"...come in! Come in…!"
"...how are…"
"...and you…?"
"...let's not…"
"...listen…"
"...and then…"
"...so…"
"..."
"...doesn't…"
"...okay…!"
"...no, I…"
"...compromise…"
"...but…"
"...mmh…"
"..."
"..."
"...ngh…"
"..."
"..."
"...mwa…~"
"..."
"..."
"...stop…"
"...it's…"
"...n-no…!"
"...okay… okay… okay…"
"...yeah…?"
"..."
"..."
"...Johnny…"
"..."
"...Johnny…"
"...?"
"...Johnny…"
"H-huh?"
"JOHNNY-SAN!"
I yelped, jolting in my seat and nearly falling over. Rubbing my shut eyes, my dazed mood dampened at the giggling and whispers of the other students. Where was I? At a desk, an open notebook, a sweat spot on paper-
"Johnny-san, are you even listening?" Looking at the front of the room, the teacher was tapping his foot impatiently, the blackboard the old schooler insisted upon using full of gibberish.
"Uh… yeah?"
"I am glad. Then, would you like to translate this sentence?" The teacher stepped aside, pointing at one of the incomprehensible lines of bubbles and straws.
Sucking in my cheeks, I thought short and hard, drawing a decent answer, "Sir, the only words I know in Seaspeak are curses!"
The gossip stopped. Absolute silence reigned supreme for that moment. Then, many burst out in laughter.
"Alright! Quiet, you rascals!" The teacher regained control over the class, sending me a knowing glare. He could dream all he wanted; I was never, ever, ever, going to dedicate a single brain cell to the study of fish tongue. They had parasites on that organ!
Once the noise died down and regular programming resumed, I crossed my arms, resting my head on the improvised cushion. Indeed, I was the class I loathed most, though it was the fourth hour so lunch was just around the corner. Drawing circles on the table with an index, I frowned at the… lucid dream?
It was so strange. For the past week, today was Wednesday, I kept experiencing the same dream over and over. Whether I napped during boring periods or clocked in the night, that meeting remained as fresh as reheated pizza, Papa's brand. And…
I wasn't sure what they meant. That… those feelings were… new territory. I was staying in Cherryton, I got what I wanted, like usual, but… I was conflicted. Something deep inside told me it was wrong, on more levels than my teenage self could imagine.
However, she'd reassured me it was perfectly normal. It was a cultural gap, a friendly gesture, everyone in her family did that. It reminded me of numerous sub-European and Asian customs which justified her claims but…
I didn't know. And the addition of… what could it be called, that feeling? Like… my belly was a kettle and a steady stream of steam was escaping, or warm syrup coated in poprocks lining my stomach's walls, something warm and fuzzy. It wasn't unwelcome, pleasant even, but… too many of those, too many butts. Hehehe, butts.
I smiled, taking a deep breath. When all fails, poopoocaca humor saves the day.
Since I had nothing better to do, I started packing my belongings. It wouldn't be long before the bell rang across the school grounds. Everything on my desk returned into my backpack except an unrelated notebook and a pencil. I opened the first page from the end, admiring my handiwork over the last half year.
It all started with the eight planet, where all good adventures blossom like the cherry trees outside. A rocket's trail invaded the edge of the page, so I turned it over. New worlds, new denizens, neither human nor animal; objects. Page after page, I envisioned scenarios of random characters working together or fighting; a toaster electrifying a zeppelin in a sulfur cloud, a train coiling around a moon like a python, a pair of closets playing cards to capture the heart of a maiden drawer.
It was so silly. If anyone found this collection, I'd die of embarrassment. Perhaps I was exaggerating but it was my thing, and I'd like to keep it that way.
When I reached the last page of my own little universe, the urge to continue the rocket's journey awakened. I shut it down, though. I didn't have the time to conjure an original idea and establish a stable print. Next time, after the math test, definitely.
