Death Dreams Dire Wolves: Part Three

Chapter Five: A Few Blocks

Manzer coasts down the small raised hill as he finally approaches the school building. Raveling a good few blocks before finally making it through the traffic and the few pedestrians on the highways. Make a scramble about the mess of cars and confused preteens.

A Few buses are already arriving and letting loose a number of teens of mixed sizes and ages out into the thick green grass of the yard. A few of them interact as if they know each other, having laughable conversations where the true purpose is lost to the distance in-between Manzer and the sidewalk and the noise of cars.

Manzer rolls down the hill relatively unnoticed and makes his way to a mostly unpopulated area of the courtyard. Keeping in the shadow of the distance of a tree that grows in the small area of crass surrounded by bricks in an off section of walkway making sure he just stays out of sight.

Manzers plan for the year is to just go completely unnoticed, sitting somewhere outside of everyone's focus as a blur in everyone's memories. Manzer Didn't want to be cool, he didn't want to be popular, he didn't want to hang out with the goth kids, the nerds or the outcasts. His plan was to become his own island, his own nation of decisions and influence where he didn't get involved in people's lives, talk to their parents, or meet their younger siblings. Manzer just wanted to focus on school. Get good grades and work towards his own life and Identity of self recognition that didn't depend on others peoples opinions of who or what he was. He just wanted to be his own person. Not a label or an image, but just a respected human being.

Manzers social worker Mr. Nialis told Manzer once that he was a very bright person, smarter than a lot of other people but not very emotionally invested in anyone. 'Being anti-social wasn't the best of traits' he would go on to say, as he commented on a number of Manzers personality traits when they met a few months ago. Mr. Nailis would warn Manzer about emotional problems as a lot of kids his age can develop long term problems. Nailis tried to encourage Manzer to make as many friends as possible, in his school days. Not try to get him too ahead of himself as he skipped a few grades in school.

"You might be a little younger than everyone else, but you shouldn't shy away from being involved. Loneliness can be a difficult thing Manzer '' a memory of Nailis Says in manzer head as he remembers the encounter as if it was yesterday.

Manzer thinks about that fourty square foot office he sat in as the adults spoke to each other outside. The slightly red leather seats of a mahogany office were kept with the center desk to hold the maroon theme of the office together.

Nailis had three kids of his own. A wife with whom he was divorced, hence the ring tan on his finger, and why she was awkwardly folded out of the pictures of his kids. Or badly shaded out in an ameture photoshop job.

He was a man that didn't try to let his personal life confuse a few kids, but through the late night wrinkles of the long years of a man of about 46, his age Definitely showed in both his personal taste and his demeanor in a mature fashion sense.

Nailis was a man who might have gotten around a bit too much, the plague of pl and diplomas on his wall making him sensibly experienced in going places and meeting people. Something that must have been attributed to the dark blue stains of pen ink on his fingers and his light blue striped work dress shirt, and suspenders that held up his light beige pants clinging to his average body.

Nailis Never took off his glasses, when he spoke, he remained completely defensive the entire conversation as a social worker. It gave Manzer enough reason to keep most of his reasoning to himself.

Manzer Knew he didn't want to end up like Mr. Nailis. He didn't want to go through the oddity that was trying to fit in with such a bleak white lie. Nailis being a man who spends his days caught in a moral conundrum in finding his appreciation in decisions that would break apart his harder efforts. Manzer wanted more of his life than that. Not just to be someone's excuse for regrets.

The talk with Nialis was what inspired Manzer to Skate to school, rather than arrive with the other foster kids. Set a point and a definition of his own personal boundaries when it came to his work and efforts with the others and how much he just wanted to be left alone and unassociated as a great number of them seemed to be involved in some of their clicks already.

