December 20 | Friday #3
“Yeah. Sort of. I peeked in right when I got back, ‘cause I thought we could watch something. You didn’t answer when I called your name, so I figured you had your headphones on, but it turned out you’d already gone to bed.
I thought my shouting would have woken you up anyway, so I asked if you wanted dinner.
You mumbled something I couldn’t understand, so I asked if you were okay.
You said you had a headache, so I let you be. ”
“That I had a headache?”
“Yep.”
Will didn’t remember that either.
“I don’t get any of this,” he whispered, bewildered.
“Maybe you had a really bad migraine?”
“And lost my memory?”
“How should I know? I’m no expert on this stuff.”
Just then, a notification pinged on Dan’s phone. He checked it and then exclaimed, “Oh, dude!”
“What?”
“They finally posted the full interview with Venom!”
Venom was the stage name of Jared Manson, possibly the most incredible artist under the sun.
Venom had started out as a celebrity, showing up at various parties where he drew a ton of attention.
It was no surprise—he was charming as hell, changed his hairstyle and hair color a few times a month, and his clothes were always very tight and even more vibrant.
Usually, people like that attracted as much hate as they did interest, but Will didn’t know anyone who didn’t adore Venom.
So it was no wonder that he had already starred in one movie and was now preparing for the official release of his music album. He was genuinely talented.
And Will and Dan had a minor obsession with him.
Danny played the video.
“My guest today is Venom,” said Steve Lucas, the host of New Generation. “Welcome.”
Venom smiled. He was wearing mid-calf, purple high-heeled boots, tight leopard-print pants, and a pink T-shirt with his own stage name on it.
His hair was bright yellow, streaked with a few red highlights, and tied up in a high ponytail.
He looked amazing, though Will would never dare to wear an outfit even half as bold.
“We’ll start with the question fans are asking most often… When can we expect your first album?”
“Oh, later this year,” Venom assured him. “Don’t forget to buy it, my darlings,” he added, winking at the camera.
Will felt a sudden spike of pain. He hissed, clutching his head.
“What’s wrong?” Danny asked.
“Nothing,” Will mumbled as the feeling fortunately passed. It was weird. Like an electric shock, but… in his brain.
“Told you it was a migraine,” Dan said sympathetically. “Guess it’s still lingering.”
Will tried to focus on the interview.
“In just two years, you’ve achieved the status of one of the most recognizable personalities in the country. How did you do it?”
“Talent, hard work, and lots and lots of effort. People in my position would thank others with false modesty, but I have no reason to. I created my own image and achieved my own status. It was all me.”
“Absolutely! I love that confidence.”
“You can count on it, Steve.”
Venom laughed loudly, and Danny immediately joined in. Will looked at him in surprise.
“You found that funny?” he asked, not seeing anything amusing in what Venom said.
“Sure. You didn’t?”
“No. I’m having a hard time listening to him, for some reason,” Will confessed. “He seems so… I don’t know. Loud? Ostentatious?”
Danny gave him a pitying look.
“I think the word you’re looking for is charismatic.”
Will didn’t think so. Usually, he hung on Venom’s every word, but this was a particularly bad interview. He forced himself to keep watching. It only got worse, so he finally stood up.
“Where are you going?” Dan asked, surprised.
“To get dressed.”
“You’re seriously skipping the Venom interview?”
“Yeah. He’s just not doing it for me. And his laugh is really grating.”
“What? His laugh is the best thing in the world! Totally infectious. Everybody loves it!”
Will generally loved it too, but somehow… Something just felt off today. Maybe it wasn’t Venom’s fault. Maybe he was just in a bad mood. He promised himself he’d check out the video again when he wasn’t so worried about his health, and then went to get ready.
Twenty minutes later, he was walking to school with Dan.
“Will,” Dan said at one point.
“What?”
“It’s creepy when you’re quiet like this.”
“I’m just scared,” Will confessed nervously.
“Of what?”
“Seriously? You wouldn’t be scared if half a day literally evaporated from your brain?”
“You had a headache. You probably went home, lay down, and that’s just how it went.”
“I can’t remember the moment I got into bed. Hell, I don’t even know when I got home. You think that’s normal?”
“No, man, it’s not normal. But it’s only happened once, okay? No need to panic.”
“Yes, there is. I had some kind of… dissociative fugue, and I’m afraid it might happen again.”
“A fu—what?”
“It’s like… a memory disorder. Triggered by stress or something. I don’t even know. I read about it real quick this morning when I was looking for something that fit my symptoms.”
