Cool kids (part 1)

In a suburban two story house, a young sixteen year old, fair skinned brunette boy was putting the finishing touches to his outfit for the school day ahead. His designer brand black and green sneakers went well with new dark washed jeans and white and green polo shirt. “Lynn! You almost done?” his mother’s voice travels from the bottom of the stairs to his room.

His hands go through his shoulder length hair as he makes his way to the mirror in his room, positioned over his light grayish dresser, “Getting there!” he answers back as he picks up a black rubber band that was carelessly just tossed on the dresser. He pulls his hair back into a low ponytail then wraps the hair tie around.

To the outside world, Lynn seems pretty normal. His shoes always looked out the box, his clothes always matched, he would smile and greet almost everyone. His mom was kind and on the younger side. Though it was just the two of them at home, her job was good enough to support them and then some. Him and his friends names’ were known around the school, in mostly a positive light. He was the poster child for cool teens.

What no one knew was, when he was all alone in his room with just music playing, he would think; how cool it would be to pretend to be a ninja. He would wonder if running with your arms pushed behind you and unmoving would actually make you faster. He would never do it though. He would also think how fun it would be to use made up words that he would hear in cartoons, in public but he would never actually do that.

He believed that would make him weird and that wasn’t something he would want to admit he was. That would make people look at him differently and he didn’t want that. He wanted to be accepted and he was doing a pretty good job at being just that. He didn’t want to put his normal life into jeopardy. Keeping weird thoughts to himself was a small price to pay to continue to be thought of as normal.

He grabs his plain black book bag then exits his room and takes a steady pace down the tiled stairs in his home. Waiting at the bottom is his mom. He gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m off, mom.”

“At least try to eat something first.”

“Of course. Of course,” he assures on his way to the kitchen. Out of the black steel fruit basket, he picks out a bright green apple and bites into it, “Done.” She rolls her eyes before shooing him out the front door.

Now out the house, he walks down the seemingly vacant streets to his bus stop, the pale morning sunlight shining softly through the light fog. Up ahead, he spots a girl. She’s short. She’s probably barely over five foot. Her dark, almost back dreads stop a bit passed her shoulders with green tips. Her skin looks the same tone as copper.

Lynn knows the girl. She’s been going to his school for the past year and living around the corner for just as long. Her name’s Demitri. At first glance, one would probably say she’s quiet and shy and most likely doesn’t have many friends. When seeing her with her only two friends, someone would possibly say they’re dopey, immature or, Lynn’s favorite, just plain weird.

Demitri and her friends are the kind of kids who run around, acting as if they’re airplanes, then pretend the plane is crashing and everyone on it is going nuts and killing each other before they hit the ground. They’re the type who break into laughter in the middle of a conversation, then tell you to go on with a straight face when they’re done. Secretly, they’re what Lynn thought of being like and he admires how they’re confident enough to do whatever it is that they want, even though most at their school wouldn’t talk to them and some pick on them.

Lynn picks up his speed to catch up with her before they reach the bus stop. Though he did want to talk to her, he didn’t want anyone to see him talking to her. He reaches out and taps her shoulder. She turns her attention from her cell phone and her violet contact colors meet his. “Hello,” he greets.

“Hi,” she responds then goes back to walk.

“Wait!” he stops her by holding her wrist. She freezes and stares at him defensively. He lets her go and holds both hands up to show he means no harm, “Sorry. I would just like to talk to you,”

“No, thank you,” and with that, she’s back on her way.

“I’m not trying to hurt you or bully you or anything! Promise,” with no reply back and her pace not faltering, Lynn sighs. What was he trying to talk to her for anyway? He had no clue.

Once making it to his destination, he glances over to the girl. She’s a good distance away from everyone else with ear plugs in. The only way she’s going to look up now is for the school bus.

“Hey Lynn,” his hazel haired friend lazily mentions as his eye lids lower over storm grey irises.

“What’s up, Alec?”

Alec tosses his head back some as he looks up, “Not much. Were you looking over at Demitri?” he questions and hides his hands in his pockets.

Lynn quickly looks over to him, due to the question, “What?! No. Why would I?”

From his sudden louder tone of voice at the beginning, Alec rubs his ear for emphasis, “Hell should I know why you do stuff.”

“Well, I wasn’t.”

“Whatever,” his friend’s mono toned voice ends the topic, “You hear about Caden?”

“When isn’t there something to hear about him. What happened?”

“They’re saying he got some girl pregnant.”

“I don’t see how him and his sister are so different.”

“You mean Nancy?” he guesses as he lifts a brow and looks at him questionably.

“I’m just saying!”

“What’s with you and the weird kids today?”

He looks down the street as the bus makes its way to where they were, “Nothing. It’s just weird. He likes molly and new shoes and she likes...costumes and whatever weird kids do.”