I never given much thought on how I would die - though I had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I stared without breathing across the glade, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me. Surely it was a great way to die, in the place of someone I loved. That ought to count for something. I knew that if I'd never gone to Berxley, I would not be facing death right now. Terrified as I was, I could not being myself to regret the decision. The hunter gave me a look that screamed like he was grinning before he sauntered forward to kill me.
My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled halfway down. It was a windy ninety-eight degree night in Texas and the drive alone was awkward. The sky was bare of any clouds and the moon shined down upon the two thousand and twenty-tree lexus. One of many expensive items my mom had to buy since we won the lottery a few years ago. Course, unbeknownst to her, I had switched our cards so that only she could get so much per month and I had free access. I kept my mouth shut about it and she never questioned it. As I munched on the cheese and caramel mix of popcorn, I gazed up at the moon while I fiddled with my medical bracelet.
In the wilderness of Maine, a small town named Berxley exists under a near-constant cover of clouds and mountains. It was from this town and it's gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only two and a half years old. It was in this town that I'd been forced to spend a month every summer up until I was eleven. My mom loved to travel and for the past four years, we was in Texas. It was to Berxley that I now exiled myself - an action that I took with shame. I hated Berxley. I loved Galveston. The endless chains of local restaurants and the ocean made me spend my summers at the beach. I'll miss eating at The Flamingo where the owner himself cooked fish and chicken served with a side of real potato slices.
"You don't have to do this," My mom said for the millionth time this past week alone. She was in her late thirties, had brown hair, and hazel eyes. She was a tad overweight for a five foot four woman and wore clothes that a young adult would wear. While I enjoyed the beach for it's eye candy, food, and soaking up the sun, she enjoyed it for all the wrong reasons. Even if some of them was married. So how could I leave my crazy and erratic mother to fend for herself? A few of her boyfriends threatened me once or twice over just my existence alone behind her back. One of the reasons why I wanted to leave but I had to lie to her. "Mom, I want to go," I said to her with a mouth full of popcorn.
She took my bag of sweets since I could not take it with me and hugged me tightly until the airline employee announced that the plane was ready for take off. I was glad that I was in first class and only carried my bookbag with me. We was rich but not that rich to be snooty and prissy. Well maybe a little since I saw what was on the menu. Plus, I knew all the tricks to make space for clothing and my electronics. Course, my father told me a shopping spree of new clothes and a room was all mine once I landed. I was happy for that since all my clothes was mainly for the summer heat.
Still, I had three shirts, two pairs of jeans, and a pack of new underwear and socks. My laptop and Nintendo Switch was in the other section of my bookbag along with the cords and charger for my phone. The small pouch in the front held my medicine which caused a small alarm but the security guard passed me through once I explained what it was. Thank the heavens for the doctors note. Once settled in my seat and the plane took off, I took out my Switch and started to play a game or two. With the volume down low, I didn't disturb anyone and when my phone alarm reminded me to take my meds, I asked for a bottle of water.
It was almost a six hour flight from Texas to Maine and my legs was killing me. The stops along the way made me confused and I had to ask a few people to where to go. My anxiety was making me panic until I triple checked everything and got confirmation by an employee. My mom called and texted during those stops and it was her telling me how much she missed me already. I ignored her. Another hour or two on another plane, and then a smaller plane to the Granville Airport that ended up being a thirty minute drive to Berxley. It was almost lunch time by the time I gotten into my dad's car.
He had been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time without being forced by my mother. He even got me registered for high school and was going to get me a new car. I knew he was in all for it about by decision to leave Galveston but hated the reasons. He wanted my mom to join at first but after I told him about the story I made up and the real reasons why, he went with it and even added to my lie to my mom.
