It's Different Here: A St. Patrick's Day Short Story

              Something a little bit different for St. Patrick's Day!

 

“Are you serious?”

Calvin nodded, “Very serious. How come you’re not wearing green?”

David folded his arms defiantly, glancing from Calvin to Matt and then to Frank.

“What are you going to do, pinch me? Isn’t this like a second-grade thing?”

Calvin cracked his knuckles menacingly, which made David laugh. He’d never actually seen anyone try to act like a bully, but Calvin was doing a pretty bad job.

“In middle school, the rules are different,” Calvin warned.

David rolled his eyes dramatically, “Goodbye.” Then, he began to walk between Calvin and Frank toward the restroom door.

They closed ranks to block his way. David tried to circle around Calvin the opposite way, but Matt stopped him.

He sighed, “Fine.”

David held out his arm, smiling, barely holding back an all-out laugh.

“You can pinch me for not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day.”

Calvin slapped David’s arm away and stepped close to him. “I said the rules are different.”

David couldn’t help but laugh and stepped back, “Hey, you’re in my personal space!”

“Do you think this is a joke?” Matt asked.

Frank answered for him. “It’s not.”

David sighed again, “I have to get to PE.”

“You’re not wearing green,” Calvin repeated, stepping close to him again.

David’s back was against the wall. He had nowhere else to go.

“Why aren’t you wearing green?” Calvin asked.

“Is this your trying to be scary act?”

Calvin, Matt, and Frank weren’t smiling.

“You guys are taking this way too seriously.”

David tried to force himself between Calvin and Matt.

That’s when Calvin had enough. He grabbed David by the front of his t-shirt and shoved him back against the wall, his eyes suddenly glowing a deep green.

“DO YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?” Calvin screamed in a voice that wasn’t his own. 

Matt and Frank joined Calvin, and David found himself corned. Their eyes all glowed green now.

“WHY AREN’T YOU WEARING GREEN?” Calvin asked again. His voice, David was sure, had taken on a distinctive Irish brogue.

For a moment, David was too stunned to answer but then thought he’s better say something.

“I…forgot?”

Matt and Frank shook their heads disapprovingly.

“You shouldn’t have forgotten,” Calvin told him. David could smell tortilla chips on his breath. 

David tried to remove Calvin’s hands from his shirt, but they were immovable. 

“What do you want?”

“It’s too late, David,” Matt’s voice, too, had taken on an Irish accent.

“Too late,” Frank agreed.

David panicked, “I’m sorry! I’ll wear green tomorrow and for the rest of my life!” he looked at the door, “I really have to go to PE.” He knew they wouldn’t care, but he tried it anyway. 

David felt his legs lift off the floor. Oddly, though, he didn’t feel the wall slide as Calvin lifted him up.

“What are you doing?”

Calvin shook his head, “You shouldn’t have forgotten.”

David looked down at Calvin’s hands, which seemed to have grown larger and still gripped his t-shirt. His t-shirt, meanwhile, had transformed from blue to green.

“Put me down!” He hated begging, but it was the only tactic he had left.

Now Calvin laughed, “I didn’t pick you up!” Matt and Frank laughed, too.

David looked in horror at his hands, which feebly grasped Calvin’s wrists. They seemed to have shrunk to half their size. And they were green!

“What’s happening to me?”

Calvin grinned, pulled David off the wall, and carried him toward the sinks and mirror lining one side of the restroom.

David saw himself in the mirror, held in Calvin’s arms like some kind of grotesque ventriloquist dummy. He’d shrunken to half his size. His skin was green. His t-shirt and jeans had transformed into an old-fashioned green suit, and a green top hat had replaced his baseball cap.

While Calvin and his friends laughed, David screamed and then, upon hearing an unfamiliar, high-pitched wail, screamed again.