Repress

1. Buddies in God

Travis Phelps sat uncomfortably in his desk surveying the room, ready for the bell to ring so he could get out of there. He didn't know why, but he was more anxious than normal that day, and wanted to avoid anyone and everyone's attention to the best of his ability.
Luckily, no one seemed to be paying him any mind, at least, no one worth his worrying. Jane Parker was too busy talking to her friends, Joseph Snyder had his head ducked to see a video game he was playing under his desk, Sal Fisher was-
Travis' heart skipped a beat when his eyes landed on a pair of blue pigtails, making his fingers twitch as if trying to grip onto a last bit of stability that wasn't there. At the same time, a wave of shame and forced anger spread through his body, making his face grow warm. Sal Fisher was the last person he wanted to think about right now, but at the same time the only one he couldn't seem to keep his mind, or eyes at the moment, off of. He wasn't even doing anything of significance, either; just drinking out of a water bottle with a blue silly straw to avoid lifting up his mask. But God, for some reason it lit Travis' heart on fire and turned his mind to mush. He hated it, he hated him. At least, that's what he would so desperately tell himself to make the waves of shame stop washing his conscious of the butterflies that boy gave him.
He didn't notice he was still staring until Sal glanced in his direction, causing him to quickly flick his head up and pretend to be looking at the wall behind Sal's head. He prayed that the sudden redness in his cheeks would go unnoticed, breathing a silent sigh of relief when Sal looked back down and he could safely turn back right in his chair to put his head down. He was practically begging the bell to ring now, he didn't know how much longer he could sit there.

"Mr. Phelps," the teacher called, causing Travis' head to shoot up involuntarily.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I heard the church was doing something special with the kids your age, mind filling me in?"

All eyes turned on him, making his hands curl into fists of raw anxiety. This teacher usually avoided speaking to him outside of classwork and lectures, why did she have to decide to talk to him now? He didn't want to explain whatever new idea his father had thought up, especially not to someone it wouldn't affect in the slightest. Lord forbid he tell her no and his father find out, though.

"It's a new thing my father thought of a little while ago," he said, straightening his posture and trying to seem like he wasn't barely holding it together, "a bunch of the teenagers are supposed to befriend someone considered an outcast in their school for a few weeks."

He could feel a few of his peers' eyes peel away from him, finding his statement unappealing to listen to.

"It's...supposed to spread a message of inclusivity and possibly bring new members into the faith."

The majority of the room's attention was no longer on him, save the teacher and a couple nosey kids.

"That's a wonderful idea," the teacher cooed, a smile forming on her lips.

"Are you participating as well, Travis? Have you found someone to pair up with yet?"

Travis shook his head. "No ma'am, not yet. I haven't really seen anyone that fits what I'm looking for."

That was a lie, there were plenty of kids he could befriend, hell, he was one of this school's outcasts. It would probably count if he somehow got a puppet of himself and carried it around for a while.

"There's Sally Face," a voice piped up, earning a wave of snickers and giggles from the room; and causing  poor Sal to choke on a mouthful of water. Everyone knew how tense it was between the zealot and the blue haired boy, and the person that made the suggestion was obviously driven by malice.