He surprisingly looked like me besides the eye color difference. We was both skinny to average sized and had short black hair. While his was thinning, I had mine in a hawk fade and the top dyed red. Well It was red but now it was a shade of pink and my roots was showing. Even in his early fourties, his green eyes still had a shine to them. So why my eyes was hetro of one right blue iris and the left was one green with some blue in it? The same reason why my mom left Berxley in the first place. She had no idea who my father was and when the guy that raised me heard that a few of his own friends was damaning a DNA test, she fled. My eyes was the only thing that stood out from the town besides my white skin.
Brandon was still my father even if he was not blood related. From what I remembered, he always did his best to make me comfortable and made me see the bright side of things. The summers was like Texas but Brandon said it only reached the high eighties. It was the winter nights that I was dreading for I heard that it would be in teens or even the singles. How I was supposed to live here up until graduation? Brandon's warm, big hand clamped down on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay," He said to me. "Now school already started almost a month ago but I know most of the teachers and they all are aware of your uhm.. Issue."
"Dad, it's just diabetes," I said as he took his hand of my shoulder. "Now the only thing I do want for sure is a mini fridge. Put my meds in it and some drinks just in case." Then it hit me when I watched a truck drive by. "Oooh! Can I get something sporty? You know, like a subaru?" Brandon took a quick glance at me before letting out a noise that sounded like a mixture of a snort and clearing of this throat. "I was thinking more like a ford or even a ram. Now I know the guy and your old man can haggle." I was not at all serious of getting a subaru for I seen them in the city so much it made me sick. That and moped scooters the young adults think they are some biker gang. Real manly for a horn that sounds like a clown horn on a bike. A snicker from me made him look at me again before we settled into silence.
Berxley was a town that was surrounded by the eastern deciduous forest and the wildlife to prove it. Bears and moose sometimes wondered in the town but the bears was easier to scare off. Each building either looked like it was made from wood, red bricks, or siding panel and the folk that was walking around was dressed surprisingly in loose summer clothes. Right near from the town's border, I saw a large blow up balloon of a cowboy and the billboard sign that advertised low prices on used vehicles. I guess it paid to be the towns Chief officer because when the car stopped and we both got out, a loud voice yelled, "Well there's the Sheriff!"
The voice belonged to an olive skinned man with a stomach that I called the beer gut. Faded blue jeans and a red flannel shirt covered his body and a cowboy hat was set askew on his brown hair that looked like it had been washed in motor oil. He even smelled like metal and tobacco when he shook my dad's hand then offered his hand to me. With a noise of uncertainty, I took a step back. "Ah! Not like the old man, ay? That's a'rite. Now, ye lookin for a car? Choose yer pick, sonny." I was not sure if he was doing a pirate accent or not but it made me hurry to the cars faster than my dad could say "Nothing over five grand!"
I didn't know much about vehicles besides to check if the basics are in order. Like what kind of gas it needed, how to know if the oil needs checking and changed, and making sure the tires was not flat. My dad was to make sure if anything else was good before I bought the one I picked. I passed any car that was over dad's budget and silently longed for the nineteen sixty-seven mustang convertible that seen better days. I leaned over the driver's door a bit and seen that the interior was an arcadian blue with a beige accent. The seats looked like a bear had gotten to it, the carpet was no better, and the dash was more wires than an old timey telephone switchboard. "Good lord. Eight grand for this?" I asked myself.
"I know right?" A voice said near me. Like any reasonable person, one would startle a bit and face whatever that made the person jump. Me? The best reaction I had was to completely fall forward and land face first into the driver's seat with a loud but extremely short squeak. While I frantically pulled myself up off the indescribable scent of the seat that filled my nose, the voice behind me started to laugh. I deserved that but I didn't expect that I'd be pulled right up by two hands that grabbed my sides. When I turned to face the one that saved me, I just... Stared.
