Invisible Man (G) Options

[mezzogal]

hey all! cos i was so bored by my exams and cos i was inspired by THIS SHORT FILM, i wrote a short story.

thanks to footloose for beta reading it for me. and for scolding me and reminding me that this forum is called "Happily Ever After" and that a lot of people reading my stories are tearing their hair out in frustration over my plots. sorry.

anyway, hope you enjoy this one. featuring a teenage Clay.

ETA: The link doesn't work anymore. It's expired.

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INVISIBLE MAN

There she was again. Still staring at that same photo. Jaslyn was on yet another boyfriend. For a 16 year old, she was on a roll. 'Who's the poor sucker now?' Clayton watched her intently and wondered. After school, he followed her as she walked towards the bus stop. No one else was in sight. She had hung around the halls till long after the rest of the school had left. Jaslyn sat at the bus stop, put on her earphones and pulled out that photo again. She sighed deeply.

Ever the prankster, Clayton ran towards her and snatched the photo out of her hands while shouting a loud "Hey Jas!!"

"Wha...?" Jaslyn was surprised at Clayton's sudden appearance.

"Woah! Who is the guy?" Clayton stood some distance away and took a good look at the photo, pretending to scrutinise it carefully. Meantime, Jaslyn had packed away her music player and ran after him.

"Give it back!!" she yelled as she came at him. Clayton playfully dodged her and held the photo high above his head. She began jumping trying to reach it. Jaslyn was no match for his reach. "Fine. Be that way. Jerk." She gave up.

"Come on, tell me, who's he?" Clayton asked, holding out the photo, his fingers gripping the guy's face. "Is that Bryan from the soccer team? Are you going out with him now?"

Jaslyn stuck her tongue out at Clayton. "Grow up Clayton." She walked back to the bus stop. "Yes, that's Bryan. No. Unfortunately, he probably doesn't even care that I'm alive."

Now it was Clayton's turn to sigh. "Alright. I'll meet you at the field later Jas." It was always the same routine. She'd go with a guy, then break up. She and Clayton had come up with this idea of helping her get over a relationship. She'd put all mementoes of the guy into a shoebox. Clayton would then help her bury it in Bayer's Field. Old man Bayer had never seemed to realise that there were holes being dug into his field every so often.

So there he was that afternoon. Having changed into a pair of bermudas and a tshirt, Clayton was armed with a shovel and standing under a tree in Bayer's field, waiting for Jaslyn to arrive. He had already picked a nice spot for her shoebox. Finally she arrived. She hadn't changed out of her school clothes. She was carrying a pink Hush Puppies box under her arm. Silently, she went to Clayton and he wordlessly began digging. It was hot and Clayton was sweaty and the skin on his arms and the back of his neck were turning red. When the hole was deep enough, Jaslyn dropped the box in.

"There you go Jas," Clayton handed her the shovel. "Bury it. Bury all the memories, bury the emotions."

Jaslyn buried the box, then remained squatting by the spot for a while. "Come on." Clayton pulled her by the hand, grabbing his shovel along the way. He took her back to his house. They sat on the couch, drank cold lemonade and played video games.

"If this is what you do all day Clayton, it's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend." Jaslyn commented. She was winning.

"I don't need a girlfriend." Clayton replied, his eyes never moving from the screen.

"Oh, I get it. You're gay." Jaslyn concluded.

Clayton paused, turned to look at her for a second, then threw a cushion at her. "Am not!" She shrieked and threw another back at him. "I'm interested in girls, same as any other guy."

"I don't believe you." Jaslyn retorted. They began hitting each other with the cushions, their video game forgotten.

~~

A few days later, Clayton was doing chores in the basement when he heard the phone ringing. A moment later, he heard his brother yelling that it was for him. "I"m busy Brett!" he yelled back. "It's Jaslyn!" Brett announced. Clayton dashed up from the basement and grabbed the phone just as Brett was telling Jaslyn that he wasn't available at the moment.

"Hey, sorry about that." Clayton said breathlessly. If he ran that fast on a regular basis, he should be on the school track team.

