Just Call Me Dick Master

It was like a weird dream he couldn’t wake up from, Hazel looked all around him and understood where he was. A highschool, one he didn’t know of course but judging by the size of the school and the perceived age of the children that attended it, that fact was clear to him.

What he didn’t know until wondering into the bathroom, was that he was back to looking like a teenager himself. This… was a dream right? Why was everything so clear? How did he end up here and where exactly was here? He took deep breaths, trying to dodge adults in the halls, knowing that he would be shoved into a classroom and sent to the office if caught. Then what does he say? He doesn’t attend this school! They’ll just… kick him out.

The boy shakes his head, his hair was well treated, he wore expensive clothing that was tailored to his body which made him stick out like a sore thumb in this public school.

Atom’s tattoo’s were gone, he retained his ear piercings but other than that everything about him felt off. If not for his attitude Hazel would have thought the boy was some cheap knockoff version of the rowdy punk he knows.

For GG, he was… Thinner. Shorter. His hair was unkempt and clothes had holes and old stains from god knows what. It was so obvious that the poor kid was neglected which angered Hazel to no end knowing what GG was like and who he climbed to be in adulthood.

Barely did Hazel have time to react to anything before one of the hall aids disperse the group leaving Hazel alone with… Lute! That’s right! Of all the people to be jerked back in time to see, of course it would be her and… she was kind of mean. Small, but mean.

She was unrecognizable, from her clothes to her mannerisms. Did the boys really have that much effect on her this whole time? Hazel snaps out of his thoughts, looking at Lute and hearing her quip that he’s been teased about over and over during his childhood. In adulthood, he didn’t care, but being back here, told so bluntly of what gender his name was struck a nerve in his brain.

“Well ‘Lute’ is an instruments name.” He says back, following beside her, a roll of his eyes. Ugh, he wanted a cigarette and a coffee. But now being a minor, he may not even be allowed to have coffee, forget about a cigarette.

"Yeah. A cool instrument..." She snarked back, knowing she had no right to criticize anyone's name but her defense mechanisms were up and working at full capacity. It wasn't until he added to his statement that she responded in a fashion more typical to her true self.

Anger flashed in her eyes first, calling her a bully was a little dramatic, wasn't it?! Then hurt and sadness. Then nothing at all as she looked away from him. She didn't have the best role models when it came to interacting with people and it was her first year being around anyone her age for any length of time. It was all so difficult. She still didn't understand how to joke with someone and have them not take it seriously and most of the time no one was trying to befriend her anyway. She had learned to treat everyone the way people treated her, which was less than kind.

Before she could tell him to leave if she was bothering him, something hit her in the head, not hard but noticeable, and she turned in that direction to only see the slamming of a classroom door accompanied by laughter. Lucky bastards that she didn't see their faces. When she looked down at the item, it was only a crumpled piece of notebook paper and she bent down to pick it up, unfurling it from its ball shape to see the word "FREAK!" scrawled on it. Her lips turned downward and she tossed it into a trash can nearby as she continued to lead him toward the middle of the school.

"If you think I'm the bully here, you're in for a very unpleasant time. Especially looking like that. Trust me." She didn't need to remind him what she looked like with her long, sleek platinum hair perfectly placed and ruffled doll-like dress that gave her the appearance of some princess or storybook heiress. And his attire wasn't any less formal.

When they reached the crux of the campus, she stopped to give her little spiel.

"The school is broken up into 4 wings. STEM is where you'll find all your science and math classes." She pointed her finger toward one hallway.

"Humanities is where you'll go for English, History, and languages." She pointed to another.

"That way is the Athletic department, cafeteria, and library." Her finger moved in the next direction.

"And that way is the Performing Arts center. Obviously, it's where your art and music shit will be and where I'm going now. Goodbye."

She turned to head in the direction of the band rooms, where she could work on her projects in peace but stopped and turned toward him for one last thing.

"Oh. Locker numbers coincide with wing numbers so 100's are in the STEM wing, 200's are in the Humanities, 300 in the Athletics, and 400's in Arts. Your locker number is listed on your schedule and all the classes have their room numbers on them. It's pretty easy to figure out." She handed him the paperwork she forgot she had been holding before turning back around and attempting to leave again. She did her school duty. That was the end of that.

Listening to her explain everything in a monotone voice gave him such an icky feeling. Her voice was so similar to how he remembered, higher than before but still the same and the guilt he feels for calling her a bully is almost immediate.

When given the schedule and other information he could see that his locker was on the way where she was going but before she left he spoke up.

