Chapter Text
Chapter Four: Nerdy Boy: Rehearsal Rescue! Can Hermie Unworthy intercede on the life and death battle between Terri “Scary” Marlowe-Stampler and Normal ‘Ly Oak-Swallows-Garcia’s prone, cute, mascot body?
Just as the bells and klaxons triggered sent sirens up all around the group of teens, they were silenced as something busted the speakers by the gates. Normal thanked whatever God had made whatever destroyed those awful, terrible noises and all of the bright light. Hermie dashed outside just as Terri’s cleated crew kicked Normal’s shoes free of the ice, sending him skidding on his knees as Terri feigned innocent malice.
“So, Terri, my new father wanted me to invite you by to the theatre sometime. He’s been making some changes, and I happened to remember your true crime interests. My father is a director and producer by trade, and my other father has a degree in supernatural xenobiology and modern dance to back it all up. We’re going dark with our arts this year… “
Terri seemed to straighten her posture. Her hands twitched at her sides. Her pale face in her dark makeup flushed a rosy pink.
“Oh,” she mumbled with a grin Normal couldn’t find the willpower to trace, “sure, Hermie, whatever… Was just helping our little buddy, Norm get to class, right Teeny?”
She held Normal’s prized mascot head under her boot like a championship ball, and Normal couldn’t help but squeak out.
“Y-Yup! Totally. You know me, Hermie, I’m a giant clutz. Really, it was cool that the soccer team cared enough to help. I’m okay, Hermie.”
Hermie’s gaze made him feel weak, and warm, and well… the rest was probably blood loss.
“Okay, oh, and speaking of Normally. Normal, Cecil really wanted me to come and grab you for a quick chat, as the new dramatic arts teacher. He watched your youtube clips with Carlos over dinner the other night.”
Normal could have died and gone to Heaven to see his Abuelita Mercedes. With absolutely no regrets, only if Hermie noticed him.
“Wow, uh, okay. Sure, Hermie! I would love to come meet your dads! Uh, see you later, guys!”
And they let Normal go with Hermie. Which is what he’d wanted. But now he was more confused than ever.
Hermie drags Normal to a secluded, quiet, dark but cozy room tucked into the back of the Teen High Auditorium, and once inside practically throws him onto a couch that meets his body’s aching and the pillow on his head cushions him from how heavy he feels.
“Normal… Normal… Hey, time to look alive, Oak. Keep your eyes on me, that’s good, breathe.”
Hermie is rushing around the room, covering lamps with shades of all shapes and colors, corralling a cat with a long black mane and five tiny kittens, one of whom decided to rest on Normal’s chest, and making sure that the doors were locked. He then bolted to the other side of the room when a lanky, almost cartoonishly thin and wiry man with silvery blonde hair in a stylish half magenta coiffe with tentacle and vine tattoos snaking up his arms enters the room.
“Father… something’s wrong with him. I think he’s been hexed, or something. Khoshek you absolutely cannot sit on his head like that! Normal, my dear, don’t let her get away with her dramatic shenanigans, shes just a little diva who can’t stand to share a scene.”
Then Hermie’s right beside him, just like he was that morning, right outside the front door, helping him to sit straight and try to hold his throbbing head still. Normal’s fingers raked over the downy fur of the little tuxedo cat in his hands, who purred loudly.
Then, Normal’s consciousness gave out.