Castle High's After School Horror

New York City teens are even more excited for the three o'clock bell to ring than usual. Why? It's Friday and a heat wave is coming. The expected high temperature is impossibly 94 degrees Fahrenheit for the early April afternoon and the kids can't wait to leave the school and bask in its record-breaking glory.

Of course, they have to survive the school day first.

It's 8:43 am. Students are rushing into Castle High School through all entrances to make it to their first-period class on time. Mikey Way, lanky and four-eyed, is among them. He drags his feet, holding onto his backpack for dear life. He's a sophomore. He chews gum like it's a drug. He is also a freak.

Bob Bryar is a junior. He'd just moved to New York from Chicago at the beginning of the school year. His blue eyes are both piercing and menacing. He is Mikey's personal nightmare.

Bob loves his job.

Bob sprints up the stairs that lead into the school's main entrance and catches up to Mikey, grabbing his backpack and pulling him back. Mikey stumbles down a few steps. With first period classes starting, no one stops to come to Mikey's rescue. Besides, no one messes with Bob Bryar.

"Good morning, Michael!" Bob exclaims. "How are you today?"

Mikey groans and tries to continue up the stairs in spite of Bob's strong grip. "Let me go, asshole!" Mikey yells. He's chomping angrily on his gum.

Bob complies, grinning. Mikey screams and falls forward, hitting the steps in front of him. Hard. Bob steps on his back pack then steps over him, walking casually up the steps.

"If you weren't so odd, Mikey, I wouldn't pick on you," Bob calls back.

No one really gets Mikey. There's something about him that makes him unapproachable. He seems like a normal kid but when people get too close to him, they get a spooky feeling. Like walking into a haunted house. Only with a person.

Bob stops on the threshold, trapped by the sensation of having holes burning into the back of his head. He flinches and glances back at Mikey. Mikey walks passed Bob and into the school without a word.

"Freak!" Bob calls.

The main staircase is wide and long to make up for the hundreds of students that walk through the main entrance every morning. It only goes up to the first floor. The rest of the school is a maze of staircases and corridors. Mikey seems to ignore Bob’s comment as he walks up these stairs. Bob runs after him. He catches Mikey at the very top step and punches him straight in the gut. Mikey grunts and doubles over, his gum shooting out of his mouth.

"Bryar! Way!"

Bob puts three feet of distance between himself and Mikey. Mikey holds the spot on his stomach where he probably had a bruise forming. They both look up at Mr. Malone, the Dean of the school. He is a balding, overweight and middle-aged man that makes a living out of getting kids in trouble. Everyone hates him. It's the one thing every student in the school has in common.

"You're late for class!" he yells in his aggressively annoying voice. He makes a pad of detention slips appear from thin air. Bob and Mikey groan as they get handed slips to their imminent dooms. "Now get to class." Mr. Malone’s tone is dismissive and almost pompous. He walks down the steps to catch any other late comers.

Mikey quickly opens the door and sprints down the hall. Bob laughs, crumples up his detention slip, and yells after him. "Why are you so weird?"

Mikey turns a corner and disappears. Bob shakes his head and takes his precious time walking down a different corridor.

"Where are you going?"

Ray freezes in his spot. Chelsea groans and turns on her heel. There's pretty little sophomore Beth the Angel, the smartest girl this school has ever been blessed with. She has short brown hair and innocent little brown eyes. She is small. She's wearing dirty old, paint-splattered overalls and a worried little look. There's a hall pass in her hand. Chelsea doesn't get why people think she's pretty.

"Ya caught us," Chelsea says, folding her arms. She has long, dark hair and is easily the most beautiful girl in school. "You gonna turn us in?"

"She's right, Chels," Ray says. He's easily the tallest person in school. Everyone thinks that him and Chelsea are an odd couple. "We should go back to class."

Ray and Chelsea were just headed toward an exit in the middle of the school day. It had to take someone like Beth to ask one question and make Ray nervous.

"You aren't allowed out of the school until lunch time," Beth muttered. Chelsea scoffs. Ray is obviously being ignored. He's just a boy, after all.

"Why thank you, Miss 'I bought my clothes off a red neck'," Chelsea retorts. Ray sighs. Beth raises her chin.

"No problem, Miss 'I bought my clothes off a Barbie'."

Chelsea's jaw drops. She doesn't want to admit that her clothes are…“small”. Ray chuckles. Chelsea shoots him an angry stare. He smiles innocently. Chelsea steps up to Beth. She towers over the small girl.

"Listen, bitch," Chelsea spats.

"Chels, don't start," Ray reprimands. Chelsea ignores him. She wears the pants in this relationship.

"Just because you get good grades does not mean you're better than anyone in this school." Beth shrinks. "You're a fucking insect, Beth. No one wants you around. You're opinion doesn't matter. So go back to reading a book or sucking off the teacher. Whatever it is you do to get those grades!"

Beth falls back and leans against the closest lockers, looking about ready to cry.

"Was that necessary, Chelsea?" Ray asks. Chelsea smiles wickedly at Beth and turns away, grabbing Ray's hand.

"Of course," Chelsea says, as if it is the most obvious thing ever. "I can't let that little girl try and get away with insulting me. She's worthless. She needs to know that."

Ray sighs. Chelsea could swear that she could hear Beth crying as they leave.