I smacked my alarm clock to shut it off and sleep in a little bit more. Since when did I set an alarm clock? I generally woke up on time regardless. Meh. I must have been concerned I wouldn’t. I didn’t even want to open my eyes. I’d been having a weird dream that I sorta wanted to get back to because I wanted to remember it. I wanted to use it as the basis for a part of our webcomic. The damn birds were chirping again. Stupid birds.

After 20 minutes of not sleeping in, I slid out of bed and onto my floor. Yancy, our dog, walked into my room and started licking my face. It tickled a little, but I got to petting him and he calmed down some. I hurried him out of the room so that I could go take a shower.

As the water ran down my body I went to grab my razor and shaving cream. I didn't know why, because I usually shaved in front of the mirror. That didn't change, either. All I shaved in the shower was my legs. I felt better afterward, but I still couldn't figure out why I was doing it.

I went to shave my beard and noticed that what little growth I had was thinner, closer, like I hadn't had a full day’s beard growth at all. That seemed odd, but not unwelcome. I didn't look right with a beard, none of the men in my family had. I saw my grandpa with a beard exactly one time and he shaved it as soon as he could.

I walked back into my room, towel wrapped around my waist, and poked through my dresser for stuff to wear. I didn’t have a giant variety of stuff to wear, so I just grabbed a pair of briefs, a pair of jean shorts and a white tee shirt. I shut the door, dropped the towel and started getting dressed.

It occurred to me that Laurie hadn't started bugging me yet this morning. Something seemed weird about that, but I put it out of my mind. After I got my clothes on, I put my necklace and my charm bracelet on. I had a vague memory of somebody buying it for me, but then that memory faded and I grabbed my bookbag and hustled downstairs.

Laurie was already waiting downstairs, texting somebody. “You texting your boyfriend, or something?” I asked.

She stuck her tongue out at me. “No, are you?” She slipped her phone into her purse. “I was texting Chrissie about that party we’re throwing this weekend when Dad’s out of town.”

I’d forgotten about that. Granted, I had a whole school week to get ready for it, but that didn’t change how stupid I was for forgetting. I was in charge of the food, Laurie the drinks since that guy at the liquor store was sweet on her. I held out no hope that Dad would be completely unaware of what we were doing. Either way, it meant whatever extra booze we had would go to him. He’d calm down about it after that.

Laurie grabbed my wrist. “Cute necklace, cute bracelet. You're such a girl, Flashy.” She started giggling.

I pulled my arm away. “Shaddup. It's just a little jewelry, nobody bugs you about it.”

She giggled louder. “I know, dumdum, I’m just teasing.”

I knew that, too, but something about it stung deeper.

Later…

Mrs. Hastings walked around the room and collected our papers, then returned to her desk. “Your tests will be graded by tomorrow morning. The first ten A’s get a pass on the next assignment.”

I wasn't a big fan of advanced algebra, but it would look good on a future college application, and I was good at it. Assuming everything went as it usually did, I’d get my sixth pass this semester. I preferred writing and history, so I wondered if I was some sort of math savant to get all of it right.

Grant sat in the desk beside me and wrote something in his notebook. He tilted it toward me and I saw the note he wrote. How's the coloring?

I’d completely forgotten to update him when we were on the bus. I’d been too busy writing, he’d been too busy drawing. How had that slipped my mind? I wrote in my own notebook, Half done. Laurie doesn't like Maya.

Why not? he asked.

She hates how she looks. I’m working on her backstory to justify it.

Can I not just draw a hot girl as Brian’s friend?

Laurie said it was her only request since we based Brenda off her.

He sighed. He was about to write something, but Mrs. Hastings got started on the next lesson and so Grant stuffed his notebook back in bag and pulled out his textbook, like everybody else. I laughed inwardly. Sometimes I wondered how he got through middle school without me.

Later…

The cafeteria lady dropped a cheeseburger and a basket of fries that looked like pure grease on my tray and shouted, “Next!” Moments like these told me exactly how prison would probably be if I ended up there. I slid out of the line and Charlie came up behind me and went through the same treatment.

Wheeler and Grant were already at our regular table, looking through Grant’s sketchpad. I took my seat next to Grant, Charlie took his next to Wheeler.

“Dude, your sister hates the hot one?” Wheeler asked me.

“That shouldn't be a surprise. She called her a hooch.”

“Damn! So she dresses hot, what's wrong with that?”

