Throne of Glass: unOrdinary Fanfic

(11) Benefit of the Doubt part 5

Window beats rock, poor fed up Doc, Shopping is a modern day practice of torture, and never trust a Teddy Bear

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Never before had John fully reaped the benefits of being ordinary.

After all, he lived in a world that was quick to label him as an outlier and even quicker to discriminate him because of it. But the past two days were the closest he's ever felt what a typical Highschool experience would be for the average Mid-Tier.

Classes were dull, as usual. But when he walked the halls it was easily apparent that he would find no danger there. Students would idly chatter as they passed from class to class with their friends, daring to do nothing more than throw a quick curious glance in his direction before returning to their discussions.

And that was it. His heart was racing, recognizing that he suddenly thrusted into this strange foreign environment. John no longer had to look behind his shoulders to scout for incoming threats, or be enveloped in paranoia wondering who in this tile paved street of enemies was craving violence and an easy target. 'Well, supposedly easy anyways.' The ravenette mused with a smirk.

Now, he could just walk. He could just exist.

It was such a breath of fresh air. Like he had suddenly transported to a valley filled with fragrant mountain breezes after being subjected to the toxic fumes of tyranny. 

With a whisper of an epiphany, John marveled if this is what culture shock felt like.

'I could get used to this!' John had thought as he traversed through the sea of people, not a single soul edging their bets on trying out a few swings.

Even the bullies that had bothered him in the past, or individuals who were known to have a short temper weren't too keen on giving themselves an even shorter lifespan. Ever since Sera, bless that fantastic woman, had made her very public stance no one had tried anything. That kiss was more than just for pleasure, but a declaration of war that promised there would be h*ll to pay if any harm befalls him.

But John should've known his newfound freedom wouldn't last forever.

...

February 14 2x26, ʎɐpsǝn┴ 2:08pm, Wellston Private Highschool (Auditorium)

Valentines day. A day with many facets to its proposed offerings and sweet notions of romance. Wellston Private Highschool did nothing short of pulling out all the stops to celebrate, as they did with every holiday. Streamers of pink lace stretched across hallways and main entrances, balloons framed doors, and all the staff color coordinated to match the theme of the holiday. The biggest surprise was when even Doc, the grumpy man himself, the nightmare in ivory, donned a red lab coat. The collar and cuffs were decorated with an elaborate design of hearts interwoven into thin, flourishing strands of white. Keene was fond of teasing him about how pretty it was, indirectly causing a fire hazard when Darren lit the jacket in a blaze of fury after hordes of students began making visits solely for the purpose of joining in on the joke.

A few hours earlier...

"I don't normally condone arson," Darren had said, dark circles taking on a menacing shadow as John watched the literal dumpster-fire glow with flickering flames. Keene had managed to pour Doc's coffee on it to stifle the growing swell of sparks before it became serious. "But today's an exception." He had looked at John with annoyance, but it quickly shifted to something less aggravated. When the fight-prone kid dropped by, Darren had expected him to be covered in injuries, but his eyes lifted in surprise when he witnessed that wasn't the case. It must've been a freaking miracle.