Then, the class ended. The teacher gave us homework, not like I ever turned any in, I wouldn't save it to my phone's gallery if I got paid. Force of habit dictated I wait for the herd to leave before I did. Once the coast was clear, I grabbed my bag and waved the teacher despite our opposite stances. It wasn't his fault he taught such a garbage subject, though it could have been, I didn't care much.
Out of the class, I looked both ways as if crossing a road, my bestie nowhere to be found. Peculiar. Was I always that zesty? Man, I was glad to have an inner voice.
Since she didn't meet up with me, she had to be in the cafeteria. With a destination in mind, I hummed a tune I'd revived the previous week. After the initial hype died down, as much as a forest fire was deprived of an oil field, the journalism club required real effort for contribution. I couldn't just sit on my ass all day like in Autumn! The music club was a different story.
My arc was nowhere as complete as Noah's but I vividly remembered a dozen pieces. In order to excuse my inability to understand basic seaspeak, my goal was to ace both clubs and use that as leverage if they dared hold me back a year which was unlikely but I wasn't planning to play with the tiger. And what better way than introducing the new world to musical masterpieces ranging from the classics to the good pops, the ones that weren't all about money, sex, drugs, and sometimes kinky stuff no one thought existed.
I digress. I had a cheat code for success and rightfully so! However! There was a trick; inspiration. Melodies came and went, tunes like the one I hummed as I descended the stairs were unpredictable, there was no method to predict when my subconscious would hurdle those golden shooting stars at me.
Fortunately, I knew exactly what it was.
„Hmm… mm… blue…
Mmm… over with you…
…mhmm… sad…
…mm, losing you…"
The lyrics were a total loss, a great shame. Though I shouldn't bite more than I can chew, if I think too hard they might be slipping through my fingers. Heh… it happened before. Something daft, that was tragic. However, it wasn't crucial to my grade, my native rhymes didn't translate well into their language.
All in all, my academic score was decent and that certificate was in the bag; a future bag. I managed to fit my hobbies into everyday life without negatively influencing study. Life was good, except…
Arriving at the cafeteria, I immediately spotted Juno at our table. That cheetah girl and two other acquaintances were present, the social wolf oblivious to me. Which was fine, I had to get a tray before joining them.
Traversing the filling space as more students attended lunch, I gravitated towards a herbivorous meal. Some bothered smiling at me, a greeting or two. It was nice. In the other line was my monkey cousin, his gaze downcast, a miserable sight.
„Damn… hope you're alright bro…"
Patting my pockets just because, my phone was indeed on my person as well as my dorm's key. Holding my hands behind my back, I listened to the surrounding chats. More like eavesdropped but I didn't have malicious intentions.
An upcoming baseball tournament. A realistic novel. The drama club this. A scandal among the teachers that. Nothing noteworthy. How could people blabber on the obvious? The quickest route from point A to point B was a straight line. Straight was good. Straight was natural. I needed food more than I thought, it seemed.
Once the animal ahead got their meal, I nodded to the lunch lady, a healthy cow who worked two jobs including this one. She asked me what I'd like, they had secret items in the back, I requested the usual, the best of their available menu.
It was the yapping maws that bothered me. Small talk just wasn't my style. No. As I spied on the talk of two passing herbs, I realized a harsh truth; the incident was destined to stay.
And why wouldn't it? An innocent student was murdered in cold blood, no body to mourn. The worst part of this debacle was the state of the case; unsolved.
He got a way. Yup, certainly a he. The academy discovered the aftermath in the class I'd held the line but since no one had a lick of idea or connection, it was chucked up to the suspect going berserk for an unknown reason. They got one thing right. If he was bold enough to try his luck with me, he was insane.
And that was when another problem began.
Placing a full tray on the countertop, the lunch lady wished me a satisfied appetite. I thanked her for the patronage and grabbed my meal. It smelled good too, a nice bowl of rice, a well-oiled salad drenched in dressing, and mineral water. It was no burger from the clown, but it'd do just fine-
I stumbled, the tray flew out of my hands and I kissed the floor with my nose.
