Alan woke up late, despite months of not using an alarm, Alan heard the radio turn on and rolled back over drifting back to sleep to some radio personality's monotone voice.
Ten (vital) minutes later his mom was calling. Into the shower, brush his teeth, style his hair, too much gel, rinse it dry it, try again, clothes! Underwear, socks, shorts, shirt... different shirt. Shirt messed up the hair! Fix the hair, Mom is yelling about food, deodorant, yes, deodorant. Cologne? Ask mom to grab some later. Food! Cereal? Oatmeal? Mom made eggs, I love her. "There's the school bus!" Mom cried after three bites. Backpack? In my room packed and ready to go. I meant to put it by the door but forgot. Grab backpack, a lamp??
"ALAN THE BUS IS COMING DOWN THE ROAD, GO!" Mom lovingly screeched.
SHOES. I raced to the door stepping into my shoes, not bothering to tie them, since I didn't bother to untie them and ran to the bus stop. I got on the bus and realized, I no longer get a seat at the back of the bus, or even the middle. All high schooler's from my area ride this bus unless they drive or get a ride. I took my seat next to a kid named Peter and breathed a sigh of relief. Peter commented, "Too much deodorant dude." and scooted away from me. It only got worse from there.
The high school was separate from the three middle schools meaning I was unfamiliar with the layout of the building, my locker, the classrooms and in the sea of three groups of freshmen from the local areas smashed together, I didn't find my friends. I went to the office to ask for help but there was already a sizable line.
There were student helpers trying to assist with guiding new students so the line was moving at a decent pace as more people got behind me. I got paired with a student who grabbed my itinerary out of my hand and spat out verbal directions.
"Mr. Chambers, take the new student to his locker and show him where his classes are, don't just tell him."
"Follow me." the older kid grumbled after an obnoxious eye roll.
After navigating a sea of people who were taller than me and almost losing Mr. Chambers we passed by a room and he pointed that this is my first class.
"Thank you, and my locker?" I called back to him. Just then the bell rang.
He glared at me, clearly weighing the thought of leaving me and considering his duty done. "This way." he said after a long pause.
We traveled through the throngs of people going every direction and the groups of girls mingling in the center of the hallway oblivious to the fact that they are obstructing traffic.
The halls cleared considerably and the second bell rang as we approached the locker. There was a lock on it.
"How do I open it?" I asked.
He looked at the paper, there was no indication as to what the combination was, "Why don't you know that? You should have been told that weeks ago." he barked angrily.
Upset and equally frustrated, "Why are you helping the new kids if you don't want to help us?" I snapped back.
"I'm serving detention I earned during summer school, I have to help and had to be here by 6 to help the school fuckers prepare. I don't like your stupid class, or your stupid self. To find the locker combination out you're going to have to ask the office. School started, I served my detention time, and gotta get to class. Good luck." with that he turned and swaggered off.
Angry and not use to people being mean to him because they messed up their own life, Alan was on the verge of tears. its not like he made the kid do summer school, or get detention, or had assigned this as his punishment. Why would that kid hate him and his class for being confused on their first day.
Slowly Alan walked back to the office, trying to hold back the tears, everything was already going wrong. Now that school started the line had diminished and was being handled by administration and one or two students who had a free period/study hall.
Eventually he got his combination and made his way back to class. Being over 10 minutes late the instructor asked for a pass which he didn't have. Being put on the spot, in front of the class, unprepared, and at his limit, a tear escaped down his cheek.
A few chuckles erupted from a several students. One girl said, "aww" and a few more students laughed.
"Silence!" the teacher hissed. His tone carried venom and everyone froze. "Go take a seat" and pointed to an empty desk at the back of the room "We can talk after class."
And that was the end of that, until Alan tripped on a backpack, sending his supplies flying, fell into the wall, and awkwardly slid down the wall. The teacher, and half the class watched it all happen. Between you and I, most of the laughter that followed wasn't directed at Alan but the release of the tension the instructor caused to avoid people laughing at the new student. Alan was however mortified and scurried to his seat.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" the teacher asked stifling a chuckle himself.
"I'm okay." Alan squeaked. "The wall broke my fall."
Beyond Alan's comprehension, that livened up another round of laughter.
The teacher tried to regain the classes attention, "Good, we will be sure to thank the wall after class...", he continued through the few students who laughed at his joke. "But for now, lets continue... For those of you who don't know." looking at Alan "My name is Mr. Davis..."
The door opened, "Mr. Davis, is everything alright? Are you throwing things at my wall again?" A severe looking, older woman asked smiling. Alan was bright red and dying inside.
"Only students who dare to show up late. My apologies for the disturbance." Mr. Davis replied. Reigniting a few chuckles.
Alan was also late second period, though it wasn't as embarrassing. Between second and third period was a break which he used to try to find his next two classes which would get him to lunch.
When lunch came he realized he didn't grab a sack lunch or money and by now he was ravenous having not had a full breakfast. Someone, cried "Hey Fallout Boy" and when he turned to look, a piece of paper hit him in the face. Though the band reference wasn't an insult in any way, it hurt that someone was trying to insult him. That, and now the whole lunchroom was laughing at him.
He used the rest of lunch to find his remaining classes since he couldn't eat. By 12:45 he was beginning to feel physically ill. At 1:15 the PA system turned on, "Please pardon the interruption, would Alan Marks please report to the office? Alan Marks, please report to the office. Thank you." Not directly into the microphone everyone heard, "What? His name is Mark? I thought you said Alan." a second later, "I'm sorry, Alan Mark, please report to the office, Alan Mark."
