#flits

Flits-tijd aan de schoolpoort! 🏫

Wie een fluo-hes van de school draagt, krijgt een stickervel én verdient het laatste spaarpunt op de Flits-kaart!

Thank you for the request!! Sorry for this taking a little long, but this was really fun to write!! This was all over the place but I think it has an...unexpected ending. Things to note: -Flits/flitty = homosexuals/gay(term from the '40s I believe) -Mild language

Tommy was walking to school one day. After his whole…episode…when Orel tried to “help” his misunderstanding of God, his mother didn’t really care about how he dressed. If he was so far from God already, what’s a little more that couldn’t hurt? At least in her eyes. So, Tommy had his fake fangs in, and a cape that tied in the front that was red on the inside and black on the outside. He knew he would be made fun of, but he didn’t care much about the opinions of others, for the most part, especially since people viewed him so low, to begin with.

He walked into his special classroom and the kids in there looked confused since it wasn’t Halloween, it was just an ordinary day in March after all. Not much about his outfit was said that day for the most part. That was until he had to step outside of his special classroom, he heard a few murmurs of slurs under people’s breaths, likely to try and not get in trouble with the principal, not that he would care much.

Despite the slurs, he carried himself proudly, he felt good dressing like this. He went to lunch as usual and at this point, his mother should just stop packing his lunch, since it was all mushed up so he wouldn’t choke. He only took it so she felt important for doing something in his life. So, he sat his stuff down, got up, and got in line. Once he got up there, he realized he had no more lunch money in his account and his mom, being as idiotic and forgetful as she was, forgot to give him any money. Sometimes he wondered if she drank. He sighed, the only way he was going to get more than a snack cake was to ask the person behind him for money. He turned around. Oh boy.

It was Joe. Of all people, why did it have to be Joe? He would have liked Orel better, despite the fact they weren’t really friends. However, he didn’t really have much of a choice if he wanted to eat today. 

“Hey, Joe…do you have any money? My lunch is out…”

Joe stared at him for a few moments. Tommy was confused but thought he was just looking at how he was dressed today more than anything else. 

He pulled out a fat stack of cash from his pockets and gave him the bare minimum, a dollar. “Just be lucky I stole this from the rich kid…” He shoved the money at him as if it was worthless.

Tommy found this strange. Joe of all people giving somebody like him money? The same person who hurled rocks at him and his friends? “Wow…uh thanks Joe…”

“Shut up, goofy-toons, before I change my mind!” Ah, there it was, classic Joe. 

He handed the dollar to the lunch lady and got his lunch and ate normally. Still, though, it confused him. Why? Why Joe? Why today of all days? He shrugged, he wasn't going to pester somebody over a kind action, still though it made him wonder.

He continued wearing his vampire outfit every day, and eventually, it just became a part of his reputation. Not only was he one of the dumbest kids in school now, but he was also the weird vampire kid. He didn’t mind very much, at least he was dressing how he wanted to now, although his mother thought he was dressing satanically. To avoid his mother in the mornings, he had to use the bicycle helmet he already wore every day to good use.

On this particular day, he put his bike on the bike rack and went inside the school. Today, he had also brought something else with him to make him even more like a vampire. Plus, it wasn’t technically immoral or illegal since he remembered drinking it at the communions before he realized he was an atheist. 

When he went into the special classroom, Ms. Stoopdown looked depressed, but he disregarded that. Today was the day he would at least look like he was a real vampire. He readjusted the fake fangs in his mouth that he got from Buried Pleasures recently. As she taught rudimentary math, he started to think as to why he even wanted to drink it in the first place. Sure, it would look like he was drinking blood and all, but it might also make him act peculiarly, given it would be killing his brain cells in the process of him consuming the liquid he hid in his cape. Still, though, he wanted to at least try and look like a vampire because it was one of the few things he enjoyed because people saw it as satanic, it was a way for him to rebel without breaking any written school rules.

He waited until lunch had already passed into recess before even thinking of taking it out. He would have shown the other kids that the school deems special, but he didn’t know any of them well enough to actually trust them. Plus, ever since he was put into the special class, he was always the backup friend to Orel’s friend group. Not that he was ever at a forefront of his friend group, but it grew worse when they realized he was an atheist and learned differently than others.

He went out to the farthest tree he could that he wouldn’t get yelled at for going. He sat down on the dry grass below. He opened up his cape and let the bottle of wine fall out of his pocket. He looked around quickly, just to make sure no goody-two-shoes would snitch on him for bringing it because despite it being at communion, he knew how hypocritical this town and its people were. The only people he saw were Joe and some random kid he was wailing on. Perfect.

Now was the time to drink the liquid of his choice. He tried to pull out the cork with all of his might. The people on TV sure did make this look easier than it was… He continued to try, going to the point he had his foot on it and trying to pull it out that way, hoping the pressure would help the cork pull through. It did not. Then, he tried to get it out by scratching out the cork that way, but all that did was hurt his fingernails. Well, this thing was a bust, now he wouldn’t like a vampire, well not as much of one anyways. He let out his frustrations by shaking the wine bottle furiously. Why couldn’t he just couldn’t have this one thing? He knew it was dumb to even try to consume an alcoholic beverage at school since he was underage, he would get caught, and alcohol only damages the mind, but still. For once he wanted to put his logic aside to feel something other than being invisible but he couldn’t even have that. He just sat there, defeated as he pitifully still tried to open it, despite knowing it wouldn’t bust.

Meanwhile, Joe was finishing chewing out the kid of the week he decided to pick on. “And never talk shit about the nurse again, got it?”

