Don't Call Him That

Chapter 1

I enter the high school, feeling confident. My parents told me to do something nice with my time instead of "wasting it" by not doing anything. So during this school year, I'm going to be a buddy for one of the special ed kids. I don't know what to expect, if I'm being completely honest, but I'm not going to be an asshole. Even though I'm a kind of popular kid, I'm not one of those people who goes around calling everyone a retard. That word in itself is just offensive, but what can I do? It's the terminology, isn't it? I say hello to everyone I pass on my way to my locker. I should be meeting my buddy outside of room 1800 in ten minutes, which should give me enough time to at least say hello to some of my friends.

My friend Teresa waves to me as she walks down the hallway. She has long, brown hair and she's wearing a dress that somehow hasn't been dress coded yet. 

"So," she says, "are you excited for today? I bet you're hoping to get someone who actually talks, right, Clarkson? It would totally suck if your person didn't speak at all. Or worse, if they could barely speak." I sigh and run my hand through my blonde hair.

"It wouldn't be so bad," I whisper. "I mean, I could talk about myself a little more, and-"

"Are you serious? Then they'd think you were a complete dickhead. If they had a wheelchair, they'd probably run you over with it." 

"Well, okay, fine, but even then. You know how I hate small talk."

"You hate everything, Clarkson." I sigh. I mean, yes, I do hate everything, but I feel like this would be nice. "Including children. And you know that mentally retarded people have the minds of children-" I don't interrupt Teresa. I know that word is bad, but it doesn't really matter. 

"I mean, yeah, but even then... They're not actually children."

"Are you sure you want to do this? What if your person is like... Really bad? Like, needs help when going to the bathroom? And what if it's a dude? I mean, you're non-binary, but you were still born female, so I don't know how that's gonna work..."

"It'll be fine, Teresa. Besides, I'm not doing everything for them. They still have the other aides and stuff to care for them." Teresa sighs. "Anyway, Teresa, I have to go. I have to meet my buddy person in two minutes. I'll text you later." 

"Bye, Clarkson!" Teresa yells. "And good luck!" I luckily don't have to walk too far to get to our meeting area. I see about four girls and five guys. About half of them are in wheelchairs or have some kind of device to help them walk. One of the boys, the one with dark hair and glasses, is backed into a corner with his head tilted toward the ground. I wonder if he can speak. The teacher standing next to the students smiles. 

"What's your name, sweetie?" she asks me. 

"My name's Clarkson."

"Oh, Clarkson, that's right. Your buddy will be Erik." The boy with dark hair and glasses looks up when he hears his name and sighs. "Erik, this is Clarkson," the teacher says, smiling at Erik. Erik walks closer to me cautiously. I notice that he's shorter than me, only like 5'1. But he's honestly kind of attractive. More attractive than I'd expect someone like him to be. I know that sounds rude, but it's true. I never thought someone this hot could be in the special education class. Now I'm meeting Erik and my world has changed. 

"H-h-hi, C-Clarkson," he whispers. Just what Teresa didn't want. I hope I don't have lunch with her, she might say something rude.  I manage a smile. 

"Hi, Erik," I say, trying to help him talk. 

"He's really shy," the teacher says. "His mother says that he just needs to get used to you and then he'll start talking." Erik tenses up when she mentions his mother. "You can leave now. I'm sure Erik would like to get to know you. Isn't that right, Erik?" Erik nods absentmindedly, like he was trained to do it. The teacher hands me a copy of Erik's schedule and I take his hand. We start walking around the school together and I try to point out where Erik's classes are. Erik doesn't seem too interested. He's just staring at the ground and mumbling to himself as we walk. I find myself seeming bored, so I try to ask Erik some questions.