"Church Boy."

Warm Welcome

Originally Posted May 14th 2023

Larry walked me to homeroom, luckily, we had it together. "Lucky, you got Gibson for fourth. He's so fuckin' cool. Guy doesn't get angry either, I've tried." Larry envied. "Ha, loser." I mocked. Larry pushed me through the doors of homeroom and to the back of the dull grey area. 

 "Mr. Fisher!" The teacher exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. "Hello...?" I dizzily asked. "Why don't you introduce yourself to your peers? I'm sure they're dying to know about you!" he said, letting me go and allowing me to steady myself on my feet. 

"Alright..." I whispered. "I'm Sal, most people call me Sally Face. I just moved here from Jersey with my dad. I like guitar and um...I love metal." I said, trying to hold my limbs as close as I could, hoping that my body would eventually just pop into nothingness, so I didn't have to stand there awkwardly anymore. 

"Great! You may sit where you please, Mr. Fisher. I trust you'll make a good decision." the teacher called out, giving a sweet smile and thumbs up. 

Once the teacher turned his attention back to putting on the documentary, Larry started talking to me. "You seem happy, what? It cause Travis ain't here?" Larry asked, glancing over to make sure that the teacher wasn't looking. "Yeah, I guess. It's nice not being bullied." I truthfully answered. 

Larry chucked and began once again. "Tell me about it! I have damn near every class with that bastard." He signed out, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Ha, sucks for you!" I mocked. "Whatever, get bent." Larry retorted, flipping me off.

I returned the favor and stuck up my middle finger with a smile nobody could see.

*Time skip*

After class, Larry walked me to math. He informed me that the math teacher was real sweet but sometimes oddly strict. I graciously accepted the valuable information and walked straight in.

Larry said that he was friends with this girl named Ash. He said she was sweet, pretty, smart, and good at art. Kinda sounded like he had a crush on her if you ask me.

Anyways, I walked in and immediately knew who Ash was. She had long brown hair and vibrant green eyes.  She was peach and had a difference in skin color on her neck and face. It was cool.

I could see why he liked her. She was beautiful but not really my type. Mostly because I preferred guys...

"Are you Ash?" I asked, tapping her shoulder. "I am, yea! How'd you know?" She asked, a sweet smile never leaving her face. "Larry." I informed. She smirked and rolled her eyes jokingly. "Of course." She snickered. "Sorry, what's your name?" Ash asked. "Sal but most people call me Sally Face..." I answered. "Sally Face?"

"Yea, cause of the...prosthetic..." I finished. Her expression changed from sweet and welcoming to pitying and sad. "Sorry, didn't mean to make it depressing." I apologized. "It's fine, really, it is." She reassured.

She gave me a quick hug and then the teacher walked in so I sat near the back of the class, already knowing I would have to introduce myself.

"Kids! We have a new student today. Sal, please stand and introduce yourself." She asked. This time, it had been a demand. Not something I could choose and say yes or no to. I had to.

I adios from my seat in the back and began the speech I was going to have to review in every class. "Hey, I'm Sal. My friends call me Sally Face. I moved here from Jersey with my dad. 
I like guitar and metal." I said, sitting back down after the approving smile from my teacher.

"Alright, well, let's get started." Ms. Packerton announced. She began to hand out an assignment, and we were allowed to start once she was done. The assignment was easy for the most part. It was just calculating the value of x.

I finished quickly and turned it into her. As I said, I didn't get any sleep last night, so I was agitated and exhausted. I laid my head down and accidentally drifted off to sleep.

After a few minutes, I heard my name being called. "Mr. Fisher, that doesn't look like math to me." Mrs. Packerton joked. "Sorry, I must have dozed off. And I already finished the assignment." I informed, grabbing my pencil and doodling on a page in my notebook.

"Yes, you aced it as well. But please, had up for the rest of class."

"Sure."

I hadn't noticed, but Travis had turned around to face me. "Mr. Phelps, eyes on your paper, please." Mrs. Packerton called out. He rolled his eyes and made a mocking face before turning back around and continuing to do his paper.

After class, I met up with Larry and Ash before lunch. Fortunately for me, Travis was out there too.

"Het, freak! Nobody likes a goody two shoes, Saaaally face!" He taunted. "Nobody likes a cliche bully, Traaavis." I retorted, rolling my eye.

"Whatever, faggot..."

"Wow, Trav. You kiss your daddy with that tongue?"

And that's when I felt it.

That's when I felt what Travis did. 

"Shut up!" Travis screamed. The crowd we had drawn began to ooh and aww, but I paid no attention. I focused on my pain, the feeling of the blood dripping out of my nose, and the sound of my prosthetic cracking.  Through the crowd, I saw Larry. His tall stature makes him very visible.

"What the hell happened, Sal?!" Larry yelled, shoving past the horde of teens that were recording and trying to encourage me to throw a punch. "Travis..." I answered, watching as Travis walked away through the crowd. "Travis happened..." I finished. "Are you fucking kidding? Your first day!? That fucking prick..." Larry said, practically seeing red. "It's fine. He might not have a good home life, you never know." I suggested, holding my mask so it wouldn't fall. 

"What a warm welcome."