Lonely Differences - 1. Chapter 1

That’s what I always was.

The kid who was different.

My name is Eric by the way, I'm 5 foot 5, and yes, I know I am short, but live with it. My hair is long and blond, I get called a girl sometimes. Apparently my best asset is my eyes, I have dazzling blue eyes. Well, that’s what the girls tell me, "Eric, your eyes could charm anyone senseless." Right... so why haven't I got anyone? Oh yeah, because I AM DIFFERENT.
I have friends; well people who I think are my friends. Well, where I go there is no such thing as social activity. You aren't allowed friends. You are allowed your forms and that is it. Making friends is like breaking the law and serving 2 years. Making friends from other forms is like serving life imprisonments, it is just simply not allowed. I have no idea why, something about social creed or some bullshit like that.

Seward. That was my form’s name. It was based on some strange guy from the 18th century or something. Only Jebus knows now. They say we are the bottom of the food chain, the lowest of the low, the "special exceptions", God I hate that phrase, or those who barely passed their entrance exams. Yes, there were entrance exams and I barely passed. A D-. I just passed within the skin of my teeth. The form above us, Harker, was full of the average students, those who apparently deserved to be there, those students who were surprisingly not snobby.

Then there were the others. One form was called Helsing, where the most intelligent students went and also where the investors’ children went. You know who I'm talking about, the rich snobby bastards you hear all about in the papers, "Oh I broke a nail, Mommy buy me a thousand more." Those sorts of people.

But the other form, no-one ever heard from them... they had their lessons at night with Professor Stoker, he was a funny but strange guy, that Stoker. He never slept, he never ate in public, he just kept working. Double Theatre with him on a Wednesday afternoon is rather amusing I can tell you! But this form, it was different, everybody knew about them, everybody knew of them, but they didn’t have a name exactly, some knew them as The Uniques, others knew them as The Plastics, but to those who listen diligently, like myself, might I add, knew that by the way Professor Stoker talks, they were known as The Chosen Few.

It was the evening meal. I stared around the room looking for things to distract myself when I noticed the school crest. It is a beam of light crossing into darkness and moving out of the darkness and being reborn again. I sometimes wonder why, I think they think that we are darkness born from light in our own right. Oh well, I guess we are all dark and light in our own ways, but let’s not get into philosophical crap, I think I will never know.

Everyone was sat at their exceedingly large dinner tables; each student in their uniform. Uniform was never allowed to be taken off apart for night time sleep and showers, in which you had regimented wear for each. School pyjamas for night time and annoying "shower pants" for showering. It ruins the fun, I mean come on. There were a lot of people I would happily just stare at for hours on end, but we won't talk about that, will we?

At the head table was the team of Staff, Professor Maldov, the Foreign Languages Teacher. We were forced to take two languages out of French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish. I take French and Spanish, miserably failing in both, but I still take them. Professor Cross, the Math/Art Teacher then of course there was the empty chair. He never ate with the other staff. Some students say that he never eats at all, just works and works and works. He was a very strange fellow, but we all loved and respected Professor Stoker, our Headmaster.

The Deputy Headmaster, Dr. Ativa, the Vocational Teacher, stood and hit a spoon against his glass waiting for silence. I always was.

"Good Evening Students."

A low mumble...

"I said ,Good Evening Students."

A louder grumble "Good Evening, Professor Ativa."

"That is better. As you can tell, Professor Stoker is busy once again t-this evening s-so I have been asked t-to give out t-the anounce-ceme-ments." He always stuttered when he was nervous. Unlucky for him he was always nervous when talking to the school, which was more often than not. My attention began to wander over to the faces of the others opposite me, mostly girls, but a few boys. I didn't really talk that much to others, but I guess I got away with my silent approach. The other people had such cheekbones and wonderfully soft lips... what I would give to just drop down and...

"Hey? What you staring at?" a boy whispered at me, I had been caught in the act. He was about my age, I guessed he was in the same year as me and he had short brown hair with blue highlights.