Manzer sits under the tree, resting in the shade sitting as a shadow. Things might Definitely shift as the school year went on. This seemed like a high traffic area where people come to hang out. But for now it was absent from anyone. It would take time to explore the school completely, get his barring and figure things out. This place was huge, bigger than Manzer expected in a town like this one. Manzer would come across a small placard placed at the bottom of the tree he sought to sit under. Giving the name of a memorial or a person who supposedly planted the now large oak.

The plague would read. "Lora Lorendas memorial tree. 1856 - 1956." Meaning that this building might be at least a century and a half years old.

Manzer begins to feel hot, as now not coasting through the wind causes him to over heat. The weather is particularly a war on his comfort as even in the morning is so hot, Manzer then decides to cool himself down by taking off the sweatshirt. As he does Manzer can feel the stair hit the bare skin that gets exposed as his shirt sticks to his sweatshirt. As his face is covered in cloth Manzer can hear someone comment on his stomach.

"Woah holy crap, nice six pack man!"

Says a female voice from at least a yard away.

Manzer puts down his sweatshirt to see who it is, and his suspicious glare is met with the soft sultry blur of a young woman. Manzers face turns red a little bit as he finds himself a little embarrassed, but as fast as he can think he can come up with a sarcastic response. "Take a picture, it will last longer." He says, tripping a little on how cliche his response is.

"I might just have to, dang. The football team captain doesn't even have abs that cut dude. What sport do you play?"

"You know, I didn't think I would have to take an exam on the first day of school." Manzer says, trying to dodge the whole conversation.

"Well fine if you want to be that way." She says getting offended. "Just another rude Jock I see."

"Sure yeah right. Think whatever you want, just don't talk to me."

"Wha- Oh, so you are one of those, brooding types. Hate to tell you this but this isn't where the goth kids hang out."

"See, it's stuff like this that I wanted to avoid. People trying to tell me who to be or what to do."

"Hey, if you don't want people's attention then maybe don't have abs like a greek statue. No way you are going to avoid people's attention with a set of abs like that. You could crack a walnut on those things."

"Listen" Manzer says as a shortcut out of this web of a conversation he just got roped into. " It's a little impersonal that you keep commenting on my body. Besides my shirt got stuck in my sweater, it wasn't an invitation. I'm not looking to talk to anyone so if you don't mind just leaving me alone I would appreciate that."

"That's so sad," She responds." No one should be alone, not on the first day of school."

"No sorry, just want to be alone."

"Why?"

"I just prefer it that way. Nothing against you, just not trying to make friends."

"Why?"

"Because, okay? Geez."

"Are you a serial killer or something?"

"What?"

"Serial Killers usually spend a lot of time alone."

"That isn't true."

"I don't know, I think I read it somewhere." She says downplaying the emphasis on her eyes.

"Listen, I am not up to anything crazy. Im just do not want to stir up anything on my first day. Its not like im the maine character in some dumb comicbook. I'm just a normal kid, in the background, doing his own thing."

"Your own thing?"

"Yeah. Just avoiding anything too crazy."

"Oh yeah right, highschool can be a bit cruel and crazy sometimes, but that's supposed to be the point. But wait, you look a little young to be in highschool?"

"And you are too well dressed to be hanging out around some creepy tree." Manzer says in observation.

" Yeah well, regardless, it's kind of creepy to be here by yourself."

"Yeah well I'm new, so go figure."

"New, like a freshman?"

"No, not like a freshman."

"Like A sophomore?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Oh wow, that does present a few problems. They have a few traditions here at hazing the highschool freshmen. But a kid like you, coming in as a sophomore? Wow, you came to the wrong place if you are trying to stay under the radar. "

"Why do you say that?"

"You will see."She says with a look of reluctance. "I just hope they take it easy on you when the time comes."

"Stop it, you are just trying to scare me." Manzer says trying to put a figurative finger on the contempt of this instance of interaction.

"No, I am serious. You better find a senior to date soon, or else the other legacy kids are gonna tear you apart."

"And let me guess. You are a senior?" Manzer Postulates

"No not really, more of a junior. But still. Not a freshman."

