Twisted - 3. Chapter 3

Katy and Michael stopped in the sporting goods store at the mall before leaving. Michael managed to find and buy a hockey mask before he and Katy wandered the rest of the mall. It was almost nine before the two of them sat outside waiting for Katy’s father to come and pick them up.

“By the way, if you really want to freak Will out, I have a poster you can hang in your room.” Katy offered outside, kicking her legs out as she sat on a small wall. “What poster?” Michael questioned cautiously.

“I’ll show it to you when we get to my house.” Katy winked at him. “It would be a nice surprise.”

“Why do I have the feeling it would get me into serious trouble?” Michael glared at her.

“Not trouble, but he would have an… interesting reaction, I’m sure.” Katy just grinned the whole time; she definitely liked that idea. Michael pretended to ignore her and waited for her father to pull up.

Once they got back to Katy’s, she darted back into her room and motioned for Michael to follow. Katy’s father sent him a suspicious look but didn’t protest it. Michael poked his head into Katy’s mess of a room—clothes were piled up in the corners, and either posters or drawings covered the walls.

“Here,” Katy pulled a poster off the wall. “My dad doesn’t like this one anyways.” She turned and held it up to show Michael. “Who the hell is that?” He asked in horror. “I’m not that gay, good god!”

“That’s not the point, this will freak him out.” Katy started to roll it up. “It freaks meout.” Michael stressed. “You want me to put that in my room, where I can stare at it before I go to sleep? Do you want to give me nightmares?”

“Oh relax! It’ll grow on you. I didn’t like him at first either.” Katy handed over the rolled up poster, and Michael unhappily accepted it. He sent Will a text asking to be picked up and mingled around in the open area by the door with his hockey mask and poster.

“When are you going to do it?” Katy pointed to the sports bag. “As soon as I can get his locker combo.” Michael grumbled. ‘Does anyone else even know it?’

“I can get that for you. I’ll text it to you tomorrow, and which locker is his? I think he has a bottom row one.” Katy explained.

“Do I need to be concerned?” Her father spoke up. Katy whipped around and smiled at him. “Nope.”

He snorted and went back towards the bedrooms. Michael watched Will pull up out front and said goodbye to Katy on his way out the door. “What did you get?” Will eyed the bag.

“A hockey mask for a Jason costume for Halloween, and a new band poster.” It was all mostly true anyways. Will nodded and pulled a U-turn on the street.

“So you still don’t want to talk about what happened today at school?”

Michael groaned. “I told you it was the lockers!” He thought it was funny, so he was sticking to it. Will scowled and didn’t talk the rest of the drive. When they got home he offered dinner to Michael, who had already eaten at the mall.

Michael went upstairs and put the hockey mask into his backpack. He found his box of tacks and picked out an open space on the wall to hang up his new poster. He’d have to Google this guy later. With that, Michael got ready for bed and slept on his right side, careful of his shoulder.

Still, sometime in the night he had managed to end up on his left side out of habit and his shoulder was still sore in the morning. Swearing under his breath, Michael stumbled out of bed and went to shower. He made his way to the bus stop and grabbed a window seat in the front again.

He met Katy in the commons, where she had already set to work on asking people if they knew Jason’s locker combination. She finally got ahold of it, sending Michael a text during fourth period. Some ex-girlfriend wasn’t too fond of Jason either, and informed them that he stopped by his locker between sixth and seventh period.

Michael scouted out the locker before that, just so he knew where it was. He left his sixth period early with the excuse of using the bathroom, and fumbled with the locker lock. The lockers were in stacks of two, thin, but maybe waist high. Michael looked inside and pushed some books to the side so his feet would fit. He had to go in backwards, because there was no room to turn around.

Even after a few minutes, his neck was aching from the odd position. But through the slits of the door, he could see someone stand in front and the lock being turned. Jason pulled open his locker.

Michael surged out and up to standing, letting out a yell in the process. Jason shrieked and stumbled backwards in surprise, and dropped his backpack. The red streak of dyed hair showing above the mask was a dead give-away. “Motherfucker!” Jason screamed.