Oh. Nothing."

"You were staring at me, weren't you?"

"No." I blushed unintentionally.

"Okay. If you say you weren't." He winked at me and turned to face the other students, male and female.

Did he just make a pass at me? I shrugged and turned my head back to the professor.

"Exams next month in my subject; revise, revise, revise!" He taught hairdressing to the girls and woodwork to us boys. He continued to drone on...

"Name's Calvin by the way, what's yours?" His harmonic voice rang right through me.

"Huh?" I said dreamily.

He looked condescendingly at me and used large gestures under the table "Me. Calvin. You?"

"Eric. And I'm not stupid."

"You could have fooled me." He giggled.

God, his laugh...

The professor was just finishing his announcements "Oh and also there has been a timetabling change, due to illnesses of certain staff who have been confined to their dormitories, Professor Shelfort, the Economics Tutor and Professor Carter, the Business Tutor, those students that once took Economics will now take an extra language with Professor Maldov and those who once took Business will now take either Extensive Math or Extensive Art. Thank you. That is all the notices. Now may you please return to your dormitories. You should each find a little present from the staff when you get there. Good Night Students."

"Good Night Professor," the school chanted together.

Suddenly, the whole crowd rushed towards the door, but there were some of us who were patient enough to wait around, I guess I hadn't really tried to make an effort since the start of the school year. You see, I was a new kid to the school in September. It is January now, and I didn't really make many friends. Actually, I made no friends and I was just a total loner. Except for one girl whom I occasionally talked to in my Economics Class, Lauren, her name was, that was about it. She was a crazy one, that girl, but I got on well enough with her. Note to self, go to sign up sheets and sign up for Extensive Math. I like math. I hate art. Problems Solved. I wonder what happened to Professor Shelfort, she always looked like such a healthy woman, bags under the eyes, but that’s to be expected of a teacher who teaches different ages from 6 am - 7 pm and then only getting one hour’s free time. I bet they don't even get paid well.

As I stood to leave after the huge rush, I noticed the boy with the streaked hair still waiting by the main door for me. I felt my heart begin to race; I had never felt like this before. The way he leant against the wall made me think of an underwear model, but I quickly snapped my attention away from that as I started to feel my bulge grow slightly. I walked up to him quickly with a large smile.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked me.

"Oh, nothing. Just no-one else has really ever talked to me before."

"God... they said you were weird, but that just takes the piss."

"What?"

"Oh... everyone takes the piss out of you saying you’re the weirdo of the school. I didn't believe them and wanted to talk to you. And so I did."

"Do you like me then?"

"Heh, you are a friend to make. I'm considered popular. Let’s walk." We started to walk down the corridor towards the dormitory.

"I have friends, well, what people think are friends." I noticed his mood began to dip and his strong smile fading away from his adorable face.

"Yes?" I looked into his eyes and he put his arm around my shoulder, I suddenly felt tense, but then slowly, I started to relax as we carried on walking down the corridor. Although, my breathing remained heavy.

"You know, sometimes I just wonder what it would be like if I was the loner. I don't like my friends. If I am honest, I can't stand half of them. But I just gave anything at the start of the year to be popular."

"Yes?" A tear began to roll down his cheek. "Are you okay?"

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm just a bit overwhelmed. I've never got this close to someone before. I've had girlfriends, but I've never really touched them. I've never got near anyone. It’s like I instantly trusted you."

"Well that is sweet, but we are at your dormitory now."

"Oh..." He sniffed and got a tissue out his pocket to wipe his eyes. "Could we speak tomorrow, walk back from dinner together again? I enjoyed our time together today."

"Of course, anything for you, Calvin."

"Goodnight Eric."

"Goodnight Calvin."

For the first time in my life I felt fully satisfied, I had found someone who trusts me and in a hellhole like Vampira High School For The Gifted, you had to have someone you trusted.

If you didn’t have someone to trust, or someone to walk with after the evening meal and you walked the corridors alone...

You went missing...