He was copper toned and had a rather buff build under the softness of still being a lazy teenager. He wore a V neck grey shirt with a black hoodie over it and a set of acid washed jeans. His black hair was styled in a faded faux but the top was probably only an inch long at best. His warm brown eyes stared into mine for a second before the pain of it made me look away. "I'm Mike," He said in cheerful tone. His voice was hoarse and sounded like he was getting over a cold, yet I didn't say anything other than my name. "Alex." Well it wasn't my full name but I hated 'Alexander.' It reminded me of some strong leader and I was far from it.
He looked at the car than back at me. "My dad's been trying to sell this car for years. I personally think it needs to go to the dump," He said then kicked the flat tire. I lifted my left shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know about the dump. A good project if you have the money probably. Uhm, you have any trucks under five?" I asked. He nodded and then lead me towards a few trucks that was lined up. I found that his father was Mr. Shaw and he was more interested in selling cars more than working on them. Mike was more of the brains and mechanic of the two and told me that two trucks in the line was in no condition to be out on the road. "I tried to make at least one vehicle great out of all of this but Berxley only has so many cars to pick from the car graveyard. This place should be Shaw's Shit Cars than Shaw N' Sons," he explained.
"How old are you?" I blurted out. He looked no more than my age but looks was deceiving on most people. "Almost sixteen. I know but I've been working on cars since I could hold a screwdriver," He said then pointed me to the truck that needed a paint job. It was an early two thousand chevrolet silverado with some rust spots on the frame yet after testing out the basics, I grew fond of it. Plus it was a grand and a half below the budget and my dad took it out for a test run. When he got back, he paid Mr. Shaw and handed me the keys. "All yours, son," He said proudly. "Now don't up over sixty. It has this awful noise." Shit, i was scared to take any car i drove up to even fourty if I didn't know the road or car very well.
Driving it behind my father was a bit nerve wracking but i made sure to keep an even amount of awareness to my surroundings. He lived not far from town and since his sherif's car was in the driveway, we both had to park on the side of the road. "Can't believe you'll be sixteen and already have a license," He said once we made it to the front door to his house. "Eh. States are different," I said as I tightened my hold on my bookback's strap then followed him inside. True the legal age was sixteen or seventeen in some states but due to my mom putting down the wrong dates while buzzed, I got mine a year early. Plus by how swamped the DMV was, the man behind the desk was too irritated to notice my moms mishap.
The house was a two story brick with the famously common black roof and gutters. Each window frame was complete with white shutters that was mounted instead of actually working and the yard was decent enough despite how much leaves had fallen onto it by the tree that threatened to take the sidewalk apart in the front yard. Inside was surprisingly neat and smelled like spiced pears. My nose wrinkled at the strong scent before I coughed out "Bit strong." Brandon apologized and said it was better than smelling the game he hunted. Course the backyard shed and the huge ice box was the source of that.
The floors was all fake hardwood and the walls was baran of any color. Stark eggshell white with a hint of baby blue for the trim and ceiling. The kitchen and dining room needed an upgrade on appliances for it gave me early 90s vibes by how much wood was in the small area. I could see a laundry room that had dirty clothes in front of the washing machine and judging by one of the shirts, I guess my dad hunted before picking me up. "Rooms upstairs," He said. "If you are not too jet lagged, maybe we can get a bite to eat and get you some proper clothes for after school. Oh, I forgot. The pink? Change it and school uniforms are a must. School has rules." "It was red," I said mostly to myself as I made my way up the stairs.
The upstairs had four doors and two was a towel storage closet and the other the bathroom. Only one door was open and by the looks of the wallpaper, it was my room. A twin mattress that was still in plastic was near the door when I walked in and a desk with a swivel chair was in front of the window that looked out in the backyard. There was just enough room to go to the closet and, after removing the plastic and shoving the bed into the far corner, the room looked bigger. The desk was light enough to move it away from the window and made mental notes on what to get. Thank the heavens I still had my credit card. Well, my mothers but my dad did not have to know.