I gobbled down some fries. “She is dressed like a slut,” I said. Was I actually defending the female point of view there? No, that wasn't it, I was just pointing out that Maya did look kinda whorey, that's all. Even Grant agreed, he just wanted to draw her that way.

I scratched at my wrist, slipping my bracelet off for a moment. I was starting to wonder what I’d been wearing it for, then I just put it out of my mind. I was wearing it because I liked it, of course. Why else would I be wearing it? Exact same reason I was wearing my cute necklace.

I slipped my bracelet back on. “I promised Laurie I’d tweak her history to give her a reason, it’ll give her more characterization than just the childhood friend.”

Grant nodded. “That's a bright side to it. Honestly, I didn't have anywhere to go with her.”

Charlie laughed. “You two taking the same side. That’s new.”

“Fuck off, man,” I said, through laughter. Before long, everybody was laughing.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else to Grant taking my side. Something… Protective? Had to be for the webcomic, though, had to be.

Later…

I was about to get ready for practice when Coach stopped me. “You get the day off, Flash,” he said when I walked into the locker room. “I need a gofer today, and I trust you more than anybody else on the team.”

I sighed. “Two days out, Coach? My game’s gonna drag pretty soon.”

He patted me on the back. “You’ll be fine. You're the best one I’ve got here, that's why I can afford to stunt ya a little.” He handed me a stack of papers. “These are the plays I had Wheeler draw up with my own modifications. I need you to head to the library and get Ms. Appledore to make copies. We're gonna pass these out to everybody and get started practicing them tomorrow.”

I flipped through the papers. “That should only take ten or twenty minutes, what do I do for the rest of practice?”

He shrugged. “Head home. I don't worry about you, kiddo, it's everybody else I’m worried about.”

I sighed. “Alright. I’ve got an article for Kat that I’ve gotta write anyway, I’ll probably get that taken care of.”

Coach nodded. “Good. You're gonna go far, Flash. Once you end up putting football behind you, you’ll still have something to fall back on.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Coach. I’ll be back with these in a little bit.”

I turned and made my way to the school library. I’d always wondered if the school was trying to perpetuate the stereotype of jocks being stupid by having the gym and locker rooms on the other side of the building from the library. It wasn't like the school was huge or anything, but it was still somewhat stupid.

I walked into the library and saw Kathy at a computer, typing away at something. Good, I wouldn't have to look all the fuck over for her. I handed the papers from Coach over to Ms. Appledore, the librarian, then walked over to Kat, who didn't even look up. I saw she was doing something about the lack of variety in the cafeteria again.

“They won't listen,” I said. She jumped a little in her chair. “Sorry. But really, they won’t listen, the school probably doesn't have enough money for variety.”

“Still,” she said, regaining her composure, “we need more than just cheeseburgers and fries. Pizza, salad, something, but not just burgers.” She turned around and asked, “Why aren't you at practice?”

“Coach has me doing paperwork but I get an early release when that's done.”

“Yeesh. Is he trying to kick you off the team quietly?”

I shook my head. “I doubt it. I damn near handed the team four games last year.” I sat down at the other computer beside her. “Besides, he likes me.”

She tapped the save icon on Word. “So what ya gonna do after school? Head home?”

I shrugged. “Probably.”

Her eyes lit up. “Come to the mall with me “

I chuckled. “What, is Laurie busy?”

“Yes, actually. She and Chrissie decided to go see Alien: Covenant at the Cineplex.”

“Laurie doesn't even like the Alien movies.”

“I know. But Chrissie wanted to see it and Laurie went along.”

I sighed. “Well, I don't have anything better to do until Grant gets back to his house, so, yeah, I’ll go.”

She surprised me by hugging me. I’d known Kat for years and she’d never hugged me before. At least, I didn't think she had. The feeling was vaguely familiar, but still foreign at the same time. After a moment the feeling subsided and I was hugging my friend, no different from a billion other times.

Later…

I should have known Kat would want to go clothes shopping, shoe shopping, makeup shopping, jewelry shopping. What surprised me the most was that it never bored me or even annoyed me. I didn't get to the point where I wanted to buy anything, but I just enjoyed hanging out with Kat and poking around the stores.

Until we got to the jewelry store, that is. There, I found myself looking at necklaces, wristbands, bracelets, ankle bracelets. I never looked at rings or earrings or the like, but I couldn't say that the idea repulsed me. I didn't even find anything wrong about it all, it was just happening. Something told me I should find something wrong, but I abandoned that thought and got lost in the accessory shopping.

