Then the others started in. One at a time they stepped up to Toad, chose a zit, popped it, sucked up its contents. And they fucking loved it. Looked on the verge of orgasm, eyes rolling back, fists clenched, teeth bared, moaning…everybody moaning and whimpering.
Chuck lost Jade in the crowd, and he started muscling his way through, ready to rip Toad’s acne-covered face right off his skull.
Then Chelsea was there, her mouth pressed up to Toad’s neck, drinking in the pus and oil.
“Motherfucker!”
Chuck lowered his shoulder and surged through the mob. Bodies were slammed into each other, some hitting the floor. Chuck didn’t slow his pace, kept shoving and punching until he had the little twerp right in front of him. There was a guy there now, had Kip’s shirt pulled down at the collar. Shawn. The starting point guard on the basketball team. Shawn used his thumbnails to rupture a massive, pulsating red pimple on Toad’s chest. The white pus burst out and Shawn eagerly ate it up.
“What the fuck!” Chuck’s knuckles found Shawn’s face first, knocked him out of the way, but when the guy hit the ground, he was smiling, giggling. Then Toad’s shirt was bunched up in Chuck’s fists, and he lifted the little fucker right off his feet.
Toad had a strange look to him too, eyes soft and lazy, no sign of fear as Chuck tightened his grip and glared into the nerd’s face. There was something tickling the back of his mind though, something that told him he didn’t want to hurt Toad, that he needed him. That he should protect him instead, make sure nothing ever happened to him.
But he fought the alien thoughts away, cocked his head back, and thrust it forward. His forehead smashed into the middle of Toad’s forehead, popping at least three zits there, splattering his flesh with red and white. The nerd hit the ground then, his dreamy fucking expression gone, pain taking over. The boy clutched his face, and Chuck mounted him, sat right on his stomach and was ready to pummel his head into a smear.
Hands and fingers and arms tried to fight him off, but not to stop him from hurting Kip. They wanted Chuck out of the way so they could get at the kid’s skin. They called for the pus, begged to have that acne in their mouths.
Is everybody fucking insane all of a sudden?
Toad’s eyes widened when he saw Chuck raise both fists in the air.
And then cold metal touched Chuck’s temple, pressed hard.
“Get the fuck off him. Now.”
Chuck didn’t have to turn his head to know it was Zak. The other kids ignored the gun, and Zak pulled the barrel away from Chuck’s head long enough to fire a round into the ceiling, then placed the now hot metal back to Chuck’s temple.
Now the kids were all backing away, leaving Chuck alone on top of Toad.
“Get the fuck off, asshole.”
Chuck held his hands up and moved away. He backed up, keeping his eyes on Zak until he collided with the wall of bodies behind him. The rest of the students shook, still called out for Kip, but didn’t dare move toward him.
Jerrod and Cash still stood by the door, and Zak pointed his gun at them, jabbed the air with it.
“Move the fuck outta the way.”
They did, joined the rest of the students on the other side of the house. In that small moment when the gun was pointed the other direction, some of the kids moved toward Toad again, licking their lips and caressing themselves. One of them was Jade, another Chelsea.
When Zak saw them approaching, he swung the gun back toward them, had to fire another bullet to get their full attention. The girls and the rest of the kids moved back.
Zak collected the Toad and ran off. Tires peeled out only seconds later.
The kids that didn’t get a taste crumbled to the floor, pounding fists and kicking, scraping nails across their faces and crying out for Kip to come back. The ones who swallowed mouthfuls of pus still undulated on the floor, a few couples fucking and sucking and kissing and rubbing.
Chuck turned toward the crowd, found Jade and Chelsea pressed against the far corner, Jade crouched just in front of Chelsea, licking, tickling. Chelsea grinned and bucked, then her eyes popped open and she glared at Chuck, and he knew he should have been pissed to see his girls going at it like that, leaving him out completely.
