The Hidden Ones: The Spotlight - 1. The Boy in Black

*Disclaimer: This story will discuss the topic of mental illness, addiction and suicide. That is not to say this is a dark tragedy, however it is not for someone who is in a bad place, and may be triggered by such writing. This story will also contain alcohol and drug use. Reader Discretion is advised.*

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You know that end of school feeling? The one you can feel in your bones? The one that seems to jump up and down the longer and longer the sun stays in the sky? With a week until freedom, that’s the feeling going all over Hudson High, and you better believe that I’m the one leading the charge!

My name is Teddy Haner and in addition to being the school president, I’m also the captain of the lacrosse team…so I guess in a way it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone’s ready! I’m not sure how I got those titles, but I’ve always just clicked with people. Some tell me I’m easy to talk to, while others say it’s because of my looks…I wish I could say it was because I’m a star athlete…but I’m not even good at lacrosse! In fact sometimes I wonder how I even make the team! Hell the only reason I’m the captain is because coach claims I’m a good leader!

“Hey Teddy!” A faceless voice shouted out from the lunchroom rush “Party for Saturday is still on right?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” I laughed, not even knowing who I was responding to “Last Saturday of the school year…you guys know where to be!” I heard a few cheers cry out as I finally made it to my lunch table “Alright guys, we really need this year to be good…did you just here that?” I let out, trying to rally up my friends “That’s been happening since Easter!”

I heard a long groan escape from the other side of the table as a darkly dressed blonde haired teen heard my words “Not again with this crap!” he exhaled “Every year you drive us up the fricken wall trying to prepare, and every year it goes great.”

“Yeah, because we prepare so well!” I encouraged, staring him down.

“No” A female voice interrupted from next to me “Because all you need for a good high school party is people, beer and music…and you already have all that covered.”

“Actually Mike has the beer covered” I nodded at the big outline to my other side “Ain’t that right?”

“Sure” he groaned barely awake “I can get us kegs or some shit.”

“Come on!” I yelped, starting to snap in his face “I need you awake and on board here!”

“Holy crap, in another second I’m going to punch you so hard that you’re in a coma during the party!” he yelped clearly exhausted “Blake, Liz…please, distract him or something!”

“6 am baseball lifts finally catching up with you?” I giggled, starting to go on the offensive.

“Yup” he slowly nodded “and so help me god Haner, if you even think about pushing my buttons today…”

“Me?” I innocently laughed “I would never push anyone’s buttons!”

“Yeah” Blake muttered with a quick roll of his eyes “Teddy doesn’t ever do anything wrong…he’s perfect remember?”

“I am not perfect…” I shrugged, trying to fight off a smile

“Well you might not think so…” Liz interrupted, supporting the oncoming attack “but everyone in this damn school does.”

“No they don’t” I dismissed with a quick shake of my head.

“Oh yeah?” Mike poked, starting to gain a second wind “Who here think’s Teddy Haner is perfect?” he boomed across the whole room.

A few kids sarcastically cheered, while the lacrosse table jumped up and shouted, as other slowly yelled my name “I love you Teddy!” A random female screamed, as the cafeteria began to ring out in laughter

“Love you too whoever you are!” I shouted back, enjoying the moment. Remember that one kid from your school who everyone loved? The one everyone could talk to, or joke around with? Well in a way that’s me! Not that I’m insanely popular or anything…I mean I’ve hung out with the same 3 people my whole life! I guess between school president and lacrosse…I’ve just been able to meet A LOT of people.

“Mike and Teddy” a nearby teacher called out “It’s the last week of school, do you both really want detentions?”

“Please give Teddy a detention!” Mike yelped, looking up at the teacher “Please! I don’t think his perfect record could take it!”

“Sorry about him Mrs. W” I quickly apologized “He’s just tired.”

“Just make sure he behaves” she warned with a smile “I swear I’m going to retire before your class becomes seniors…you’re all going to be terrible!”

“Yeah Teddy!” Mike shouted “You’re going to be terrible!”

“Why am I friends with any of you?” Blake muttered, having had enough of all the attention “I got a nerd, a jock and whatever the hell Liz is.”

“Hey!” she shouted back “And what are you?”

“He’s a loser” Mike teased with a smile “and your friends with us, because you wouldn’t be able to make any others!”

“Oh yeah then why are you still friends with us?” I prodded, elbowing him in the side

“Because I’ve invested too much time in this sad group to leave now” He proudly explained with a smile “I’m the clean-up hitter for the baseball team, I could be with them all the time if I really wanted.”

“Except then they would realize what an insufferable douche you are!” I playfully teased. I hate to admit it, but we are a weird group…I mean we just have so little in common, and yet over the years our bond has grown too strong to ever fade. Blake listens to music all day, Liz watches movies or tv, I work on school events, and Mike plays baseball…yet we all get along so well…it doesn’t matter what combination, or who’s alone with who…we all just click.

