The Unwavering Red Flag

It was a warm day for the second week of September. The ducks were quietly paddling on the glistening lake. The fallen leaves rustled at the slightest breeze. The sparse clouds provided just enough shade for the empty picnic table beside the barren tree. All prime conditions were set to sit and enjoy a passive hobby.

“Not thinking about your hobby in this weather are you, Alex?” A skinny and elegant boy giggled as he walked faster to catch up to my pace. His short black hair matched his round black glasses. He had a striped scarf comfortably sitting around his neck. With his brown messenger bag and his beige long coat, he looked very dignified and mature.

“How come you can always read my mind?”

“It happens when you spend 16 summers with the same person.” Felix retorted.

Felix was my childhood friend for as long as I can remember. He always had a cheerful and supportive demeanour. Despite our contrasting personalities, he only ever hung out with me. Maybe it was the fact that I was the only other quiet kid in the class that let us find solace in each other’s company.

“Then how come I never know what you’re thinking?”

“Cause Felix is always in his own world.” Replied a chubby and gaudy boy. He walked down the stairs, joining us on our walk. He had his short hair gelled up, a piercing on his left ear, and a flamboyant green biker jacket to compliment his duffle bag. “You, on the other hand, are easier to read than a book.” He turned his head to make direct eye contact with me. “And I don’t read books.” He smirked.

Eagle was a new friend we made when we entered high school. He was an odd, outgoing, overbearing outcast that somehow made our friendship known despite his contrasting personality with Felix and I.

I continued walking to school with my two favourite dunces accompanying me. A soft wind blew, the tree branches swayed and the ducks took off. I couldn’t help but smile at this small moment of elation.

…

The three of us reached the school gate. Every student with a white buttoned-down shirt and black pants slowly made their way into the premise. Uriel High was a big school as it was the only high school in the suburban area. With 3 floors, its own facilities and various sports fields, it boasts as one of the top schools in North America.

A loud shriek pulled the gaze of everyone by the school gate. The scream must’ve come from the terrified guy sitting on the ground. He was looking up at a relatively tall girl with long red hair and bright golden eyes. She wore a bright-red puffer jacket, white sneakers with a glossy red logo, and a bulky messenger bag that had a red lining.

Along with her various red clothing, it looked like she was seeing red. She looked down at the person sitting on the ground with a mixture of absolute disgust and warranted violence. “Vermin.” She scowled in a deep voice and continued walking while clutching her bag.

Time resumed and the students continued with their chatter, albeit quieter than before. Eagle let out a low whistle of surprise and muttered under his breath, “Didn’t think she was that bad.” He continued walking. I looked at Felix in hopes to be filled in on the knowledge I was clearly lacking. He shrugged and we followed behind Eagle.

“So are you gunna tell us who that was or take it to the grave?”

“I think I’ll take it to the gr-”

Felix had Eagle in a headlock. I was grinding both my knuckles against his temple.

“Ow ow ow I’m joking Im JOKING.”

We continued to walk.

…

“Ruby Reinhart’s made a name for herself ever since she entered the school; a ferocious beauty with a flaming hatred for men,” Eagle explained as he hung his jacket into his locker. Felix was wrapping his scarf back around his neck now that he took off his long coat. I put on my oversized school uniform sweater. “No one knows why, but everyone knows to steer clear of her if you’re the opposite gender.” I closed my locker as Felix was fixing his hair in the mirror of his locker door. I leaned against my locker to face Eagle as he dropped off some textbooks out of his ridiculously enormous bag. “I heard she was even willing to skip some classes cause she didn’t want to be partners with a dude.” He closed his locker and turned to his patiently waiting friends. “But that’s just second-hand information. Y'all can test it out to see if it’s true or not.” Eagle gave a playful smile as if hoping his introverted friends would take the bait.

We started walking down the hall, towards our first class. “It’s a good thing we get to choose where we sit in class. I probably wouldn’t go to class if I had to sit beside someone that I know hates me.” Felix sighed in relief as if he avoided getting his scarf caught between a door.

“Wait. She’s in our class?” I asked in concerned amazement. I don’t generally look at my classmates but it seemed really unlikely that I’d miss a literal walking red flag.

“Yeah… she usually sits near the window, in the middle of her friends.” I always found it amazing how Felix generally remembered people’s names and faces despite not talking to any of them. Even after sixteen years, I don’t know if he’s a silent psychopath or a secret genius.

I sighed as I looked out the windows of the hallway. We don’t usually go out of our way to decide where to sit. Having the extra task of avoiding a single person is extremely tedious and I am not willing to spend the effort in doing that. I turn to Felix to voice my thoughts. He already had an unamused face as if he heard what I was thinking. I turned back to the window as we continued down the hallway.

…

History class has to be the most boring subject. Why must we learn about other people’s mistakes if we’re never going to be in a position of power to make them? Even more so when the topic is war. I mean I don’t think anyone’s barbaric enough in this day and age to start conflict during such peaceful times. Why must I sit through this suffering to learn about other people’s suffering when I’m already suffering through my own insufferable circumsta-

“Alex.” I turned to Felix sitting in front of me, handing me a tin can with a spoon. I took it from his hands and stared at it waiting for an explanation. He turned to face the front and then turned back again to hand me another set of tin can with a spoon. I understood the mission. I took the tin can and spoon and handed it to the person behind me.

“These were the food provisions the soldiers had to go through in times of war.” Miss Ying, my homeroom teacher, said with unexplainable happiness. She was a beauty that was a lot older than she seemed. Her heels clacked as she shuffled her way to the other side of the chalkboard. She spread her hands like a chef inviting her customers to enjoy her cooking. “Bon appetite.”

The sound of dozens of tin cans opening rang throughout the room. The normal students gave the sustenance a sniff, the brave students ate without concern and the sceptical waited on others’ reaction.

As far as I could tell, it was just tuna with a somewhat exotic scent. Sounds of disgust and discontent filled the room as this generation of students had never eaten something so peace deprived.

Felix looked back with pursed lips to see my reaction. I shrugged. I wouldn’t willingly eat this either, but it’s not as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

The class chattered for a while before it was interrupted by the teacher’s sudden gasp. Everyone turned to the front of the room where a red-headed beauty stood in firm conviction in front of the teacher.

“Y-you want… more?” Miss Ying asked for confirmation as if someone just told her to double it and give it to the next person after she offered a million dollars.

The girl nodded. The classroom was stricken with silence. Despite everyone voicing their distaste for the so-called edible nourishment, this girl was able to ignore everyone else’s opinion and stand by her own. No level of hunger would convince any normal human being to stand against the mass in such a way that would label themselves as a certified freak. And yet, there she stood, unwavering and disregarding every gaze in the room just to have another bite of the consensually distasteful dish.