It was like a weird dream he couldn’t wake up from, Hazel looked all around him and understood where he was. A highschool, one he didn’t know of course but judging by the size of the school and the perceived age of the children that attended it, that fact was clear to him.

What he didn’t know until wondering into the bathroom, was that he was back to looking like a teenager himself. This… was a dream right? Why was everything so clear? How did he end up here and where exactly was here? He took deep breaths, trying to dodge adults in the halls, knowing that he would be shoved into a classroom and sent to the office if caught. Then what does he say? He doesn’t attend this school! They’ll just… kick him out.

The boy shakes his head, his hair was well treated, he wore expensive clothing that was tailored to his body which made him stick out like a sore thumb in this public school.

Atom’s tattoo’s were gone, he retained his ear piercings but other than that everything about him felt off. If not for his attitude Hazel would have thought the boy was some cheap knockoff version of the rowdy punk he knows.

For GG, he was… Thinner. Shorter. His hair was unkempt and clothes had holes and old stains from god knows what. It was so obvious that the poor kid was neglected which angered Hazel to no end knowing what GG was like and who he climbed to be in adulthood.

Barely did Hazel have time to react to anything before one of the hall aids disperse the group leaving Hazel alone with… Lute! That’s right! Of all the people to be jerked back in time to see, of course it would be her and… she was kind of mean. Small, but mean.

She was unrecognizable, from her clothes to her mannerisms. Did the boys really have that much effect on her this whole time? Hazel snaps out of his thoughts, looking at Lute and hearing her quip that he’s been teased about over and over during his childhood. In adulthood, he didn’t care, but being back here, told so bluntly of what gender his name was struck a nerve in his brain.

“Well ‘Lute’ is an instruments name.” He says back, following beside her, a roll of his eyes. Ugh, he wanted a cigarette and a coffee. But now being a minor, he may not even be allowed to have coffee, forget about a cigarette.

It was like a weird dream he couldn’t wake up from, Hazel looked all around him and understood where he was. A highschool, one he didn’t know of course but judging by the size of the school and the perceived age of the children that attended it, that fact was clear to him.

What he didn’t know until wondering into the bathroom, was that he was back to looking like a teenager himself. This… was a dream right? Why was everything so clear? How did he end up here and where exactly was here? He took deep breaths, trying to dodge adults in the halls, knowing that he would be shoved into a classroom and sent to the office if caught. Then what does he say? He doesn’t attend this school! They’ll just… kick him out.

The boy shakes his head, his hair was well treated, he wore expensive clothing that was tailored to his body which made him stick out like a sore thumb in this public school.

She wasn't one to really be in the halls, unless she wanted to meet up with her two best friends between classes or was making appearances in her own; she usually sat doing her own studies in the library or the band room or even outside if it was a nice day. Today she was making her way to her "next class," as she had been told there would be a substitute and she hated when they marked her absent in ignorance. She'd be bored for an hour but oh well, it was better than a call to her parents about why she "wasn't in class."

She must not have been paying very much attention because she ran right into someone she could have sworn was not there just a moment ago. It took her a second to get her bearings as she heard the snickering of some other kids at her clumsiness. When she processed the person in front of her, she had a very odd feeling of familiarity that she couldn't explain... it must be his clothes. They were far too nice and polished to fit in, just like hers. Is that how weird she looked?

She was about to apologize and take his hand but she stopped when she heard his absolutely DUMB ASS QUESTION. Her face betrayed her, just like it always did.

"Um... a school?" She eyed him up and down. He didn't look stupid but other kids always surprised her. "Are you new here?"

She meant "on Earth," but maybe he meant which hallway or wing he was in or something. She had never seen him before but that didn't raise any flags for her considering there were plenty of students she wouldn't have recognized if one had asked her. She tried not to pay attention to them and the faces they made at her.

Finally snapping out of it, a hand is brought to the back of his neck to rub awkwardly and that’s when he could feel just how short his hair was. It was an odd feeling having the lack of hair to brush against his palms.

"Hi Hazel...."

Hmm. There was something suspicious about the way she said that with such a smile on her face...

"Can I play with your hair?"

He has no idea what she’s up to, completely oblivious. Just reading the news paper during lunch and he looks up to Lute with his glasses on, a rarity to see for sure.

She practically squealed with delight, the sight of him in his glasses making her heart flutter and beat faster than she thought was healthy. He was extra hot when he wore them. They really brought out this studious, intelligent air about him that she had never gotten to see in his youth... and hers. How similar it was. Maybe he would feel the same if he ever saw her in her frilly princess dresses and long sleek hair.

