LUNCHBOX FRIENDS | changlix

.10

felix had never felt as self-conscious as he was at that moment, in biology class, surrounded by the other students sporting their egg-babies with clean, white shells.

"what is this?" mr kim had an accusatory finger pointing to the desk he shared with changbin, the desk where their egg rested like a piece of rock. changbin had just found a position in which it couldn't roll out and crack on the floor, and felix had thought he was a downright genius. well, he thought so before taking a glimpse of everyone's biology project, sitting perfectly on handmade cradles. they resembled expensive breeds of tiny dogs that rich ladies carried around in bags like accessories.

there was the tiniest, most minuscule smudge of mustard on it. one would've thought it was the yolk (or worse, the entrails of a real baby) by how mr kim reacted. he was fuming like a bull at the sight of red garments.

felix quickly wiped it off with the tip of a finger that he promptly licked right off, "it's just mustard!" from the egg salad sandwich he'd eaten for breakfast. and yes, he noticed how that sounded like, and he indeed had a very unsatisfyingly guilty meal while he tried consoling his egg-son. that was how the mustard ended up in his shell.

"just mustard?" the teacher yelled louder, outraged. "would you spill mustard on a real baby?"

felix bit back the response that highlighted the fact that a child would spill anything on itself, unprovoked. he figured that would endanger his grade even further.

"i told all of you to treat it like gold!" he continued when felix didn't reply.

"but i was!" felix insisted, "i was taking so much care of it i was cradling it while having breakfast!" like a busy single mom, he thought bitterly. changbin unfortunately lived somewhere else.

the teacher seemed to calm down - just slightly - at those words. he inhaled deeply and lowered his accusing finger from felix's face.

"i don't want to see this sort of... negligence again!" he berated at him.

felix wanted to suggest him to close his eyes next time, but he was wise enough to bite his tongue.

mr kim left, fists clenched and feet stomping hard on the floor, like a child throwing a tantrum. felix finally understood the term "manchild".

changbin, who had been awfully quiet throughout the whole exchange, begun to throw (what was apparently supposed to be) sneaky glances in felix's direction. but he, just like felix, seemed to be too cautious to say a single peep in fear of angering the teacher again.

maybe mr kim woke up in a spicy mood, or felix really held too much power over him, because once he reached the blackboard, he started dictating their homework: they were supposed to file a report after every week, analyze the "cycle of life" and the process of taking care of a living thing. felix had a pretty shallow understanding of eggs and their biology, but he was pretty sure the ones that could be bought at the supermarket couldn't be hatched! that said, they couldn't possibly be alive?

on top of that, this project was worth half their grades! awesome! what was the other half? anatomy of eggs?

felix felt as though he had some kind of superpower, because, right after, the teacher started a lesson about eggs!

---

changbin lasted until they'd gotten to felix's room to spill out.

he grabbed felix by the shoulder, a vice-like grip. "did you talk to him?"

felix was just about to question who him was, but figured that only his perceived blackmailer could have this effect on him.

a sudden bolt of jealousy traveled through his bloodstream at the thought of anyone else having an "effect" on changbin. maybe it was the hormones: biology class was very enlightening, with the teacher explaining — in minutious detail — the hatching process and how it didn't differ much from human anatomy.

therefore, felix could only come to one single conclusion: to be a good parent to an egg — and, in the process, get a good grade —, one had to resemble a pregnant lady. it was an amusing suggestion, one that felix would keep to himself. it was entertaining, you see, to pretend to be pregnant, because it would never happen in real life!

"not yet," he answered after (what he hoped was) a short moment. "but i'm on it."

he wished he hadn't said anything, because changbin let go of his shoulders, sighing and falling down to the bed, just barely missing the egg left astray on the sheets. they really needed to build a cradle.

felix took it in his arms, just like the stock image of a mother holding her newborn that mr kim had shown on his (rather disturbing, in some ways) slideshow. he pondered over the best ways to raise a child. from personal experience, felix knew the best option was for the child to have two happily married parents. like, look at jeongin! he didn't want his baby growing up to be a theater kid!

"so, we're parents!" felix blurted out before his mind-to-mouth filter had any effect.

changbin made a sound that could be easily mistaken for a cat choking on a furball. he sat straight, as if pulled up by puppeteer strings. felix felt trapped by his terrified stare. he wondered if he'd just said something highly offensive, like threatening to kill his family.

changbin cleared his throat.

"who... who do you think is the mother?" he said, somewhat hesitant.

felix couldn't help but chuckle. what a silly little question! but as soon as he did so, he stopped at the sight of changbin's expression growing even more alarmed. did felix's laugh suddenly grow evil? had he become a supervillain?

"well, it's obviously..." he started, and watched worriedly as changbin visibly folded unto himself. "the chicken, of course!"

changbin might as well have deflated, given all the air that had come out of his mouth in form of a long sigh. he seemed to melt onto the mattress, with whatever that'd been bothering him pouring out of his skin like the sweat at the end of a fever.

maybe he was just worried felix hadn't paid attention to today's lesson.