Michael tore off the mask and sprinted down the hall. Of course Jason was chased him. Michael saw the front office—administrators—in sight and made a mad dash for it. Jason was already close behind him.

Michael yanked the heavy door to the office open and burst inside, startling the secretaries. He smiled and watched over his shoulder, seeing Jason standing in the hall and waiting. Michael only grinned and waved—it was now his lunch period. He had nothing to hurry off to. He would sit in the office for the rest of the school day if he had to.

Jason finally came into the office, but only as a vice-principal walked out. “Everything okay?” She asked suspiciously.

“He’s chasing me.” Michael pointed a finger at Jason without hesitation.

“You fucking jumped out of my locker with that stupid mask on!” Jason accused right back and pointed at the mask still in Michael’s hand. Michael hid it, as if that would remove the fact the vice-principal had already seen it.

“You’ve been beating me up!” Michael turned to the lady, because in the end, he was still the victim. “See my nose? Even ask the nurse, it was bleeding yesterday because he slammed me into a wall after second period.” Michael started to take off his shirt to show her the bruises on his side, too. “Hold it.” She stopped him from flashing the whole front office, and guided them back to her private office.

“Names?” She demanded unhappily.

“Michael.” Michael answered automatically. “Last name?” The vice-principal—her desk card said Kathleen West—demanded. Michael hesitated. “I think its Killen now.”

“You don’t know your own fucking last name?” Jason snorted. Michael sent him a glare.

“Hey.” West interrupted and pointed a finger at Jason. “Watch your mouth. You realize you’re the one up for suspension here?”

“He jumped out of my locker!” Jason shrieked defensively.

“Yes, but he didn’t harm you. No harm, no foul. It was a prank. A joke. If you’re beating him up, that’s not a joke.” She explained. “So Michael, you can go back to class now, okay?”

Michael nodded and started to leave. “Give me the mask!” West called out. Michael turned around and tossed it over. “Aw. I paid for that.” He complained before being shooed out of the office.

He bounced along happily and went to lunch. Jason would be getting suspended. He sent Katy a text of his more than successful prank and went back to where Jason’s locker. Michael had set his backpack across the hall near a teacher’s office earlier, so he picked that up. And just because he had a conscious, he picked up Jason’s scattered backpack and threw it into the locker before slamming it shut.

Michael ventured out into the cafeteria and into the lunch line. Some people were still laughing at what they had seen in the hallway. Michael grinned smugly and wondered just how long Jason would be getting suspended for. A few days? A week?

At the end of the day, Katy caught up with Michael outside. “So many people were talking about that during seventh period.” She announced excitedly. “You weren’t the only one he scared. God, I would have loved to have seen that!”

Michael just shrugged, though he still couldn’t help but smile.

“And the ex that gave me the combo for his locker,” Katy continued. “She was there waiting for it and got a video of it. She said she would share it with me later, after she posts it online.”

Michael felt that was a little over the top, but so was his still hurting nose and shoulder. “Remind me again that that’s part of the reason I don’t date girls. Bad things happen when you piss them off.” Michael grumbled. Katy elbowed him before heading for her bus.

Michael rode his bus home and went to his room. Will wasn’t home yet, so Michael hooked up his music and started to play it out into his room and into the house.

Will got home an hour later and stood at the door to Michael’s room. “Do the lockers happen to be named Jason Farnsworth?” Will yelled over the music. Michael rolled over on his bed and turned it down. “Huh?”

“Jason Farnsworth.” Will repeated curtly. Michael stared at him blankly. He sure as hell hadn’t told Will about it. “I got a call from the school today.” Will explained. “Apparently you jumped out of his locker with a hockey mask on?”

“The vice-principal already took it.” Michael grumbled and laid out on his back, waiting for Will to notice the poster above his bed.

