Comic Boys

Easton said he was starting school next week, but he clarified that he didn't mean 'next week' as in the next school week starting in two days on Monday, but the week after that one. So technically he meant two weeks, a whole 9 days without seeing him since the last time I laid eyes on his butt was on Saturday. It's not like I'm counting how down the exact minutes and hours until I see him again (insert shifty eyes here), but I just really wanted to see him again. Was that such a crime? We had hit it off right away, even if he and Jekyll didn't, and I felt that we would become great friends. And maybe even more than that, but I think I was getting ahead of myself here.

I couldn't even start thinking of having a relationship with someone so... so... perfect. Easton was pretty perfect, with his looks that totally put my mundane and somewhat ugly ones to shame. Easton had the nicest face and the silkiest hair (I may or may not have touched it when he wasn't paying attention...), and he is just so tall and his toned muscles were just so yummy. It was weird, though. I had used to look at Jekyll like he was a piece of meat, as much as I am embarrassed to admit, but I had somehow been immunised to his looks since I had always spent so much time with him. But ever since Easton had come onto the scene, his good looks had made me more aware or Jekyll's appearance. He was so gorgeous as well, and his accent was to die for.

I felt saddened by that. I felt like I was, I don't know, cheating on them. I think I was crushing on both of them. Did that make me a whore? A slutty guy? A complete asshole? I was being stupid though. I was London Lurghmann, the most awkward being in the history of the universe. I was the kid nobody wanted to know at school- the outcast of outcast. I mean, for fuck's sake! I was even shunned by the other losers of our school. I was like the plague. I remembered one time last year when I walked into the cafeteria at peak hour, the line for the food was packed and everyone was screaming and yelling to get to the food. When I got into the line and started pushing, people had screamed even more, all of them running away from me like I had the fucking cooties. I supposed that was convenient for me, I mean, I got a good meal. But it hurt.

What did I ever do wrong? I wasn't a mean person, was I? Sure, I may have feelings for two guys, but it's not like I'm throwing myself onto both of them, and they're probably not even gay! I'm pretty sure Jekyll's straight, he's just that type of guy I supposed, and Easton definitely didn't seem like a gay guy. Bi-sexual, maybe, but that was just me hoping blindly.

But I had never done anything to hurt anybody. They all just labelled me a 'freak' and a 'faggot' and a 'loser'. I knew I was. I wasn't handsome or let alone a pretty boy. I thought that maybe once I had my braces taken off then maybe people would think of me higher, but it just got worse, people saying that the braces his my disgusting yellow teeth. My teeth weren't yellow though! I brushed my teeth super well, since I loved using my Green Lantern toothbrush. I think they hated me as well because I was weird and childish. Barely anybody at school loved comic books as much as I did, and most of the popular people can'r even read for shit. They said only geeks and losers read comics.

I wasn't sporty either, and our school values physical strengths, boasting about the feats all of our sports teams have accomplished. The popular people were the sporty ones, the handsome or pretty ones, the people who were just better than the rest of us. I had tried taking up a sport once, and that hadn't ended well. I didn't even get to try out- the team had cornered me in the change rooms before try-outs began and made me almost pee myself, forcing me not to join the team. As if I'd even get in anyway- I was scrawny, weak and uncoordinated. Hopeless, really.

Mum kissed my forehead once, dad patting me on the shoulder before ruffling my hair. Mum handed me my superman back pack before smothering me with sloppy kisses again, making me yelp as I wiped away her cherry red lipstick, grimacing as she laughed.

"Mum! I'm not two years old any more!" I yelled, and she gave dad a look as he chuckled loudly.

"That's right. Our boy's all grown up! Soon he'll be partying, drinking, doing drugs, getting himself a boyfriend, having sex and going t-"

"That's enough of that! Don't teach London about things like that," mum gasped, hitting dad on the arm as he grinned, clearly teasing mum and I. My cheeks were flushed a deep red at his last comment, and I muttered a hasty good bye before running out the door to escape the awkward sex-talk mum was no doubt about to give me. Again. I don't think they understand the fact that their son is a socially retarded garden gnome that has the sexual appeal of a freaking centipede wearing a diaper. Honestly, would you tap that? I didn't think so.