Alan stood up wishing he was dead, he doesn't have a difficult name. The class laughed realizing he was the poor soul who was called to the office on the first day of school and whose name was butchered for the whole school to hear.
It turned out his mom was there, "Honey, I realized you didn't get your lunch out of the fridge. I have to run back to work and will need to stay late to make up the time. I'll be home by 6. Love you, bye!"
Alan wanted to scream, "Take me with you! Make this day END." but just nodded realizing he was ruining her day too. He walked to the cafeteria which was empty except for the Janitor. All the tables had been folded up. Alan leaned against the wall and slid down. Opening the bag he pulled out a single bologna sandwich on white bread, a bag of chips, a can of pop, a fruit cup, and a napkin that said "Have a Great first day!" with a huge smiley face. Alan crumpled up the napkin hatefully and threw it away. He began eating and was still left hungry when he was finished.
The bell rang. Alan realized he should be in class right now and tried to hurry but the halls were cluttered with people. He ran into the class grabbing his supplies but was stopped by the teacher on the way out. there was a writing assignment and the details with explanation, were only given orally, there isn't time now he will have to come back after school. The bell rang, class was starting. Alan was handed a pass and scooted out of the room with the door shut behind him.
He ran to his locker and in the desolate hall, three seniors seemed to be loitering. "Oh look, here's Fallout Boy! You gonna perform for us?"
As he walked past, one of the boys grabbed him and easily threw him to the ground. The three started clapping exclaiming that they were giving him a 'standing' ovation and then they walked off. Alan was scared and furious but being seniors, they each had around 40-50 lbs on him.
Late to his last class, he tried to present the pass but it apparently got lost when he was being bullied. "This is your one and only warning for the semester Mr. Mark next time it's detention or you had better have a pass."
Food coma tried setting in, but it was offset by the sugar high he got from the bread, chips, pop (soda if you are one of those people...), and the syrup in the fruit cup. The first 35 minutes of class he couldn't focus, the next 25 he couldn't stay awake.
Finally school was over. He went home, realizing on the bus that he forgot to get the stupid, first day of school, writing assignment.
He came home to an empty house. The insanity of the school day, met by empty isolation. He could cry, or laugh, or huddle in the corner, or sleep. Instead he stood there for a moment. The silence was nearly deafening.
He dropped his bag, removed his shoes and although he was hungry went to his room, collapsing on his bed. He wanted to cry, though he had prepared himself for high school, he wasn't prepared for the day he had.
Looking up after a moment of sobbing, realizing it wasn't making him feel better, he noticed the lamp he saw earlier. He picked it up and a tear fell on it. He wiped his eyes and then rubbed the lamp dry not knowing if it would rust or something.
In true Aladdin fashion, the lamp came alive and bounced out of his hands. Though naturally it would fall to it's side it stayed upright and continued bouncing around. Golden smoke began ejecting from the lamp and within seconds Alan was no longer alone in his room. Before him stood... no, wafted? a golden colored... humanoid upper halved, being.
"OOOHHHIE! It's good to be outta there! OH!" The being cracked his neck, then his back, shoulders, and fingers! Once this was done it looked everywhere but at Alan and eventually said. "Hmm, you must be my new master! Hi Kid, Nice to meet you! I'm Genie and I'm going to grant you 3 wishes. I do have just three little rules that I can't break." An open rule book appeared in his hands to emphasize the point. "ONE! I cannot kill anyone!" The being sized Alan up. "I'm hoping that's not a problem."
Alan though silent shook his head no, his mouth agape.
"Good. TWO! I cannot make anyone fall in love with anyone else."
Alan just made a, "Who would want that?" face.
Seeing this, Genie just laughed and said, "Aww, don't knock it till you try it kid. You'll want it someday and although I can't make it happen..." Genie snapped his fingers making a full length mirror appear and floated next to Alan. He snapped his fingers again making him grow a foot. snapped his fingers again and he instantly packed on muscle making him the size and proportions of a man. Alan just stood there in shock. Genie got between him and the mirror saying something was off. Genie was suddenly rubbing and squishing Alan's face and although it was weird, it didn't hurt. Genie reappraised a second later. "Ah, almost done! Now for the finishing touches!"
Genie moved out of the way and Alan saw that he now looked like a very handsome young man in boys, much too small clothing. He began to flex and felt his old clothes rip.
"They do say, 'clothes make the man!'" Genie chimed in and instantly Alan was in a tux. "To formal." a flashy 70's suit, "to disco" an over-sized diaper and baby bonnet complete with rattle and pacifier, "wrong direction." Next he landed on a white t-shirt and some blue jeans. "Almost" a leather jacket appeared. "Perfect"
"What did you do to..." Alan began in a now baritone voice.
"Up pup pup... I almost forgot" genie cut Alan off and plucked a hair from his head. Genie rolled it in his fingers and blew it at Alan's face. A second later Alan watched his reflection as a dense shadow crawled across his face.
Instinctively he felt it with his hand to make sure it was real. He saw and felt as hairs crawled out his sleeves and knew he could pass as an adult, and an underwear model or actor for that matter.
"So as I was saying although I cant control love, I can help push it in the right direction." Genie made a lecherous glare which Alan totally missed as he was feeling his muscles.
"For a wish."Genie pulled back all his magic returning everything to normal. "And finally rule number THREE. I cannot raise the dead."