“If you had told me about him the first two times, it could have been handled sooner.” Will scowled, and finally, his eyes fixed on that poster. He stared for a moment before stepping further into Michael’s room and squinting. “Is that a guy?” Will asked carefully.

“Yes. His name is Jeffree Star.” Michael just watched as Will slowly processed it. Will looked away and at Michael, question obvious on his face, but he didn’t ask about it. “…Okay.” He said awkwardly and left. He stopped at the door on his way out, though. “If he bothers you again, tell me, got it?”

Michael grunted and started to turn his music back up.

Will hadn’t freaked out like Michael thought he would for having a pink-haired drag queen poster.

***

“I bet he thinks I’m into drag now.” Michael complained to Katy as they walked the mall the next day after school. “Oh it’s not like you actually are. Just tell him that. Did you tell him that?” Katy stopped outside of some display window and peeked inside.

“He didn’t even ask about it! Maybe if he was older he would have freaked out, but he’s really not that old. Only thirty-three. So maybe he’s not that cranky conservative yet.” Michael theorized, watching as some kids further down the way stomped around on an interactive projection.

“Oh look,” Katy pointed across to another store. “isn’t that the guy that was hitting on you the other day?”

“Oh yeah.” Michael had partially forgotten about that—he’d been too focused on getting a hockey mask. Michael tried to half hide behind Katy, but it was too late. The guy—Joey, wasn’t it?—Smiled and made his way over to them.

“Hey,” he greeted. “You haven’t texted me?”

“Poor little Michael here was plotting revenge.” Katy said and shoved Michael forward. “But now he’s open.”

Michael stumbled to not run into Joey and couldn’t think of anything to say. Like he was going to openly flirt with another guy in a mall? He wasn’t that out.

“What did you do?” Joey asked curiously. Michael blushed slightly and looked down at his feet. “Some dick at school named Jason.” Michael pointed to his nose. “So I got a hockey mask and jumped out of his locker yesterday.”

“Oh, Friday the 13^th!” Joey exclaimed happily. “I’m sure he won’t be watching that again.”

Michael shrugged, glancing over at Katy who was grinning like the devil. He would so get back at her for helping to start this conversation.

“I’m on my fifteen minute break,” Joey stepped a little bit closer. “You want to hang out? I get off work at eight. I’m not closing today.”

“I’m going to go look at some lingerie, unless you really want to come, Michael?” Katy was lying just to separate from Michael. He couldn’t imagine Katy wearing frilly underwear. He was going to kill Katy for this.

“Go.” Michael snarled unhappily. Katy bounded off towards an escalator and Joey looped his arm through Michael’s.

“Walk with me.” Joey started to haul Michael down the mall in the opposite direction of where Katy had gone.

“What grade are you in?” Joey asked on the way. “Sophomore.” Michael admitted. “Cool. I graduated last spring. Spending half my time at ACC right now.” Joey chirped. That made him what, eighteen? Nineteen? Michael frowned at the thought.

“So are you seeing anyone?” Joey asked. ‘If I was do you think I would be letting you hang on my arm?’ Michael answered angrily in his head, but voiced a simple “no.”

“What are you doing tomorrow, then?” Joey continued. “It’s Friday so all the new movies are coming out.”

“I don’t know.” Michael didn’t really want to, honestly. Joey was older and that hadn’t gone so well the last time.

“I can come and pick you up if you can’t drive.” Joey nudged a little closer. Michael bit the inside of his cheek.

“Fine,” He ground out. Joey gave another affectionate nudge.

“Alright then. I’ll look at some movie times and we can set up details once you text me.”

Michael grumbled that he would, and spent the next few minutes walking around with Joey. Once he had to return to work, Michael texted Katy and met up with her again. “I can’t believe you did that.” Michael snapped at her.

“He’s hot, you have to admit that.” Katy waggled her eyebrows. Michael groaned.

“Yeah he is, but guys like that are always dicks or something. Plus he’s in college and that means he’s like nineteen. No way am I dating a nineteen year old. Your dad wouldn’t let you date a nineteen year old, and my mom sure as hell wouldn’t.”

