Chapter 1

Strange Boy

    Josiah was strange. He didn’t hang with the Vamps, Goths and Freaks, Emo kids, Skater kids, Punks, Jocks, Metro’s, or the Populars. He kept to himself. He was just that, strange. He was from India, his family had moved here last summer. His English was good, but his mannerisms were what singled him out.
    It was lunch period now. He always ate in the outside cafeteria, under the big oak tree that was centered in the middle of Portsmouth High School’s grassy area which the students had affectionately called “The Lawn.”
    Josiah was sitting there under the shade of the oak. His dark eyes were darting around the lawn watching for her. After a few seconds of scanning the lawn he spotted her. She was a senior, and as far as his status went, untouchable. He was only a junior. Plus everyone thought he was a freak. Her name was September Malee, and she was beautiful. She wasn’t like the other popular girls. She didn’t wear short shorts, and her hair was it’s natural color. It reminded Josiah of cinnamon.
    He was watching September so intently that he didn’t notice someone approaching him. “Hey freak, what are you staring at?”
    Josiah looked up to the big hulking shadow that was Marcus Daly. One of the members of the wrestling team. Josiah didn’t say anything. He simply got up and picked up his bag. Marcus grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. “I said what are you staring at!” He shouted loud enough to grab everyone’s attention. Josiah glanced quickly in September’s direction. She was looking at them too, he felt his face and neck get hot. “You can’t talk freak?” Marcus shoved him in the chest. Josiah leaned back with Marcus’s shove, he didn’t fall. “You think you’re an acrobat now?” Marcus drew back his fist like he was about to punch Josiah, when someone broke the silence.
    “Daly!”
    Marcus whipped around. A thin man in a white button down shirt and black Dockers was standing there, with both his hands in his pockets. It was Mr. Glibert, the art teacher. “You want to drop that hand?”
    Marcus didn’t say anything, just turned and walked away. Mr. Gilbert looked around the silent yard at all the students. “What are all you looking at? This isn’t the theatre.” Almost immediately the hustle and noise resumed. Josiah already knew what they were talking about. He looked again at September. She was still watching, and for a moment they locked eyes. Hers were filled with sympathy. “You okay Josiah?” Mr. Gilbert’s voice pulled him away from September’s eyes.
    Josiah just nodded.
    “You want to report this?”
    He shook his head.
    “All right.”
    Back inside the school Josiah was getting ready to go to art class, he had dug his leather bound portfolio out of his locker. On the way down the hall, Marcus shoulder shoved him, causing him to stumble and spill his drawings all over the floor. The other jocks with Marcus just laughed. Josiah paid them no mind as he bent to pick up his papers. The jocks continued to poke fun at him. Until…
    “Why don’t you guys back off?” Josiah looked up at the sound of her voice.
    “Oh come on September, we’re just having fun.” Marcus tried to put his arm around her but she backed away.
    “I mean it. If you were half the man you thought you were you’d pick on someone twice as big as you not twice as small.” She crossed her arms over her chest. The observing students still lingering in the hall laughed, this time they were laughing at Marcus and his goons. September had burned them. Marcus and his friends walked away, September bent down and helped Josiah gather his papers. “Are you okay?”
    Josiah had waited for this moment since he first saw her, now he didn’t think he would be able to speak. He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
    “You should just stand up to them. Marcus is just a big coward you know?”
    “I don’t want to stoop to their level.”
    September laughed, “That’s a good point.” She picked up a drawing and examined it. “Josiah,”
    He was surprised, she knew his name! He looked at the drawing she had and his heart started pounding. He’d drawn it of her, as she was working on a drawing of her own, they had Mr. Gilbert‘s art class together. “I uh,”
    “Josiah, this is really beautiful. I don’t mean to impose but, could I have this?”
    She wanted on of his drawings! “Um, it’s not really finished, but I can finish it later at home.”
    “That would be great. I really like it.” September stood up an handed him the drawing along with the rest of the eleven by fourteen papers she had collected. “we’re going to be late.” She looped her arm through Josiah’s and pulled him down the hall. He was in shock, he hadn’t even thought she’d ever even speak to him.
    The two entered the classroom, now separated. Josiah sat on his drawing horse, and today instead of sitting on the other side September sat next to him. “Now that I know you’re so good at this I’ll sit next to you and you can help me.” September put her own drawing pad on the easel. “Now, how do I make this look more like yours?”