“I’m not a douche!” He defended, as we all turned and shot him skeptical looks “Would a douche do this?” he laughed, turning around and slamming books out of a scrawny figure’s hands “Oh what happened Ryder? Books too heavy for your faggot ass.”

“This is exactly what a douche would do!” I laughed, getting out of my seat and helping the student to get his things back together “Oh cool.” I reached out, as I picked up a thick black book “Edgar Allen Poe, he’s like…”

“Cut the shit Teddy” the scrawny teen wearing skinny jeans, a band shirt and thick black hair spit, snatching the book from my hands “I don’t need your sympathy.”

“It’s not like that.” I tried to comfort, pulling another chair to the table “Come on…Ryder, right? Join us for lunch, you know Blake…”

“No” he bit, forcing his head back down and quickly walking towards the door.

“Good job Mike” I sneered, shooting him a dirty look.

“Oh no! I messed with the one person in the whole school who doesn’t like you!” Mike teased, not actually caring “Who are you going to hang out with now?”

“It’s not about being liked” I exhaled” Its about treating people right, and could you cut it with the F word? You know I hate it.”

“Oh please” he dismissed “Just because your gay doesn’t mean you have to get all offended at every bad word I use.”

“I think I have a right to get offended at that word.” I corrected, turning towards Blake “You guys are close, have him come to my party Saturday.”

“One, we’re just friendly, not close, and two, there’s no way he comes” Blake groaned, not even bothering to look up “The only time he ever leaves his house is to play with his band and go to school.”

Mike childishly giggled and shook his head “That kid’s just asking to get beat up…what a freaking loser.”

“Mike” Liz exhaled, beginning to roll her eyes.

“He is!” Mike continued, not even trying to stop his laughter “Keep the weird shit you do to yourself…you know I hear he lives in a graveyard?”

“Don’t start rumors” I dismissed, beginning to shake my head “and he is keeping it to himself, you’re the one dragging him into conversations.”

“Oh I’m Teddy, I stand up for people!” Mike mimicked, making me regret waking him up “and I didn’t just come up with that…Blake…”

“Don’t talk to me” Blake mumbled, still not looking up

“No come on man…” Mike continued anyway “He totally lives in a graveyard doesn’t he?”

“I don’t know” Blake groaned finally looking up “What am I? His freakin keeper?”

I shrugged my shoulders as our eyes connected “You might as well be…you’re the only person in this school I’ve ever seen talk to him.”

“Because everyone around here is a judgmental prick.” Blake began, starting up one of his “fuck the system” speeches “Everyone only cares about themselves, or about their popularity…Ryder’s not like that…he just wants to be left alone with his music.”

“Yeah well get him to come to the party!” I encouraged as the bell rang “And if he gives you a problem, just tell me!”

“He’s not going to…”

“Get it done!” I shouted, standing up and heading off into the crowd.

I mean am I so crazy for wanting everyone in my school to feel included? I know I can come across as annoying sometimes…but I just don’t want to hear that someone from my school ever felt left out…I don’t want anyone here to feel bullied. I know, that’s a tall order to fill, but these students here…they’re not like other schools, most of us have been together since kindergarten, we all know each other in some way shape or form…Ryder Sullivan included. They’ll rise to the occasion, if they all get to know him…if he starts to joke around with the people at the party…then suddenly there’s one more happy face around Hudson high, instead of the normal angry face he loves to wear.

“Teddy!” I heard Blake’s voice call out from down the hall as the last bell rang “He’s not cooperating.”

“No! Blake! What the hell are you doing?!” I heard an angry voice respond, as I turned to see an unwilling Ryder being dragged over by Blake

“Teddy can be obnoxious, and preppy, and he makes me throw up in my mouth at least once an hour…” Blake explained, finally reaching me “but trust me, he’s cool.”

“Jesus Blake!” I yelped, as he forced Ryder in front of me “I said tell me if he says no! Not bring him to me!”

“Yeah? Well I got creative” Blake shrugged beginning to walk away “Now you two play nice.”

“What the hell Blake?” Ryder angrily exclaimed, staring a hole in his back as he turned away “I thought we were friends?!”

“That’s why I’m doing this!” Blake responded, turning the corner.

“So Mr. Sullivan…” I began, flashing him a friendly smile.

“Forget it Teddy” Ryder dismissed, beginning to walk away “I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want to be your friend…hell I didn’t even vote for you in the fall, and I’m not going to vote for you next fall!”

“ouch” I laughed, quickly catching up to him “Why don’t you want to come Saturday? Everyone’s going to be there!”

“Because everybody’s going to be there.” He repeated, finally reaching his locker “I don’t like big parties or crowds, I don’t like…”

“But you play music in a band right?” I poked, trying to start a deeper conversation “You’ll have to get used to crowds eventually.”

“Alright goodbye.” he growled, slamming his locker, and starting to walk away once more.

“What?” I shook, having to catch up to him for the second time “I’m just saying…”

“Yeah I get it” he cut off, not even bothering to listen “It’s really fun to laugh at the kid in the band, I fully…”

“It’s not like that” I interrupted, lightly grabbing onto his arm “I wasn’t making fun of you, I was just trying to talk to you…how about this…you show up Saturday, and I won’t talk to you at all for the rest of your life.”

