3 Chapter 2: No Beautiful Surfaces

"Vienna sausage!" someone screamed.

Immediately, the entire locker room burst into laughter as I retreated into the corner, trying to hide my exposed crotch. While I was changing out of my gym clothes, one of the bullies had pantsed me—underwear and all. My dick was in clear view for a split second, which led to this stupid situation.

"It's so small!"

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

Everyone kept chanting that horrid line over and over and over and over again. I huddled in the shadows and covered my ears, but the noise wouldn't go away.

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

Stop! I screamed in my head.

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

Just stop already!

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

Why won't you all quit it?!

"Vienna sausage!"

"Vienna sausage!"

I couldn't speak. I couldn't even protest against any of this because that would only feed the flames. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to take it anymore, a sonorous voice boomed, rattling the lockers.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!"

Immediately, the entire crowd went silent as Coach Bogard—the PE teacher—stood at the locker room's entrance. He scanned the area and quickly deduced the situation, noting how I cowered in the corner. Then, he glanced at another kid who was holding a set of jeans that were much too large for him.

"Give those back to Claudia."

"Yes, sir," the boy replied with a voice crack.

I graciously accepted my pants and underwear, and I proceeded to put them on.

"Hurry up, guys," Coach said as he exited. "The bell's gonna ring soon."

"Yes, sir," everyone said in semi-unison.

After I changed my clothes and locked my locker, I went into a bathroom stall and waited for everyone to leave. Now that I was the last one left, I made my way to the exit, but as soon as I went out into the hall, Coach Bogard was awaiting me.

The man seemed imposing when I first met him, but he had soft eyes that were tempered with a tremendous amount of patience. Even his unruly and disheveled appearance made him look like a wild beast, but there was no beast that was any kinder than him. He was the only teacher that had a good relationship with me, despite how much I sucked at physical activity.

"Can you come with me to my office real quick?" Coach asked.

"Sure."

It was a small room, but numerous decorations lined the shelves, including photos of his family, medals, trophies, and dozens of unique rubber ducks that he had collected over the years. One of the ducks was dressed as a nurse, another as a maid, and there was even a fisherman. There must have been a duck for every type of outfit.

Coach plopped himself down by his desk, and I sat down on one of the side chairs. Because of my body's size and my protruding backpack, I struggled to remain on the seat.

Just then, the bell rang, and I stood back up.

"Wait a moment, Claudia. I'll give a note to your next class so that you don't get in trouble for being late."

"Okay. But what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Coach sighed. "You can't let those kids bully you all the time. Don't you ever fight back?"

"No. I can't"

"There's only so much and I can do to protect you."

"I know that."

"And yet, you let yourself be embarrassed like this."

"It's fine," I said.

"No. It's not fine. I can tell that you hate being picked on. So why? Why don't you do anything?"

"It's pointless. Nothing I do will stop this."

Coach rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I see. If you say so. I'll notify the police about the bullies, and I'll also tell your parents so that they can help you."

"My parents don't care about me."

"Every parent cares for their child."

"Evidently, no."

"Claudia..."

"What?" I asked.

"I want you to be successful. I want you to live a life that you're proud of. But you aren't helping yourself at all. No matter how much I try to nudge you in the right direction, you won't budge. Maybe I can get the bullies suspended, but that won't cure the root of the problem: your lack of self-worth. I can tell just by looking into your eyes that you hate yourself, don't you?"

"Of course. Who wouldn't hate themselves if they had my body and my looks? Who wouldn't hate themselves if they were as lame as me?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say."

I didn't respond. Coach Bogard simply glared into my eyes with the intensity of a tiger who cared for their cub.

Finally, Coach let out another sigh, and he wrote down some words on a sticky note.

"Here. Hand this to your next teacher."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Coach waved.

"Bye," I replied.

Throughout the rest of the day, random people kept calling me Vienna Sausage—even people who had never spoken a word to me once.

Word spread like wildfire about my wondrously small penis. Dirty talk like this was peak comedy in all high schools.

You can bet that I ran like mad when the last bell rang. Well, running was an exaggeration. It was more like a slow and ungraceful trot.

"Look at Sissy Claudia go! He's running as fast as a car!"

"Man, Vienna sausage be zoomin' down the street!"

"Meals on Wheels!"

The insults just kept devolving as time went on. The trek from school to my home was like a fever dream, but when I finally made it back to my sanctuary, I was covered in sweat.

It just occurred to me that I haven't showered in about six days.

After dumping my stuff in my bedroom, I went to the bathtub and turned on the faucet, letting the water turn hot. Once it was a comfortable temperature, I flicked another handle, turning on the showerhead.

The divine water blessed my body with a gracious feeling unlike no other. Nothing like a good shower to wash away your pain for a fleeting moment in time.

Once I restored my vivaciousness, I turned off the water, got out of the tub, and dried myself with a light blue towel. Then, I put on a new set of clothes: a loose pair of shorts and a plain white t-shirt that had a pink-haired anime girl on it (pink hair was my weakness).

