xvii

22 1 0

by spaceboy-irwin

by spaceboy-irwin

/ / Chapter Two: Life Made a Caterpillar and the Caterpillar Started to Make a Chrysalis / /

Kace dressed quickly. Not wanting to see his bare body any more than necessary, the pale boy made a point of looking away from the mirror while replacing his pyjamas with black, baggy clothing. Sweatpants and a hoodie over a band tee, and Kace was ready to leave. Grabbing his backpack on the way, the teenager left his house and started the short trek towards his bus top. Gracie had offered to drive her son to school until he had a license, but Kace had rejected the offer. He was content being invisible at school; not popular but not a victim of bullying. The bus fit perfectly with that, due the fact that, unlike being driven by his mummy, it could never lead to unwanted attention.

At the bus stop, a few teenagers were standing around in a loose cluster. None of them spoke, at least not until Kace walked up. When the brunette 14-year-old arrived, a tall boy turned to face him. "Hey, mate," he greeted. "You alrigh'?"

Finn Kreek, with his flamboyant blue hair and black lined eyes, didn't exactly look like wallflower Kace's type of friend. Even so, the pair had been best mates since Finn had stolen Kace's crayons in kindergarten. Well, technically since year three. Finn and Kace had hated each other as strongly as kids could until they'd become third years. A friendship had developed when the two boys were paired with a truly awful child for an art project. They'd spent two weeks growing closer while ignoring an entitled little girl who'd tried to kick and pinch them.

"You weren't at the stupid pool yesterday," Kace replied, speaking with a whiny tone. "If Keegan hadn't been there, I would kick your ass right now." Kace had spent a majority of the previous day chatting with the older girl before exchanging numbers.

"Luckily my mum doesn't care much about swimming. She wanted me to stay home so that she could try to fix me," Finn said, snickering softly. The 15-year-old was aromantic, but his extremely religious mother didn't quite understand the concept.

"She still thinks you're aro because she didn't hug you enough as a kid?" Kace asked, chuckling and tugging his hood up over his flat hair.

"Pretty much," Finn responded, his voice lilting with laughter. "I had to watch all the Shrek movies with her clinging onto me like a boa constrictor." Kace practically cackled, leaning on Finn's shoulder as the pair giggled like young kids at a slumber party. Though his relationship with his mum might seem dysfunctional, Kace knew that Finn didn't mind it. The younger boy remembered when his best friend had planned to come out to his parents. Kace had spent the night cramming things in his closet in preparation for Finn to be kicked out, making space so that the 15-year-old could live with him. When everything had worked out, strange as it was, Finn'd been over the moon.

"Let's do something tonight," Kace offered. "I promise I won't hug you."

Finn chuckled. "Dude, I love you," he said, bumping shoulders. "Anyways, who's Keegan?"

"Kace!" A familiar redhead ran up as fast as she could on three-inch heels. Keegan wore a tight black dress over fishnets and thigh high boots, along with a face full of makeup and carefully styled hair.

"That's Keegan," Kace muttered to Finn, who stood alongside him. Nodding, the blue-haired boy rested an arm on his best friend's shoulder.

"Hey," the aforementioned girl greeted, grinning widely at Kace and half-waving at Finn. The young brunette introduced them, Keegan complimenting Finn's hair before moving on. "So, Kacey, I've decided that you need a makeover."

Kace's forehead creased slightly. "What's the point?" he asked. Under his breath he added, "Lipstick on a pig." That earned him an elbow in the ribs from Finn and a scolding look from Keegan.

"Confidence, my darling!" the redhead said excitedly. "I'm going to make you so hot. Mall after school? I'll buy you some cute new clothes." Kace glanced over at Finn, holding a silent conversation with their eyes. Keegan watched with her nose crinkled and confusion clear on her features.

"Can Fifi come?" Kace asked.

"I hate that," Finn complained, but there wasn't any actual heat behind his words. "Why Fifi? It's literally longer than Finn." Kace quieted him by placing a pale hand over his best friend's mouth.

Keegan giggled at their exchange. "We can all go," she said, smiling happily. "See you later," she added at the sight of another year ten passing by. Waving quickly, the redhead disappeared down the hallway after them.

"So, what's the plan? Are you going to run around the mall giggling while pop music plays in the background?"

Keegan snickered at Finn's words. "More like a diet and a workout schedule, some lotion and washes and stuff for your face, and new clothes. They won't fit right away, but after a few weeks on the diet... if that's okay, Kace?" The younger brunette nodded, subconsciously glancing down at the redhead's flat stomach.

The three teenagers walked through the mall, glancing at stores and occasionally buying something or other. Keegan stopped at a gym, one that was part of a successful chain, dragging Kace inside to buy a membership. "There's another one of these that's open 24/7," she murmured.

Eventually they stopped at a large store that smelled of soaps and moisturisers. While Keegan flitted around, grabbing things from the shelves and chatting with salespeople, she took no notice of Kace. He was standing by the entrance with Finn, chatting happily. Little did his friends know but, as he waited for Keegan, Kace's eyes were trained on the neighbouring store. The store that happened to be filled with pretty panties and dresses and skirts.

a/n that chapter title is fob worthy (p!atd ? bro idk they both have novels for song titles)