"That's ok." he heard Jaslyn say. "Guess what? I'm going out with a cute guy."

Clayton wanted to laugh. "Since when do you use 'cute' together with 'guy'? It's always a 'hot' guy." He heard her giggle at the other end. "So, who's this 'cute guy'?"

"You'll never guess." Jaslyn teased. "It's Michael."

"Michael??!" Clayton was so amused. "But he's an artist."

"Yeah. He's an artist."

"So?"

"So what? He's an artist. That's so cool!"

"But I thought you didn't like art? I thought you thought those abstract art are just meaningless doodles on canvas?" Clayton challenged.

"Hey! New experiences are good. I can learn to like it." Jaslyn defended.

Clayton sighed, sticking his tongue out. "He doesn't seem your type."

"Hey, I know you're gay, but I'm not alright, I need a guy in my life."

"I'm NOT gay!" Clayton insisted.

"Why are you so unsupportive of me? All my other friends are ok with it."

Clayton sighed again. "Whatever Jaslyn. Whatever."

Barely two weeks later, they were back at the field again. And so it went on. She'd get together with a guy, she'd think they were made for each other. Perfection. And then it'd end, and Clayton would be digging holes in Old Man Bayer's field for her. Clayton watched in silence as Jaslyn went about this destructive behaviour. She was already gaining the reputation of being a compulsive flirt in school. Clayton didn't like seeing her act like this. He regretted coming up with the idea of burial in the first place. It seemed like it all started from there.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked her one day. Now it was Wilfred the saxophonist in the school jazz band. They had been together less than two weeks. Inseparable at first, now, she was about to bury all memory of him. Jaslyn said nothing, just gave Clayton a dirty look and grabbed the shovel herself.

"Jaslyn..." Clayton was beginning to lose patience with her.

She said nothing. She finished with the hole she was working on, tossed the shovel back to Clayton and left. Clayton remained standing in the field, fiercely driving the shovel randomly into the ground, venting his frustration.

~~

A couple of weeks later, sitting on the couch playing a video game by himself, listening to the blare of the radio, Clayton realised why he was so frustrated about Jaslyn.

He liked her. He was secretly in love with her. And he watched her go through all her 'boyfriends', standing by to help pick up the pieces after each successive relationship fell apart. When all he wanted was a little bit of that himself. He always told himself that he didn't need a girlfriend. But he wanted her. Surprising. Clayton never knew he was a sucker for punishment that way. He was a skinny bespectacled, out of fashion kid and he preferred invisibility to the prospect of getting his 16 year old heart cut to ribbons by the recognised school vamp.

You can hardly wait to tell all your friends how his kisses taste sweet like wine
And how he always makes your heart skip a beat every time he walks by

You spend hours on the phone talking about nothing at all
It doesn't matter what the conversation just as long as it's he who calls

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine, telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you, all I am is the invisible man.

The phone rang. Clayton didn't bother moving. His eyes glued to the action on-screen, he heard his mother pick up the phone. "Clayton, it's for you." she called. "Stop playing that game will you? Do your homework or help me out around the house a little."

Clayton didn't answer his mother. Picking up the phone, he already knew who it was. "Hello?"

"Clayton, we broke up." The latest, Tom, senior, athlete, valedictorian type, all round nice guy. They broke up. Nothing unusual.

On his way to the field, Clayton spied Jaslyn walking across the road from him. Before he could hail her, he saw someone else run up to her. It was Tom. He could hear them. "Jas! What did I do wrong?"

Jaslyn wheeled round to face him, "You did nothing. I just don't have feelings for you any more."

"But why? I don't understand." Tom asked. Clayton felt sorry for him.

"Leave me alone Tom! I don't care about you any more!"

"But I love you!"

"Love me?" Jaslyn was so cynical. "Oh please, you actually still believe in love?" The look she was giving Tom was scorching. "Grow up." And she walked away.

Clayton met her at the field as usual. She acted like she had not just had a confrontation with her ex out in the open street. "I saw you and Tom just now." Clayton confronted her.

"So?"

"So, what are you burying exactly?"

"Feelings, memories..."