“So what, did he ask you on a date or anything?” Katy pressed.

“To the movies.” Michael admitted.

“Just go. Besides, that can be your final coming out to Will. You going on a date with a guy.”

That was true. Michael sighed and dropped his head. “Fine, I guess… this means I actually have to text him.”

The two hung around the mall for a little longer before Katy’s father came to pick them up. Katy babbled on about something over the Internet until they got back to her house. They watched more X-Men on the couch until Will came by to pick Michael up.

“I didn’t quite feel like cooking tonight, so are you fine with eating out?” Will offered, though he was already on the way to a restaurant instead of home. Michael grunted in reply and started to set up his iPod. Will sighed and waited until they were seated at the restaurant to try talking again.

“So who is Jeffree Star?” He asked, looking at the menu. Michael tried not to smirk and held his own menu up further. “Musician and model.”

“Transvestite?” Will lowered his voice.

“Drag queen.” Michael corrected him. Will fell silent on the topic for a few minutes; he ordered drinks and went back to fretting over the menu. “Are you into… drag?” Will later asked.

“No. Katy gave that poster to me.” Michael would throw her under the bus for that. She deserved it after the mall with Joey. Will frowned slightly. “Why?”

“To freak you out.” Michael couldn’t help but smile now, too obvious for the menu to hide.

Will glared down at the table. “Was she the one with the Friday the 13^th idea at school, too?”

“No, that was mine.” Not saying she didn’t discourage it though. Michael smirked again at the thought. Will sent a worried look over the table.

“You’ll get yourself into trouble doing things like that, you know.” Will warned. “I bet Jason is only more pissed and you’ll suffer for it when he comes back.”

“Then expect me to be getting suspended soon.” Michael huffed out. “I’m tired of his shit anyways. I’m hitting him back next time.”

Will didn’t look too happy to hear that, but that was the most Michael had ever said to him, even combined. Even if it started by talking about drag queens, it was something.

“Just make sure he hits you first, so it’s self defense,” Will finally said, although it was barely audible. Michael was openly shocked that Will was half encouraging getting into a fight, but didn’t speak up about it.

They ordered their food, and Michael stirred the straw around in his soda. Might as well give Will a heads up while he was on a talking streak. “I’m going out tomorrow.” He just hadn’t set up the details yet. “Date.”

“Katy?” Will asked, almost hopeful. Michael resisted kicking the idiot under the table. Apparently the poster wasn’t enough. “No, his name is Joey.”

There was another awkward silence after that, with lots of Will staring into his drink like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Gay or bi, or… what?” He finally gave in to talking again.

“Gay,” Michael stated. “But I promise you again that I am not into drag. That poster was a little much even for me, but I thought it would be funny to see you react to it.”

“Good thing I know how to keep a calm face then,” Will joked dryly. “Mentally I was freaking out. Trust me. Gay I can handle. Drag might be another deal.”

Now Michael almost wanted to come home in a dress. Almost.

“You have to admit he looks pretty good in that poster though,” Michael sneered. “Very pretty.”

“Can we just not talk about that?” Will smiled faintly. Michael shrugged and started to play with the sugar packets on the side of their table.

The food came out with some perky girl, who hung around their table after handing out the plates. “What school do you go to?” She asked Michael with a wide smile. He stared up at her blankly, really wanting to eat that fry.

“Chatfield,” Will had to answer. The girl took off towards the kitchen, and Michael started to make a puddle of ketchup on his plate. “You know she was hitting on you?” Will pointed out.

“Well ain’t that just dandy?” Michael capped the bottle and set it off, dragging a fry through the sauce. “Too bad I’m more interested in food than her.”

“You really need to learn to tell off a girl then, because I can tell you that saying that to her face is going to get you slapped.” Will chuckled.

“And I will gladly slap her too and claim that deep down, I’m a girl too and so it’s okay for me to hit her back.”

Will stalled at hearing that. Michael rolled his eyes. “Good god, I was kidding.”