By the time we were done, I’d bought a few new necklaces and a new charm bracelet that matched the one I had on, but with different charms. The whole time, I kept getting nothing but compliments from Kat, and kept returning them in the form of compliments on everything she bought.

The whole time, I realized she hadn't once tried to get me to buy her stuff. Granted, we weren't dating, but I remembered more than one time in the past where she and Chrissie had made me pay for stuff. I wondered what the deal was at the same time I was grateful, because I wouldn't have been able to spend the money on my stuff.

After three and a half hours of shopping, we found ourselves resting by the giant fountain in the center of the mall. My feet were hurting something awful, which was every kind of weird. I could run circles around the rest of the team but a few hours of shopping was painful?

I looked over my new bracelet and complimented myself over finding something that looked like it matched both my other bracelet and my favorite necklace. “That looks so pretty,” Kat said. She had been applying her new blue nail polish. I’d told her the pink looked better on her, but she wanted to try blue. Laurie’s favorite color was yellow, which fit her like a glove.

My mind started to drift to what color would look best on me. I had a weird desire to try Laurie’s yellow nail polish now.

“Thanks,” I finally said after my mind finally figured out where I was.

“I could never pull off flashy stuff like you do.”

I smiled. “They don’t call me ‘the Flash’ for nothing.”

“Still. You have a great eye for stuff that looks pretty on you.”

I blushed. “Thanks.”

She pulled her phone out of her purse and I was suddenly wanting one to hold all my stuff, but I threw that thought to the side. “Woah, it's like seven. I’ve gotta get home before my dad worries I’ve been kidnapped by sex traffickers. He's had that fear ever since he saw Taken.” She grabbed me by the wrist. “C’mon, I’ll drop you at your place.”

“Thanks for the ride,” I managed as she pulled me outside.

Later…

I walked in the front door and Laurie handed me my phone. I didn't even realize I didn't have it on me. Maybe I did need that purse. “Grant needs to talk to you.”

“Thanks,” I said as I took my phone from her. “How was the movie?”

“Ugh… I told myself there was a reason I didn't like the Alien movies, and seeing this one just prove it to me. How Chrissie can stand those things, I’ll never understand. Where did you go?”

“To the mall with Kat.”

She smiled. “Ooh, got yourself a girlfriend?”

I mock-laughed. “We were shopping.”

She poked me in the chest. “You’re lame. Call your boyfriend.”

I walked past her and said, “He’s not my boyfriend.” I walked upstairs to my bedroom, dropped my bookbag on the floor and set my bag of jewelry on my desk. After a minute of resting on my bed, I called Grant back. “How was practice?” I asked.

He sighed. “Tough. Coach had us run the track the last hour and a half. Where were you?”

“Shopping with Kat.”

“Oh. You two have been hanging more recently. You get your hair done? Get mani-pedis?”

I laughed. “Ha ha, dickhead.” Now I was wondering why we hadn't done that. Then I told myself to shut up. “Hopefully Coach doesn't shut me out tomorrow. Any of the new pages done yet?”

“Hold on a sec, I’ll email them to you.” I laid there waiting for a minute or three, then he came back on. “Chapter two is ready for coloring and lettering. We get chapter three done soon, we can get to posting.”

I sat up and watched an email alert pop up on my desktop. “Dude, how do you draw so goddamn fast?”

“I barely pay attention in class. I make up all my missed lessons by reading ahead in the textbook.”

I laid back down. “Well, it works for you. I’ll give you the chapter three scripts on the bus tomorrow.”

“I didn't know you had it done.”

“Yeah.” I started to fiddle with my bracelet. “I had a free period and got them ironed out. I introduced a new character, too, somebody who knows something about Brenda’s change.”

“I hadn't even thought of somebody like that. Guy or girl?”

“Guy, somebody I’ve implied went through the same thing.”

“Any idea what actually caused it?”

“No. Just magic. I was trying to think of a real cause, but everything seemed like a cop out.”

“We’ll, we’ll figure it out. I’ve gotta get dinner. Talk to you later, Ash.”

“Later, Grant,” I said as I hung up. I dropped my phone on my bed and stood up. I walked over to my computer and got myself working on coloring the pages for chapter two.

And found myself putting yellow nail polish on Brenda’s fingernails and wishing it was on mine.