Keep Your Head Up/Part 3

"Keep Your Head Up" is story three of the Universal Clarification Series.

Story
For Claire, four hours was over in no time, but for Jonathan it lasted an eternity. The taxidermy office she had coaxed him into was a modest white building with few architectural details in a shopping square two blocks down from the music store he normally visited on weekends. There were mounted animals on each wall, small critters in glass display cases, and various scatterings of bones on raised shelves. He learned from the way the store handler greeted his classmate that she was a very regular customer. Sock had been up to his star-studded earflaps in dead things and ate it up like candy.

Jonathan thought he had brought his music player with him, but his pockets were empty every time his hand dug around in search of it. To his frustration, he could not avoid making conversation with his oddly cheerful companion. He walked with his hands in his hoodie pockets the remainder of the way back to the Combs residence.

“Thanks again for coming with me,” she stated. Her tone had calmed since they left, so now the sincere gratitude shone through. She glanced up at her classmate and smiled. It was no surprise that he kept his gaze ahead in perpetual disinterest.

"Don't mention it," he replied.

Sock was hovering close behind with his hands at his sides. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly. This happened several times before he could finally conjure up the words in his head.

"Jonathan, ask her something for me."

The teen briefly turned his head to glance over his shoulder to show he was listening.

“Has anyone ever given her a dead animal before?” He scratched his head and ducked sheepishly before realizing he was falling behind. As he caught up to the pair, he clarified, “I mean, as a present?”

At first his counterpart merely rolled his eyes, but Sock started whining like a child, which swayed him to reconsider.

"Claire?"

She lifted her head and replied, "Yes, Jon?"

“Has anyone ever, uh…given you dead stuff...as a gift?” His demon mentioned occasions like her birthday and the holidays, which he repeated for the girl to hear.

“Honestly, no,” she confessed with her head slightly lowered. “My mom’s the only person besides you that can look at all my skulls and not throw up, really.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised…”

“I get it. It’s pretty weird to be collecting a bunch of animal heads and picking up all sorts of dead things off the ground. I started at two-and-a-half. I guess collecting leaves or baseball cards is one thing, but dead stuff is a whole ‘nother, so… It was tough whenever I tried to make new friends.”

Her voice trailed off into a higher pitch when she mentioned, “Especially after I scared my dad off…” followed by a quirky side-smirk to go with a dismissive shrug. “But whatever – I can’t deny who I am and it’d be really unhealthy for me if I tried. You feel me?”

“I – ah…” was the boy’s failed attempt of an answer. He rubbed the back of his neck and thought for a moment while his personal demon swung around his side and startled him.

"You okay?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, Sock just scared me. I'm fine."

The smile returned to her face before inquiring, “Speaking of Sock, what’d he think of my discovery today?”

“Marry her!” Sock blurted out. He slapped his hands over his mouth when his counterpart gave him an estranged glare.

“…You could say he was in heaven,” Jonathan mumbled. Claire’s eyes brightened as she looked at the neatly folded brown package in her hands. Her classmate noticed that look and wished he could take back that terrible bit of wordplay.

“That’s so cute,” she giggled. He groaned, but it had no effect on her happiness.

“Look at you makin’ witty puns,” Sock cooed. “You’re just like my boss.”

His counterpart ducked his head in shame and whispered, “Oh my God…”

By now, the Combs residence was a stone’s throw away, so he found the strength to journey ahead. There was a boost in his step, but he hesitated when he saw the shadows of his parents through the window into the living room.

“I think I should put this right next to the door in my room…” Claire thought aloud.

Jonathan glanced back to her and saw how she was examining her package, carefully turning it from side to side as if she could see the clean, professionally mounted skull through layers of paper.

“Cool,” he told her. “You do that while I go do…something less scary…” Then he picked up the pace and crossed through the front lawn, keeping a steady gaze on the front door. Before he had the chance to turn the knob, he stopped and turned halfway around when his classmate said his name – his shortened name, rather.

“You’re super awesome,” she told him. Her smile was much less intimidating than he wanted to admit and he briefly considered repeating those words back to her. However, in fear of Sock’s incessant theories to follow any hint of compassion, he returned to the door and said, “Later, Claire.”

“Wish her a safe walk,” Sock whispered, to which the teen answered, “She knows,” but the demon was not convinced. He frowned at his human counterpart as he entered his house. Whipping around, he waved to Claire.

“Don’t get hit by any cars!” he called out as she ventured away. He watched her for several moments longer, and then his smiled faded. In a somber tone, he added, “Or do… I’d love having a friend for once, but whatever.”

She fell out of sight not long after, so he adjusted his goggles and turned into the house. He floated upstairs to Jonathan’s room only to find that his counterpart was not there; he was in the bathroom next door, so there the demon went. After poking his head through the wall he quirked a brow.

“Well, well, well, lookie there…” he teased. “Caught a bug, Jonathan?”

The teen was emptying his stomach contents into the toilet. He coughed between each upheaval; after the third or fourth round, he caught his breath. His little demon sat on the tile counter and looked down at him with a casual, yet sly grin.

“I should’ve known you couldn’t handle that Procyon,” Sock commented with a shrug. “You’re not quite crazy enough, but we’ll work on it.”

"Shuddup," Jonathan said wearily.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. It’s just a matter of getting used to it, that’s all.”

“I swear to God…”

The teen sighed and spit into the toilet bowl before wiping his mouth on his sleeve, adding, “I’ve been holding that in since she showed up with that thing on my doorstep.”

"I bet."

They exchanged glances. Jonathan frowned, but Sock was in too good a mood to take offense. He started swinging his feet, unaware that his heels phased in and out of the side of the counter as he did.

“I can see why she likes you now,” he mentioned sweetly. With that, his counterpart threw his head back and let out a frustrated sigh. After closing the lid, he used the toilet to haul himself off the diagonal tiled floor, glancing at Sock again.

"I hate you."

The demon blinked and leaned back on his hands.

“You say that, but I think you’re a lot nicer than you pretend to be.”

With one final eye roll, Jonathan flushed the toilet and grabbed his toothbrush by reaching through his demon’s chest.

“Yeah, and you’re secretly Queen Elizabeth’s long-lost heir,” he chastised. Without another word, he started brushing his teeth to rid his mouth of the taste of vomit. If only he could rid his mind of the image of Claire’s raccoon head, he would be able to sleep that night.

In spite of everything, though, that outing was the most interesting he had ever had. And perhaps if he was lucky – or unlucky, depending on Sock’s influence – he may find himself doing it again. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how strange and wonderful it was to have seen a real raccoon skull. It was the last thing he had ever expected to see in his lifetime, but Claire’s unrequited desire to include him in her findings almost made him smile.

It definitely softened the blow from the mental image when she arrived. As he stowed his toothbrush away and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, he wondered if he should tell his parents about his new friend and her latest discovery. Imagining their responses made his stomach churn.

“…Hell no,” he muttered, trudging to his room. Sock asked what that meant only to be ignored again. He followed his counterpart with a quick shrug and said nothing more. The boy had suffered enough for one day it seemed, and tomorrow would bring plenty more opportunities.

~To Be Continued~

Continuation

 * Part 2
 * Story Four -- "Discomfort Food"