The boy in question nodded before scampering off. Joe wiped the blood on his hands onto his shirt. He started to head back out to where the majority of people are, when he saw a bottle of wine, belonging seemingly to Tommy of all people. Wow, he was cooler than he thought. 

He plopped down beside him. “Can I have some?”

“If you can open it…” Tommy sighed.

Joe tried to get it open the same ways Tommy did before just smashing it against the tree. 

“Jesus Joe, do you want us to get caught?”

“Well, I got it open didn’t I?”

“Yea but how are we gonna drink it?”

“Like this, dummy.” Joe proceeded to drink it out of the broken half of the bottle, somehow not cutting himself. “Hey, this isn’t half bad.”

Tommy took the other half of the bottle and carefully sipped it. Oddly enough he never really considered the flavor of the wine itself, more so just that it looked like blood. But he was right. “Hey you’re right, this is pretty good.”

“So…goofy-toons, why do you even have this in the first place? I thought you were a dumb goody-two-shoes.”

“Thanks. Well, my reputation is already through the floor and ever since the principal ushered me to the special classroom, nobody pays attention to me anyways. Plus, it makes me look like a vampire, don’t you think?” He asked as he opened his mouth to show the “blood” dripping off his fangs. 

“The hell are you obsessed with vampires so much anyways?”

“Well, it’s a way to rebel I guess since everybody thinks I dress satanically.”

“Yea, after you started wearing it. Why did you start?”

He pulled on the neck of his cape. It was a bit odd to be telling something a little personal to somebody like Joe, but he seemed alright enough. “Well…vampires are always cool, especially when they’re alone. Have you ever seen a vampire being made fun of for being lonely or being too nerdy? No, they’re always shown as edgy love interests or powerful villains, never pathetic. I guess I was just tired of being viewed as pathetic I guess.” 

“Damn…” Joe said as he gulped down some more wine. 

“Now I got a question for you.”

“Hit me with it.”

“Why do you care? Why are you listening to me?”

“Well…you aren’t the lamest kid at school.” He responded as he looked at the grass below them, picking the grass from the ground.

“Really? Why’d you pick on me so much then?”

“None of your business,” Joe said oddly defensively.

Tommy was a bit caught off guard. “C’mon I told you somethin’ personal…”

“Didn’t have to.”

He rolled his eyes. Why did he think he could have a competent conversation with Joe? Before he was about to get up and leave, Joe finally decided to respond.

“Well…you’re smart, whether you believe it or not. Guess I was intimated or some edgy bullshit ‘cause I’ve always been called the dumbest at home.”

Tommy gulped, his face beginning to grow oddly warm. “Thanks…it means a lot…but you’re not dumb. Trust me, I’ve seen dumb and you’re not. Plus, nobody can be dumber than Doughy.”

He giggled. “Yea ‘guess you’re right.” He looked at his face. “Why are you so red?”

Shit.

“J-Just wasn’t expecting you to say that is all…I’m not a flit or anything…”

Joe smirked a little. “Never implied that, plus I don’t care about that kinda stuff. I’ll kill you if you tell but…I think I’m a flit myself.”

“Really? Never took you for one.”

He shrugged. “Dunno…I just feel somethin’...odd..”

“‘Round who?”

“...doesn’t matter…” He began turning red himself.

Tommy looked at his face turning redder, despite Joe trying to hide it. He scratched the back of his neck. “Y’know…there’s nobody out here…we can be flitty if you want to…”

“Why would I want to with you?” Classic Joe.

“Well you sure are red for one…plus…I have a strong regard for you…”

“‘I have a strong regard for you’ who the hell talks like that? Do you like me or not?”

Tommy nodded. Joe’s mouth slowly crept into a smile as he got closer to Tommy. “Well…?”

Tommy gulped but nodded. “Heh…you look like closeface…”

“What?”

“N-Nevermind…” Tommy could feel not just his stomach fluttering but his heart pounding. He never thought he would feel this way around somebody like Joe but the universe has a funny way of working. Due to his nervousness, he didn’t do much, despite just consuming an alcoholic beverage on school property. 

Joe rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake, you’re going to make me be the flitty one, huh?” Before Tommy could respond, Joe had already kissed him. Tommy was surprised because even though it was obvious it was going to happen, it did happen suddenly. He let his body relax into the kiss as he held Joe’s hand. 

Joe pulled away after a few moments and looked at the red tomato named Tommy. He smiled. “Who’s the flit now?”

“Y-You’re not exactly straight yourself, idiot.” He continued to hold onto Joe’s hand. 

“Heh…do you wanna be flitty together…?”

Tommy nodded, his mind was still whirling from the moment before. He never thought he would be kissed in his youth, especially by a boy, but he didn’t mind. He liked him and Joe liked Tommy and that’s all that mattered at that moment.

Soon enough though, recess had to end but their relationship didn’t, they continued sneaking kisses and exchanging gifts with one another behind the trees. If anybody did see them, Joe would take care of them.

A vampire kid and a goth kid, who would have ever thought?

The End.

Flitscontrole aan de poort met de politie deze morgen.

MOS bereidt een nieuwe Flits-actie voor!

FOTO:©Juliette de Groot Na het overweldigende succes van FLITS. op Winterkaravaan slaat het spektakeltheater-collectief ABSOLUUT. de handen ineen met Theater Oostpool. Onder de vleugels van het Arnhemse theatergezelschap ontwikkelen zij de festivalvoorstelling door: nóg groter, nóg sneller en nóg spectaculairder dan voorheen. FLITS. gaat op vrijdag 30 mei in première op Hoogte80 Festival in…