Average Joe (2018)

8

Party's are not my thing. I was never one for social gatherings, especially since I didn't have any friends outside Tori and Darwin, so I wasn't really surprised when nobody recognized me. Probably because I'm new, but still you get what I'm saying. I change schools so often I just try not to be noticed. I suppose it was just easier that way. You didn't have to talk to people. You don't have to pretend to be nice. The only kid who did recognize me was the only one I didn't want to - Philip Francis, the dude who tripped me in the hall.

"Crap," I mumbled.

"What is it?" Tori asked.

"I've got you covered man," Bryan said, swinging a jacket over my shoulders.

If Philip had noticed me, he wasn't acting like it. He was just standing there, talking to his football buddies.

"Philip Francis," said Tori. "I'm tutoring him. What about him?"

"He tripped Norman in the hall," Bryan responded. "and you know Philip. When he chooses his pray he doesn't let go of it easily."

"Comforting," I said. "Where's Darwin?"

"Chatting Kimberly to death," Tori answered.

I saw Darwin and Kimberly at the other end of the foyer, Darwin talking excitedly. Kimberly just stood there, a dull look in her blue eyes.

"Poor Kimberly," I said sarcastically, really glad about the fact Darwin wasn't ranting to me for once.

The three of us walked around to the dinner table, which was littered with bowls with ice and soda cans in them. Tori hands me a cold Coke and a Root-Beer to Bryan.

"I wonder where Katherine is," Tori ponders. "I'm going to look for her."

Before I can protest being alone with Bryan, Tori runs off to the other side of the house.

"So, you and Tori are really close huh?" Bryan asks me as we move towards the couch.

"Friends since the fourth grade." I wondered why he was asking me this but I decided not to pursue the idea.

"No way!" I heard Kimberly yell.

I turned to see Kimberly and another girl in a heated discussion.

"Red Flame would totally date me!" The girl responded.

"Please, we have so much in common! I know, I took the quiz in Tiger Beat Magazine!"

I rolled my eyes and sat on the couch. Bryan sat next to me.

"You don't like Red Flame, I take it?"

"It's not that, I just don't understand the hype. I mean yeah, he's cool and everything, but I swear the city is on the brink of worship."

Bryan laughed.

"The brink? Dude, the whole city loves him."

"I know, it's just..."

Look at that. I had hated this guy, yet he almost got me to tell him my biggest secret.

"Just what?"

"It's not important."

"Look at that."

"What?"

I looked where he was looking and saw a giant flat-screen that displayed a news story. Natalie was standing in front of a familiar sight. The El Paso restaurant looked the same way it did one hour ago. Covered in a web of yellow tape and police cars crowding it, their vibrant red and blue lights flashing on the surrounding buildings.

"... like I was saying, Tim, the grizzly murder here at the El Paso restaurant would be the fifth murder committed by the sinister serial killer, the public calls, the Chronicle, as he leaves his audio journal at the scene of each crime. So far no further details have been released..."

"Dude," A kid with long hair moaned. "Total bummer."

The kid hit the off switch and the TV switched off.

"Well," I said. "That was..."

A large, meaty, hand gripped the hood of my jacket and jerked me from the couch.

"Agh," I gasped as the surrounding party goers snickered and laughed.

"I remember you," said a voice, who belonged to the dude who picked me up. "I saw you trip in the hall on your first day."

"Right. Saw."

"What's your name, short stack?"

"Norman," I grunted. Phil laughed.

"Norman? As in Norman Bates?" Anger boiled within my chest.

"Listen, Philip, how bout you let me go and we call tonight a push?"

The party goers watching us doubled, almost all of them chuckling about the fact I called Phil by his actual name. Phil let out an unsettling growl before swinging me around and shoving me against one of the brick walls, a sharp pain shooting through my shoulder blades.

"How bout you shut the hell up, and I don't push you through the wall."

"Heck offa deal," my lungs gasped.

A hand rested on Phil's shoulder. It was Darwin.

"Look man," Darwin said nervously. "Norman's just running his mouth like always. He's not worth it." Phil's large hand shoved against Darwin's chest, knocking him to the floor.

"Alight, Dumpster Eater," I growled. "You can pick on me, but my friends are where I draw the line." The grip on my neck tightened and I coughed. Phil raised his first and snarled.

"Fine by me."

"Hi Phil!" A cheery female voice spoke.

Phil whirled around. Tori stood there, her hands clasped together, a wide smile planted on her lips, her eyes looking confident.

"What do ya want?" Phil spat angrily.

"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you still wanted me to put in a good word with Couch Felix? Oh.. I mean my uncle John?"

The party goers let out the ever famous "ooo".

Phil frowned. He slowly lowered his fist and then let go of me. He mumbled something then walked off. The watching teenagers laughed and snickered as he walked off. Tori looked at me and her smile dropped to a frown.

"I leave you alone for five minutes..."