Chapter Eight
Sociology Student Vyv
A groovy note from the Hippie Mermaid: Hi Fascist Friday readers! Yeah, sorry – I know this chapter has taken a ridiculously long time! I'd be surprised if any of you are still interested! Believe me, I've just been really busy! Anyway, thankyou for your support and lovely reviews as always! Hope this chapter is OK – I only wrote it just now, on impulse, and I don't know if it sounds any good, but I thought since it has taken so long already, I might as well just post it and if it's crap, I can always go back and edit it, right?
As Vyv entered Scumbag University, he was greeted with a chorus of "Cosmo Boy" and a barrage of rotten fruit flying his way. He felt confused as he was used to cheerful greetings from friends whenever he came to Scumbag (which was usually about twice a year). Then he suddenly remembered. He was Rick: spotty wanker and the subject of universal dislike.
"Nice look, Cosmo Boy!" sneered a punk, following him menacingly as he made his way down the hallway. "Trying to look so tough to cover up the fact you're a girly, private-schooled poof! Are Mummy and Daddy upset about the piercings?"
Vyv had a strong urge to turn around and smash the guy's face in, but he had to keep reminding himself that this was Rick they were insulting, not him personally. Besides, he doubted this thin, fail little body had the strength to punch these guys out. And they were 'his people' too - the sort of guys he generally hung out with and got along with. Nevertheless, being their victim instead of their ally put those people in a whole different perspective.
So Vyv walked through the halls, dodging taunts, insults and flying objects as he tried in vain to find Jim Morrison's class.
Bugger, I wish I had gone to this place more often!
He walked around in circles. Everything looked so overwhelmingly unfamiliar. He hadn't the first clue where he was.
He then walked past a room and heard a voice whisper, "Oh look, there's Rick. I don't think he can see us. Hey, R…!"
"SHH! We don't want him to come to class!" said a male voice. It belonged to a conservatively-dressed man standing at the front of the room. Jim Morrison, Vyv assumed.
"Wait! I'm here!" cried Vyv, catching the door just as Jim began to close it. The room was filled with disappointed groans. Jim rolled his eyes as he sighed, "Yes, Rick. Please be seated."
Vyv took the nearest seat, heaving his heavy doc martins up on the desk and casually lighting up a cigarette. People stared at him.
"What?" asked Vyv, confused. He sighed. "Oh fine," he mumbled as he put his feet down and stubbed out his cigarette on the desk.
Jim Morrison cleared his throat. "Anyway, on with the lecture…"
The lecturer began to babble on about things that were incomprehensible to Vyv, his voice becoming a meaningless buzz.
"The interesting thing about history is that is seems to repeat itself over and over. We talk of peace, but as long as humans exist in a society, war, destruction, greed, hate and oppression seem inevitable. Do you believe there's any way humanity can exist peacefully? Any form social structure, any form of government that can help us to achieve this?"
Vyv raised a hand and said at the top of his voice, "Look, I propose we kill all the really annoying bastards in the world and burn down things that make us angry, like children's television studios."
There was an awkward silence at his not-very-well-thought-out theory.
"Hmmm, not the most intelligent answer I've heard but thanks for your contribution, Rick," replied Jim Morrison. "Any other suggestions?"
A number of other students put up their hands and the perpetual buzz continued.
Well, I thought it was a good idea, thought Vyv, completely perplexed.
Bored once more, he turned to his right to see an attractive girl sitting next to him.
"Hey there," he said.
When the girl turned to him, her face was a picture of horror and disgust.
"Piss off, you prick," she sneered and stood up, moving seats as quickly as she could.
Vyv was taken aback. He wasn't exactly what you'd call a "ladies man", but he had never experienced that sort of reaction.
He felt a brief spark of admiration for Rick for being able to hold his head up high despite the way people treated him. Just then, Neil's words floated back to him:
"I thought that maybe by being in each other's bodies and living each other's lives, you two could learn to understand each other. So to switch back, all you need to do is to create peace with one another."
He then screamed and fell off his seat, startled, when he discovered that Neil was crouching beside him and whispering into his ear.
"Neil! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm guiding you though your spiritual journey," Neil replied, making waves with his arms to emphasise the words "spiritual journey".
"PISS OFF, HIPPIE!" screamed Vyv and somehow, Neil disappeared that very second.
"Are you quite right there, Rick?" Jim Morrison asked.
Vyv glanced around the room and realised that everyone was staring at him.
Vyv cleared his throat and tried to make his voice as girly and poncy as possible. "Oh yes, Mr. Morrison! I'm fine! I was just reciting the lines for my role in a girly Shakespeare play!"
"Hmmm… sounds like a very interesting Shakespeare play," Jim Morrison responded wryly.
"Oh yes, it's not very well-known… It's called Piss Off Hippie. It was one of his more provocative works, caused a bit of a stir in his time and was actually banned from being performed. It only recently started being performed now and what a gem it is."
"Hmm, yes, it must be extremely rare and unknown, considering I did a unit on Shakespeare and never once came across a play called Piss Off Hippie. In fact, I've never even heard the phrase "piss off hippie" mentioned in any Shakespeare works."
Everyone around him snickered and muttered insults under their breath.
"Anyway Rick, I know you are passionate about your Shakespeare and your poetry, but could you please refrain yourself from screaming out quotes in the middle of my sociology lecture? Thankyou."
You could just tell from the snide, condescending tone in his voice that this man disliked Rick very much and generally found him to be a nuisance. Obviously, Rick had the wrong impression when he spoke of his and Jim Morrison's powerful friendship and strong mental connection. Vyv felt almost sad at this thought.
Hmmm… Maybe it is hard being Rick… Maybe I should consider NOT making his life a living hell… Vyv reflected when the lecture had continued. He shook his head. Ah, bugger it. It's his fault things got to this stage. It's not as though he's particularly nice to anyone.
Despite his many embarrassing flaws, people would probably dislike Rick a whole lot less if he weren't so arrogant and rude. Maybe even feel sorry for him.
He's not just a girly little twit, he's a bastard too.
For the rest of the lesson, Vyv kept his head down and was completely silent. Rick would be so loud and obnoxious in a class such as this - he'd be loving every minute of it, he thought. But unlike Rick, he wasn't blessed with the gift of delusion and he could see when people didn't like him - and he could see very clearly now that people didn't Rick. Not that Vyv cared if people liked him, of course - his whole life was about doing he wanted and damning the consequences. But Rick wasn't like him and Rick obviously cared very much about what people thought of him, despite his constant rants about anarchy and pathetic attempts at trying to appear like a rebel and a rule-breaker. Vyv sighed. He wanted to take this opportunity of being in Rick's body to humiliate him, to make his reputation even worse than it already is… but he just couldn't. He considered ways he could get through this University attendance without causing Rick too much trouble. Even if he was assertive, demonstrated all those skills that Vyv had used as a coping strategy and everyone had learnt to fear, it wouldn't do any good. In Vyv's opinion, Rick would just appear even more pathetic, as if he was trying hard to be something he's not. No, the only way he could see Rick was going to get through this University attendance was to be as invisible as possible.
