Running With Scissors

Chapter Three

He followed me all the way to first class.

Surprise, surprise, our schedules were nearly identical-Because it's always me who gets into these awful predicaments, you know? Why can't the fates just leave me alone? I just want to get on with my life in absolute peace and quiet, with no annoying, cheerful, nosey, brown-haired and green-eyed little fuckers. Not that I'm naming anyone in particular, of course. Just in general.

I had History first-Gag me with a spoon, banana, and ten pound textbook-and it didn't help at all that Gavin was placed in it. I seated myself in the far corner, in the left, and was pleased when people took the few seats surrounding me, forcing him to sit on the complete opposite side of the room. Take that, stalker.

Of course, that's when the teacher takes it upon herself to announce we have a seating chart.

Oh, joy.

By some stroke of insane luck, I stayed exactly where I was, but unfortunately, Gavin was placed diagonally across from me. While he wasn't technically next to me, it was annoying to have him only an arm's length away, especially when he kept turning and flashing me bright smiles. No. Just no. No optimism allowed.

Seated in front of me was the local nose-picker, a constantly blubbering, emotionally unstable guy who made it through each year on a whim, and nothing else. It was a mystery why he wasn't in either an asylum or first grade again. James was his name, and 'digging for gold' was his game. Ick.

Seated to my direct right was a girl I didn't recognize, and I know that if I'd ever seen her before, I would've remembered. She was the type to leave a lasting impression, and I had a feeling it was purely intentional. She noticed my quick glance, and, taking advantage of the flighty teacher's exit from the room, turned to look at me straight-on.

"Hey." She snapped. From this angle, I was able to see her better-And yes, she was definitely intentional. Bold eyeliner, bright eyeshadow, electric pink and blonde hair, oh, yes, she was an attention-seeker. Not an attention whore, no, not one of those blonde brats-No, she seemed the type to command your attention, just to see your reaction.

If she didn't decide to try and brain me on the spot, we could be good friends.

"Yes?" My voice was gruff compared to her excessively loud, high-pitched one. Not squeaky, but...High. "What're you lookin' at?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh, come on. You know that question is pointless, chica." She paused a moment, before cracking a crooked grin. She stuck her hand out, and I was surprised to see she had the hand of a hard worker. She didn't seem the type. "Yeah, I guess you're right. The name's Cara Sedgwick, you?"

I adjusted the sleeves of the sweatshirt I was wearing, pulling them further over my hands. "Angel Douglass." She gave me a look. "You don't talk much, huh?"

"No, not really." 

"Have many friends?" 

"Of course I do, idiot." 

"Sorry, you just seemed too grumpy and antisocial." 

"Thanks. I'll take it as a compliment." 

"Don't mention it."

The teacher, Mrs. Harrison if I remembered correctly, chose that moment to sway into the room, so the conversation between the two of us fell silent. She was an interesting one, this Cara person, though I doubted she'd stay interesting for long. She'd turn out to be just like everyone else, boring, listless, a drone with bright pink hair. Not that I'm any better-But at least my hair's a cool color.

Purple all the way, buttcheeks.

She was nice, but a bit too nice, if you know what I mean. Mrs. Harrison, that is. She was obviously a first-year teacher, as if the stammering, lowered voice, and nervous twiddling of her fingers weren't enough sign. Great. Obviously, when she'd taken the job, she hadn't expected the class of seniors she was to teach to be staring boredly at her, or not paying attention.

The whole class went in the trash, and everybody left the class at the end of the period knowing not an ounce more than they had when they'd stepped in. The teacher was hunched over her desk, staring blankly at what I assumed to be her lesson plans. I didn't much more than a glance, however, because before I knew it, I was swept out with the tide of rushing students and thrown into the bustling hall.

I tried to get away, but I hadn't taken five steps out of the room before a grasp enclosed my wrist, yanking me to the side. Having a considerably smaller body mass than a normal seventeen year old guy, it unfortunately wasn't a very hard thing to do. I swung around, nearly slamming into the person who had decided to impose on my serene loneliness.

To my surprise, my kidnapper wasn't who I expected him to be-Sir Gavin the Stupid, that is-Rather, it was Percy. Queen Percy the Terrifying. Her appearance made sense, of course. We had our next class together, and would often travel there as a pair, chatting quietly while attempting to fend off the thousands of elbows headed out height-deprived way. However, today something was off. Different. She held an unusual kind of ferocity in her eyes, like she was excited for something spectacular-And then I realized what she had in mind.

"No." I snapped, before she could even say a word. She let out a huff of air, disappointed. "But initiation is what makes the world go 'round! Jim's taking part in this one, along with a couple guys from the football team. I don't know how they get along, but they do, and Tobey wants us to come. He told me." I sighed, running a hand over my face. Initiation was one of the major staples of Penworth High, and happened every time a new kid set foot in the halls. Needless to say, the school toilets were often occupied the first few days of school. Who was the unlucky chap with his head in the sewers this time?

"Alright, whatever. Who is it? Know their name?"

She thought about it for a moment, tapping her bottom lip. The clock on the opposite side of the hall let me know we had only a minute till class started, though that wouldn't matter if we were skipping for an initiation. Her expression visibly brightened, and she chuckled. "Oh, right, I remember now. A bit of a funny name, a funny accent, too." I rolled my eyes. "Okay, personal opinions aside-" She waved her hand, rolling her eyes as well. Oh, so now I was the exasperating one? Yeah, sure.

"Gavin Kimball. His name is Gavin Kimball."

~'~'~

This fantastic art was made by @LamaMoh

Song of the chapter-Run Boy Run, by Woodkid