I was not that tired, in fact that i was fine enough to get into his truck and take me to a diner after I put my meds in the fridge and the black zippered pouch in my pocket. The place looked like something from the sixties and the atmosphere was pleasant. The waitress was either too friendly or trying to flirt while asking what we wanted. After we ordered, I took out the pouch and opened it to check my blood sugar. A child, probably curious as to what I was doing, watched from two booths away as i poked my right ring finger.
After so many years of testing, I still manage to hit a nerve once in a while. With a sharp intake of breath, I placed the drop of blood onto the test strip then wiped the finger on my jeans. It took a few seconds to get the reading and once I saw the number, I set to work on putting everything back into my pocket. "I'm good," I said then waited for my food. I noticed that across the diner, a group of teens sat around the only booth that was a half circle. While all of them was loud and throwing fries at each other, one was busy repeating the action of moving the straw of his milkshake up and down. It was when he was pelted by fries was when he looked up at them and joined the food fight.
Unlike the black or brown hair that seemed to be the dominant trait around here, his hair was stark white. He wore a black shirt with a white wolf silhouette on the front with a font that was hard to read and black jeans that had far to many chains and buckles on them. He almost looked like a skater boy from the late nineties to the early two thousands. All he needed was some piercings. A snap of fingers made me blankly stare at my dad before I asked what he said. "I said after this, the local store has all the clothes you need," He said then looked where I was previously staring. "Ah, the so called Berxley Gang. They go to your school if I remember correctly"
I made a hum-like noise then lightly sniffed as if I caught a new scent. It was and it was placed in front of me. I was not a big fan of pickles so I left them to rot on the plate while I enjoyed my burger and half my fries. I knew to much starchy foods would raise my blood sugar up too high so I was glad that the lady gave me a diet pepsi without ice. I'd much preferred anything else that was diet but the menu said otherwise. "They don't pose a threat since they just hang out in town and the lake. Make friends but stay out of trouble okay?" He asked. Noticing that I was ignoring the pickles, he snatched them up. "I'm more of a theatre and band kid, dad. How much can I get in trouble?" I asked with a grin. That earned me a look from the Berxley gang but I was to focused on adding A1 sauce to my burger.
After lunch, the store where I got my clothes was interesting. It used to be a restaurant then a bar before a couple bought it. It looked to be a knock off of a thrift store by how much clothes looked warn and out of style. There was even an isle that was nothing but school uniforms and I grimaced. Like the town, the jacket was a gloomy dark grey color and the pants was black. The girls black skirts was plain and long, giving nothing to imagination and it reminded me of church. The button up dress shirts was all the same and I just knew, if wet, they was going to be transparent. Black and grey ties was in plastic ziplock baggies on a table and was marked with prices.
Since everything was dirt cheap, I got five sets and placed them in the cart that had only one working wheel and it wanted to go left when I pushed it. Shopping for normal clothes was the hardest for I did not like what I see. I settled for plain shirts that was a size to big and the jeans I tried on before paying was either blue or black. I even gotten a belt, a few jackets, and even a winter coat before going to the checkout counter. The old woman had a fake smile and her voice screamed that she hated children when she asked if I got everything I needed. I nodded and when Brandon started talking to her, she built her walls even more. "Oh, a city kid. How wonderful," She said with gritted teeth.
It was when a girl's voice spoke up, that her fake aura broke for only a fraction. "Abuela, can I get an ice cream?" I turned halfway to spot a girl about my age. Her slightly curly hair was dyed and that I could tell she wanted it a natural red but it didn't quite turn out that way, and her eyes was a bright hazel. Like everyone here, her skin was light brown and she had the most cutest button nose. Her large round glasses made me think of a character from a book that I read when I was a preteen and the freckles across her cheeks and nose added to the cuteness. The orange sweater that dangled off one shoulder was clearly old and her jeans was hip riders. I could almost see the bright neon pink thong whenever she moved her upper torso side to side in a sway. The only saving grace was the white tank she wore underneath and the matching pink bra.