Today, there was more homework, but I could do it later after I played Serial Slain. It was more important to do my daily quests and farm materials. Once again, Grace had already logged on before me.

I pulled up the chat room and said, "Yo!"

"Hey, Claudia, guess what!"

"What?"

"I got a Dezastre gem!"

"Nice! I'm so jealous!"

"Don't worry. I'll still help you out until you can get one yourself. Besides, the boss gives a bunch of high-level exoskeleton drops, and I need those to max out my sniper build."

"Alright. Let's go to the dungeon now."

And so, we fought the Dezastre a few more times, and on the fifth fight, I finally got the gem.

"Yeah!" I screamed, jumping out of my seat.

I know that it's pretty childish to pop off, but the relief that struck me when I got the rare drop was immeasurable.

With the new item, I visited the blacksmith and ordered the Disaster's Child, a specialized greatsword that can apply paralysis. It also gave a ten percent boost to speed and a twenty percent boost to debuff resistance. In truth, the weapon didn't really fit with too many of my current builds, but it looked badass. The black hilt was decorated with a deep gold floral design, while the blade had serrated teeth on both sides. And, when you swung the weapon, it left behind a glowing red afterimage. If that doesn't scream badass, then I don't know what does.

Other than the Ninth Circle, there were a few other dungeons that were released with the recent update. They included mini-bosses, and they were meant for grinding upgrade materials. Since there were still a few pieces of armor that I haven't maxed out yet, I fought those dungeons with Grace.

By midnight, I managed to stockpile an impressive number of upgrade materials, so it was a productive day overall. Unfortunately, it was about time for Grace to go to bed.

"Hey, Claudia, before I leave..."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You know, we've been in the same party for years, and we've become such good friends, so..."

So? I said in my head. In reality, I gulped down my spit as I awaited the rest of her sentence.

Grace continued, "I wanted to know if you would be willing to meet in person."

"Oh...um... yeah! That'll be fun!"

Is she asking me out on a date? Wait, no. I can't jump to conclusions. We're just friends, so it'll just be a casual hangout. But still, the thought of spending time with a cute girl like her made my heart race. Of course, I've only seen her in-game avatar, but going by her voice, I'm sure she's really cute.

I let out an inward sigh. Man, I'm such a dumbass for thinking such things. We're just friends, so I shouldn't try to getting any provocative ideas.

"From what you've said before, you live about an hour away from me, right?" Grace said, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Yeah. Where should we meet?"

"Can you drive?"

"Sorry. I don't have a car."

"That's fine. I'll go to you, then."

"We could meet at the WcDonald's near me."

"Sounds good. I love WcDonald's!"

"Um," I stammered. "What time will you be arriving?"

"Tomorrow is a weekend, so I should be able to get there by twelve o'clock tomorrow, and we can have lunch."

"Alright. I look forward to it!"

"Me too!" Grace said. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!"

We both logged off, and I went to bed. That night, despite everything that happened in school, I slept like a baby.

***

The next morning breezed by in a flash. I was so lost in thought that I barely noticed it when the clock read 11:20 am. Since it was Sunday, I didn't have any school, and I just woke up an hour ago.

I have to be on my best appearance today when I meet Grace.

Just to make sure, I showered again, shaved, put on deodorant, and styled my hair with gel. Finally, I put on a plaid button-down shirt and a set of jeans, the perfect outfit for a date—slightly formal, but with a pinch of a casual vibe. To be clear, I know nothing about fashion and dating, so don't take my word on any of this.

By 11:30, I left my house without a goodbye. It seemed that my dad was busy cleaning, and my mom was doing computer work.

The walk was about twenty minutes, so I arrived at the WcDonald's with time to spare. It was just your average fast-food restaurant, but weirdly enough, it always had a special place in my heart.

I took one of the seats outside, underneath the cool sun, and awaited my friend's arrival. Normally, I hated sitting outside, but today's weather was perfect: a slight breeze tickled my skin while a dazzling warmth kept a feeling of coziness. For now, the sun's rays weren't too harsh, so there was no need to open up the umbrella on the table.

I took out my phone and read manga while I waited. Unfortunately, Grace hadn't arrived even after the clock read 12:20 pm.

Is she coming?

Or did I just get ghosted?

Relax. She's probably just a little late.

In the meantime, I used my phone's camera to help me adjust my hair, keeping it in pristine condition.

Luckily, my worries were unfounded when I received a text from Grace, which read, "I just got at the address. Where you at?"

"I'm sitting outside," I texted back. "I'm the one with the black hair and the plaid shirt."

"Oh! I see you!"

A familiar voice rang like a holiday bell, "Hey, Claudia! Sorry I was late. The roads were packed!"

"Yo, Grace! You don't have to apologize. I'm glad you could make it."

With a goofy grin on my face, I turned to look at the pretty young girl that sat down at my table.

Er...wait a minute.

She looks kinda...strange.

