Slendytubbies: One with the Mask

Chapter 1: The same

Oliver's alarm clocked beeped rapidly.

Oliver groaned slowly before turning his head towards the digital clock's direction. Another Monday morning. Just great. Turning the clock off and grudgingly getting up before rubbing his tired eyes. Had he been up late on the computer or reading comics again? He couldn't remember and he frankly didn't try to. The sweet weekend was over and it was time to go back to school again.

Oliver didn't really dislike school naturally. He just didn't like how repetitive everything was. Get up, follow the rules and times, listen to boring facts and information, speak when spoken to, all the rules and parts of schools were barely enjoyable when done over what felt like a thousand times. Weekend was so much more diverse.

But that's enough of that. The sooner he focused on school, the sooner he'd be out of school. He took off his pyjamas and replaced them with his normal clothes before heading downstairs and making some toast. His mom and dad had already left because of their work and left him with all the essentials. Oliver's parents were very kind and understanding, they gave him emotional support when he needed it, they always helped him if he needed them and brought him up to be independent and self-taught. But despite his love for them, his heart still often felt empty and bored, as if he was still missing something in life, but he didn't know what.

As he spread the butter on the steamed bread slices, Oliver began thinking about a girl he always had a crush on, Alice. She was a nice girl with a thin body shape and a gorgeous face, blonde long hair and stylish clothing that always stuck out in a crowd. She was a big extrovert, in comparison to Oliver. He wasn't a total closed introvert, but he also really wasn't a "people" person.

As he finished his toast and packed his bag, he continued on thinking about Alice. He had been wanting to talk to her in a while, not asking her out because he felt he was still too young for that. He just wanted to get close to her and become one of the important people in her life, become her friend. He had already tried talking to her many times before, but his fears always overtook him.

Oliver finished packing his bag before getting his coat on and stepping out the door. For a winter morning, it was surprisingly warm. But he felt like he wouldn't risk it and still insisted on keeping his coat on before beginning his walk to school which was pretty close to his home.

During his walk, his mind was still on where he had left off. His fears. When he was a young kid, he enthusiastic and energetic. He was so excited to go to school. He later had some people he knew in the school but not yet a friend. He walked up to some girls who he liked and asked if they wanted to go outside during break time and hang out. He was rejected harshly. He was made fun of in front of the entire school. Since then, he wasn't really the same after. It seemed to him that the world hated him. He walked past hallways with his head down and body in a bored, emotional state (unaware of all the people he knew around him asking him if he wanted to hang out or if he was ok). His brain never let go of that memory.

Wait. Was he stuck on the past? No, no he wasn't. He was just bothered by it. His mind was just reminding him not to be overly optimistic again. He was sure it was for his own good. It had to be. After all, he had already made many other accomplishments, such as getting top grade in his science test, and completing the school's mile challenge race and he had... um... right, none of the accomplishments had really helped his mind and feelings. Only his grades. Maybe was he really stuck...

His mind quickly snapped out of its though when he heard the shouting and talking and the racket all the other students were making since the school Gateshead had just been opened. It was always a wild stampede to get onto the playground court. Even teachers and other staff had to get out of the way abruptly or they'd risk getting flung forwarded or backwards from such collective running force. It was a sight that made Oliver chuckle. That feeling was short lived as he remembered where he was going to: school.

Fortunately, despite how boring it was, it seemed like a normal day of school. No drama, no detours, no idiots. Thus, the routine started. Get to register, do nothing for a few minutes, go to next lesson, write down stuff, get asked a question you're not familiar with, next lesson, more writing and listening, getting hit with a paper ball and throwing it back, going to break, sometimes watch Alice's from afar, next lesson, writing, next lesson, sometimes PE (which involves often admiring the fine arts that are called "lines on the gym floor"), lunch break, eat your food, walk around or read a book, last lesson, waiting for the bell to ring and then HOME TIME!

The student stampede occurred again and the whole school dashed out onto the school gates, including Oliver. Soon he was back in his familiar same path that he took towards home. Just lost in his own thoughts again... until he turned his head to the left.

On the other sidewalk was Alice. Only him and Alice were walking along this part, as Oliver didn't see anybody else along here. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to her. All he had to do as just muster up the courage to walk on the road and over to her sidewalk. C'mon, he could do this, just don't panic and don't think about the last time he asked this to someone.

But what if she refused? What if she said she didn't like him? No, no, no, his past was haunting him. He wanted to go there, but he couldn't, his mind mind kept telling him to, but his memory kept holding him back with an iron fist.

He just kept walking along the sidewalk, and walking, and walking. Soon it had been a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to Oliver. He glanced at her again. Alice looked at him with a smile and waved at him cheerfully. Was she happy with seeing him there? Oliver thought about going over there again. She really didn't seem as serious as the previous girl who had rejected him when he was younger. 

Just as he was about to wave back and walk over to her, he heard someone shout to her.

"Hey Babe!"

Oliver turned his head to the noise. Oh no. Not now. It was Rodney and his goons. The Jerks of the town. They were just as harsh to girls as they were to boys and cared about nobody but themselves. 

Oliver saw Alice scrunch up her face in disgust at them. Clearly, she didn't like Rodney too. But Rodney didn't seem fazed by this. He simply got closer to her at the sidewalk she was on. 

Oliver knew what he was going to do. "C'mon babe, come with me, let's go to my place." Despite him, Alice and Oliver all being 13 years old, Rodney still always believed he was in a relationship with every girl in the school.

"Ew, no, get away from me!" Alice exclaimed. Rodney stopped in front of her and just grabbed her arm. Oliver's face shot up in fear. He had to help her. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, many cars were now passing by on the road between both sidewalks, making him unable to quickly run to the other side, quickly get her out of Rodney's grasp and leading her away from them. He kept trying to reach her, and by the time he finally got to the other sidewalk, they were gone...

Oliver didn't know what to do. Finding them was practically impossible, as nobody in the school truly knew where he lived, he was a creep like that. There was nothing he could do now. He just slowly turned around and went back on his path to home after the cars had cleared off.

If he hadn't been so reminiscent of the past, he might have already been on that sidewalk and helped her run off when Rodney came to her. They might have grown a good friendship already. She seemed to be happy with him by the way she waved at him. It was all just in his mind. It really took something like this to get him to realise he needs to change. He wasn't going to be that helpless sad guy. He was going to become someone who could stay intimidating and not afraid to do something he wanted so that nothing like this could happen again.

He knew what to do and how to act tomorrow. And he was sure nothing was going to interrupt him on his regular change of attitude this evening.