Fragments of Harmony [Book 1!]

/./Chapter 5/./Atlas Mayflower/.

Atlas grumbled, setting the mop and rags away in the janitor's staff room. A whole entire day of trying to clean up the campus and trying to study at the same time was just about enough for him. "Hey look, it's the new janitor~ Have fun cleaning this!" He heard when he stepped out of the small, crammed room. "What the–..."

There on the floor was a big puddle of melted ice-cream. A taunting laughter came from Annie and her possy, who were eyeing Atlas with a disdainful look. "What's the matter, shortie? What can you even see from down there?" Atlas had always hated Annie. Annie was an extremely popular girl with ginger hair, blue eyes, and a never ending gang following her everywhere she went. It was like she was the last ticket to a Taylor Swift concert. "What can I see? I can see your IQ."

Annie's smirk was wiped off her face, which was heavily applied with makeup. "What did you say? I dare you to say that one more time," she snarled, pointing a sharp, violet colored nail at Atlas. "I can see your IQ from down here...?" He replied, grinning. Whenever he turned an insult directed to him into an insult directed to the insulter, a small glimpse of pride would well up inside of him. It feels good to bite back, Annie Peterson. It feels good to bite back, you spoiled bi–

He felt a sharp pain hit him across his left cheek. Grasping it painfully, Atlas stared blankly, shocked at Annie. She had slapped him, and now it was rather noticeable, since reddish-pinkish flesh was starting to appear. "Ow! That hurt, you know, Annie?"

"Yeah, I know. And I'll make it even more painful this time!" She lifted up her hand again, hissing through her teeth, "This will teach you a lesson to not make fun of me again, punk–" Atlas braced himself for the impact. The first time was painful enough, so he definitely wouldn't want to feel the second slap. He shut his eyes, holding out his fists in front of his face as a barrier. Any time now, it'll land... be prepared for the bomb of the year, me. But it never came to him. Instead, he heard a grunting noise... but not coming from himself. "Chase...? What are you doing here?"

Standing in front of him was a tall, muscular boy with long, black hair. He looked back at Atlas, smiling. "Hey A.M. Wassup?"

Annie immediately covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to–" She was cut off by a soft yet menacing, "Tell me later," look from Chase. Annie's face was flustered as she scurried away down the hallway with her mob of followers. Atlas gulped. "Aye man, sorry you had to face the wrath of the wom-annie back there." Chase sighed, chuckling. "It was nothing. Besides, now we have matching faces!" He said optimistically, pointing to his own red cheek. "That isn't funny, dude– your humor really stinks," Atlas mumbled. "I still can't believe she hasn't gone to the headmistress's office yet! It's crazy how none of the staff had noticed her evil behavior yet." Ever since Micah died, Chase had been his best friend. He could still remember them meeting each other at a lonely park on a chilly December night. Little Chase's face was stained dry with tears, but even though he seemed unapproachable at the time, little Atlas gave part of his popsicle to him. "Popsicles in Winter are criminal," Atlas remembered Chase saying when he handed it over to him. But he ate it anyway.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either. To be honest, I find Annie kind of scary," Chase whispered, shuddering. "And where in the world did you come from anyways?" Atlas asked, crossing his arms. "It was like you appeared out of thin air!"

"That's because I did, Atlas. You know how your mop was extra heavy when you were cleaning away an hour ago?" Atlas nodded, recalling the mop which felt like a boulder in his hands. He had stopped using it, and had switched out to another one, but that one had grown heavy too. Did you have something to do with it, Chase? "Well you see, I shapeshifted into a boulderbird and hid in the soft parts of the mops you used. It took me some time to sneak into the second one you used though, but I camouflaged perfectly fine so you didn't see me. I didn't realize boulderbirds were that heavy. Anyways, when I saw that Annie was going to slap you again, I went back to my own original form and rushed in to save your butt." Chase explained. "Oh, so that's why the mops almost made my arms fall off–... I swear to the great guardians... Chase, stop shapeshifting into things in school hours just to follow me around!"