“Honestly?”
“Yeah?”
“I still think the most serious symptom is you being annoyed by Venom. Seriously, that’s totally out of character for you!”
“Danny,” Will grumbled.
“Okay,” Dan said defensively. “You can add no sense of humor to the What’s Wrong With Me Today list.”
Will didn’t answer. He knew his friend was trying to cheer him up, but it annoyed him a little that Dan wasn’t taking it seriously. This really wasn’t normal.
They reached the school grounds. They walked along the edge of the sports field, deciding to stop by the cafeteria to grab something to drink. The basketball team was already practicing.
Suddenly, Will felt a sharp jolt, as if a current had shot up his spine. His body arched reflexively, dodging a ball that whizzed right past him.
Liam ran up to them.
“Nice dodge,” he said with admiration.
“More like a lousy shot,” Will retorted, narrowing his eyes. “And not the first one. Aren’t you supposed to be aiming for the hoop, not at passersby?”
Danny’s eyes widened, and Liam just smiled.
“Sorry,” he said, unconcerned. “Can I get my ball back?”
“You can if you go get it yourself,” Will replied coolly, starting to walk away.
Dan fell into step beside him.
“Are suicidal tendencies also a symptom of that whole fugue thing?” he hissed, glancing nervously back at Liam.
Will rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the patience for this today.
They finally reached their lockers. They were getting their books when Dan suddenly elbowed Will and nodded his head toward a girl lingering by the entrance.
“Ten bucks says she’s waiting for Blake.”
Will let out a quiet snort.
“Why would I bet on the most obvious thing under the sun?” he scoffed, pausing to watch the impending disaster.
Blake strode into the building. The girl made her move, supposedly accidentally bumping right into him.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said with not-very-believable distress.
“Get out of my way, you moron,” Blake hissed in response, and if she hadn’t moved, he probably would have plowed right through her.
Will followed him with a shocked gaze.
“What an asshole,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“He’s always like that,” Dan stated.
No. Well, yes, Blake was an asshole, but not that much of an asshole.
He was an acceptable asshole. An attractive asshole.
The kind of asshole whose asshole-ness you sort of overlooked because he was smart, charismatic, and handsome, and his less-than-pleasant behavior could be explained away as eccentricity. But he’d never acted this nasty before.
Although… now that Will thought about it, he could recall many similar situations. Some even worse, actually.
“That’s just his charm,” Dan said with a shrug.
“That’s not charm, that’s just being a dick,” Will declared harshly.
Danny snorted with laughter.
“Man, what a mood you’re in today. Let’s go before you start criticizing me, too.”
First period was history. Dan wasn’t in that class with him, so Will took a seat in the row by the wall, somewhere in the middle, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible.
There was still a moment before the bell, so he pulled out his phone and started searching for information that might help him figure out what had happened yesterday.
Suddenly, he sensed movement. He turned his head and nearly had a heart attack when he saw Blake’s face next to his own, uncomfortably close.
Was he… sniffing him?
“What’s wrong with you?” Blake asked.
Before Will could react to the apparently insulting question, the bell rang and the teacher walked into the classroom. Blake took his favorite seat in the front row, but for the rest of the period, he kept glancing back at Will, making him increasingly uncomfortable.
After third period, Will managed to catch Danny.
“Hey, Dan,” he said, stopping him in the hallway.
“What?”
“Do I smell?”
“What?” Danny repeated, starting to laugh.
“I’m serious.”
Danny sniffed him, then shook his head.
“No. But you used my deodorant again,” he added accusingly.
For his own safety, Will decided to ignore that perpetually contentious issue and hurried to his locker to swap out his textbooks. He’d barely closed the metal door to find Liam standing right beside him. He had no idea when Liam had approached.
“Hey,” Liam said with a smile.
“Hey,” Will replied cautiously.
Liam leaned in toward him… and as if it were the most normal thing in the world, took a brazen sniff! Then he smiled again and walked away, leaving Will in a state of shock.
Will followed him with an indignant stare. Liam walked over to Blake, who was standing a few dozen feet away. He said something to him. Blake looked irritated. He gesticulated energetically. Liam just shrugged. And then they left.
That scene bothered Will for the rest of the day.
“They’re making fun of me,” he complained to Danny on their way home.
“Who?”
“Liam and Blake.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to piss off Liam?”
Will sighed heavily under his breath.
He had it coming.
September 11 | Wednesday