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‘I never really understood why people ate lunch together.’
Oz walks through the halls of Spooky Academy towards the cafeteria, he keeps getting bumped by people who don’t even notice him.
‘It was always quicker to eat your food in peace when you aren’t talking.’
When he gets there, tables rumble with gossip and giggles. Oz glances around him, and furrows his brows. Staring back at his sandwich before taking another bite.
‘I never got it at all.’
He goes home, makes dinner, and prepares for bed… Waking up the next day.
Eat, even if he doesn’t have to. Watching a demon and a werewolf, trying to see who can howl the loudest. Looks ridiculous… and fun.
Walk, despite nothing going his way. A ghost with shades literally phases through him while talking to a pink merperson, paying no heed to Oz. The disgusting chill must be the ectoplasm.
Work, notwithstanding how noisy everyone else is. A vampire and a gorgon go up to leave the class already finished with the test, discussing how easy it is this time. Maybe they got an easier test, if it wasn’t, why is this so hard?
Day after day, just a little more frustrated than the last. Pull through, walk the tightrope. Another day, another, another… A failing grade? Work a little harder. Invisible? Speak more clearly. Alone?
…
‘Alone.’
“Alone.”
“So, you live alone, huh?” A voice calls out.
Oz looks up to a tall zombie in a green parka. Staring in awe at the incredulous occurrence.
“Uhh, dude… are you okay?” The undead guy scratches the back of his scalp. “You look like you’ve seen a zombie.”
“Which isn’t wrong in this context, but I mean-”
Oz starts tearing up, his white eyes flooded with blue river streams.
The walking dead’s eyes widen at this, and he stares, running out of the room.
“W-WAI-” He’s gone. Oz hadn't realized before but was instinctively reaching out to the one person who gave him the time of day, and he was gone. He cursed himself for acting like that. Of course, someone would run from him if that was their first interaction. The tears swelled up again, and Oz thought maybe he should-
Panting comes from the door. “H-had to get this from the first floor.” In his hand of green flesh matching his parka was a bucket.
He flashes a big ‘ol smile.“Need a bucket?”
Oz took the bucket and stared in it, turning to…
“T-thanks, uh…”
“Brian, Brian Yu.” An outstretched hand came out to Oz. And he welcomed it with a firm shake.
Just that gesture made all the difference. His first friend, the thought gave him some pep in his step. Looks like things are turning around for Oz. He mapped out some conversation topics that evening. If he was going to do this friendship thing, he was going to do it right.
As the day came, he finally saw Brian!
…Talking to someone else. Someone with fiery wisps for hair.
He hid in a corner behind a bin, before they could spot him. ‘Okay Oz, that’s totally cool. I mean, everyone has friends so, all you have to do is just manage a simple hi, easy.’
Slapping his face and with a silent ‘Yosh!’, he was about to rise up, only to be met with two figures towering over him.
“Oh, this is the guy I was talking about, Amira.”
“Yup, he looks like a loser.” The hot head inspected Oz.
Oz’s eyes were downcast…
“He’s perfect.”
And rose up at the drop of a hat.
“U-um, why am I in an orange mascot costume?” Oz scans his new rigid costume.
“He doesn’t fit in any,” Amira signs to Brian. “and I burned the last one. The school budget is low this year so they took on a few sponsors. Coach told us to go look for someone that could fit the role and you are perfect!”
The costume sags weakly against Oz in protest.
“Oz,” Brian says while smoothing out the costume. “I know this is a lot and if I’m perfectly honest, even I wouldn’t agree to something like this from people you just met-”
Amira gave him an earned stare.
“But, it would be a lot off my back, and I’ll pay you bac-” Brian saw the expression on Oz, one of pure unadulterated determination.
“I’ll do it.” Oz stood up shakily. “I can do it.”
“Well, you heard him,” Amira pushes Oz out. “Let’s make like orange juice and let him concentrate.”
“Wait, when do I have to do this thing?” Oz barely puts up a resistance, as Brian looks away, guilty.
With a final shove, the gym doors open, and everyone stares at Oz. In an orange mascot costume…
He steels himself, breathing deeply as the tension is unbroken with the stares of everyone. Despite his demeanor before, there are two reasons he can keep his composure. One, the costume makes it so no one can actually see him from this introvert’s hell. Two, he’s practiced wotagei since its inception.
“Brian…”
“Yeah?”
“Are we sure that’s the same guy 15 minutes ago?”
“I-I…” The crowd is enthralled with this mascot, owning this gym. Oz is groovin’, schmoovin’, and doin’ cheers like his life depends on it. Even the teams playing are eating this up.
“I’m pretty sure of it.” The awe in what they saw is undeniable. The orange just cartwheels away, as the game reaches its finale. For a high school mascot, he was legendary.
In the breakroom, where they were suiting Oz up, he removes the suit head and it comes off with a pop. As soon as he sat down, the door came bursting forth with the people who put him through this. They were positively star-struck.
“Dude! What was that? You were not giving out hype energy earlier, so what kind of pact did you make under our noses? That shit was awesome!” Amira exclaims.
“I’ll admit, you were pretty impressive out there. When did you learn to do a cartwheel?” Brian chuckles.
“I… had a lot of free time.” Oz shyly faces away.
“Oh, here by the way,” Amira hands food and drinks in a baggie to him. “Me and Brian bought some stuff to help you out, and… because you kinda saved our skin.”
Oz took the bag, eyed its contents and looked up at the two of them. “Thank you.” He set it aside, and the two noticed his hands had tremors.
“You did good, man.” Brian patted him on the back.
“More than good, hella good!” Amira gave him a thumbs up.
“Thanks again guys.” Oz holds the mascot face once more. “But, what I did there wasn't that impressive. The most impressive thing to me was how you and Amira were able to get me to move. To try, even when I thought I’d given up.”
“Given up?” Amira pipes up.
Oz winces at what could have been. The other two silently agree to leave it.
“I didn’t have any friends, I thought there were people who naturally had friends, and people like me. It’s been so lonely, I reserved myself to thinking nothing would change in my life. That I’d always end up alone…”
The two turn to each other with concern as Oz continues.
“I believed I was flawed, broken beyond repair. Not until you guys came around, even for a short period.” He seemed to shake his head in disbelief of everything that transpired. “What I’m trying to say is thank you. Both of you. For being my first two friends. For believing in me, when nothing went my way. It means so much.” Oz doesn’t have a mouth, but they say the eyes are the window to the soul. And in the gleam of his eyes, you can see Oz smiling.
“Yo, Brian stop him, I’m gonna cry!”
Brian starts sniffling. “You and me, both.”
“Uhh! Guys?” Oz worriedly, wiggles his mascot arms to calm them down.
That day was one of Oz’s most treasured moments. A memory that’s a diamond in the rough, rough life Oz has lived thus far. This is the start of where he can smile inwardly knowing he is far from being alone anymore.