But this wasn't about her hair; this was about his. She scooted behind him on the bed, sitting cross-legged to fit there. Little did he know that she had a myriad of things with her, from clips to bows and hair ties. First, though, she needed to free it from its typical fashion and her fingers hooked the current hair tie confining it and gently pulled it out. Running her fingers through the black wavy mass of locks to detangle it, she had her canvas.

Fingers separated his hair into three groups and proceeded to braid it to see how that looked. He didn't seem to mind her actions, judging by the soft sigh he let out and the way he leaned into her to give her more slack.

She liked his long hair. Atom had always had shorter hair, never going past his ears and usually styled upwards. She figured Mr. Constantine would never allow him to have it any longer than that so Atom had to work with what he was allowed, not straying from it even as an adult. GG's hair was a little longer, but unkempt and unmaintained; she remembered a few times Atom's dad had taken him to get a haircut when it had gotten to an unmanageable length instead of GG trying to cut it himself to get it out of his eyes.

Hazel was the first guy she'd seen have hair to his shoulders like this, sometimes a little longer if it had been a while between cuts. It really suited him honestly, and she thought it was really pretty. She had longed to touch it since she met him, but that was rude.

While she picked up strands of his hair and tied them with the others, she hummed happily. This was fun. She couldn't wait to decorate it.

His choice in hair length was a recent decision, in his youth his hair was much shorter, kept up with that saw expensive products keeping each follicle in its perfect place. He hated it. So much uniform, less say in what he wanted. So the length was his teenage rebellion that continued into adulthood. There were no plans to cut it short, maybe one day when at peace with his past but not any time soon.

Truthfully, this was the only good part of having such long hair. He remembered a time when it didn’t get in his face, a time when he wasn’t completely screwed if not having a hair tie and of course, being able to have the window down on long car rides without his hair flicking him in the face. But never did he have a sensation like this with how Lute played with it now. It was… so very nice.

"Hi Hazel...."

Hmm. There was something suspicious about the way she said that with such a smile on her face...

"Can I play with your hair?"

He has no idea what she’s up to, completely oblivious. Just reading the news paper during lunch and he looks up to Lute with his glasses on, a rarity to see for sure.

She practically squealed with delight, the sight of him in his glasses making her heart flutter and beat faster than she thought was healthy. He was extra hot when he wore them. They really brought out this studious, intelligent air about him that she had never gotten to see in his youth... and hers. How similar it was. Maybe he would feel the same if he ever saw her in her frilly princess dresses and long sleek hair.

But this wasn't about her hair; this was about his. She scooted behind him on the bed, sitting cross-legged to fit there. Little did he know that she had a myriad of things with her, from clips to bows and hair ties. First, though, she needed to free it from its typical fashion and her fingers hooked the current hair tie confining it and gently pulled it out. Running her fingers through the black wavy mass of locks to detangle it, she had her canvas.

"Hi Hazel...."

Hmm. There was something suspicious about the way she said that with such a smile on her face...

"Can I play with your hair?"

He has no idea what she’s up to, completely oblivious. Just reading the news paper during lunch and he looks up to Lute with his glasses on, a rarity to see for sure.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How could she say this to him? He was going to be pissed. He was going to kick her out of the band. He was going to hate her forever. But she just couldn't keep going; she needed help. More help than Hazel could provide and that's exactly why she was in this predicament. She couldn't believe he had threatened to tell GG himself if she didn't; why couldn't he see this would only end in disaster?!

Stupid Hazel. Stupid addiction. This was the end of her life as she knew it.

"Hey... Geeg. Can I talk to you about something?" Were there already tears in her eyes? She hadn't even started. She held herself like she was cold, even though she wasn't but it served a proper vantage point for her fingers to grip her sleeves as they hid the various track marks. "Um... I think... I've been overdoing it on some of the partying... things have gotten out of hand... please don't be mad."

She reeallly needed a hit right now.

GG gives her a second, even though his hand had left hers after sitting, it stayed on her knee, a reminder he’s there as he could see her getting more upset by the second which made him worried even more about her.

"Just.. please don't kick me out of the band. I tried really hard to get clean but-" Oh wow... she was a mess and GG's concerned look was about to fade any moment; she was certain. All he cared about was the band and she was jeopardizing that; if he had to choose between her and it, she'd be the one dropped like nothing.

Her hand is shaking furiously in his, not just from the nervousness and fear but it was withdrawal time. Every few hours like clockwork when she didn't give her body the drugs, it revolted, making her feel the sickest she had ever been. Each time she wasn't sure she was going to make it before either dying or doing something crazy to go get a syringe and shoot to make it stop.

