Disclaimer

The following is one of many installments for a story designed specifically for my blog.  While it does step out of my usual genre, there are some things still not suitable for a younger audience.  Violent/Graphic descriptions, strong language and sexual situations may be found through different sections.  Each entry will tell a small portion of the story during different times and may not directly follow the one prior to it.  

This story follows the direct interactions, as well as the deteriorating thoughts of a young man who is struggling not only with the relationships he has with those around him, but with the relationship he has with himself as well.

Finally, all work is strictly fiction and does not reflect the views of the author.  Any resemblance to actual person(s) is only a coincidence.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, then avoid these excerpts and hopefully I’ll see you around my other posts and webseries!

———

He sat in a classroom that was essentially one quarter of a coliseum.  Where the professor lectured, the desks were just level with his chest, and the seating was spread out on risers until at the top, where Scott was currently lurking, the student was looking down over a dozen rows of other student’s heads.  The professor had no desk in this room.  He preferred to be on his feet as he taught, and he paced back and forth before a large chalkboard as he spoke, pausing to write something down  when he felt was important enough for the students to record.

Scott was hunched forward over his desk with his right hand covering the right side of his face and barely paying attention to what was going on below.  This was his elective course for the semester and he only showed enough interest to get a passing grade.

He was staring at the screen of his cell phone, more specifically the last text message that he had received.

Scott,

I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind this morning!  I’m going insane!  What I did in the car last night, it’s not something that I normally do.  Was it okay?  I really like you and I hope that you don’t mind that I’m sending you all these messages…  Would you like to come over sometime?  Maybe we can do more…if you want to?  Or we can just watch TV, or talk, or whatever?   Just let me know, okay?  

Love, Lucy

“…Mr. Vali?”

He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that the question had startled him, causing him to jump and knock his phone off the desk and to the floor.  The faces of his classmates were turned toward him, and at his reaction they began to snicker.

“That’s enough!  Mr. Vali, please see me after class.”

“Yes sir,” he murmured, embarrassed.

He picked up his phone and pressed the power button once, putting it into sleep mode before putting it away.

He made a small effort to pay attention during the rest of the period and even took a few notes before it was over, but he did so with a certain amount of dread hanging over him.  When the bell rang, the professor made his way up to where he sat, and stopped on the riser below his, placing his right foot up on the back of desk before him.

“Do you find my class to be to your liking Mr. Vali,” he asked seriously.

“Y-yes sir.”

“Because,” he continued, as if he hadn’t really needed the answer, “I get the impression that you are only using my classroom to fill an elective.  Now, if that’s the case, I think I can recommend you over to Philosophy, or Basket Weaving if that’s more to your suiting?”

“Tell this prick to go fuck himself.”

“I-I’m sorry sir.  I haven’t been feeling myself lately.”

“I asked you to stay after, Mr. Vali, because I wanted to get an impression from you.  I need to know that you are really interested in what I have to teach here, because if you aren’t, I have a dozen other students waiting in line to get in.”

“Oh. My. GOD!  Are you seriously going to sit here and take this shit?!”

“NO,” Scott yelled, startling the man in front of him.

“…well, I suppose if you are passionate enough about staying, I can give you another chance,” he began, hesistantly, “but the next time I see you playing with your phone instead of paying attention, I’ll have to expel you from my course.  Do we have an understanding Mr. Vali?”

“Yes sir,” he answered shakily.  His head had begun to pound as the ‘other’ became more and more aggravated.  The effect was as it was the other times that this happened; his heart rate began to increase, his vision tunneled down and his store of rage began to boil.  It wouldn’t be long before it reached the brim and began to spill over, and when that happened…

“Ohhh, YES!  That’s how I like IT.  Come on, you little pussy, let’s get ANGRY!”

He felt the presence of the ‘other’ bouncing around the walls of his consciousness, moshing into his psyche in its deranged madness, with only the purpose of passing it on to him.  He had to get out of here.  It had to be now.

“Excuse me, I-I have to go.  I’m going to be sick,” he sputtered.  It was a passable excuse.  As the battle waged on inside of him, his body suffered the effects visibly.  He had grown even paler than usual, which was something that really stood out for a ginger, and a light sweat had beaded on his forehead.

He swiped his things together and into his backpack while rising unsteadily to his feet. He didn’t bother to meet the professor’s (now) worried expression as he stumbled toward the exit, and when he opened the doors to leave, the other chased him with one final warning.

“Nine AM, Mr. Vali!  Don’t be late!”

He burst into the hallway with his hands over his mouth.  While he had only suggested being sick as an excuse to quickly leave, it had become a rapidly approaching reality. The ‘other’ was no longer screaming its madness into him.  When it had recognized the nauseous feelings welling up inside of Scott, it found another way to torment him.

Scott shoved his way through a crowd of people, focused on making it to the men’s room on time, as the ‘other’ yipped in pain; the last sounds Tippy had made before he’d had to put her down.