"Hi! I'm Ashlyn but people call me Ash. Your new here?! I love your hair!" She asked in a overly cheery way. I nodded before saying "Thanks. I'm Alex. I'll be staying here until I graduate and head off for collage. We supposed to wear dress shoes with this funeral garbage?" Her giggling and he grandmother's scowl earned me some points. Mixed readings but hearing my dad stifle his laugh behind me, the odds was good. "We used to wear buckled black shoes but the princable gotten so many complaints about them, we can wear our own" "Ah. So ditch the funeral and add the nineteen hundreds with sketchers. Got it," I said with a grin. The grandma shoved my bags into my arms and waved me away. "Shoo shoo! Holding up the line!"
I didn't want to be in the store any more than she wanted me there, so I left with Brandon. Ash followed and stopped me as I closed the door. Bags between my feet, I pressed the button for the window to slide down so she could speak. "Pay to mind to her. She always hated everyone. You are going to Berxley High right? Freshman?" Brandon confirmed it since I had no idea where the school even was. I surely did not see it in town or seen saw signs around. "Great! I'm a sophomore so I can help you navigate the halls. Bye, Alex!" And with that, I made a friend.
Back home, after we went to another store to get me a mini fridge and a few other items, I put all my clothes in the washing machine and headed upstairs to my room. With my bed now made and my laptop on the desk, I made a few more arrangements. A fluffy rug was now taking space on the bare floor and the fridge was in the corner beside the window. The nightstand beside my bed had a salt lamp that casted a rainbow on the walls and my Switch was charging on the floor. I needed a small TV stand and flatscreen but a quick amazon search made it easy.
I checked my blood sugar again and then googled where the school was before I headed downstairs. Brandon was on the couch and when he noticed me, he sat up. "Okay?" He asked. "Yeah. I just need a flatscreen and I'll be set. Uhm, why is the school showing up in another county?" I waved my phone to make sure he knew my sources. "This town is actually within the Franklin county area so it'll be like that. Since it's confusing and the GPS will take you anywhere but the school, you'll be on the bus for tomorrow morning." Well that explained a few questions. It was normal for a big city to have a few counties inside it and one my friends back in Texas proved it.
"So any town rules? Be back by nine? Oop, hold on," I asked as I ignored yet another text from my mom. It reminded me to look up the time difference and set the alarm accordingly so that i wouldn't take me meds late or early enough to make me sick. "There." I put my phone into my pocket and stared at him. This prompted him to tell me about the curfew which was ten yet most businesses close around seven anyway. "Besides the movie theater. Stays open until midnight. I get home around eight but you know. . . Late calls, do happen so if I'm gone in the morning, don't worry about it. I'm not used to anyone in the house so the kitchen is kind of bare of food at the moment. I'll run to the store tomorrow. I don't know what your mom allowed you to do so.. No alcohol or any type of smoking. That means vaping. No girls in the hou-" That made me grimace and shake my head. "Uhm..Dad."
I inhaled before I started to play with the medical tag on the chained bracelet. Getting this nervous since I landed here was the least of my worries. It was the upcoming doom of the school bus. "I don't know if mom told you but. . . Okay, I like girls but I also like.. I mean I never actually dated or-I never kissed anyone if you thi-" I guess he got what i was saying because he raised his hands and closed his eyes for a second or two.
"Ah, ah, ah! Okay." He opened his eyes as he lowered his hands. "Like both. Never done anything." He said to himself before giving me a tiny nod. Or was it a confirmation on his end to himself? "Ash is an acception though. She's openly gay. I don't like it personally but bedroom talk of any kind I-" He shook his head which told me plenty. He allowed it only when it was suitable for public. I gave him a thumbs up before I told him I was tired and should put my clothes in the dryer when done.