"I didn't mean to get addicted... It just felt so much better than all the shit in my head and then I couldn't stop. It doesn't even feel good anymore." She could feel that she was gripping his hands so hard, like this was going to tear them apart and she was desperately trying to hold onto him even with the trembling and how weak she was starting to feel. "I'm sorry. I know I'm letting the band down. I don't know what to do."

“Kick you out of the band?? No! No I could never.” He pulls her into a tight, concerned hug. “I love you, Lute. I want you here just as much as you wanna be here, you’re my best friend and…” a hand curls into her hair, holding onto her with a desperation that spoke of how much he couldn’t let her go. “…I’m sorry, I didn’t know. If I knew this was happening we would have done something together about it.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How could she say this to him? He was going to be pissed. He was going to kick her out of the band. He was going to hate her forever. But she just couldn't keep going; she needed help. More help than Hazel could provide and that's exactly why she was in this predicament. She couldn't believe he had threatened to tell GG himself if she didn't; why couldn't he see this would only end in disaster?!

Stupid Hazel. Stupid addiction. This was the end of her life as she knew it.

"Hey... Geeg. Can I talk to you about something?" Were there already tears in her eyes? She hadn't even started. She held herself like she was cold, even though she wasn't but it served a proper vantage point for her fingers to grip her sleeves as they hid the various track marks. "Um... I think... I've been overdoing it on some of the partying... things have gotten out of hand... please don't be mad."

She reeallly needed a hit right now.

GG gives her a second, even though his hand had left hers after sitting, it stayed on her knee, a reminder he’s there as he could see her getting more upset by the second which made him worried even more about her.

“You’re the one airing out your dirty ass laundry all across Hell like it’s Woodstock 1999. I could have gone longer not knowing what’s between your legs.”

"For your information, I'm literally in my own hotel dealing with silly questions, not airing any dirty laundry across Hell. And its not like I'm ashamed of who I am." Charlie is already unamused from the various questions and now Adam seemingly coming to poke fun at her.

“If I told you the answer you wouldn’t believe me, little girl. Stop reading fairy tales it’s time to grow up.” They gotta stop peddling half truths down here and rip the damn bandaid off.

“You’re the one airing out your dirty ass laundry all across Hell like it’s Woodstock 1999. I could have gone longer not knowing what’s between your legs.”

“Hi, we’re Elements of Fable and our bandleader is single.”

“Thanks, Lute.”

Neo’s drumsticks crack to count before the band’s music lights up the stage and GG starts to sing.

“You never take me to Bangladesh You never cook me sausage on an open flame Never anoint me with oil Never write me a novel You never poison the mojitos of my enemies…

You never make me a marzipan Never defend my honor in a holy war You never treat me like Oprah Never go supernova You never Animorph transform into a cloud of bees

It’s like you don’t care…. It’s like you don’t care….

It’s like you don’t care."

Lute's fingers dance over her guitar for her solo, mimicking the melody of the words she had written in GG's style. She loved her band.

Hazel’s digits are well trained and strict upon the neck of the guitar, keeping pace with the drums. The song made sense for someone like GG, regardless of the absurd nature of what a lover doesn’t do. It’s within that they all knew too well why it was so… “GG coded.” To know another person would go through the strangest of odds for your happiness was something they all knew he needed. Maybe that’s why they put up with all the ridiculous band meetups and gigs at the strangest of places. It wasn’t to appease their lead singer, it was to show him that they were there and ready. It takes a genius to vocalize something like that into an understandable bit of harmonizing and lyrics and that’s what Lute did best.

"Age has tempered you," she said in a velvet-soft voice that was laced with tender ridicule, the corners of her lips raising with an ancient authority that seemed to predate him. "Don't you regret it? Lowering yourself to my level?" Her smile deepened by a fraction, but despite the cool narrow of her eyes, it didn't reach them.

“Age has ruined me.”

The correction is how he sees himself. There was one point in time where he thought the kind of man he became was one worthy of someone like her. But now? He’s simply living proof that angels can make mistakes.

"M-monkey's paw? What's that?? WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO GET IT!!"

"H-H-HAAAAAZZZEEELLLLLL! SOME WEIRDO SAID I WAS GOING TO BE A ROCK STAR BUT ONLY AFTER I'M DEAD FROM A MONKEY'S PAW. I'M NEVER GOING TO THE ZOO AGAIN!"

“It doesn’t?” His hand felt nice in hers and it immediately calmed her. She sniffed a little as she looked up at him. “That’s a relief because I was already at my other hand of wishes.”

What a freak that other guy was. Maybe he was just fucking with her. Lute falls into her tall and sturdy bassist, her hand remaining in his.

“How would you even become famous after you die anyway? That sounds stupid.”