    Josiah opened his pad and turned it to the page where he had been working on this weeks’s assignment. There was a mannequin set up in the middle of the room, they had to draw it. Josiah leaned over and looked at September’s drawing. “You have a good start, but instead of using solid lines to show shadows, use value.” He explained the concept to her and showed her an easy way to hold her pencil and helped her since he was so far ahead.
    While he coached September, her friends were watching them, confused. They were chatting and laughing like they had been friends for years. But everyone knew that Marcus had already said he was going to date September, and some thought Josiah was asking for trouble.
    By the time class was over Josiah and September had developed a sort of friendship. He was feeling good for the first time in a long time, but he knew that this would only bring him more ridicule. Josiah had one more class to go to, an elective reading class. He said goodbye to September as she went to her Spanish class. He was feeling light today. He put his portfolio in his locker and shut it. He was alone in the hall, and headed off to the library. But on the way, he was grabbed and pulled into the boy’s bathroom. Josiah got thrown violently into one of the stall doors. It flew open and Josiah landed on his ribs on the rim of the toilet. He groaned as he tried to catch his breath.
    He was grabbed and pulled up again, and this time thrown onto the floor, then he was jerked up and slammed into the wall. Josiah looked at his attacker and confirmed what he already knew. Marcus was glaring at him. “You stay away from her.” Marcus let go of Josiah and he dropped to the floor. He moaned as he grabbed his side, it was throbbing. He hoped his ribs weren’t broken. Marcus finished him with a hard kick to his abdomen. The force of it caused Josiah to throw up. “Stay away from her. She’s too good for you.”
    Josiah didn’t get up until Marcus had left and his footsteps faded away. He struggled to his feet and avoided the small pool of vomit. He grabbed one of the sinks and pulled himself up. He hobbled out of the bathroom and clinging to the wall, made his way to the office. Just before he got there, the principal came out of his office and spotted Josiah. “Oh my god!” Principal Buchannan rushed over and helped Josiah over to a chair and sat him down. “What happened son?”
    Josiah started to tell the truth, but he had a better idea for Marcus. A punishment much more severe than anything the school could do. Besides, if he told they’d lock him up and he’d e safe from him. “I fell down the stairs.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just bruised up is all.” Josiah sat for a while until the principal walked him to the nurses station. The nurse was a tall blonde woman, with a soothing voice.
    She asked Josiah to sit down on the exam table. “You fell down the stairs huh?”
    “Yep. Coming back from the restroom. Clumsy.” Josiah was still rubbing his side.
    “Well let me get your vitals then we’ll get you back to class.” The nurse took his blood pressure, looked down his throat etc., and now needed to check his breathing and listen to his heart. “Take your shirt off for me please.” Josiah removed his shirt without hesitating. The nurse gasped. Josiah’s side was starting to bruise already. She moved around to his front, a mark was developing there too. “Are you sure this was from falling down the stairs?”
    Josiah stuck to his story. The nurse examined the marks, and knew this wasn’t an injury one would get from falling down stairs. She would have to submit a report to the school board. She sent him back to class with a cold pack.
    Josiah got out of the nurses office just in time for the final class to let out. He went to his locker and got his bag and portfolio. He walked out side and up to his older brother’s car. He stowed his things in the backseat and got inside. He didn’t speak.
    They soon arrived at their home. He said hello to his mother before going to his room upstairs. He immediately started working on the drawing of September. He had it finished well before nightfall. His mother came upstairs to get him, just like every night. “The basement is ready for you Josiah.”
    “Okay mother.” He went out of his bedroom and told his mother goodnight and I love you. She kissed her son on the forehead and said she left the door open. Josiah walked the short distance down the hall and to the door that led to the basement. He carefully navigated the narrow stairs to the basement. His blankets were already spread out, and some clean fresh hay was spread out in the corner. He undressed and put his clothes in a hamper. It had taken a long time for his family to figure out how to cope with Josiah’s affliction. But they never locked him in, they had no reason to, Josiah was a good kid. He’d never gone out before after the change, he wondered what it would be like?
    Josiah watched as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky. He knew where to find Marcus. There was a football game tonight, and he would be out late partying with his friends. Probably try to crash a college party. Josiah smiled coldly as the sun finally sank below the horizon. He stepped back away from the window to have some room to change, it would be the first time his affliction would work in his favor.