The Creature He Is

CHAPTER 1

Kenny was interesting to say the least. He had been transferred to South Park High School, just out of the blue one day, like magic. One day he wasn't there, and the next he suddenly was. It wasn't even at the start of the day when he had joined either, it was midday at lunchtime. So when everyone walked in to class following lunch, he was just sitting there already. There was no introduction or anything about him, he was just there.

There were people who stared at him, obviously, aside from not knowing who he was and just appearing out of nowhere, he was also always covered from head to toe in heavy clothing. Wearing a mostly orange with black patterns parka, black pants, black gloves, black jeans, that matched the bizarre black mask, like one you would see people in hospitals wearing, on his face. The only real visible things on him were his eyes and bits of his hair that poked out from under his parka's black furred trimmed hood.

Then there were the days where he was there, verses the days where he was not, sometimes being gone for days at a time. Which is when most learned what his actual name was, after someone asked where he was to the teacher, and they told everyone that he was staying home because of some medical reasons or something. Which people started to relate to why he wore a mask. He also seemed to keep mainly to himself and rarely talked to anyone, if at all, which only made him stand out all the more. Most of the guys in class were either put off, or weirded out by him. While a surprising number of girls found him to be, 'dark' and 'mysterious', because of how secretive he seemed to be, which seemed to get them really going on trying to find out more about him and guessing what he really looked like under his heavy clothing.

These were all things that a boy by the name of, Craig Tucker, had noticed about him over the past month or so since the strange hooded boy started going to his school, and living in his small town. He wasn't sure if this hyper focus on him was because he had spent so much time listening to one of his friends babble on about conspiracies over the years or not, but whatever the case was, he now found himself watching the hooded boy yet again in class, as he leans on one of his hands, his head looking in his direction. Craig's seat was directly across from him, on the other side of the classroom about four rows over, so it was pretty obvious that his head was facing him. He watches him as a strand of blond hair falls out from under his hood, his eyes narrowing as he focuses on it, watching it bounce a bit before it's gone from his view and replaced by a pair of eyes now looking at him instead.

Craig quickly looks away when he realizes that Kenny was now looking right at him, as if he somehow sensed him watching him. Which certainly wouldn't have been the first time that thought crossed his mind. Not really knowing where else to look, he instead focuses his gaze out of the window his seat was next to, and watches the rain outside hit the asphalt of the school yard, keeping it there till class ends.

The rest of the day passes by pretty uneventful like usual for Craig, despite the second class he shared with the strange boy. Although during his last class, gym, he sees something orange pass by outside on the sidewalk in the rain, as he heads back from the washroom. He watches the figure walk down the street, with a backpack on and no umbrella, seeming not to even care at all about having one.

When the school day ends, Craig heads home with a group of his friends and they hangout for a bit like usual, before all parting ways and heading home. Craig then spends the rest of the night playing games, or watching videos. And the thoughts of the hooded boy from earlier, fade from his mind.

When the next day arrives, it's more of the same as usual for Craig, the rain still continuing into it. As lunch arrives, he sits with his group of friends in the cafeteria. The conversation is pretty linear, like it always was, so he only finds himself paying half attention as he thinks of what he should do later on that day when he gets home. He gets so drawn in to those thoughts, that he almost misses when the topic of the strange boy from his class is brought up. His hearing tunes in more for it, but it only lasts a short while, as it's about how he always seemed to be absent from the lunchroom again, before the conversation moves on to something else. Thus lunchtime comes and goes. When Craig sees Kenny in the second class he shares with him, he decides to focus more on his work this time around until the bell rings again.