Chapter 2: Ughhh!

Ulrich stood, trying to control his emotions.

Anger, annoyance, worry, curiosity…

Odd was the first to recover. The new boy had stood there, hands in his pockets, small smile on his thin lips, studying the boys.

The boy in purple took a big step forward and extended his palm to the boy.

"I'm Odd!" He announced.

The smile on the boy's lips became more pronounced. "You sure are," he said. His voice was smooth and low.

Odd made a little 'hmph!' noise.

"I'm Mark." He reached with one hand and shook Odd's. After sticking it back into his pocket, he leaned sideways, trying to get a better look at Ulrich from around Odd. The smile faded from his mouth.

"Who's your fish-friend?"

Until then, Ulrich had not realized his mouth had been wide open like Odd's had been earlier, hanging at its hinges. He blinked, the came forward, hand out. "Ulrich." He announced.

The two boys shook hands.

"So, do you have a last name?" Odd asked.

Mark nodded. "Tresar. You guys?"

"Della Robbia. Yea, I know." Odd made a face.

"Stern." Ulrich said to Mark. Then to Odd he whispered, "C'mon Odd, let's get to the factory and ask Jeremy to launch a Return to the Past."

"What'll we do with Mark?" Odd responded out of the corner of his mouth.

"I'm right here. I can hear you, you know." Mark folded his arms, half angry, half curious and confused.

Odd and Ulrich immediately reddened.

"You're lucky. I have no idea what you're talking about. But I don't like when people talk about me like I'm not there when I am very clearly right here." He shook his head. His expression melted into a mask of sadness. His arms, which only a moment ago had been folded stiffly over his chest, fell limp to his sides. "Of course," he said softly, so softly Odd wasn't even sure he'd heard it, "I get that a lot." But he recovered quickly, he face once again becoming curious.

"Well," Ulrich said, breaking the momentary silence, "Odd and I have some important business to attend to. So if you'd let us into our room we'll be on our way."

Mark nodded and let the boys pass. Then he followed them into the room. He walked straight across the room, where a bed and a chest of drawers with a book shelf on top now stood. The bureau was a triangle, and fit neatly into the corner. The boy's small suitcase and back pack were laid side by side on the bed.

Mark unzipped the back section of his back pack as the interested warriors watched. He pulled out a big cork board

Mark reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of double-sided sticky-tape.

The strange new boy used his teeth to rip off four big pieces of sticky-tape. He then proceeded to stick the tape to the back of the cork board.

Ulrich and the boy in purple shared a questioning glance as Mark began to pull out various items and use tacks to put them on the cork-board, which now hung precariously on the wall.

Mark first hung notes that may have been passed in class. One script was messy and nearly unreadable. One was cursives, the lower case I's dotted with little hearts; another was simply neat, but pressed hard into the paper. The last and final was big, light, and flighty; little hearts, bugs, kittens, bats, and cars had been doodled around this one, all in amazing detail.

Next Mark hung drawings; all in pencil, some large scenes, others small items from around the house; there was a detailed drawing of a group made of four people. Odd made out names from right to left: Adam, Max, Leslie, Mark. Odd suspected this was a drawing of Mark with his old friends. But…who had drawn it?

Mark took out a collection of key chains, colorful paper clips, and finally one photo.

Mark hesitated, staring down at the photo; it was an unpleasant reminder of the past…what almost was, what was lost.

Hey, don't worry Em! Friends Forever, rhight?

Yea, BFF's!

Why not?

The three voices bounded around in Mark's head. He closed his eyes, and balled his hands into fists. He felt a searing pain strike his heart.

Adam…

Leslie…

Max…

Leslie…

Adam…

Max…

Three names. A million times.

Friend forever…friends forever…forever…forever…

The two innocent words echoed around in his head.

Don't melt down, don't melt down,

He repeated over and over in his head. Suddenly he realized Odd and Ulrich were beside him, and what it must have looked like to them.

Mark realized he was crumpling the photograph.

Deep breaths. Deeep breaths.

He told himself, and did exactly that. He felt a warm hand come down on his shoulder.

"Dude, are you okay? We should get you to the infirmary." That was Odd's voice, sounding to Mark as if Odd was a million miles away.