Knowing that the first month or so was going to be hard with the new timeline and changes, sleep would be sporadic. So I did whatever a normal teenager would do. I played my Switch until it was on a low battery then got on my laptop. I was surprised that the house had internet but then seeing that I did watch Brandon search through the menu on the Roku TV, I guess it wasn't that big of a deal. Getting my personal matters turned over to the new address like my Friendtastic account marking me that I now live in Berxley, was no big deal. I rubbed my eyes once I was done and hissed at the pain. The brightness of the screen was getting to me, So I went to bed.
The new smell of the blanket and the texture of the unwashed sheet made me toss and turn and it was just when I was about to fall asleep, the buzzing of the washing machine woke me. Sleep did find me for when my phone alarm blared, it was already six AM. A dreamless sleep always made me feel exhausted. After using the bathroom and then noticing that my dad was not home, I quickly dressed in the school attire and made my way downstairs. Maybe the school had something to eat for breakfast if the bus took me there early.
With my bookbag empty and my phone set on the vibrate setting, I went outside. Remembering a bus stop not far from the house, I headed towards it and waited with a mom and her two children that looked to be around five and seven. "Hi," I said in a fake bright tone. She ignored me but the youngest was interested in the shiny object on my wrist. "What dat?" He asked. "Mmm? It's a special thing I have to wear for if I get sick, the doctors will know what to do." And so the twenty plus questions started until the bus came.
Just as i expected but I was shocked to see the shorter version of a bus I was used to seeing. When the mom leaded to oldest on, I bit my lip before asking the driver. "This goes to the high school? Berxley, right?" I was giving a thumbs sign to head to the back and so I went. Three other children sat in two seat near the driver and few in the middle was empty. The back seats had only one teen and I blanched for a second. It was the one with stark white hair!
When his green eyes met mine, my entire face felt like it was on fire. They looked to be contacts by how unnaturally bright they were but they was also dark. It was like photoshop but real. When the bus begand to move, the motion made me jerk forward and that alone made me sit down in a seat. "Not supposed to have dyed hair," The driver said. "Shi-Uhm-Crap sorry." I said as I made myself sink lower in the seat. God it felt like i was sitting on concrete with only half an inch of foam on it. Well, after school i was sure to go to the dollar general and get a pack or two of hair dye. The ride was decent enough since we had to pick up a few more kids. Mainly for the elementary and middle and when they got off at their schools, it was just me and the teen behind me.
The High school was decently large when our bus pulled in. Two stories tall and the brick was an arrangement of an entire mix of colors. An older building for sure but it still looked like it was only a few decades old by how it was well cared for. Finding the cafeteria was easy enough and luckily had cash on me to buy breakfast before I headed towards to the main office. Walking alone in a hallways full of teens was making me nervous. No one really paid me attention until someone shouted "Gay hair alert!" This made me lower my head and dash forward. I had no idea where the white haired guy went so I couldn't ask him where the office was. Feeling hot under the jacket,despite it being freezing cold in the school, made me aware that an attack was coming. That is until I felt someone hug me from behind and squeal out "Bestie!"
Normal teens would have accepted the embrace but I had the opposite effect. I tense up and squeezed my eyes shut. "Don't touch me!" I said in a not so calm voice. The arms let me go to be replaced by hands. "Whoa, hey, it's just me!" Ash said then in a calmer tone "You okay?" I opened my eyes to see her now in front of me with a worried look. "I don't like people touching me," I explained then showed her my wrist. After she read what was on the tag, she gasped. "Oh! I'm sorry!" To change the subject, I asked where the office was and she let me follow her. I was unaware at I had eyes watching me up until I entered the slightly warm room of the office.
Ash stayed beside me as I told them about my medical issues and asked if I could always have a bottle of orange juice with me just in case. Some teachers allowed drinks and food while others did not. The hair was a warning yet I told them it'll be dyed black tomorrow. After they gave me my schedule, locker number and the combination, I studied the list of classes. "Is it too late to change gym to band or art class? I'll even take home education."
