn't have well…feelings for girls," he continued, "and when I told A.J…."
"Wait!" Chad interrupted, "you told A.J.?" he asked Chester as if he (Chester) were nuts.
"Yeah I know," Chester said, "it was a BIG mistake," he admitted, "A.J. took it horribly," he revealed, "he refused to have anything to do with me and even demanded me to leave his house despite the fact that it was raining heavily and a storm was coming," he added.
"Was that why you ended up in the hospital and almost got pneumonia?" I asked and Chester nodded, "A.J. you ass whole!" I exploded and looked around the canteen and soon found him at the table where students who had top positions in the school as well as popularity sat, "how could you DO that?" I demanded.
"Do you know WHO he had feelings for?" A.J. asked pointedly.
"I don't care!" I exploded, "what you did was unforgivable!" I shouted, "he was OUR friend."
"From the day he was gay he was no friend of mine!" A.J. shouted back.
"Don't you mean from the day that I told you that I was gay?" Chester corrected him.
"You know what?" A.J. snapped, "I don't have to be interrogated like this!" he shouted and rose to leave.
"Just tell me why?" Chester asked in a cracked voice as he stared straight at A.J., "why did you have to stop Timmy from being my friend?"
"I wasn't about to let you corrupt him," A.J. snarled.
"Timmy loves girls," Chester said, "EVERYONE knows that!"
"Yet you still LOVE him," A.J. said and Chester paled while I had to get physical support from my soccer team to be able to continue standing, "don't you?" he pressed.
Chester looked at me like a lost sheep. I wish I could help him. Tell him that I could always be his friend. But I knew I couldn't. Social status and popularity prevented me from doing so.
"I'm sorry about what A.J. did to you," I told him and Chester sighed, "back when we were friends," I added.
"So am I," Chester responded in a voice that told me that my words were of little solace, "so am I," he repeated then left the cafeteria.
I watched him go. I slowly became able to stand on my own and signalled for the others to let me go. They did and I dusted myself off.
"Let's go," I whispered and we all headed for the cafeteria exit, "and A.J.," I said when I stopped and looked back, "never speak to me again," I said simply and left the cafeteria with the soccer team.
-----
(After School)
I racked my brain as I wondered again where Tootie was. Chester had left school after lunch claiming that he was sick. At the rate he looked, no nurse would've disbelieved him.
"Hey," I heard someone say and I could feel my blood already start to boil.
"What do you want A.J.?" I snapped and turned to glare at my former friend.
"Looking for Tootie?" A.J. asked with a knowing grin, "she's not here," he told me.
"Wow," I said sarcastically, "looking around and not seeing her wasn't enough of a clue."
"Sarcasm," A.J. said with a laugh, "she transferred schools," he revealed, "she moved away with her parents to Japan," he added.
"What?" I asked in a small voice.
"She's gone Timmy," A.J. said formally, "she left."
"No," I said in denial, "No!" I screamed and ran off before he could tell me anything else.
I could feel the tears falling down my face. I didn't know where I was going. I kept running until I came to stand at Tootie's house. My feet ached from all the running. I didn't know why the possibility of her leaving was driving me so crazy. But I just had to see her before she did anything stupid. I had to see her before she left Dimmsdale possibly for the final time. I had to stop her and make her stay. I had to tell her how I truly felt. That I…
I stopped right in front of Tootie's house.
What DID I feel?
I thought about all the times that I spent with or saw Tootie. The time that I SPENT with her were actually very few but I had seen Tootie a lot of times. I recalled when I first let her kiss me. All the times that she cheered me on when no one else had confidence in me and how she even cheered me on when I had everyone else on my side. The time when I broke her heart by telling her I didn't love her. The time when I got angry when I found out that she and Chester made out in the closet. My failed attempts at making her turn back to her old self. And finally today when I kept wondering nervously where she was all day.
"But why did I do that?" I asked myself, "I feel something for Tootie but it couldn't drive me this crazy, unless…."
I soon realized it. It had finally sunk into my dense brain. I was in love with Tootie. The girl who I had rejected was my love all along.
I knocked hard on the door with all my might. I had to speak to her. I had to tell her. I had to stop myself from being too late to get the love of my life. I just had to find her and tell her how I felt.
The door opened and I was confronted by an annoyed Vicky.
"What do you want?" Vicky demanded angrily and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I need to see Tootie!" I declared.
I watched Vicky closely as she raised a confused eyebrow and stared silently at me for a moment. Then her lips curled into a grin and she soon had a superiorly snide look on her face.
"You love her, don't you twerp?" Vicky asked with a laugh, "you finally realize it," she said.
"Shut up!" I shouted angrily and Vicky looked surprised, "just tell me where she is!"
Vicky's surprise soon turned to a face of reddened anger. Her fists were now clenched and I swore that I heard smoke coming from her ears. But just as suddenly as her anger appeared, it disappeared all together. But her snide grin returned.
"Japan," Vicky said to me and slammed the door in my face.
I stood there staring at the closed door for a moment. Japan. A.J. had told me earlier that's where Tootie and her parents had left for. Vicky couldn't have known about what A.J. had said and the idea of A.J. and Vicky forming an alliance was both idiotic and bizarre.
"She's really gone," I whispered to myself, "she's really gone," I repeated.
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had allowed the love of my life to leave me. Leave without saying goodbye. I wasn't stupid. I knew Tootie wasn't planning on returning to Dimmsdale. Why would she? Even when she changed her image, most still recalled the old Tootie and treated her as such. I tried to bring back the old Tootie. But I'd take the Tootie I saw two days ago just to have her back.
"But it's too late now," I muttered to myself, "Tootie decided to get a new life for herself," I said as I neared the street, "a new life without me," I added sadly as I started to walk across.
Suddenly I heard the blare of a horn and looked up in time to see a black SUV heading straight for me. But not in time to jump out of the way. I was hit.
Done
Yes Timmy was hit by the SUV. Look out for the finale 'How it all Ends' to find out what happened.
I wrote this story different from 'Goodbye Forever' for several reasons. The most important of which being that 'Please Remember Me' is NOT 'Goodbye Forever', it's its sequel. 'Goodbye Forever' ensured that you focused on Tootie. 'Please Remember Me' focuses on Timmy but makes it clear that they're other people present and gives you a glimpse into Timmy's lifestyle through Timmy's eyes. It shows you other things as well yes, but that's for you to comment about, not me. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review. Part Three 'How it all Ends' should be up by early July.