NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Two Unfamiliar Faces
Lady responded to MagicalGirlLover promising to play with her tomorrow. He had just wrapped up his stream and had thanked the several dozen viewers in chat for joining him before ending it. NekoGirl continued streaming for a while longer though she seemed dejected that Lady had signed off early. As he glanced around the barren one room apartment he was staying in, Lady was overcome with a sense of loneliness. In the end, the people he called friends online were still separated from him by a digital barrier. In reality, he was well and truly alone.
As he made sure he had everything packed for school tomorrow, Lady realized his lunchbox was missing. Oh. I left it on the roof didn’t I? He thought to himself as he wondered what he would take tomorrow. Grabbing his worn leather wallet, Lady set out into the night to buy lunch for tomorrow. He wasn’t familiar with the shops in this area but remembered passing by a 24-hour convenience store on the way home. He walked briskly through the cold night stopping to catch his breath twice before finally reaching the store.
He was welcomed by the ringing of a bell over the door and the harsh glare of LED lights. Lady made his way to the back wall of the store where a refrigeration unit wall lined with cheap meal sets. Picking one out, he brought it to the register and looked up only to see a familiar face. While she was dressed sloppily in a uniform, the person before him was unmistakably Sara. She was one of Anna’s friends and one of the people that took pleasure in picking on him throughout middle school.
He expected her gaze to be filled with disgust or anger but instead found her tilting her head in confusion. Like a deer in headlights, Lady stood in front of the counter before cautiously placing the meal set down. Sara grabbed it and ringed it up before placing it inside a bag. “That will be $3.99” she said as she reached behind the counter and pulled out a gift card setting it inside the bag. “Umm… I didn’t purchase a gift card” Lady responded as he looked up at her. “Just take it” She replied bluntly. “But” she shot him a stern glare shutting him up. Lady handed her a five dollar bill and she returned his change.
Lady was worried as he walked out of the store. Why did she do that? He asked himself. Was she trying to set me up? Is this some sort of prank?
Lady kept glancing behind him as he walked home. Paranoia gripped his mind until the time he drifted off to sleep. Meanwhile, Sara left the store near midnight as the person in charge of the morning shift arrived and took over. As she walked home, she wondered why she gave Lady the gift card. Was it some form of apology? Would a stupid gift card really make things right? Sara was frustrated and confused. Could she suddenly change how she saw Lady so easily? If only. Regardless of how she felt, Anna was right, they had messed up. Regardless of how she felt, she would try to be a better person, she would try to make things right. For Anna. For her friend.—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The week flew by as Lady continued streaming and attending school. He had streamed on Project Wednesday and Thursday, and despite not having as many viewers as his initial stream with NekoGirl, he still had several dozen viewers while he played on his own. Anna and her friends didn’t bother Lady at all despite their middle school antics suggesting otherwise. On the contrary, Lady felt like their occasional gazes were somewhat kind or at the very least apologetic. Lady still hadn’t made any friends at school despite Noel asking him if he had every time he went to work.
When Friday arrived, Lady was in high spirits for the first time in a while. His smile faded slightly as he approached the school building and he wondered if he could talk to someone today. He didn’t need to make a friend, he just wanted to talk to somebody. Talk like he did with….. No….. It would be just like that time on the roof….. He couldn't….. Lady began to shiver as he stared off blankly. His body was paralyzed with fear. Even if people didn’t bully him anymore, even if they didn’t harass him, they still hated him. Just like that boy on the roof, everyone knew about him. Everyone thought he was weird or gross.
As his mind sank further and further into despair, A sudden hand plunged through the cold depths dragging him back up. “You okay?” The voice asked him. There was a tall girl standing in front of him with short black hair, her suntanned hand resting on his shoulder. Lady looked up at the girl with fear. She towered over Lady, not just because of his short stature but because of her long legs and toned frame. The girl seemed to sense his trepidation and crouched down to stand at eye level with him. “You look sick, are you sure you're okay?” She asked in a soft voice. Lady nodded his head slowly. “What are you doing in front of our high school?” she asked. “I go here. I’m a freshman” Lady said meekly.
