Abracadabra, You're Gay (Kellic)

Thirty: Before (11)

Four days before.

"I'm sorry," Ryan said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact. "I...I should have come to see you sooner."

I didn't reply, just shot him a sidewards glance and turned my focus back to my homework. I twirled the pencil between my fingers, absentmindedly letting it float into the air and then dropping it back into my palm. I did this a few times before Ryan broke the silence I had created.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "I... Is there anything I can do?"

"What do you want to do?" I said in a flat tone, leaning back in the chair and folding my arms across my chest. I wasn't angry or sad or... or anything really. Just flat nowadays.

"The other kids said you haven't been speaking to anyone," he mumbled, "and that you've only just started going back to class because you've had too many detentions."

"You went to speak to the 'other kids' about me?" I wanted to laugh, but I obviously didn't find the energy to. "It's not like I've ever had many friends Ryan, the other kids all hate me. Why would I be speaking to them of all people?"

"Listen, I get that you're mad with me," he spoke quickly, "but you have to understand that I applied for a new dorm because I just couldn't stand to be there anymore."

"Do you know who's left in the dorms?" I asked him, wanting to sound sarcastic but also just coming out completely emotionless. I just was too tired to put any more energy into this than I had to.

"It's... it's just you... isn't it?" He didn't look at me as he spoke.

"Yes. It's just me now. Everyone refuses to room with me."

"That's not-"

"They all think I'm a freak. That or they're scared of me," I shrugged, flicking my wrist so that the pencil stopped resting on the back of my hand and suddenly impaled into the desk. Ryan flinched instinctively, then tried to visibly calm himself down as if I hadn't already seen his reaction. "So, lucky me. I'm the only one in this godforsaken place that has their very own room."

"Vic, I'm sorry about the way things turned out," Ryan said softly. "I was coming to empathize about Danielle and her condition. I know she was the last person you were friends with... and I'm sorry."

"Yeah, thanks."

He tried to take the seat opposite me at the table, but with a quick wave of my hand I made the entire chair vanish. He scowled irritably, "this is why nobody will be your friend. You can't get along with anybody!"

"I get along with people just fine," I shrugged again, "if I want to. But seeing as I have no interest in our failed relationship anymore, if all you were here to do was give me your pity - then thank you, now please leave."

"Vic, you can't mope about Dani forever," Ryan sighed. "I hate to say it, but if you don't stop with all of this then this school will-"

"All of this?" I snapped and he flinched again. "I get straight As and more-or-less stay in line. I'm the school's most model student and if the professors weren't such gargoyles, then I'd be their favorite. I go to bed when I'm told and STAY there, I wake up when I'm told to and hand in my homework, I basically just float around aimlessly. Tell me how you think the school is going to punish me for this?"

"You were missing class," Ryan pointed out. "You were punished."

I rubbed at my arms, remembering the awful torturous detention sessions I had had. "And I healed myself of all afflictions and was back above ground in less than three hours."