Bold = Authors Note/POV change. Italics = Letter Writing/Thought Bold Italics = Translation
(Toms POV)
I was sitting in class minding my own business before my teacher slammed a paper on my table. I snapped out of my daydream and looked at the title of it, my 'eyes' widened at what I saw.
"Pen pals!" The teacher chirped. I groaned along with the rest of the class. I didn't understand the point of pen pals. Was it to improve writing skills?Or was it just a cheesy thing to make friends? Hell if I know. The only person in the class who didn't want to kill themselves on the spot was my friend Edd.
"Why are you so happy?"
"Because maybe it's gonna end up like those love stories you read in books!"
"Oh please, that only happens in fairy tales..."
"Stop being rude! You never know..."
I slumped in my chair and stuck my tongue out. Silly Edd, always seeing the glass half full when there isn't any water even there.
"Luckily, the pen pals were assigned for you at a school in Norway so you all you have to do is reply." The teacher reassured. I patiently raised my hand to ask a question but I was ignored by the teacher.
"Well fuck you too." I mumbled under my breath, but of course the teacher heard that and not my hand raise.
"Thompson, shut up." She snapped. I growled and looked at the assignment and all it told me was how to write a letter, which we learned in 3rd grade might I add. I raised my hand again and finally got called on.
"Do we have to write in Norwegian?"
"Nope! This is for them to learn English and for us to learn how to write."
Thank fuck.
I noticed a paperclip attached to the piece of paper and looked on the back of it. The letter was in a neat envelope with the name "Tord" written on the front in cursive. I looked at Edd who was looking at his letter too.
"Who'd you get?" I whispered.
"Look." He handed me the note which had the name "Matt" written on it in sloppy print. I handed him mind and he gawked at the name. "What kind of name is Tord?" Edd snickered.
"I don't have a clue!" I scoffed. "It better be a girls name..." Edd rolled his eyes and went back to being the good noodle he was while I was itching to open the letter. I started shaking my leg while waiting for the stupid teacher to let us read the letters, until after 5 painful minutes, she let us.
"You have the next 15 minutes to read the letter and writing back is homework." She announced.
"Alright!" I whisper-shouted. I don't know why I was so excited to read a dumb letter, but I still tore it open anticipating the unknown.
The letter read:
Dear Tom.
Hi, my name is tord. I enjoy guns, communism, and hentai. Don't search that last one.... I do not speak your language well. I not pay attention to English class a lot honestly, so please exclude my grammar. I've never this thing before, but the pen friends seems very fun! I don't really know what to say and my friend will not let me use his questions, so I just want to ask, what is your life at school? My ... not very good, but I don't think you would care too much to read. in fact, don't only say the school, give me a detailed description of all your day. Ah, I know I will like to read about it. Also, here's the required picture of me. Sorry the bad color, my dads don't want me using a lot of ink.
I looked up from my letter and mumbled, "Hot damn." In the middle of the silence and felt everyone look at me. I mean, it was true! He was hot- for a girl I mean. If a girl was to see him that's what she would think. That's what I mean. Flustered, I kept reading.
I know I know. I am ugly as faen. I can't wait to hear about you and see you! Hopefully that doesn't creep you out. haha!
Your Friend,
Tord
"Tsk, lame." I laughed. He seemed so awkward and weird, and he called me his friend even though he hasn't even seen me.
"What? What's lame?" Edd said as he poked my shoulder playfully out of wonder.
"Oh, nothing. What's your pen pal like?"
"He seems... Swe- Okay..."
"Ooohhh someone's got a cruusshh!" I mocked like a 6 year old.
"No I do not! I'm as straight as a pole!" I smirked at him, it was obvious when he lies. He turns all red and fiddles with his fingers, it's like he's a child who got caught breaking a tv. What a precious child.
"Whatever, can I see the picture of your pen pal?"
"I- uh... Yes, but there's two people in it and he didn't specify which one he was." He cautiously let me look at it, he didn't even let me hold it. There was a tall ginger kid with a freckle splattered face next to.... Wait Tord?!
"He's the ginger fellow." I said calmly while freaking out in my head. Were they friends? Are they siblings? Are they... dating? I decided not to think about it too much, it didn't really matter to me, or at least it shouldn't.
"R-really?" Edd said with a goofy grin. "How do you know?"
"Because," I showed him my picture, "The devil horned guy is mine."
