Running • Iggy

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Do you want to know one of the things about being a visible freak?
You never get a fucking break.

You think your life is finally looking up, you've got new friends, an amazing family who loves and accepts you, no more threats, no more suffering kids in labs, no need to worry about when your next meal will be, and the sexiest and adoring boyfriend you could ever ask for, and then suddenly, BAM! You're being pushed against your newly spray-painted locker like some old 2010 high school movie.

The dripping orange paint had the word 'FREAK' scribbled on it. I looked to Mello, who was sizing up the sweet, innocent little girl who had just shoved me against the locker called Jessie. She's a nice person my ass, RJ. I found myself thinking as I reluctantly opened my locker and lifted a roll of blue tissue paper out of the bottom shelf I kept in case I needed some for art. I began wiping off the wet substance, knowing that the clothes I had been wearing were also covered in the probably permanent paint. The 14th of October, 15 days into my school life and I already hated it.

"I'm going to kill her," Mello said in a calm voice. "I am actually going to kill her. She's been saying all this shit about you when your friends aren't around. How you're an animal or something." He took some of the tissue and began helping me without me even needing to ask. I mean, the animal part isn't totally wrong. "She's also been saying how James has been flirting with her, and how she's going to ask him out." He added on hesitantly.

I stood up, turned around and was about to tear Jessie's face off when Mello caught my wrist. "Let's not," He decided, once again calmly. "Kill a student. Shall we?" He threw some of the tissue in the nearby bin. "Says the person who just said he was going to kill her." I pointed out as I did the same as the blue-eyed boy. "I was being metaphorical. You looked like you were going to tear her throat apart." He wasn't wrong.

"How long do we have left until form?" I asked quietly. Mello tapped his smartwatch with his nose and frowned at the time. "6 minutes." He answered. "And you get late detention if you show up 15 minutes late to form unless you have a written note, or get a guardian to send a phone call home the next morning."

I groaned as I ripped off more blue tissue. "And how long do you think it'll take for me to wipe this all off before it gets too dry, get my gym clothes out of my bag, find a bathroom, get changed, get my old clothes back in my locker, get my books and walk over to our form room?" I looked to Mello, who hummed.

"30 minutes if I'm being generous. 40, probably." Mello finished up. I sighed and waved him away with my hand. "You might want to get going so you don't get a late slip," I said emptily. I wasn't in the mood for this. I hadn't slept well the night before, one of my less manageable nightmares had decided to pop up. Not the worst, thankfully, but not good.

"No," Mello said without even thinking. "I'm going to stay here with you." His tone was final. Even if I tried to protest it, I knew he wouldn't budge. By the time the paint was too dry to wipe off anymore, it more looked like 'EAI' than 'FREAK'. Mello sighed as he glanced at his watch. That alone had taken us to 5 minutes into form. I would buy new spray paint to sort out the color next time. Mello had suggested telling a teacher, but because Jessie's parents were rich and paid the school a lot of money for funding, along with the bias I'm used to, I'd probably get more punishment than she would.

I opened my locker and groaned as every book I owned decided to commit fucking suicide and fall off the shelf. "I hate today!" I half screamed as I kicked the door of my locker, happening to temporarily forget my own strength. That was until the metal bent so much it was almost at a 90° angle from the hinges.

Mello stared at me blankly. He didn't question it. He didn't tell me it was okay either. He just watched. I knelt and grabbed the edge of the metal, straightening it back out with only my hands. It wasn't the strongest metal in the world anyway. I shoved my books onto the shelf messily, picked up my PE bag and slammed the locker shut, hearing the hinges squeal in protest.