She looked at him for a minute before chuckling. “No way! But you’re so small.” “I’m not small” Lady said as he thumped his fist lightly against her abdomen. Realizing what he did, Lady took a step back before lifting a hand to cover his face. He waited for a second before removing his hand and looking up. Instead of hitting him back, she just stood there smiling. Not the angry or mocking sneer he was used to receiving but a gentle and warm smile. “Well anyways, do you need me to take you to the school infirmary or anything?” She asked “You were spacing out and shaking like a leaf earlier.” Lady shook his head cautiously “I was just nervous”
“That's fine” The girl said “I get nervous too before a big race you know. It happens to everyone. Oh I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m your senior, Lily, I’m a second year and I’m on the track team. You can call me big sis if you like!” Lady tilted his head. “Big sis?” Lily suddenly blushed and nervously chuckled “I mean, you just kind of reminded me of my younger brother. You know what, forget it. Just call me Lily.” Lady nodded his head and sheepishly stuck out his hand. “Alright, thanks Lily” She accepted his hand with a firm grip and shook it lightly. “Yea, no problem. See you around….. Hey, what's your name by the way?” Lady suddenly broke into a frown as he let go of her hand. “Lady,” He answered quietly.
Despite telling Lily his name, her demeanor didn’t change and she walked with him to the entrance before the two split up. Wait Lady thought to himself, does this mean we’re friends. He could still feel her firm hand shaking his as he stared silently at his palm during the first period. No. It’s not as simple as that. But maybe. maybe.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rachael Harbor was standing outside in the school's courtyard. A boy she had never met before was standing before her holding out a letter with a nervous look on his face. “Um Rachael, I really like you so will you please go out with me!” Rachael took the letter from the boy's hand before flashing a flirty smile, “Thank you so much for telling me how you feel but I actually have a fiancé.” The boy became flustered upon hearing this and scampered off after apologizing. After watching him leave, Rachael went back inside and dropped the love letter into the nearest trash can. She went to the bathroom and washed her hands in the sink while muttering to herself “Disgusting”.
The fact that she had a fiancé was an outright lie. She had hoped that lie would keep the annoying flies buzzing around her at bay but she had still received 12 confessions during this first week of school. After thoroughly scrubbing away whatever filth or disease she might've contracted from the boy’s letter, she headed back to the cafeteria to finish her lunch. She joined a group of students near the center of the cafeteria who were joyously chatting with each other. The students at the table were those at the top of the school caste. Star athletes, daughters and sons of wealthy families, beautiful and handsome by anyone's standards.
What uncouth children she thought to herself as she sat down in the center of the table. They're certainly better than the other vermin of the school but not by much. Her snide inner remarks betrayed her amicable smile and friendly banter. Rachael was both beautiful and friendly. She looked like a model and was kind to everybody making her the target of many students' admiration and affection. Her father was the owner of the Harbor corporation. A conglomerate of the world's largest shipping organizations and a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Someone of her caliber should have been taught by private tutors or at the very least, attended a private school. Unfortunately, her father had thought it best for her to attend a regular high school in order for her to socialize and gain some humility. Needless to say it was not working.
“While she had been in the courtyard, one of the boys from the basketball team had broken out a deck of cards. Despite her protest, the boy dealt her in and the game began. Dammit, and to think I had just washed my hands she thought as she picked up the cards. Having never played the game before, it wasn’t long before Rachael lost whatever they had been playing. She sighed in resignation as she set the cards on the table.
Rachael looked up at the group of students to find their eyes were gleaming. She unconsciously released a nervous chuckle “What’s up guys?” One of the girls sitting across from her spoke up “Time for a punishment game!” The students started arguing about what they would make her do as Rachael got increasingly worried. “How bout a confession punishment?” One of the boys chimed in. He was greeted with a chorus of agreement. “But I have a fiancé!” Rachael protested. “He won’t know anything” “Yea if you're really worried, just ask someone on a date instead of asking him out.” What the hells the difference Racheal inwardly screamed.
Her mind was in a frenzy as she tried to figure out a way out of this. The other students seemed adamant on her confessing or asking someone out on a date as punishment. Shit, they aren’t letting up. What should I do? I don’t have to confess but I spent the whole week trying to get these idiots to know their place. If I keep turning them down, they might stop following me. Alright, I’ll just confess to some idiot and when he agrees, I’ll play it off as a joke. “Alright”, Racheal agreed. “So who do I have to confess to?” The group whispered to each other before the girl across from her struck out her hand and pointed “Him” Her slender finger was pointed at a young scrawny boy with gray hair sitting by himself in the corner of the cafeteria.