I was shocked. One moment, everything was peachy. The next, a super sour candy had this cool side effect of raising my blood pressure. And the silence. I couldn't ignore the entirety of the cafeteria simultaneously shutting up to inadvertently accent the sudden fall.
Pursuing my lips in subdued anger, I picked myself up. As I erected, I turned my head to uncover the culprit, though I could've just lost my footing like a dumbass.
„Aaaah," I understood, an encyclopedia containing every swear word manifesting before my mind, Yamotese slurs highlighted.
A few meters away from where I started the show, a pair of carvs were lightly brawling. Species be damned, they were nothing but moronic mutts to me. When the taller one got the other in a headlock, they noticed me.
"Oh! O-oh! We didn't… I'm…" the midget escaped the other's grasp, slowly backing away while presenting his hands submissively. "We didn't… we…"
"What's got your tail in a twist?" The taller one snarled, making the shorty whine, his tail tucked between his legs. Then, he addressed me, "Shouldn't have walked our way."
"...Okay."
I didn't forget the condition. I didn't want a repeat. I didn't give in. It was an accident, they happened, one of the reasons abortions existed. Plus, the midget knew his place, so there was no incentive for escalation. And I couldn't afford to, I kept reminding myself. I was mature. I was mature. I was mature.
As I kneeled down to pick up the sauced tray, he added, "That's right, go get another serving, fatass."
I was a mature teenager. An oxymoron, but I was. Before I returned to my full height, he added, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" That was definitely racist. A vein popped in the side of my forehead. I was mature.
Gripping the metal sheet till my knuckles turned white, I tracked his position with my eyes, the background fading into oblivion.
"Come on, move along, humie, go cry to your girlfriends~" He mocked, further humiliating me.
I was mature. He was lucky. What mattered was staying in the school lest our private agreement went to waste. I couldn't let Miya prove me wrong. I was mature. Deep, silent breaths. Count to ten. It helped.
Passing by the antagonistic dog, he broke the second to last straw, "...bitch…"
This was the part I despised most about the education system. I shouldn't respond. I could moan to the principal to get him expelled, sweep it under the rug. I could. Truely. "What's your problem?" But I didn't.
"Mine?" He snorted, "You're the problem! I've wanted to do this since last time!" Before I knew it, a fist connected with my cheek, sending me two steps back.
None of this made sense. Why would a random dude pick a fight with me? Of all students, why go for the highest profile individual? To establish dominance? Because he had a gay crush on me? No and no! It finally clicked. I had a nagging suspicion I recognized him; he was the same faggot all those months ago.
What did he say? Right, he wanted a rematch. My jaw relaxed, a stupid smile stretching my cheeks. As he reared back another punch, a few spots closed on us. To intervene? Join the fun? Sure, they were more than welcome. Because in the heat of the moment? Pent up from the social tension between herbs and carvs? My moto spread its wings; fuck it, we ball.
Just as the clenched hand was about to collide, I retreated. It missed me completely, his balance vulnerable. My heart sharply accelerated. I grinned, and replied with a kind gesture of my own.
SLAM!
The mutt and the tray reunited, the former barely maintaining his balance before a second swing sent him to the floor. Looming over him, I raised the steel plate and unleashed all my fury, screaming at the top of my lungs. Hit after hit after hit, there were no pauses between. I didn't give him room to recover. This was no battle; it was a one-sided assault. After the tenth avalanche, my arms were sore, a hint of red coating the edge of the tray.
Raising the sheet for the thirteenth time, I gave it my all, a weak groan deflating the sack of flesh beneath. Exhausted, I dropped the tray, a clattering echo breaking me out of the trance.
Around us were numerous students who'd rushed to stop the fight, a gray wolf, not Juno, a bald eagle, a tiger, and a… fucking Louis. Of all animals, he had to witness my crash out. However, I didn't have the mental energy to hate him. Furthermore, the ghastly expression was priceless.
