Somewhere in the universe
I sat in my hard wooden seat, sulking in 2nd-period biology class. I woke up late today, which already set me off. I also didn’t eat breakfast, and, to top it off, I missed the bus. I was soaking in sweat from running all the way to school, and I still managed to get a detention slip for being tardy
My friends had all forgotten about me, and all they did was rave about that new movie with the alien kid. Thinking about them made me feel like the same odd kid, with freckles, a slender body, and nerdy glasses. I zoned out while our teacher, Ms. Sullivan, was rambling on about cell structures.
It felt like hours had passed when suddenly the door flew open. I sat up straight in my chair and curiously peeked my head outside. “Is this room twenty-oneeeeeeah?” A voice bellowed. I looked and found a sickly, pale-skinned kid. “My name is Stanley.” I shook my head in confusion. He was wearing a huge metal-skinned bodysuit with a deep blue lining. His posture was crooked, his back was hunched, but his head was sticking up like a big, tall turtle.
His appearance also caught the attention of other students; everyone stared at his bright red hair glinting in the light, and his glasses caught it too, and I looked away. He stumbled around the classroom until, against my will, he stubbornly sat down at the seat next to me. I sucked my teeth and went back to sleeping.
Despite the serene atmosphere filled with the lingering smell of fresh lavender, I soon woke up to obsessive tapping on my leg. I jumped back, and that was when I noticed the 2-foot-long tail stretched out around my backpack and foot. The purple string recoiled immediately, and I sat down hard in my chair.
The rest of the period was stiff; Stanley wouldn’t even look me in the eyes, and he spoke in a posh British accent that made everyone giggle, but he held his head high. Besides the awkward glances I got from him, everything went fine.
When the bell rang, everyone filed out the door, except Stanley. I desperately needed a new friend, and since Stanley didn’t know anybody, I pinned my hopes on him. I reached out my hand and smiled, “Kaspar.” I walked towards the door, motioning for him to come. I reached for the door and noticed he wasn’t following me.
Maybe he was a little shy; I grabbed his backpack and held his hand. “Let’s go; we’re going to be late for our next class.” He followed behind, head down, hair flopping sideways. I reached the gym locker room and handed him the shorts and t-shirt we were required to wear.
“NO!” a voice rang through the room. I saw Stanley’s face drain of color. “I can’t wear this.” He dashed to the men’s room and disappeared. I heard unzipping and zipping, fabric rustling, and a faint yet desperate cry that echoed.
