Creep

Chapter Seventeen

Ch-ch-changes! Just gonna have to be a different man. Time may change me. But, I can't trace time.~David Bowie

*Henderson's act*

Place: Science class

Since Gerard was in science with me, I've been told to start the act there. Right as I entered the class people began to look at me oddly. Who knew such a small change in clothes could draw so much attention. I mean I understood Miriam's goth thing getting stares, but not weird jeans and a fresh jacket.

It was mostly the girls staring though. They looked really weird because they kept batting their eyes, and brushing their hair with their fingers like monkeys do. My face and body still looked the same, but I guess my clothes made me look either better or easier to approach. One girl even walked up to me, "Hey Henderson, you doing anything tonight?"

"Lots of parties. I'm hot. Then walk away." I tried to use the advice Ethan gave me but ended up doing it wrong.

Although I was so unexplainably anxious, I had to walk in with my back straight and my chin up. When I planted a seat next to Gerard, where I normally don't sit, I was instructed to prompt my feet on top of our desk. Once I worked up the courage to do so (by that I mean after Gerard hit my arm until it began to bruise), our teacher Ms. Humphrey walked in.

"Good morning class. Today we're going to be..." when she was finished organizing the clutter in her arms onto her desk, she looked up her eyes immediately meeting mine, "Mr. McAllister, what are you doing? Get back to your seat." She asked, acting surprised that it was me she had to talk to.

"Um uh, uh n-no."

All heads turned to me.

"What did you just say?" Ms. Humphrey was so good at acting I got scared that she actually was getting angry, but Gerard reminded me in a hushed voice that she knew all about the film.

"I said no. I deal with getting pushed around by everyone, and I'm most certainly not going to start letting some no life teacher tell me what to do."

"Me? No life? Trust me, once the principal hears about this you'll have no life for a long time. Now get out of my class!"

I walked out as fast as I could, keeping my head down so I didn't have to deal with the glares of my classmates after the scene I'd just made. Gerard quickly caught up with me, he probably asked if he could use the restroom or something.

"Dude, that was great!" He patted me on the shoulder.

"Really," I queried, my breathing uneven, "Because I don't feel great."

"Trust me, it's good for you."

"What is? Being forced into doing something that makes me weird."

"Well, yeah."

I was trying really hard not to get angry with Gerard but it was becoming increasingly difficult. But, I knew his intention was good so I let it be.

. . .

When I got to lunch, the squad was already together and talking. I decided that I'd get a school lunch today, being that I get it free anyway. While I was standing in line, a few kids from science came up to me.

"That was really cool of you, what you did in class." A boy named Brynt who sits in the front said.

I nodded.

"Did you want to come to my party tonight? It'll be huge."

I shook my head. Besides, I already had plans to hang out with Ethan.