But the tingling on his forehead wouldn’t let him focus on anything else. It felt like a thousand electric maggots wiggling into his skin, and he blinked slow, smiled. Just a second ago, he was ready to pound Kip’s face into pulp. But now…now he wanted the kid back. Never wanted him to leave again. Not ever.
Chuck wiped his hand across his forehead. Wet. Thick.
The inside of his fingers was painted red and white, smearing together into a pink sludge. He gave it a long sniff before running his tongue across the goop, letting it marinate his mouth and tongue and gums and throat.
Chelsea smiled, motioned for him to come to her with her finger. Jade pulled her face away, now glistening, and she raised an eyebrow at him, let her tongue slide across her incisors.
As the pulsating high took over his body, Chuck dove right in.
—8—
“Where are we going?” Kip opened the passenger door, looked ready to jump from the car.
“Close the fucking door, man! Kip…come on.”
Kip eyed the street as it sped by under the car, then finally slammed the door shut again, faced Zak and flailed his arms. “You have to take me back! Why are we leaving!”
Before Zak could answer, Kip growled and flung himself forward. His left shoulder slammed into Zak, made the car swerve, then Kip reached out and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, tried to spin it back the other direction. Zak held on tight, slammed on the brakes, hit a curb and rolled the front driver’s wheel over it.
He threw Kip back toward the passenger side, and when his cousin roared again, threw himself back toward the steering wheel, Zak threw a punch that landed right on the kid’s nose. Blood blossomed, zits popped. Pink paste oozed over Kip’s face, and he cupped his nose, leaned back in his chair, moaned.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t want to, Kip…but you’re not yourself. What’s the fucking matter with you? What the hell was that back there?”
The zits on the back of Kip’s neck thumped and pulsed, the open wounds on his face where the other kids had sucked the pus out oozed blood.
What did he say about his acne? That it was super human?
Zak knew for damn sure that pimples didn’t gyrate like that, and he had never seen one hold so much pus and blood before, pop so easily. And when Kip’s zits popped, they were like small explosions, the pasty insides splashing out like tiny balloons filled to capacity with curdled milk.
Kip could only cry as he cupped his face, finally pulled his hands away and stared at the blood filling his palms. “Y-you broke it. You fucking b-broke my nose.”
“Well you fucking needed it! Now answer me...what the fuck is going on!”
“I don’t know,” Kip said through his sobs. “I have no idea, Zak. All I know is that they liked me. For once in my life, they actually liked me. They wanted me. Did you hear them calling my name? Did you see how much they needed me?”
Yes, Zak certainly did. And he stared at the pink goo on his knuckles and nearly licked them clean, but wiped his hand off on his jeans instead. “Kip, something weird’s going on. Can’t you see that?”
Kip breathed hard as he stared at Zak, his mouth propped open as he gasped, blood staining his teeth, tears and blood and pus glistening on his face. He looked like someone else, like a monster who had killed Kip and was now wearing his face.
But as Zak stared into Kip’s face, the boy’s expression softened. It was like whatever trance he was in, he just snapped right out of it.
“Zak…I’m scared.”
“Me too. None of this feels real…can’t be possible.”
Kip crossed his arms, stared at the glove compartment, through it. “I’m a freak. That’s what. I’m not normal. What was happening to them? Why were they acting like that?”
/>
Zak wanted to tell Kip not to call himself a freak, but at the moment, Zak had to agree. “It was your acne. The pus. Something in the pus was making them crazy. Like a strong drug or something. And you too, Kip. You had this look on your face…shit, man, it fucking scared me. Still scares me.”
“It’s like I barely remember what happened. I mean…I remember Jade kissing me. I remember her freaking out and shoving me. Then everything is kind of a blur after that. I know they wanted me…I can remember them reaching out for me and calling my name. It was like a weird dream.”
“It was bad. I thought they were gonna eat you alive, man. Like fucking zombies or something. And then that fucker Chuck shows up with his buddies, all three of them smashed out of their minds. I had to use my gun…I’m sorry, cousin. It was either that or—”
“The bang. I remember the bang. Did you shoot someone?”