"You said you don't feel anything for him any more." Clayton contradicted her. "Do you think this is a game?"

"You don't understand." Jaslyn snapped.

"So tell me." Clayton replied. He could feel his temper rising. She was being so annoying. "Is it because of the first time? Huh? When you first got hurt by a guy?"

"If you want to believe that, so be it."

"This isn't the way to handle it Jas. You don't pretend nothing happened every time you break up with someone." Clayton argued.

"What do you know? You've never been on the receiving end of a bad relationship."

"Jas, I'll help you. I always will. But I think you're doing things wrong." Clayton didn't want to argue with her. He didn't have the fight left in him to do it.

~~

"What do I do Nick?" Clayton ranted to his best friend. They were supposed to be doing a study session but Clayton was too distracted to take in much of his notes. "She's driving me crazy!"

"Look, man, sometimes you gotta just let it go. Let her fend for herself." Nick tried to advise him.

Clayton ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't know if I can. It's like I'm abandoning her or something."

"Jaslyn can handle that. You know her." Nick was amused to see his friend so confused over a girl. "You like her or something?"

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Don't deny. You care about her more than a normal friend would."

"So what if I like her?"

"So, you're investing more into the relationship now than mere friendly concern." Nick observed. "Hey man, I know you worry about her. But she's old enough to take care of herself now. Take my advice. Don't go sticking yourself into a situation you can't get out of. You might get bitten. She's more complicated than you know."

"I know." Clayton sighed. "I'm just afraid that I'm the cause of it all." Jaslyn confused him. She had always been a nice sweet girl. Just that now, with her turning into such a flirt, changing boyfriends as often as she changed clothes, he couldn't understand her any more. Maybe she was changing and he wasn't, maybe that was the only problem.

The next day, he found Jaslyn sitting by herself in a corner of the cafeteria. The other guys had seemed to be wary of her. It was the first time in a long time that Clayton had found her alone. Sneaking up to her, he covered her eyes with his hands, disguising his voice. "Guess who!"

She sat up straight, full flirting position. "Is it Clement?"

"Nope. Guess again."

"Um..." Clayton could feel her grinning, her cheekbones rising against his palms. "Harry."

"Uh-uh."

"Oh come on, give me a clue." she whined. Clayton couldn't resist letting out a loud giggle in his real voice. She knew immediately who he was. "Clayton!"

"Heya Jas! Been a long time since I saw you in the world of the commoners." he teased as he sat himself across the table from her. "How've you been?"

"I'm alright Clayton." Jaslyn smiled at him, a true smile, not one put on for the sake of looking pretty. "I take it you're well and good."

"Yeah." Clayton nodded non-commitantly.

"Actually I was thinking of you Clayton." Jaslyn carried on, "Are you going to the dance on Saturday?"

"Dance? What dance? There's a dance going on?" Clayton feigned ignorance. It was impossible to ignore that there was an event happening. Posters and banners were all around school. Girls were giggling from every corner hoping for a date. "Nope I'm not going. The whole school thinks I'm gay remember? No girl would go with me." Jaslyn gave him a friendly slap on the arm. "I'm serious. I'm not going."

"That's good." Jaslyn commented. "Wanna go with me?"

Well, this was unexpected. Clayton eyed her suspiciously. "Why? I thought you could have your pick of the hottest guys in school. Why a guy like me?"

"Hey! Are you making fun of me? You can just tell me 'no' if you don't want to be seen with me. You don't have to second guess me like that!" Jaslyn snapped loudly. "I thought you were my friend Clayton Grissom. But obviously you care more about your own reputation than for a friend." Jaslyn gathered her stuff and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Clayton was stunned for a while. Whatever he expected, it definitely wasn't to be shouted at. He knew exactly where she had run to. The bleachers bordering the field. It had a certain irony to it. It was where she saw her first crush. Where she and Clay had first come up with the idea of burial, to forget about that player who didn't care about her.

