"Please hurry. I don't want to be late for my first day of fu*king school!" I rap on Megumi's door, revealing him in his unkempt uniform and complimenting his bed hair.
"Don't get your hopes up; no one knows what happens on the first day of school. And who the fu*k is so excited about going back to school?" As he saunters downstairs to the kitchen, he retorts. Truth be told, I've never been excited for school; however, there's only so many times you can rewatch Avatar: The Last &iah£, until you realize you're a loner whose only buddy is a bald 109-year-old man/person with red tattoos who blows really hard, so it's safe to say I'm ready to take on the High School battlefield.
As soon as he parks, my brother sprints away from me, presumably to tackle someone wearing the school bomber jacket and obviously a sportsman. A loud roar erupts as he reconnects with his friends from a few days ago, their excitement reminiscent of a little puppy waiting for its owner.
I walk to my newly assigned locker, failing for the tenth time in a row to undo my combination lock. With an embarrassed expression on my face, the lock finally falls off, putting an end to my struggle. I stuff my books into my locker and head to my first class of the day, physics.
When I enter the lab, I notice the seating chart on the bulletin board, which lists our designated partners for the entire school year. A big brown boy enters, his box cut gently fading and his deep skin tone complemented by ebony eyes. Before putting his duffel on the floor next to me, he reads the board.
"Yo, my name is Curt." He extends his hand to me. I end up shaking his closed fist due to a communication breakdown - the fist pump/hand shake scenario will be the end of me because I never know which one to do.
"Hey, I'm Christian." I squeak out between bursts of laughter.
"Hello, Christian... Christian. Oh, you're the one who gave Benn a good hiding at the party on Saturday, aren't you? That's hilarious. Togi was telling us at practice how easily you took him down, and you're half his size!" We both laugh, him more amused than me. I'm not sure if the criticism of my physique is a compliment or not.
"Wait a minute...what did Togi say to you guys?" I ask in a confused tone.
"Oh, he didn't have to say much. We were all aware of Benn's black eye and broken nose. Those stitches looked painfullllll.
I'm glad I have you as my lab partner; you can also serve as my security guard." He laughs and pats me on the back. What the hell happened after I brought Megumi home?
The room falls silent as our new teacher slams the front door shut, announcing a surprise test to measure our knowledge on the first day of class. As we begin our test, Curt and I exchange a bored look. Despite my complete dedication, me and Curt ended up playing tic tac toe halfway through the test, with me winning every round.
"What is your current class? Do you have a gym as well?" Curt inquires as we hand in our exams. I'm not sure whether he's being positive or oblivious to my frail frame when he suggests I go to the gym. My head was just a few inches above his shoulders.
'Nah, um, I've got a writing class right now.' Other than deconstructing and observing individual aspects of sentence structures, there is nothing more exciting than physics." I react sarcastically, which causes him to burst out laughing. I'm pretty sure he didn't get the joke, and I doubt he even understands what deconstruct means. He's a sweet boy, but let's just say he's fortunate to be athletic.
"Well, I'll catch up with you later, homie." He pulls me into a bro-hug before waving goodbye and heading to his next class.
My next three classes fly by before the inevitable lunch break: a time of social isolation and humiliation for those who have no one to sit next to. It's not that I don't have friends; it's just that I don't hang out with them outside of specific classes. I scan the room as I approach the cafeteria doorway, observing the large crowds passing through. I take a step back and turn before colliding with something; someone; Benn.
Curt wasn't wrong about his face; if anything, he exaggerated the extent of the damage. Swollen eye, puffy top lip, stitches on the forehead, crooked nose, and even a bandaged wrist to top it all off. Benn embodies the ideal walking hospital patient.
Benn's height towers over me as I back up slightly into the doorframe. His muscles are still intact and buffed despite his injuries.
"I'm well aware that I'm a faggot. Carry on. Say it. Should we go somewhere else so you can murder me in a more secluded location?" I feign weakness - well, feign it slightly. With one arm and a bruised body, I believe a sober Benn still has the advantage - all he really needs to match my strength is his pinky finger. Togi emerges from behind Benn and wraps his arm around his shoulder, leaning on his bandaged hand, which causes him to wince in pain.
"Uh-oh, may I apologize for being politically incongruent? Statements from Saturday night that were incoherent, incorrect, and politically incorrect. And I appreciate you beating me up. I earned it." Benn says it in a somewhat robotic tone, as if he's been practicing. "I'm leaving right now. Thank you for your time, Christian." He nods to me, then turns and nods to Togi for approval, which is returned with a nod before entering the cafeteria.
"What the fu*k is going on, Togi? We're both aware that I didn't beat up Benn, and that even if I wanted to, I couldn't. What is the point of spreading lies?" I ask, annoyed, and am met with his familiar grin.
""Let's just say I sorted it out," he says as he places his hand on my shoulder. Benn will never speak to you in that manner again. I made sure of it. You're welcome."