"Fuck, what the hell?" he yelped, his voice rising an octave.
"What is it?" the omega cried. He returned to a fully dressed state before running to his partner's side.
He saw me and screamed like he was being killed.
Before I knew it, the pair forgot all about their romantic tryst and ran away in a panic.
My heart churned uncomfortably in my chest. Their reactions confused and upset me. Why had they screamed? Why had they run?
I gazed down at my hands. They were normal human hands, to the extent of my knowledge. Was there something else wrong with me? Was I damned to be grotesque and hideous even as a man?
My heart dropped, leaden, into the pit of my stomach. The only two human beings I had ever encountered at night while able to walk and talk, and I ruined it. I already knew they would never return here. Any hope of healing my loneliness was trampled.
Dejected, I returned to the fountain and peered into the water. Willed myself to see whatever ugliness they saw.
Black hair like a stray cur. Pale skin like a ghost. Bony, gaunt features. My eyes and body cloaked in darkness.
I was human, but I was abnormal. In the end, I was not like them. I was a gargoyle given human flesh.
No one would ever love me.
4
Florian
The closed doorto Headmaster's office loomed in front of me. She never kept it open because she didn't like to be bothered when inside. But after the kids were fed and readied for bed, she retreated here, and there was no other way to reach her.
I shuffled on my feet, clutching the head of my cane hard. Should I wait until morning? Would she be in a better mood by then? Or would the festering resentment she held towards me only deepen with time?
I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't know the answer to this dreaded question. Pascal's words filled me with anxiety I couldn't shake. It prickled my skin, making my jolts of pain worse. The longer I stood at her door, the harder this became.
I shut my eyes and exhaled.
Come on, Florian. You've done this before.
It wasn't my first time bothering Headmaster after dark. Once when I was younger and didn't know any better, I ran to her in a fit, seeking advice for a child who was seized with night terrors. Neither Pascal nor I knew what to do. And apparently, neither did Headmaster. She roared for me to deal with it and slammed the door in my face. Me and Pascal ended up falling asleep on the floor while leaning against the child's bed, trying to provide as much comfort as we could for the rest of the night.
Another time Kip injured himself. It was a hot night and he was trying to pry the broken window open to let in some air, but the glass sliced his finger. I hesitated that time because I remembered Headmaster's previous reaction, but asked anyway for Kip's sake. She looked even more furious that time. I backed away and left before the door had even shut.
And now, as I stood before her office a third time, I knew I had no good reason to be here. At least, nothing as important than children in need. This was for my own selfish desires, to sate my own curiosity.
But I couldn't bring myself to back down. I had to know the truth. How much did Headmaster hate me? How much longer did I have in the only place I called home?
A frantic surge of desperate confidence filled me. I knocked on the door before I could change my mind.
A few moments of silence passed and I wondered if she’d heard it. Then came her storming footsteps. I braced myself.
The door swung open. I was greeted by Headmaster's furious expression. But there was a note of confusion in it, because unlike the other times, I wasn't in a panic. I was afraid, yes, but for my own sake. Nobody else was in danger. Whatever happened here, it happened to me alone, and I could bear that with some dignity.
"What?" she snapped.
It was like being faced by a coiled viper. I swallowed my fear.
"Pascal told me you're kicking me out on my twentieth birthday," I said.
She paused. "He did?"
"Yes."