“Just the ceiling. Twice. Then I got us the fuck out of there.”
Kip nodded. “Good. What do we do now? Ow…my nose hurts. My head too.”
Zak pulled up to a red light, then leaned over and inspected Kip’s nose. “Doesn’t look broken, just busted up a little. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He squinted, glared at the blood on his hands. “Am I some kind of monster or something? What if I’m an alien?”
“Shut up with all that shit, will you?”
“Well what then? I never knew my dad, and when I ask my mom about him, she just changes the subject. What if my dad wasn’t human? A demon or something?”
“Slow down, Kip. You just called yourself a freak, a monster, an alien, and now a demon. How do you know this kind of thing hasn’t happened before? Maybe we should be talking to a dermatologist or something.”
But Kip just shook his head. “I’ve spent enough time with those people. If this was something normal, they would have said something by now. No…this is something else. Something big. And I’m terrified to know what it is.”
“What if it’s some kind of side effect from those pills you’ve been taking? That seems more plausible than fucking aliens and demons.”
Kip didn’t seem to like that possibility, like it wasn’t dramatic enough. He just stared at the dashboard and frowned. “Maybe. I guess…”
Zak sighed, lit a cigarette.
“Me too. Please…”
Zak handed the lit cigarette to Kip, then lit another for himself. “Well we have to talk to someone. Maybe we should call the police…you know. Just in case people start trying to come to the house or something. Do the other kids know where you live?”
“In a town this small, everyone knows where everyone lives. Plus…there’s only one Toad. Every now and then the house will get toilet papered or egged or spraypainted. Yeah…they know where I live.”
“Well shit, man. Maybe we should stay at a motel. At least just for tonight. Maybe once they all come down off…off their high or whatever, they’ll forget about it. Or at least come to their senses.”
Kip just shrugged. “If that makes you feel safer, then that’s fine with me.”
“Aren’t you scared? That was some fucked up shit, man.”
Kip didn’t answer. He smoked his cigarette and stared out the window.
***
Kip had lied. He remembered everything. There was no blur, no blackout.
He had felt like he was in a sort of trance, but he had still been in control. And he had never felt more amazing in his entire life. God, just thinking about Jade’s soft body against his, the way her hard nipples poked him, the way her tongue swirled within his mouth. Every part of him wanted to go back to the party. He was a god there. The kids were his worshippers, and they needed him.
Kip didn’t blame Zak for freaking out, though. He had to admit it was a little much to take in. At first, it didn’t seem real, and he was sure he had passed out and slipped into some intense wet dream. But once he knew for sure it was really happening, it just felt right. Like it was what he was meant to do. As if all the teasing, all the ridicule and mental torture had been leading up to this moment, this occasion.
The craters on his face, neck, and chest that used to be bulging zits rippled, and he could still feel the sensation of the kids sucking the pus out, sliding their tongues over his flesh.
They called for me. They couldn’t get enough of me. I’m not a toad anymore. I’m a fucking god. I’m their entire fucking universe now.
Kip finished his cigarette and flicked the butt out the window, then side-eyed Zak. He wondered if maybe his cousin was jealous of all the attention Kip was getting. Zak, the good looking new kid, the David Beckham look alike. A guy who had never once had to worry about his appearance, never had to stress about girls because they always flocked to him. The guy who showed up at Bowie High and was fucking the hottest girl in school in less than a week.
That’s what it is. He’s jealous. He can’t stand that they want me now…not him. Well I won’t let him stop me.
Kip’s flesh got to vibrating again, and he caught himself making himself angrier and angrier as he glared at the side of Zak’s face. Kip unclenched his fists, relaxed his jaw. His skin stopped thrashing, slowed to a standstill.
No. No, not Zak. Zak’s my only friend. My best friend. He wouldn’t do that.