"Right, and liars too."

"Liar?"

"Who else would wear a dress to the first day of highschool. Especially one that is nice. You are here expecting to be untouched by everybody. On account of such an expensive outfit."

"Wow, you really have an Eye, and are smart. Easy target for bullies, I am afraid."

"And you've recognized that I am not just a talking pair of abs."

"Funny. But be careful, you know I'm one of the rich girls, so now I must carry some clothes. Not one of the kids you make enemies with on your first day. Especially if you are just trying to be a nobody."

"Fine, then I will find somewhere else to hang out."

"You know you are supposed to come to school with a skateboard. They have been strictly ban from school grounds."

"What, that isn't true."

"No it is, see it right there on the school billboard."

Manzer looks over at a sign planted in the school grass. On it Reads, "no bikes, scooters, skateboards, or motor vehicles past this point." Manzer is taken back by this, as the rule seems so odd.

"Oh, it does."

"You are gonna get in trouble if the teachers catch you like that. Especially on the first day. They always try to make an example out of someone."

"Right whatever, I will take my chances."

"No please, let me help you. I can show you a place to put your board."

"Right, and you're gonna charge me rent right?"

"Smart, and who knows that I will charge you. I just want to make sure you are looked after."

"In exchange for???..."

"Nothing?"

"Common, I know you aren't gonna look after some nobody just out of your own goodness."

"You think I'm some common thug?"

"No, but you are obviously someone who has more reason than just being nice. Your princess backpack and your purse make it seem like you are trying to get to prom queen?"

"She smiles and turns around... '' Common, I'll explain on the way."

Chapter Six: Highschool Frenamies

Manzer walks along the paved walkway of the high school's open yards, the green grass all around him standing against its moist pleat background like welcome mat that has seen way too much foot traffic in its days of glory. As Manzer stops to look at it he notices that spots of the field are no longer even its original grass, as patches of it seem off or out of season. A place like this has a lot to be buried, and things that others do not want found, patches of grass all tell so many stories to in-descript to honestly matter to anyone else to step over someone elses highschool memories.

It's typical that a girl with so much legacy at a school like this would try to put Manzer in a position like this one. A drastic circumstance of the wannabe highschool queen and any shiny image she likes to build on the backs of other shiny star students, even if they are freaks like Manzer.

Manzer looks at the grass some more as he over thinks himself maybe a bit too much. He doesn't want to be someone who just stands in as a part of what is normal, or complacent, he just wants to be himself, not the blade of grass in a crowd, but the spider who roams wherever he pleases. Nothing would keep him from that, but the line now strung onto one of the few things he cares about, that being his skateboard.

The campus of the school is huge, massive like a castle, but more modern, built sometime between someone's indecision to survive the worries of an industrial revolution, and the atomic bomb structures added to survive the nukes of the nuke scare of the 50's and 60's. The entire place is a multi architectural style mess like if the Mona Lisa and a modern Picasso got into a motorcycle accident in the middle of an Amish field. The only advantage to this school was that some of the installations were so strange that it would be hard to forget them. Like modern art.

As Manzers eyes are stuck looking at the strange statue, he does not notice in time that the girl in front of him has stopped walking. He bumps into her brushing his hand on her behind and other various parts of her body. The smell of her perfume is out of this world as it finally fills Manzers nose, and for a moment his mind cannot decide whether or not he bumped in a mannequin covered in lilacs, or an angry teenage girl who just met face to face with one of her long time enemies and man competitors in the sport of hot popular girl stuff. The social trap that Manzer was being led into.

"Hey!" She says as she turns around getting ready to slap Manzer in the face. Manzer thinks this is it. The moment he will forever be labeled as one of the creeps as he gets slapped in the face by an older popular girl, but just before the hammer falls, a slight gasp is heard from a group of girls behind the leader.

"Jenny, who is that?" She says in a type of urban californian accent.