The lady behind the desk sighed before she said "Explain to Mr. Cobb about your situation. I'm sure the worst he can do is for you to walk." At least I had theatre to look forward to. When Ash and I left the room, she looked at the list before she smiled. "Besides History and Theatre, we have all classes together. Ooo, the lockers will be hard though. Yours is in the three hundred wing and most classes are in the hundred wing first and second floors. You didn't change your hair."
"Yeah, my dad forgot to get dye for it" I said as I ruffled my bangs before swiping them back. I forgot to style it and now they gave me funny set of bangs in the middle of my forehead. Math was first and the teacher allowed me to have drinks in class after I told her about my issue. The tag was a huge help afterwards since the English teacher disapproved at first but accepted it only for me. Sure Ash was in most of my classes but i was catching familiar faces fast so if she was sick, I had a face to follow in the hallway until I remembered where to go. Plus, being the new kid, I was quite popular. I also caught the mysterious male among the classes as well. So far, he was in all my classes and sat in the very back.
Being the son of the sheriff, I got asked questions about my life. Then it was about what was wrong with me and how was Texas. The diabetes was the easy part but the other was hard. That is until a voice broke the crowd. "Leave him alone will you?" I knew that voice! It was Mike! He then stole my binder which had the schedule inside the clear plastic on the front and gave it a once over. "Math first? Boo!" He then went down the list, catching the ears of a certain someone. "History, Science, Lunch-After science you go straight there. I know I sure missed it when I was new here on my first day-Homeroom is just a break period. English, Gym, and then Drama. Mr. Cobb will whip your ass!"
I snorted before saying "Let's see how hard he does when I'm passed out. Mess with my health and stand in my way, i'll fuck anyone!" Ash noticed my slip up and started to laugh behind her hands while Mike just smiled and lead me to my locker. Since I had books now to carry, homeroom was mainly the time for kids to switch out books for the afternoon classes and hang out. "It's 'fuck up', Alex," Ash giggled through her fingers and with my blank stare and asked what i just said to make her laugh, she and now Mike erupted in laughter. Cheeks now red in embarrassment, I hurried to lunch. Big mistake for now everyone was trying to get know me.
When it was time for gym, Mr. Cobb glared at the tag before ordering me to keep active and not catch me on the bleachers. He was an overweight man and wore the uniform of a red shirt and brown shorts with knees high socks. If I was caught, then I had to run around the gym in a fast sprint. So walking it was. I didn't mind it since i had an excuse to drink my not so cold orange juice after testing my sugar. After a slice of pizza and fries for lunch with a small bag full of milk that I managed to cause a volcano of chocolate to spew all over the table, it was still a bit to low. I was used to cartons so the milk bags was foreign to me. It did make the teens that surrounded me have a good kick out of it.
Drama was confusing since the door was locked with a sticky note saying to go to the auditorium but after I asked a few teens, I found it. The room itself smelled of old carpet, cleaning product, wood, and musty curtains. Most found it disgusting but I liked the smell of the rows of folded seats and the wooden stage with those heavy curtains that threatened to give anyone cutes if they touched it. The lights was off besides the ones that illuminated the stage so I was even more confused. "Erm.. Hello?" I asked. My voice slightly echo'd which made me bite my bottom lip. With a hum, I started to head back, thinking i was being tricked. "Don't bother," A male's voice said. The eerie darkness and the echo of his voice made me shiver.
"Mrs. Shmit never teaches us and most of us leave. Just you and me, newbie," He said then stepped into the dimly lit up area where I could see him. "Davian Abanokin. Grandson of the Chief that settled here a few generations back. My father kept the name of my tribe as tribute to the true founding father of Berxley that your thieving grandfather stole from" I stared at him with a blank expression before I smiled. A mistake on my part for Davian advanced forward with a growl. "W-Wait! I don't know my actual father!" I explained as I backed up from him "Brandon just signed the birth certificate!" He stopped in his tracks and glared hard at me with his green eyes before crossing his arms.