"I got the cu- er... Cool one!" Edd taunted with a stutter. I snorted at him almost saying cute, I could totally see him and his pen pal being together, but I didn't know what to think of mine. He seemed awkward and weird but was that him or his poor grammar? I shoved the picture of him back in my pocket and pondered the thought of actually getting to know him until the school bell jumpscared me, making me almost fall out of my chair. Laughter of the other classmates filled my head and I let out a growl. Can't I go a day without embarrassing myself? I gathered up my things and was just thankful this was my last class.
I stormed out the back door with edd since he needed a ride home and the second I looked at my car I could tell word got around. My black car had been vandalised with dark green spray-paint with words like 'LOSERS' and 'FAGS.' I knew exactly who did this, it wasn't like it was the first time they had done it. In unison, edd and I whispered, "Eddduuuaarrdooo."
"Should we call the cops?" Edd said, looking very cross.
"Nah, it's pretty easy to wash off. Eduardo and his group of assholes never change..."
We grabbed our water bottles and splashed at the spray paint until it just became blurred green lines, and it honestly looked kinda cool. I hopped in the front seat and Edd took shotgun. "Spotify?" I hinted with a smirk.
"You know it!" Edd cheered. He grabbed the aux cord and plugged it into his phone and pulled up a playlist. It took a minute to load but when it finally did I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"HUMP ME, FUCK ME-" The car blasted at full volume. Edd scrambled to change it and I was laughing so hard. When he finally paused it his face was paler than a ghost.
"I thought you were an innocent mother."
"Well..." Edd shrugged with a flustered smile. I snorted and changed the playlist to something we could both agree on. The car ride was mostly just the music other than a few times we bursted out singing along and laughing at our silliness after. Edd is probably the best friend you could have. He's straightforward, but also super sweet. He can be assertive and leader-y but he does make mistakes and owns up to them. He's a good kid. After dropping him off and saying our goodbyes I reluctantly started the car back up and pulled out of his driveway. I didn't wanna go home, in the morning I always say to myself, "Today I won't go home" but I always end up back where I started. I sat in under silence with the car radio off so I could think. Think about how to escape.
I parked my car in the driveway preparing for the same thing. My (human) parents screaming, my mom leaving, and my father taking it out on me instead. He wasn't even alcoholic, he was just a horrible excuse for a human. I opened the front door, expecting to be bombarded by the smashing of glass and dreams, but it was oddly silent. I tiptoed up to my room, afraid to make a sound, and when I jiggled the knob my hood was pulled back and I fell down. Fuck fuck fuck! While being hauled down the stairs by my hoodie I was praying to jehovah I wasn't gonna die tonight. When I was finally dropped with a hard thud, I looked at my father regretfully.
"What did you do." He said in a gruff voice. This wasn't normally how things would go.
"H-huh?" I couldn't remember anything bad I had done all day.
"Your car paint is ruined. Do you know how much that car costs?"
"I didn't do it, it wasn't m-"
"Bullshit." I saw him grab for something. I flinched and covered my face preparing for a hit but was left hanging.
"You and that Eddie kid probably were out causing mischief and got all that green on it. Tell the truth."
"I am." Now I knew I fucked up.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, I'm telling the tru-" I was cut off my glass raining over my head. I whimpered and burrowed my head in my knees, covering my head as well. He kicked me in the spine and I groaned, pleading in my head for it to stop. I heard stomping up the stairs but I still lay there, paralyzed in fear. After 7 minutes I reluctantly decided it was safe and opened my eyes. Other than some blood splatter it looked not too bad, but when I looked at my hand I winced at the look of it. Of course they were covered in a thick red coating, but it could've been worse. I stood up with my back barely supporting me and 'walked' up the stairs. After shutting myself in my room away from the light, I slid my back down it and buried my head in my knees. I should be used to this, I'm so weak. After hearing my mums car door slam in the driveway, I mumbled to myself, "Good luck..." While putting my hands in my pockets. I felt a piece of paper and pulled it out... Tord... Penpal... My day....
I ripped some notebook paper out of my backpack and slammed it on my desk. Should I be honest? I thought to myself. While looking at the picture of tord next to the paper, I smiled. He looked so chill and happy, like you could tell him anything and he'd know how to solve anything. I can half the truth... I don't want him worrying. I picked up my black gel pen and pressed it to the paper, letting it leak out before deciding on my words. I swiftly scribbled the start and sighed. I should be fully honest, if no one else can help me maybe he could...
Dear tord,