I passed the comic store on my way to school, and I could imagine Easton standing there, leaning against the wall with the sun hitting his hair at exactly the right angle, making his skin look even more sun-kissed and hair even more luscious. I couldn't wait to be able to walk with him to school and to show him around. Maybe we could even be friends...

I laughed glumly to myself as I checked my watch, walking briskly so I made it to school on time, earlier if possible. I liked Easton, and I think we would become good friends, but what if he was actually like all of the other people at school? What if he realised I was a social reject and would shun me? Most people did after all. Who would want to know the lame comic book freak?

I sighed as I reached the school gates, looking at the wrought iron bars that separated me and Hell itself. I could see the other students milling around the car-park, the various groups and cliques scattered everywhere. They weren't at all that cliche- but you could see where they differed. Almost everyone was friends with everyone, all of which decide that the only person excluded from that are me and the other losers. But the losers decide to shun me as a way of making themselves feel better, so it's now everyone again London Lurghmann.

I sucked in a deep breath, hefting my bag up onto my shoulder as I walked in, head down low, hood up on my head to cover my face. I scuttled unseen into the school hallway, but that was when I felt something cold and wet splashed onto me as I tripped on an outstretched foot, my whole body flying forwards, smacking against the damp and disgusting ground.

I winced as someone roughly grabbed my backpack, the zip being ripped open and soon enough all my books and comics and whatever else there was inside had been spilt onto the ground, a Nike Air clad foot crashing down onto my issue of Batman, making me bite back a cry. I felt cod water being poured onto my head as the circle of teens laughed, cackling as I wriggled in discomfort, unable to fight back from the strong an burly hands that held me down.

"Fuck, Matthew!" someone cursed, the hand on my shoulders releasing their grip. "You wet my fucking jacket. Jackass."

"It's not my fault you were too weak to hold down the fucking faggot," the water-pourer, Matthew muttered, as I felt the last few drops of water plop into my head.

"Whatever, man. But look at him. All clean down there?" Matthew's friend sneered as he bent down slightly, picking up my soggy Batman comic. I felt tears come to my eyes and I sniffed as I tried to force myself not to cry. And failed miserably.

"Aw, is the faggot crying now?" Matthew cooed, judging me with his foot as people laughed, watching on in amusement as 'the faggot', i.e. me, got taunted and ridiculed for everyone to see. Wasn't life just dandy?

I couldn't help the tears that slipped from my face and I barrelled up, wiping my eyes as I raced to the bathroom, pushing through the crowd as they either screamed or laughed as I escaped. When I got into the bathroom I locked myself in the first stall, pulled down the toilet seat lid and sat on it, pulling my legs close to my chest as I muffled my sobs with my leg, hugging myself tightly as I just cried. And cried. And cried.

Mum and dad didn't know I was bullied. I could tell them but then they'd get so worried. The school wanted to tell them too, but honestly, what could they do? I didn't want them to tell my parents because mum and dad would go ape shit at everyone, probably going to make me move to the other side of the world. The teachers all knew what was going on, but I just put on a fake smile and shrugged everything off. But there was just a point where you just wanted to be swallowed up by the earth, to just not exist anymore.

I guess that was why I loved working at Saviour Comics so much. I was surrounded by what I loved, and all the customers shared my passion for graphic novels and they didn't judge me like everyone else did. At the store I had Jekyll, my best friend who cared for me and laughed with me and didn't hurt me. And Easton, who was an almost-friend, who made me seem to just forget everything and make my awkwardness alright, accepting my odd behaviour with a smile.

I just wanted the day to end, so I could go back to the store, where I could be myself without being taunted. Was it wrong for me to be myself?

Yes. Apparently it was.