"I'll go tell Yolanda," Ulrich's voice sounded closer, and Mark realized that he was next to his ear.

"N…no," Mark voice broke. "I…I'm fine,"

Ulrich wasn't sure, but said "If you insist."

"Are you sure you're fine?" Odd let his hand fall from the new boy's shoulder.

Mark nodded.

Odd snorted, and almost said "You've got to be kidding me! You shoulda seen your self!" But stopped himself. Something told him not to. Instead he said, "What've you got there?"

Mark didn't respond. He leaned against the wall and smoothed the newly made wrinkle lines. He pinned the picture in the middle of the board, then turned his back so that his new roommates wouldn't see his face harden as he grabbed a map that had been sitting on the lowest shelf of the bureau and said, "I'm going to the cafeteria. You seemed to be doing something before I intruded."
He gulped, then continued, his voice breaking. "Clearly, I'm not welcome. I'll see if I can make you happy. I'll talk to the principal."

Then Mark walked out of the room, giving up once again.

***

"Talk about first impressions," Odd commented somewhat cautiously.

After he cleaned up in the bathroom (witch took more effort than you may have guessed) Mark found his way to the lunch room.

The boy marveled at how many people had stayed to eat a late lunch. He picked out some people who looked nice; A pretty girl beside to geeks who seemed to hang onto her every word. Mark squinted at her. Had he seen her before? Nah, he decided, he hadn't.

Before getting his serving, Mark picked out three more people who seemed friend-worthy: A blond boy with round glasses who seemed to be working very intently working on a project on his computer. The second was a girl with black hair, who passed Mark as he entered, who had been wearing black pants and a black shirt. Last but not least, Mark chose a boy who seemed to be watching the girl in black. He was eating, and Mark decided to sit with him.
Mark was heading out of the lunch line when he was nearly tripped by the boy he'd wanted to sit with.

Mark mentally crossed him off his 'To be friends with' list, and decide upon the blond boy working on his computer. He headed off toward the back of the cafeteria.

Jeremy was working so hard on his laptop, he didn't notice the strange boy sit down across from him. He was carefully entering a complicated code, when…

"Hello!"

"Yahh!" Jeremy yelped with surprise. He pushed his glasses to a better position and leaned around the computer to get a better look at the person who'd spoken.

"You scared me," Jeremy accused. "I don't think we've met before,"

"We haven't. I'm new here. This looks like an expensive computer."

"It is. I'm Jeremy." Jeremy confirmed. Then he told Mark the price.

Mark whistled. "Wo-o-o-ow! I used to have a computer like that before…well, before a lot of stuff." Mark was getting a little uncomfortable. He changed the subject.

"So, do you" Mark was cut off by a loud beep emitted from the computer. Apparently it was something to Jeremy that caused him to mutter 'bye,' to Mark then abruptly leave.

Mark sighed, and carried his tray towards a somewhat empty table. A girl sat down next to him, causing him to start. He hadn't expected any one to some up to him.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Tillie. What's your name?"

Mark smiled easily at the small girl. "Mark," He told her. "I'm starting today."
"No wonder I haven't seen you before," she laughed. "I know everyone. If not by name, by face."

Mark nodded. He opened his mouth to ask a question, any question at all, when the girl abruptly said, "Oh look at the time! I'd better be going! Bye!" She pushed her chair away from the table and with a three-fingered wave to Mark, left. She hadn't been carrying a lunch tray.

Mark sighed and stared glumly at his lunch. He slumped in his chair and began to sadly shove the peas into his mouth. After one bite, he decided he didn't want any more food. Suddenly everything had begun to remind him of his mother.

His dead mother. He shoved the now some-what cold lunch into the trash and dropped the tray onto the pile of dirty trays. Then he tramped outside.

This isn't a good way to make new best friends, murmured a little voice in the back of his head.

Head high, shoulders straight, big smile, He recited in his mind. He did just that, yet again sighing inwardly. He found a bench near the edge of the grounds, and leaned back, surveying the dark forest ground.

Wait. What just moved between the trees? A bear? A raccoon?

No it looked like… like a person.

A flash of blue appeared again, then disappeared in time for a flash of pink to do the same thing. Mark strained his eyes, trying to comprehend what he'd just seen.

A blond boy had been running in the forest with a girl with pink hair.