As Tom was escorted to his locker by Jon, he saw people looking at him. And not in a good way. He could see it in their eyes. Freak. That's what their eyes said. And some of those people used to be his friends.
Tom opened his locker and Jon said "So, are you starting to accept any of this? Now, tell the truth. You're liking it, right?"
Tom turned and glared at him. "You must be joking."
"I'm not. There's got to be something you like about your new life."
"Well, there isn't."
Jon smiled. Tom didn't like that smile. "Sooner or later, you'll accept it."
"The only reason I'm going along with all of this is that if I don't, you'll turn all of my friends into Goths."
Jon hit the lockers with his fist. "I'm your friend. The other Goths, they're your friends. You better remember that."
After Jon left, Tom turned his attention back to his locker. It looked about the same as usual, except for a few photos of him and Karyn. In one of them, they were sitting in a park. No, a cemetery. He didn't notice the gravestone at first. Despite where they were, they were smiling. They looked ... happy. Happy Goths. Who knew there were any? I'm happy with Karyn, he suddenly thought. Did they really have a connection? He never thought he'd ever fall for a Goth girl.
"There he is," he heard someone say from behind him. He turned and saw Danny Foster pointing at him, just down the hall. Standing with him were Tyler Jackson and Jason Knight. Before Tom could do anything, Danny ran up to him and slammed him up against the lockers. "What did you do to me, you freak?!"
"Nothing."
"I know it was you. You and your friend. I confronted you on the street, then ... then I ... then I found myself here. I know you did something to me. To make me forget. Now, tell me what you did to me!" He slammed Tom up against the lockers again.
"I didn't do anything. I swear."
"Liar!" Tom got slammed into the lockers for a third time, even harder this time.
"I'm not lying!" Tom yelled. "I didn't do anything. It ... it was Jon. He did it."
"What did he do to me?"
"He has the ability to ..." Tom began, but stopped when he saw Danny changing ... back into a Goth boy. Oh my god, what have I done? he thought. Down the hall, Tom saw Jon peeking around a corner. He was watching him.
Danny let go of Tom's fishnet shirt, wondering why he was clutching it in the first place. Behind him, Jason and Tyler turned around and walked away, now since there was no reason for them to be there.
Tom stared off in no particular direction.
"Tom? Are you okay?" Danny asked.
"No," Tom said. He was most definitely not okay.
Danny looked at him for a few seconds, then asked "Have you seen Jon?"
"What?"
"Jon. Have you seen him?"
"He's around."
Danny looked at him again, then shrugged his shoulders and walked down the hall, in Jon's direction.
As Tom kept staring, he heard Danny's voice in the distance. "There you are," he said. "Jon, I was wondering if ..." Then his voice became too soft to hear.