“For the rest of my life?” he repeated, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous offer.

I let go of him and softly nodded my head “Only if I have to warn you about a fire, or a rabid dog.”

“Blake will be there?” he exhaled, finally budging slightly.

“Oh yeah” I nodded, as he turned back around “Everyone will be there…and if you’re worried you’ll be made fun of, trust me, you won’t be…not at my party.”

“What are they perfect, just like you?” he rolled his eyes, pushing against the door with his back, as we got the first glimpse of real sunlight all day.

“Why does everyone say that?” I laughed, relieved I could finally get a conversation going “I’m not perfect”

“No you’re not” he jabbed, looking back down “but you sure as hell think you are.”

I made a face and tried to force his eyes back to mine “Why do you say that?”

“Why’d you laugh when that dickhead Mike hit my books?” he shrugged, still not looking at me “You think you’re so above everyone else…that you’re not a bully, but you’re just like them…maybe even worse because of how ignorant you are to it.”

I stood there as his words hit me…why did I laugh? Do I always laugh at stuff like that? Have I been a bully this whole time and not noticed it? “Wait Ryder!” I called out as he quickly slipped off into the parking lot.

“I’ll talk to you again Saturday” he dismissed, not even turning around “Then never again!”

“Then never again” I repeated in a sigh, as I headed back into the building.

“So!” Blake assaulted, turning around the corner “How’d it go?”

“Have you been waiting for me this whole time?” I grumbled, taking a good look at him.

“Yup!” he giggled “No way I was sticking around to get yelled at by Ryder…he’s kind of scary.”

“He’s not scary” I corrected with a shake of my head “He’s just…honest, and people don’t always like to be told the truth.

“So what truth did he tell to you?” Blake poked with a devious smile. I rolled my eyes and pushed past him “Oh he totally roasted you!”

“Did not” I dismissed, finally reaching my locker “At least I got him to come Saturday, no thanks to you!”

Blake gave me a light shove from behind before he disappeared into the growing crowd. Thinking back on it…how many times did I laugh at someone in trouble? How many times did I make fun of someone without realizing it? This whole time I thought I was better than that, I thought I was above it…but I guess I wasn’t. The thought seemed to haunt me more and more and the week went by.

“Come on” My dad encouraged with a smile as I packed my bag for the last day of school “Summer starts tomorrow! You should be jumping up for joy!”

I swayed my head back and forth “I just have a lot on my mind I guess.”

“Like what?” he poked, pulling over the ottoman and taking a seat.

“I just…this whole time I thought I was preventing bullying, but there have been times when I’ve only fed it.” I shook, really putting thought into it “I’m just disappointed in myself I guess.”

My father reached out and rested his hand on my shoulder “Theodore Zachary Haner, you are human, you’ve messed up before, and you’ll probably mess up again, that’s just the burden of existence.” Our eyes met and a soft smile began on his face “I can’t talk about the times you’ve been a bully, but I’ve seen you help more people than I’ve seen you hurt, and that’s a pretty good track record.”

“Still not good enough.” I mumbled to myself.

“Then change it.” My dad gently laughed “Next year is a whole new year! Hell this summer is a whole new summer! The first step to fixing a problem is seeing there’s one in the first place.”

“What’s going on in here?” My mom smiled, walking into the living room “Having a family meeting without me?”

“Our son just realized he’s human.” My dad laughed, looking over at his wife.

“Ahh” she nodded “So the youthful immortality has finally worn off.” She teased “Well the good news is you’re a great human Teddy, and you’ve been blessed with your father’s good looks.”

“Yes he has been” My dad proudly nodded “I cleaned up with all the women in my day, and this one will clean up with all the men.”

“DAD!” I blurted out, as my face began to burn up in a blush.

“What?” he laughed looking from my mom to me “I’m being supportive, you should be thanking me for your looks!”

My mom rolled her eyes and shook her head “All the women huh?”

“Wait no” he quickly panicked, realizing the trap he had set for himself “I was just…you told me I need to be more openly supportive of his sexuality…that’s all I was doing.”

“Gee thanks dad” I grumbled, looking to the ground.

“I ugh…this is really backfiring in all directions isn’t it?” he nervously laughed “Look, I love you, you’re a good kid, you’ll figure it out, and best of all you’re mature enough to let me and your mother go away for the weekend!”

My mom let out a long groan and headed towards the stairs “That trip is going to get cancelled real quick if you don’t watch yourself Harrison.”

“Being gay must be such a gift.” He teased, getting up and chasing my mom up the stairs.

They’re corny, and cliché…but they’re my parents, and honestly I couldn’t ask for better support. They accept me for everything I do…no matter what. I nodded to myself and laughed, why am I pouting? Tomorrow’s the last day of school! Next years a new year, this summers a new summer…and tomorrows a new day…I’ll show Ryder I’m not a bully, and I’ll give him the time of his damn life!