Vick Cyoc was a new kid in town. The strange thing about him was that he never went through the typical new kid treatment. He immediately rose in popularity possibly becoming the most popular student. Even Chad and Rick who had been the top two rivals for most popular were now fawning at Vick's feet trying to get Vick to notice them.
There didn't seem to be anything special about Vick. He had average looks with light brown hair. He didn't join any sports teams. He didn't join the chess club or any other club. He didn't flash around any money. He kept to himself acting like a loner but everyone wanted to be his friend. Even Bruno, the toughest bully at school was extra nice to Vick.
Maybe it was his constant smile and friendly manner. No matter what happened, Vick always had a smile. For example, one time Bruno was rampaging through the school not caring who he pushed or shoved out of his way until he shoved Vick. Bruno's facial expression immediately turned to one of horror but Vick just smiled at Bruno. Bruno immediately bent down and started picking up books and giving them back to whoever had dropped them. I was too far away to hear what anyone said but it seemed like Bruno kept apologizing to Vick and Vick just kept smiling.
Everyone wanted to be Vick's friend but Vick was very selective. It wasn't like he had crowds following him around. Vick preferred to be alone most of the time. The only person that Vick ever seemed to spend time with was Jeff. They did not seem like boyfriends. In fact, Vick was such a private person that I couldn't get a read on which direction he swung. I tried to find out where Vick came from and even that was a mystery. It was clear that Vick and Jeff had no prior connection before Vick had moved to town and it was strange for Vick to choose to hang out with Jeff because Jeff was far from popular. Maybe Vick preferred hanging out with the unpopular.
My name is James and I myself wasn't that popular. I wasn't the least popular kid in school but other than Tony, I had few friends. Tony and I were quirky. We were not flamboyant but we didn't conform to traditional gender roles either. Tony played the flute and I liked to sew.
I was surprised when Vick invited Tony and I to his house. He insisted that both of us had to arrive together or not come at all. I thought that was strange. What would Vick be up to if he's insisting we come together but I was also intrigued. Maybe I could find out the secret of Vick's popularity. Maybe I could learn why even Bruno was nice to Vick. Besides, Vick acted friendly. I'd never seen him do anything mean spirited.
Tony and I debated about which car we should arrive in. We flipped a coin and determined that Tony would ride in my car.
We found Vick's house and it was surprising. On the outside, it looked completely normal but the inside didn't seem to match the outside. The house had a large window on the front of the outside just to the right of the door but the living room on the inside had a large window on the left side of the door. I looked out the window but the view through the window did not match what was outside. It looked normal but the trees were in different places. I got goosebumps but Vick didn't notice. He just kept acting friendly.
As we visited, I also noticed that his house had little in the way of decor. There were a pictures on the wall but they seemed like generic pictures, almost like he had bought a bunch of random pictures from a department store without even looking at the pictures. There wasn't any indication that Vick had a family or a history. The house seemed like it just magically popped into existence one day fully furnished just like Vick had seemed to magically pop up at school without any clue where he came from.
I tried asking about his family but Vick was evasive. He said, "Listen, we're practically adults already. We don't need parents. The only reason you can't move out on your own is because of a stupid law that says you have to wait for your birthday as if that day would magically transform you into an adult."
Vick gave us a tour of the house and I continued to question him trying to find out anything about where he came from. We got to his bedroom when I said, "Look, your house doesn't even have real decor. You've only got a few random pictures that don't say anything about who you are. It's all very strange to me."
Vick turned to me and said, "You're right. I need better decor. I don't want to look strange to people. I want to seem normal, just like everyone else. I'll add another picture right now."
Vick grabbed the top of Tony's head and threw him into the wall. Vick only used one hand as if Tony weighed nothing. The whole thing happened in a blurry second. One second, Tony was standing beside me drinking a soda and the next second he was in the wall of Vick's bedroom opposite Vick's bed. Furthermore, he was naked as his clothes and soda fell into a pile on the floor.
Vick said, "Oh shoot. Tony spilled his soda. I better clean that up."
For whatever reason, Vick did not use magic to clean up the soda spill. He went and got normal cleaning supplies and bundled Tony's soda soaked clothing into a laundry bag.
I walked over to examine Tony. Tony was still moving but he was completely flat like he was nothing but a poster on Vick's wall. Tony seemed shocked to find himself in a wall.
"Are you alright?"
Tony said, "Uh, maybe. I feel alright. Everything looks weird though. I can see Vick's bedroom as if I was just leaning against his wall but somehow, I can also see his wall as if it was a picture and the edge of the wall is some sort of magic boundary I can't get through. Why am I naked?"
Vick said, "I needed a picture that expresses who I am. That's why." Vick had finished cleaning up and came to examine Tony as well."
Tony asked, "You turned me into a poster of me naked?"
Vick said, "I'm not finished. I'm still figuring out who I am, what I want. Here, let me try posing you."
Vick grabbed Tony's arms and legs and started moving him about. Tony could still talk but once Vick put his arms and legs in place, Tony couldn't move them out of place. The first pose Vick put Tony in was like the statue of David.
Vick said, "Nice and classical but maybe a bit boring and cliche. What do you think, James."
I was overwhelmed and sat on a chair in Vick's bedroom. "Is that why you invited Tony and I over? You want to turn us into posters?"
Vick said, "No, we're friends. I know everyone thinks I'm a loner but the truth is I want friends. I just don't want to be friends with people like Bruno, Chad or Ryan. I prefer you and Tony."
I asked, "What about Jeff? Is he your friend? Where is he?"
Vick said, "Jeff is my friend. You're sitting on him."
I jumped up and looked at the chair and I saw Jeff's face smiling back at me.
Vick said, "You're just scared. You think I'm going to change you against your will but I like you and Tony because you are willing."
I didn't think I was willing but I asked Tony, "Is that true, Tony? Did you want to be turned into a poster?"
Tony said, "I never thought about it before. I don't know how I feel about it. I certainly was surprised and I still feel anxious and embarrassed. I can't stop thinking about what it would be like as any of Vick's guests stop to admire me while I'm fully on display. The thought is embarrassing, scary and thrilling all at the same time."