In my head, I thought she was a smothering beauty, but Grace was overweight and her face was far below average. As for clothes, she wore a tight pink blouse, a white cardigan, and a wide black skirt. In truth, it was a bit too harsh to call her unattractive, but I was being honest. Then again, who am I to call someone ugly? I should just appreciate the fact that I've been able to play video games with such a good friend. Even if she wasn't the perfect angel that I imagined, she was still important to me.

"Have you ordered anything yet?" Grace asked.

"Nope. I was waiting for you. I can get your order if you want."

"That'll be great. I'll take a Big Wac and a large cola, please! We can also split the bill."

"It's fine. I'll pay it all."

"Really? I'd feel bad if you did that."

"If you really want to, I guess you can pay for your meal," I said.

"Yay!"

There was the happy-go-lucky Grace that I've always known. She's probably the only person I've met who would be excited to pay money even though she was given the chance to eat for free.

Oh, well.

I went inside the building and ordered two Big Wacs and two large sodas (Grace and I both had the same meal in mind). After I paid, I waited a few minutes for one of the employees to give me the order. Finally, with the tray in hand, I returned to Grace's table and set down the food.

"You ordered the same thing?" she asked.

"Yup."

She immediately gorged into her burger like a ravenous animal. She swallowed the bite after a few seconds of chewing, and then she drank almost a third of her soda in one go.

"You're really going ham," I noted.

"I skipped breakfast today, so I'm pretty famished."

"Figures," I shrugged.

"So anyway," Grace said. "Is this your first date?"

Date? I thought we just hanging out as friends. I'm not really interested in romance right now, but I'll just go with it.

"Yeah," I said in response.

"You nervous?"

I answered truthfully, "Yeah."

"Heh. Makes sense. I was really nervous on my first date too."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is this not your first date?"

"No. I've dated five other guys."

Holy shit! Her?! Dating five other guys?! I mean, props to her, but I'm surprised she casually dropped such a bombshell.

Grace giggled. "You look astonished."

"I just didn't expect that."

"Yeah. They were all people I met on an online dating app. They all said they wanted to have a long-term and loving relationship, but when we met in real life, they always dumped me."

"I see."

"But you won't dump me, will you?" Grace asked.

"Huh? Are you saying that—"

"Yeah! We're boyfriend and girlfriend now!"

"Oh...sorry, but I don't want to rush things."

Grace's perky attitude immediately shifted into something completely different. Similar to how complementary colors juxtaposed each other, Grace's new facial expression harbored an underlying aggressiveness that I've never seen before. The paradigm shift was so jarring that I wasn't sure how to respond.

"It's okay if you feel that way," she said.

"I'm just not ready to start dating or anything. I hope you understand."

"Yeah...I understand, alright."

Her words seemed to be hinting at something. It was an implied accusation.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked.

"Is it because of how I look?"

"What?"

"Am I not pretty enough for you?"

"It's not that—"

"All boys are the same!" Grace screamed, slamming her hands on the table. She had gotten up and was glaring at me from a towering height that seemed to get even taller. It reminded me of looking down from a high place, and the ground seemingly shrinking, only this time, it was the opposite effect.

"Look, Grace," I said. "It's not that I don't find you attractive. It's just that I don't want to date you. But I'm okay with staying friends!"

Tears spilled down the girl's cheeks. "Why? Why are boys all the same? They only like girls for their looks. Why can't I find anybody that will love me for who I am!"

"But Grace! I—"

I almost said that I loved her, but I stopped myself short. I didn't really love her in the romantic sense. It was the love that one would feel for their best friend. Unfortunately, that wasn't the love she wanted. If she wanted a serious relationship, then she was looking in the wrong place.

"I've had enough!" Grace yelled, turning around.

"Wait! Where are you going!"

"I'm leaving!"

"Why?"

The other customers outside eyed us with curiosity, but they didn't say anything. To them, it looked like an average lovers' quarrel.

"Grace! Wait up!" I said.

"Stop following me! I don't want anything to do with you anymore, you shallow prick! You probably never even cared about me in the first place!"

"That's not true!"

Grace shoved me away, and she got into her car. There was nothing I could do to stop her now. As her light blue Volkswagon van left the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of a yellow diamond-shaped sign that was attached to the back window. It read: baby on board.

"Grace..." I whispered.

With nothing left to do, I finished my food and left. When I got home, I went straight into my room and slammed my door shut.

It's not my fault, right?

She was probably just having a bad day. Everything should be fine when I message her again.

And so, I sent her a text on my phone, but she didn't respond. She was probably busy or something.

I wonder if she's on Serial Slain.

Since I was gonna grind the dungeons again anyway, I started up the game and checked my friends list to see if she was online.

Except...

...Grace wasn't there.

Huh? That's weird. In the game, I had other friends whom I had fought with in the past, but Grace was the only one that I ever spoke to—my only real friend.

Why was she gone?

I pulled up the chatting website and clicked on my server, but once again, Grace was nowhere to be seen. The only thing I found was a DM on my account.

It came from a user named Grace_221006.

The message read, "We're no longer friends."