“You all right?” Zak used the butt of his first cigarette to light another. He offered another to Kip but Kip waved it off. “You look deep in thought.”
“I am. Still trying to figure out why this is happening and what it all means.”
“Well, whatever it is, I think you need to be careful. Whatever is inside of your acne…it’s potent. Works faster than any drug I’ve ever seen, man. Those kids were jonesing for it. I’ve seen that look before. And there’s something else too…”
“What?”
“I felt it too. Like I wanted to pop your pimples and suck the juice right out. I swear that’s how I felt, for a little bit anyway. I was just as bad as the rest, but I sort of snapped out of it. Probably because I was so worried about you, cousin. Didn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Really? But you didn’t, right? How could you crave it if you didn’t try it?”
“I don’t know. It was something in the air, like your body was releasing some kind of chemical. Just being in that room almost made me crazy. And I’m no homo, but cousin, I wanted to lick your skin.”
Kip sort of chuckled. “You don’t…I mean. You don’t still want to, do you? Because if you want to try it, I can—”
“No! Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Of course I am…I was, I was just fucking with you.” He wasn’t. He wanted Zak to try it, wanted his cousin to feel what the others felt.
“I hope so. You saw what it did to those other kids, Kip. Don’t mess around. This is no fucking joke, okay? Promise me.”
“Promise you what?”
“Promise me that you won’t let them have anymore. It’s too dangerous…we don’t know what we’re dealing with here. Okay?”
Kip snorted, shook his head. He stared out the window but could see Zak’s refection staring at the back of his head.
“It’s not even a big deal. I don’t understand why you’re—”
“Fucking promise me, Kip. I’m not kidding around here. Don’t do that shit anymore, no matter what, okay? All right?”
“Okay! Okay! Happy now? What, do you think I’m an idiot?”
“You don’t remember. You didn’t see what I saw. This is bad. This is so fucking bad.”
They didn’t say another word the rest of the drive. Zak pulled into the first hotel they saw, parked around back so his car couldn’t be seen from the street. Kip offered to pay for his own room, but Zak insisted that they share a room.
He doesn’t trust me.
And for good reason too. As soon as he got the chance, Kip had planned on running right back to the party, back to his people. But now that plan was ruined. Kip even thought about popping one of his zits into Zak’s mouth
once he had fallen asleep, turn him into one of his followers like the others, but ultimately decided against it. Zak was only trying to help, Kip knew.
As Kip lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he could feel the emptied pockets of flesh filling back up. The wounds tingled, felt electrified as the pus bubbled in and swelled the red skin back up to bulging. He wondered if his chemicals could be sensed from this distance, if the kids would be able to sniff him out. He hoped so.
He missed the feel of Jade’s body. Her tongue. Her roaming hands. He missed all the groping fingers and mouths of the others too, boy or girl. Kip was no homo either, but even when the males had their mouths on him, drinking in his fluid, it felt so fucking good. Not in a sexual way really, but in some other way. Maybe like a mother feels when she’s breast feeding her child. Kip didn’t know for sure. He only knew that he wanted to feel it again. And again and again and again.
For the first time in his entire life, he couldn’t wait for school in the morning.
—9—
Kip stood over Zak, nudging him in the ribs.
“What? W-what is it?”
“It’s time for school. I want to stop by the house before we go in, change clothes, get my books.”
Zak sat up, sanded his face with both palms as he yawned. “Shit, I completely forgot about that.”
“Yeah, well…” Kip rocked from heel to toe. “We don’t have much time. Let’s get moving. I don’t want to be late. For class.”
Zak eyed him, brow lowered. “I think maybe we should stay home today, don’t you?”
“Skip again? No. One day was bad enough. We’re not skipping again, Zak. You promised me that—”
“I know, I know. But after last night…do you think it’s smart to show up there? What if the other kids…you know…?”
“What? Suck my pus out? It’s school, Zak. Nothing like that’s going to happen, all right?” Kip flung the door open, letting in a tsunami of light.
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