Yup, there she was. Right where he expected her to be. Middle, top bleacher. Clayton felt a momentary stab of pity for her. Jaslyn wasn't bad. She was just a little screwed up piece of work. Clayton climbed up the tiers, seating himself next to her, as usual. They were a weird looking couple. She was dressed in the latest designer trends, high fashioned pretty girl. He was in second hand stuff, too big sweater and old pants, thick glasses with a crazy haircut. Beauty and the Beast, he thought. "Talk to me Jas." he invited.

"I don't need someone else telling me how screwed up my life is." she snapped back, evidently not yet over her temper in the cafeteria. Clayton shrugged. He sat and watched birds landing on the grassy field, some enthusiastic athletes doing laps round the track. "I don't know what to do with myself any more Clayton." She was not looking at him, just staring at the field. Then she turned to look at him. "Sometimes I wish I have your life. You just play your insane video games, happy-go-lucky, not a worry in the world."

Clayton couldn't believe his ears. For the first time in a long time, Jaslyn was confiding in him again. It meant a lot to him.

"I wish I could just let go of it all. Start everything anew." Her jawline was tightening, a sure sign that she was going to cry. "I thought the burial ground would help. But..."

"It keeps getting worse." Clayton finished for her. "How do you like yourself Jas?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, how do you like yourself?" Clayton repeated. "My gran always tells me, you gotta like yourself first Clayton, before you can start to truly like other people. So, how do you like yourself Jas?"

She rolled her eyes. Clayton prepared himself for a wise-crack about how juvenile he was. But it didn't come. "I hate myself." she replied. But she was smiling now. Clayton knew he had to come up with something quick, no matter how lame-brained it was. "What're you gonna do about that?"

"'I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.'" Clayton quoted off the top of his head.

"Excuse me?" Jaslyn looked at him incredulously. This was hardly the time or place for poetry recitals.

"Come on. There's nothing a little yawp-ing can't help." Clayton quickly made it up, standing up and holding out his hand to Jaslyn. As she stood, Clayton turned to face the open space of the field. "This is a barbaric yawp!" He let loose a huge yell, causing some of the athletes to stop in their tracks. "Go on. Yell."

"You're joking Clayton Grissom!" Jaslyn laughed. "How is yelling going to help anything?"

"You'd never know till you try. Go on."

"Yawp." Jaslyn didn't yell it, she just said it loudly, rolling her eyes all the while.

"Louder."

"Yawp!" she shouted.

"Louder still! Put some effort into it girl! Be a barbarian! Xena the warrior princess!"

"YAWP!!!" she yelled.

"There we go! Now we're talking!" Clayton began yelling again, letting loose of all the frustration he felt over the past few months. Jaslyn yelled along with him. When they finally collapsed back on the bleacher, they were bent over with laughter. "You know, those kids down there'll think we've gone nuts. But who the heck cares!" The laughter felt good. "Yawp-ing, the recommended activity for any kind of pent up emotion." Clayton imitated an advert on TV. "Instant results. Feel better?"

"You are such a goof!" Jaslyn gasped, still having spasms of giggles, happy tears flowing down her cheeks. "Oh Lord, I haven't laughed this hard in aeons. Oh my poor make-up!"

"Who cares?!" Clayton leant back against the guard rail, his body weak from the laughing fit.

"Right. I don't care. I'm good with myself! I don't need other people to like me!" Jaslyn proclaimed loudly. "I like myself just fine!"

"That's my girl." Clayton said to himself.

~~

True to her word, Jaslyn changed from that day. She didn't go to that dance after all. She stopped being such a social butterfly, flitting from group to group. Having discovered herself somehow, she gained her independence, no longer having to derive security and belonging in the arms of yet another guy. And that attitude was good for her. She began appreciating herself more, and living more fully. She and Clayton remained close. Clayton never confessed his feelings for her.

About a year later, she fell in love again. Clayton wasn't worried. He knew Jaslyn could handle it. She didn't need him any more. She had found the love that was right for her. And he was happy for her.

Lost in a love so real, and so sincere and you wipe away each other's tears
your face lights up whenever he appears.

And if you're feeling down, he'll pick you up, he'll hold you close when you're making love
He's everything you've been dreaming of...

I wish you'd look at me that way, your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby to you, all I am, is the invisible man.