And he wasn't the only one; the faces I caught with my zooming eyes were mortified. Less than a minute ago, the floor was in pristine condition. Now, blood pooled at a snail's pace under the canid, his pitiful sobs…
My eyes widened. I looked around again, verifying the environment. I… I did it again. I fucked him up real good this time… shattering the pact. A foreboding dread weighed me down, my knees grew weaker by the moment as half the school continued to stare and-
Grabbing my fallen bag, I ran out of the cafeteria. Those in my way were quick to clear it and those who called out didn't pursue. As I navigated the contorting hallways, one thought was on my mind.
I fucked up.
Cold water hit my face, firing the sensitive pain receptors. I shivered, my hands dripping wet, the drops landing in the sink before joining the whirl pool. Blinking, I cupped my hands under the faucet and splashed myself again.
Since lunch break ended, I had the restroom all for myself. The class I was supposed to attend was a good walk away, but it wasn't the main concern in my mind. After relieving my bladder, I furiously rubbed my face clean with soap numerous times.
In my blind rage, a few crimson dots painted me, a final hurrah of the damned fox, whatever the bastard was. When I realized that disturbing part, I was glad I didn't fill my belly. I gurgled soapy water in case some of it landed on my lips. Then, I rinsed my mouth more than ten times.
Spitting out the eleventh, I shuddered, gripping the edge of the ceramic counter. I was clean. I was bloodless. I was perfect. Then, why did I still feel so fucking dirty?
He deserved it! I… I had no choice! What would the school think if I just let him get away with his provocations? Though I might have-
„No!" I glared at the mirror. "Come on, get it together, Johnny boy…" I drew deep breaths, shakily turning off the faucet so as to not waste water. Leaning over the bowl, I felt every drop detach from my skin. The cold assisted in my recovery, but it wasn't the end.
Actions had consequences.
„Fuck… fuck…!" I hissed, about to tear out some of my hair. The one time it would've been better buzzed.
The principal was already aware of this no doubt, Miya was or would later, in the nearest hour max. Another big boy talk, another empty promise, the tiger didn't scare this ape!
It was the harpy. A week hadn't passed and I scrambled the eggs! And to top the cream cake with a cherry, I was still hungry! Starving! Famished! I hated that son of a bitch!
Slamming a fist, I yelped in pain, a throbbing sensation creeping into the aggravated side. „No… n-no…" I turned on the water, making an ugly face while drenching the hideous sight.
I wasn't just fucked. Nay, I was cooked. I was an unseasoned turkey during Thanksgiving about to be marinated in ketchup. I was an Indian dish without any spice. I was… done for.
Among the mineral liquids were saltier ones, the sole sound in the restroom being rushing water.
I didn't want to be expelled.
I chuckled, that wouldn't happen, my influence was too great to surrender. My word against Miya's was worth its weight in gold; mine was fool's. Instead, she'd make an excuse and withdraw me for an indefinite period. I couldn't imagine it. I didn't. I…
I messed up. Thus, it was my responsibility to own my mistakes.
Once I calmed down, I ceased the flow, drying off my hands with the rough paper from the dispenser. It operated via heat sensors, so users didn't have to touch anything right away.
Crumpling the soaked paper into a ball, I disposed of it into the bin below the machine, dragging my feet towards the door. With a defeated sigh, I pushed it open, my gaze staying on the floor. What was the class again?
Before I could recall, I was met with a solid wall.
„O-ow!" Did I really walk that far? It was just a few steps! In front of me was… a zebra? Nice suit. "Uh, can I help you?" I asked the sophisticated… giant. Holy moly, they were tall. Were zebras that tall? This one had to have a good diet and genes. The rectangular rimless glasses didn't fit the slightest.
"Yes, Jonathan Young," she spoke, her voice silky smooth and quite low, "come along, the principal wishes to see you."
…
God fucking damn it.