I wasn't sure how much of native american indian he had in him for he was whiter as me. Compared to him, I was tan. I didn't want to ask how far the Abanokin had settled in Maine and i was burnt out from history class to care. "I'm Alex." I said before I felt another wave of dizziness. Oh, shit. "Heard it was Alexander," He countered before he started to walk in my direction again. This time, I didn't move on account that I started shaking and said, "Hate my name actually. I guess my mom didn't look forward on raising a bisexual that loved drama and-oh no."
Fuck Mr. Cobb and him making me run when he caught me standing to catch my breath! It was not hard for me to have low blood sugar fast and this one was hitting hard. I quickly grabbed the nearest seat to sit down in and took in deep breaths. "Drink. Now," I gasped as I tried to take out my blood sugar tester. That failed and no use testing it when I felt like i was about to drop off the edge of the earth. So I just gripped the seats armrests as if that could help me find a place to ground myself. Realizing that I was not faking, Davian moved from my view.
I was not sure how long it was but when a rim of a bottle was forced against my lips, I knew it was going to be interesting for him. "N-no! N-n-nas-" I stuttered as I turned my head away from the only source that could keep me alive. I only had a few incidences where my sugar was too low that I fought off the ones that helped. One was so bad that I passed out and I found myself in the hospital. That was when i was diagnosed with borderline type one. Keep my sugar at a reasonable level for two years and I'd be free. The only issue is to find a doctor that listens.
"Oh for-" I wasn't sure what he said before that because I was now with a mouthful of soda. He had my chin with his thumb and forefinger and had raised my head so I was forced to swallow. Pain grew by how hard he held my face and the other reason that I couldn't explain. The freezing cold of the liquid burned my throat! I gasped afterwards and through my frantic and confused mind, I was sane enough to blurt "More!" He was better at it than most for he kept giving me tiny amounts rather than letting me chug it.
When I was normal again, he let me hold the bottle of pepsi and lean against the back of the chair in front of me. He stared at me as I finished the drink then said, "At first I thought it was an act. Your really are a diabetic." I smiled at him before shaking my bracelet by moving my wrist. "Not a fashion statement. My medicine does help keep it where it should be but excessive activity brings it down. Thanks by the way," I said as I now looked at his hair. I wonder if it was soft as I imagined it.
He continued to stare at me before asking. "What is haphe?" My cheeks flushed as I looked anywhere but his face. "Haphephobia. Fear of touch. It's also a type of an anxiety disorder and in some cases PTSD. Something happened when I was too little to remember and ever since then, I hated being touched by people. The tag only has enough space. It does have a code that people can scan on the back of it. There's a list of the issues. It also plays a part as to why I'm always with a bottle of high sugary drinks." I explained. "Mr. Cobb stole and drank my flavored sugar water."
I guess my episode was enough to pass the time for the alarm bell rang. I was starting to hate the jingle for it reminded me of an alarm clock my grandma had. I did miss the stones that marked the time instead of numbers and the little bird that popped out every hour. It stopped working on the day she died and no one could fix it. "Come on" He said and then hurried outside. Homework was easy for I only had three books to take home and the piece of paper that served as bookmarks was my saving grace. On the bus, I took the seat that I had in the morning and leaned against the cold window after I told the driver that i was going to be a driver and not wait on me.
Davian got on three minutes later and took his seat just as the driver finished talking to someone. On the ride home, I focused on my breathing until Davian's eyes bore into my brain. How they looked like emeralds that caught the light of the moon but dark enough to be a green agate. Thirty minutes later, I was in my bedroom. i pushed the color of green back in my mind and focused on my homework until my dad entered the house. For dinner, it was wild caught fish he already cleaned and breaded before frying it up and mac and cheese. After I told him about my day and what happened with Mr. Cobb, he rubbed the stubble that was growing on his face. "Word with him tomorrow too." I took in a deep breath before mumbling "New state. New me"