Magnificently Cursed
Teddy fell from his bed when he woke up, it hurt, but he had to face it especially because he was green, he needed to concentrate to get back to his "normal" aspect, the same blonde and big jock he has been for the last 16 years, once he managed to transform, he got up to turn off the alarm clock that had made him fall in the first place, which never stopped ringing, then he realized he had about 10 minutes to arrive to school, it would be especially embarrassing to arrive late to the first day of school, so he grabbed a pair of jeans and the first t-shirt he found in his closet, he ran downstairs to see his mother at the table drinking what he assumed was coffee, he grabbed the keys to his old but functional car and his wallet, he might buy something to eat later."
"Sorry Mom, I'm late, love you" he shouted to his mom from the door and left before letting her respond.
"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck" he said in his mind while starting the car, thank god he organized his backpack the night before.
The engine of Teddy's car roared to life, and he sped out of the driveway, his mind racing as fast as the wheels. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard: eight minutes left. The streets were already buzzing with the morning rush, but Teddy navigated through the traffic with practiced ease.
As he drove, Teddy's thoughts drifted to his unique condition. Ever since he could remember, he had this strange ability to transform into different forms. The green skin he woke up with this morning was just one of many changes he had to control. For the most part, he'd managed to keep it a secret, blending in with the other kids at school. But the constant vigilance was exhausting.
He pulled into the school parking lot with a minute to spare. Teddy quickly found a spot and jumped out of the car, sprinting toward the entrance. The school was a massive building, and it always felt even more intimidating on the first day. He pushed through the front doors, blending into the crowd of students streaming in.
He checked his schedule to realize that he had mathematics, a room that was far from where he was, so he rushed to get there, arriving a few seconds before the bell rang, he saw that in the corner of the classroom, they were signaling him to come closer, when he arrived he saw the rugby team, his fri... the people he usually talked with, offering him a seat, which he took only because the class had started.
"Finally, where have you been?" Asked someon... John Kesler, his "closest friend", a rude, hateful, insufferable boy, but still his closest friend, he knew that John was the best kind of friend he could ever ask for, given his circumstances.
"I set my alarm 10 minutes before school, so I had to come in a rush" He responded, trying to stop their conversation, he really wasn't in the mood to deal with Kesler right now, he had a headache from driving so fast to arrive to school in time, actually he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, which wasn't a problem since he knew almost nobody in the school since this is his first day here, his mother never liked much his last school, she thought it was shitty and insecure, of course she never told that to him but he could tell.
When the teacher said that they had to do some exercises alone or in pairs, Teddy was begging god that Kesler wasn't paying attention to the teacher so he didn't hear the instruction and wouldn't want to be his pair, Teddy didn't need any help, he was good in math, he was really good, but then Kesler came closer to him.
"Hey, I think that's the new girl, the one talking with, wait, is that Billy? oh god, I haven't seen that faggot in a while, I'll have some fun with him later" Teddy was relief that Kesler didn't want to be his pair, but he wasn't precisely happy about what he said, it was mean but unfortunately not new, it wasn't the first time that he heard John say something similar, even when he thinks he suspects that Teddy isn't precisely straight, which he wouldn't be wrong, but still.
He spent the rest of the class looking at the boy that Kesler mentioned in the most discreet way he could, in a certain way he felt identified, as if the boy was a kind of reflection of him, another side of the same coin, he was talking to a girl, it seemed to him that it was the same one who arrived late, he felt a little relieved that he wasn't the only one who was in a hurry, anyway, a few minutes later, the bell started ringing, he took out his schedule to check what class It was his turn, he read "Spanish" poorly written on his phone.
As he left the classroom he saw Kesler talking to the boy and the girl he mentioned before, it did not seem to be a friendly conversation, rather it seemed to be more like a confrontation, his suspicions were confirmed when he heard the girl tell John to leave them alone, at that moment she wanted to intervene, he didn't want to cause the boy more problems than he clearly already had, however, he didn't want to get too involved either, so he just told Kesler that they had to go to class from a distance, he knew that they didn't have the same class, but he wanted him to leave the boy alone so he didn't really care, John reluctantly agreed and on the way to class, he managed to lose Kesler in the crowd, for which he was grateful.
The rest of the day passes without inconvenience, he managed to avoid Kesler for most of the day, also he didn't cross paths with the boy and his friend, which, he wasn't sure if it was good or not. On one hand, it meant he didn't have to worry about Kesler causing trouble for them again. On the other hand, he found himself curious about Billy and the way he had seemed to instantly him.
By the time the final bell rang, Teddy was feeling the fatigue of his early morning. He made his way to his car, grateful for the respite the drive home would offer. As he walked through the parking lot, he spotted Billy and Kate walking together, deep in conversation. For a moment, he considered going over to say hello, but he soon discarded that idea, what if Kesler saw them together and decided to cause more trouble? he didn't have the energy to deal with that.
Pushing the thought aside, Teddy unlocked his car and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, replaying the day's events in his mind. Despite the rocky start, he felt a sense of optimism. Maybe this new school wouldn't be so bad after all.
When he arrived home, Teddy found his mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She looked up and smiled as he walked in. "Oh hi honey, how was your first day?"
"Not bad," Teddy replied, grabbing a glass of water. "Met some new people, avoided some trouble. The usual."
His mother laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes."
Teddy nodded and headed up to his room. He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The events of the day swirled in his mind, and he couldn't help but think about Billy and the way he had stood up to Kesler. It took guts to do that, especially when dealing with someone as intimidating as Kesler. Teddy admired that kind of courage, a courage not even he had.
Dinner was a quiet affair, with his mother asking a few more questions about his day and Teddy giving short, honest answers. He had a good relationship with his mother, he was an open book with her, she knew he was gay, but he didn't think it was a good idea to tell her the thoughts he had throughout the day. after dinner, he helped with the dishes and then retreated to his room to finish his homework. Despite the fatigue, he felt a strange sense of anticipation for the days to come.
Sitting at his desk, Teddy found it hard to focus on his homework. His thoughts kept drifting back to Billy. There was something about him that drew Teddy in—a mix of bravery and vulnerability that he found intriguing. He wondered what Billy's story was, what he had been through, and why Kesler targeted him.
As the evening wore on, Teddy's phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from one of the rugby team members, inviting him to a party on Friday. Normally, he'd be excited about such an invitation, but tonight, he felt indifferent. He typed a quick response, saying he might drop by, and set his phone aside.
Looking out his window, Teddy sighed. he felt a bit isolated, not to say alone, despite the new connections he was beginning to form. His thoughts wandered back to Billy again. He wished he had the courage he had, but he feared the potential backlash from Kesler and the others, a lot would say he was a coward, which might not be entirely wrong, but when you've been hiding your true self all your life, it becomes hard to be open with others.
After finishing his homework, Teddy decided to call it a night. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, hoping for a good night's sleep, he needed to rest from all the emotional melodrama he had been through all day.