blue hair and bruises.

1 - The Boy In The Bubble

There, sitting inconspicuously in the very back of the classroom, was the new student. This kid stood out amongst his new classmates like a sore thumb. Sporting blue pigtails and an odd-looking mask, he hadn't spoken a word since he slunk into the classroom that morning. No one could read his expression under that mask, and his eyes were devoid of any emotion. 

Murmurs that were ignored by the subject quietly echoed throughout the room. Students stole glances here and there, but only one person kept their eyes on him for more than a second.

"Mr Phelps, didn't your mother ever tell you how rude it is to stare?" called the teacher from the front of the classroom. Travis Phelps, the one who had been staring, quickly looked back at the teacher with a scowl. The sniggers arose, and it burned his cheeks.

"Who's the new kid?" someone asked. The teacher nodded and looked to the boy.

"Class, this is Sal Fisher," he introduced, "He just moved here from New Jersey. Welcome to Nockfell, Sal." He flashed a friendly smile. All looked back at the kid expectantly, only to face cold silence and ignorant eyes.

Sal. 

As in Salvatore?

Even his name was a little odd. 

When he was sure no one would notice, Travis stole another intrigued glance. What he wasn't prepared for, was Sal's cold eyes gazing back at him.

Travis glared and turned away.

~

He didn't see the new kid in the cafeteria that lunch, like he'd hoped.

Travis sat alone, as usual, staring at the food he'd rather not eat. His stomach felt too queasy. He dared not feed it. He itched at his long sleeves under the table.

He wasn't one to understand his own emotions very well, let alone deal with them accordingly. As such, his tolerance for feelings he didn't understand was very low. He had a tendency to either lash out at those around him, or cave in on himself completely. Today, he was nearly at his breaking point. To make matters worse, he'd left his bible and pamphlets at home.

Bad move.

Of course it was by accident, but his dad would never let it slide. He was highly religious, and liked to push his beliefs on everyone, including his son. This, combined with an unhealthy addiction to alcohol and a short temper, made him very intimidating. Travis, who put up such an aggressive front while he was at school, genuinely feared his father.

The boy's ears tuned in to the conversation of his favourite group of victims, who were chatting away at a nearby table. Amongst the lunchtime ruckus, they were only just audible.

"He's kinda... odd, don't you think?" said Ash, the pretty girl of the group.

"Yeah, but he seems nice enough," said Larry, the metalhead.

"Wait... you mean he actually spoke to you?" said bespectacled Todd, in awe.

"No, but I met him and his dad when they moved in. My mom was talking to his dad. He called him something along the line of... a selective mute, I think. Said he was an anxious kid from the beginning, but once the bullying started, it was all too much for him. Hasn't spoken a word since."

"Aw jeez," said Chug, between mouthfuls, "I'm kinda worried for him then. Didya see Travis glaring at him?"

"Dunno. It seems like a pretty solid strategy to me. Don't talk and there's not much that assholes can really do." Ash stated.

"Still, I'd be careful if I were him. He's different. People don't like 'different'."

Travis stood abruptly. His stomach was churning. He stared down at his untouched food, and how it tempted him to toss it to the floor. Instead, he stormed from the cafeteria to retreat to the boys' bathroom.

However, along the way he spotted a certain blue-haired boy standing by the lockers. The buckles on his mask were loose and he was bringing a sandwich up underneath it, eating alone and away from the other students. Calmly, he shifted his gaze towards Travis. Travis frowned at him, and as approached, he shoved him hard against the lockers. "Get the fuck out of my way, weirdo," he grumbled, and moved past to continue his journey to the bathroom.

Sal was left there, staring down at the sandwich he'd now dropped. How inconvenient.