Jenny stays her anger for a moment. As with most highschool girls not many would pass on a chance to keep their composure while throwing dirt in someone's eyes, but only so they appear more grown up than everyone else around them.

"Oh this. Wouldn't you like to know."

"Jenny? I don't think that is your secret to keep, he is his own person after all. Aren't you?"

Manzer gives a face of just desperate un-inclusiveness. The kind of face a person makes when they put on an old wet sock. "I don't know. I honestly don't care." He says just trying to make it through the day in one piece without a bunch of his schoolmates tearing him to pieces.

"Oh my god, you are sooooo cute! But I think you are at the wrong school?"

"No, he is in the right place."

"Oh so he is a freshman." She says giving an evil look.

"Nooo. He- is off limits." Jenny says painting an impressive picture with a great degree of snobbishness.

"Off, what?" Who is he then your little brother? Some midget janitors hired?"

"Close but no soda Alexa. This adorable little brain child is a skipper. Jump himself all the way up the sophomore, and it's my job to show this little cut baby around."

"A skipper?" Alexa then sits as she looks Manzer over. Giving him a good up and down look as she tries to make sense of the oddity that stands before her. A kid much younger and smarter than she is, with immunity to freshman hazing, walking around with her long time enemy of everything posh, girly and popular. Manzer can see the workings in Alexas head as she calculates holding back a furious fit of jealousy as she knows that Manzer is the most adorable thing allowed in the school, and the only person that might stand in-between her and being crowned queen at one of the school dances.

Alexas eyes are engulfed with the most passionate of listless stairs and begins to make power moves.

"Well then if that's the case. Then we shouldn't waste any time."

"We?" Jenny says, trying to understand the statement.

"Yes, Jen. It's not like you've been assigned to him, he is new, and it's not like he is your little brother. Besides, I think I saw Will walking around here somewhere." Alexis says trying to pull out the old boyfriend or crush card.

"We broke up." Jenny says in somewhat of a heartless tone. "Will just isn't my type."

"Oh but you two were such a nice couple. That's so sad. You've got to tell me what happened."

"Not exactly something you say in front of someone so young." Jenny says. As things get heated. Too Manzers lack of amusement in all of this he can tell when he is being used as a scapegoat. A good thing to keep note of as his nature as someone younger than everyone else would give good reason for people to duck out of a lot of things, as they keep their secrets hidden behind Manzer, the kid who is in a sense untouchable in the world of highschool. Something Manzer knows that he would soon grow to hate.

"Oh that's fine Jenny. But now that you talk about it, it does seem kind of broken. You sure your little friend there is safe."

"No, we're safer." She says giving off a slight flare of finesse as she flips the left side of her hair over her shoulder. "Besides, if I had dated him first he would have come with all his pieces in one box."

"Oh yeah, sorry. But it might be best that we keep the fragile ones in my care Jenny, obviously you're not very good at fixing anything, let alone showing anyone anything new. "

"Well everyone knows I have the right tools for the job. I mean I don't look cheap do I?"

(The conversation goes on like this for some time. Like two wolverines fighting each other in the dead of winter over a garbage fire. Verbally it's one of the most Vicious things anyone has ever witnessed. But tearing each other apart on a social scale still has its limits as soon the compromise is found in the both of them keeping their eye on Manzer for the day.

"Well I'm sure this young man would love it too.... What are you guys doing now?"Alexa says.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jenny says as she grabs Manzer by the hand (the same one that just touched her bottom) and begins to walk off.

Alexa follows them. "Wait, your skateboard... You're going to the spot by the fence arent you?"

"No, not at all?" Jenny says.

"Oh well, then you are Definitely going to need my help." Alexa says as she trails behind them trying to act cool.

However the whole shuffle has already gotten the attention of some of the other highschool kids.

Manzer can see a girl. Talking to a group of other kids. She points at where Manzer is standing as she talks, and a group of kids look over at him as they all walk away.