Chapter Text
Chapter One: Comforting and Terrifying at the same time.
Philip Malkin is just a regular 17 year old boy, obsessed with aliens, comics, and of course art! He draws most of his classes, just random stuff like, airplanes, spaceships, aliens with huge heads, ya know just stuff…
He usually just daydreams all day about astronomy, spaceships, alien shit, and then rambles all his alien theories to Matty, his oldest friend, his only friend really, he’s not popular, some may even label him a ‘freak'. Not that he cares about other opinions, he couldn’t give a shit what people thought of him.
Well that was until they introduced the new kid, Theodore Uris, “This is Theodore Uris, everybody say hello, he’ll be studying with you from now on.” Ms. Smith patted his back, “Go on introduce yourself Theodore.”
He clears his throat, “Um… I’m Theodore ‘Teddy' Uris, as Ms. Smith had said. I hope we can all get along well on our journey of learning, thank you.”
A few kids started giggling and making rude remarks such as, “Why’s he so short?” or “He’s talking like a malfunctioning robot!”
“Theodo- I mean Teddy, please go on and take a seat next to Malkin in the back to the right.” Ms. Smith says pointing to the back right of the classroom next to the window.
Ms. Smith pointed right at me, I was so focused on drawing children getting brutally torn apart by aliens I totally forgot I was in math! Shit, am I supposed to answer something on the board? I wasn’t paying attention at all! Fuck! I’m FUCKED! Here comes the humiliation!!!
Phil could already hear the class laughing at him for not being able to answer.
Suddenly I saw a boy, I don’t think I’ve seen before…? He popped into the seat right next to me, silently, carefully opening his books and focusing ahead…
Wait… so I don’t have to answer a question…? Nice, but who’s this shrimp sitting next to me? He’s quite short for a boy I must say… and maybe a little too pretty- WAIT!!!! Hold that thought, what am I thinking? Boys aren’t pretty! Phil shook his head rapidly, catching a certain someone’s attention.
“Are you okay?” A voice, calm and steady asked from Phil's right.
“Yeah, yup, totally! J-just um, yeah, just trying to solve a problem!” He almost choked when he realized it was the new boy talking to him and not Ms. Smith!
Teddy’s eyes sink to Philips sketchbook. Yeah, he isn’t doing school at all… Phil’s face felt hot as the boy looked at his dark drawing of children being torn apart by aliens that oddly resembled the kids throughout the classroom.
He can obviously see I’m not working at all, Why’d I say that? Uga! Idiot! Wait… why do I care, *scoff* as if??? I-I don’t care what that strangely beauti- WEIRD! Yes, weird new kid thinks of me.
Teddy didn’t say anything, he just refocused his eyes on Ms. Smith writing down her every word swiftly. Phil couldn’t help but compliment Teddy’s fast cursive handwriting in his head, Wow, he has good handwriting for a boy… mine looks like garbage compared.
Phil refocused on drawing, but decided to turn the page and draw something new. hmmm? What should I draw????
Before his mind could catch up he sketched out a circle, hmm??? Where am I going with this?
Then a cross lightly over the circle. maybe a alien?
Then Phil found himself glancing over at the new kid he didn’t even knows name, sketching his tired, focused green eyes, how he was hunched over his desktop, one hand under his chin, pencil in his hand, looking like he could just close his eyes a drift off to a land only he was aware of.
How his blonde curls fell just over his eyes and that deep furrow in his eyebrows like he was really focused. The light through the window casted shadows across his pale face, in a way it blended all of it together beautifully, and Phil had captured it on a piece of paper.
His heart skipped a beat and his face went hot when he realized he’d spent like the whole period sketching some random guy he just met like 2 seconds ago without asking first! He quickly stuffed his sketchbook in his bag, making sure no one saw… wait why’d he care? I don’t care what others think… but let’s just keep this secret.
At lunch Phil sat there exaggerating alien theories, Mat was a little distracted staring at loony lily across the cafeteria like she was the only girl in the world, and who knows maybe she was to him.
“You and Looney Lily have been hanging out a lot recently.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Mat blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed. “Have we? Ha, I didn’t notice…”
“Suuuuure, you definitely didn’t notice a girl talking to you.” Phil said teasingly, causing Matty to elbow him in the ribs hard.
“Oooowww! Matty, you airhead!”
Phil then suddenly made eye contact with the new boy, he walked past them and sat at the empty, discarded table by the trashcans… no one sits there.
“Oh, is that the new kid?” Matty asked.
“Yes, me and him have math together, I know sooo fun, MATH!” Phil says sarcastically.
“Should we invite him over? He looks kind of-"
“Kind of like how you looked before you met me?” Phil interrupted.
“Like a lost puppy.”
“With those eyes? More like a snake.” Phil says chowing down horrible meatloaf…
“You’re eating that…?” Matty looked disgusted.
“Hungry, need energy.” He says as he stuffs his face.
Matty stood up and walked over to the new kid smiling, Phil didn’t hear what Matty had said, but he came back looking defeated…
“Yo… what happened?” Phil asks, smacking.
“That’s gross! Chew with your mouth closed.”
“Soooo?”
“He said he was comfortable where he was and didn’t like being used as laugh for being Jewish.”
“OOOH, he thought you were a bully, huh?” Phil smirks, still smacking.
“Yeah. I tried to explain, but he just said and I quote ‘Bother someone else, I’m not a punching bag’ and the look in his eyes said go now or you’ll never see tomorrow.” Mat explained.
Phil laughed and abused Mat’s shoulder hitting him as he wheezed for air.
“Phil… it’s not funny…”
“He- He thinks you can throw a punch!!! HAHAHA!” Phil was dying of amusement, Matty hit someone??? Hahaha!!!
After school Phil hurried to his locker only to see the new kid standing there… What are the odds, his locker is right next to mine, Great. Phil walked up, smiley as usual, “Hey, you’re the new kid, I didn’t quite catch your name…”
The new kid turned around with the same plain face he always wore. “Theodore Uris, but everyone calls me-"
“The new kid?” Phil interrupted excitedly.
“Teddy.” His voice was calm, and deeper then Phil expected it to be.
Phil could feel his heart pounding on his ribs when there eyes locked, What’s happening to me? Am I sick or something????
Trying to ignore how warm he suddenly felt he just started rambling, “Cool, umm… anyway I saw you eating alone during lunch, you and your big puppy dog eyes were crying for help, I just wanted to say, um… there’s always a seat open at my table, Matty won’t mind extra company.” Phil tried to seem as friendly as possible…
“Okay.” He blinked, “Is that all?”
“Yuppies!” Oh God!!! Did I just say ‘Yuppies’???? What the fuck, am I 5?
He walked past Phil heading out the school doors.
He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either, which was enough to give Phil hope. Maybe Mat won’t have to act so desperately for a new friend now…
Phil patted his own shoulder like he was proud of himself. He road his bike home proudly, smug and of course confident.
He busted through the front door, “I’m home!” he shouted as loudly as possible! His mom was in the kitchen like, ‘If you ever scream in my house again I’ma beat your ass so hard you’ll shit out your mouth for a weak.’
“Oh…. Sorry… that came out louder than intended.” He said as he awkwardly retreated to his room to read X-men comics, hahaha fuck you sleep schedule, I’ma stay up until the end of time!
He got tired after a while, turned out his light and hopped on the bed. When he closes his eyes all he pictures is Ted’s sitting there in math class as the sunlight hits his face, something about that view made Phil feel super fuzzy inside… it was comforting… but also terrifying at the same time, like the ocean, you never now what’s hiding underneath it’s deep blue waters, yet it’s so beautiful most people don’t care what lurks underneath.