Abnormal

Introduction Two: Danny

The TV blared loud reports on the storm, saying continuous things about how school would be reopening tomorrow and the whole event was expected to end soon. It had lasted five days, nonstop raining and constant wind. Danny sat at the dinner table, the news was on in the background as his family gathered around to eat.

"Are you ready for school, Honey?" His mother asked, giving him a sympathetic smile. His father got yet another new job which meant they had to leave another state and go straight to Chicago, Illinois. Danny hadn't been to school yet since they got here when the storm was just starting but he worried about the threat of making friends and then leaving them behind.

After a while, he started making up names for himself when he'd go to a new school, a new backstory, new look. It became a way to deflect ever having to truly lose friends, his belief was that if you never let them know the real you then you'll never lose real friends. It became a way to cope with all the change in his life, nothing ever remained the same and that's what he came to accept.

The weather channel in the background continued spewing nonsense but he was too out of it to listen. "Starting tomorrow, schools will reopen as the storm passes through." That part was like a knife in his gut, Danny wasn't ready for this and all it did was make him flashback to one of the worst memories of his life.
~Flashback~
The bell for fifth period had just rung, Danny shoved his way out of the science lab. Being shuffled around from city to city, he always found that people were the same, there were clearly defined cliques, jocks and cheerleaders, but in the end they all had the IQ of a potato or at least that's what Danny told himself as a way to cope. Nonetheless, as soon as he walked out to the courtyard a group of football players awaited him.

"Yo, Fag." The tallest one said, smacking Danny's books out of his hand. How classic of him. "We get it, you learned a new word." Danny rolled his eyes, picking up the books and trying to move along but a foot was placed in his path, causing him to trip. Then-.

His thoughts were cut short by the voice of his father. "Sorry, what?" He asked. His father repeated himself. "I said, I talked to Vice Principal Damon and he suggested they find you a guide for your first day of school." Danny was about to throw up, a guide? This isn't fifth grade orientation.

"Dad, I don't need one." He said, looking straight at his father as if he were challenging him through eye contact. His father simply kept eye contact, stabbing his fork into the steak and taking a bite. "It's already been decided, a nice young man named Theo will be showing you around." With that, the discussion was closed.

As usual, Danny's mother stayed quiet and let her husband and son argue it out. She worked a hard job at the insurance company, dealing with rude customers all day meant that half the time she was too tired to say much. He learned that in a family like this, he didn't get a choice in many things.

The moments after that small argument were met with silence, once dinner was over, Danny excused himself from the table and walked quickly to his room. He wasn't ready for another new school and he made that plenty clear but maybe getting a friend to guide him around wouldn't be that bad? Danny decided he'd figure it out tomorrow morning and slowly closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.