~End~

This post has been edited by mezzogal: Nov 5 2007, 09:21 PM

[footloose]

you posted it! :rah

i must admit, as "indie" as this story sounds, it's very interesting and unique, very different from other stories in this forum. You have a knack of adapting something and make it your own.

I must say i'm rather irritated at Jas for being so narrow-minded, for dating all the guys just because she wanted to "compensate", to revenge for being ignored by the guy she liked. If she's dumped by the guy, i can still understand, but they hadn't even dated yet! and she became a vamp, breaking the hearts of other guys, just because he didn't notice her? OMG! can't understand what Clayton saw in her. I love how he finally set her straight, but it's just too bad that she couldn't see the only guy who really cared for her, the guy who had been on her side all along. Yet it's interesting to see him as supporter, as the one who kept the main character going, instead of the leading man himself. all in all, very unconventional, interesting story Mezz. and it can be a prequel for other Clay fics too :cheers

ETA: as for your story not fitting the forum title, i think this one can still qualify cos at the end, she's happy and he's happy for her. but if you write something next time that has him crying and brokenhearted in the end, u can be sure that i'll kick ur ass. :rollin

[Canadian bAiken]

Bored? :oogle You're writing two stories already and was bored so you decided to write a third? Wherever you're finding all that energy, I wanna invest. :giggle

that a lot of people reading my stories are tearing their hair out in frustration over my plots.

Not me. I'm an angst addict. Hee.

Something tells me that Clayton doesn't want any girlfriends cause there's only one girl he wants - her.

"I don't believe you." Jaslyn retorted. They began hitting each other with the cushions, their video game forgotten.

This is so cute.

"Why are you so unsupportive of me? All my other friends are ok with it."

Pssst. You're other friends aren't in love with you.

And so it went on. She'd get together with a guy, she'd think they were made for each other. Perfection. And then it'd end, and Clayton would be digging holes in Old Man Bayer's field for her.

This is just so sweet, for him to do that for her, every single time, no matter what.

I feel bad for Clay but good at the same time. He didn't get the girl but they remained friends and that was probably more important - for both of them.

An interesting twist on Clay fic, Mezz. Very unexpected. Nice job! :cheers

*steers clear of Footloose, who's in ass-kicking mode* :lol

[matchill]

HEY, Nice story. I love it! :loveshower

I'm a Japanese claymate. There is also many claymates in Japan.

If you allow, I want to translate this story to Japanese and show in my blog. May I ?

[footloose]

welcome matchill!!! :waves another Claysian, woohoo!

[mezzogal]

HEY, Nice story. I love it! :loveshower

I'm a Japanese claymate. There is also many claymates in Japan.

If you allow, I want to translate this story to Japanese and show in my blog. May I ?

hey matchill!! yup that'll be fine. leave a link when you've blogged it ya?

[Canadian bAiken]

The link doesn't work for me. :meh

"If this is what you do all day Clayton, it's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend." Jaslyn commented. She was winning.

"I don't need a girlfriend." Clayton replied, his eyes never moving from the screen.

"Oh, I get it. You're gay." Jaslyn concluded.

Clayton paused, turned to look at her for a second, then threw a cushion at her. "Am not!" She shrieked and threw another back at him. "I'm interested in girls, same as any other guy."

"I don't believe you." Jaslyn retorted. They began hitting each other with the cushions, their video game forgotten.

This part got me. It feels so 'teen' and yet so 'child.' As if they're both in that between place, falling on either side depending on the situation and their mood. and the pillow fight....very friend-like.

"Why are you so unsupportive of me? All my other friends are ok with it."

All her other friends don't have crushes on her. Just a feeling. Hee.

Barely two weeks later, they were back at the field again. And so it went on. She'd get together with a guy, she'd think they were made for each other. Perfection. And then it'd end, and Clayton would be digging holes in Old Man Bayer's field for her. Clayton watched in silence as Jaslyn went about this destructive behaviour. She was already gaining the reputation of being a compulsive flirt in school. Clayton didn't like seeing her act like this. He regretted coming up with the idea of burial in the first place. It seemed like it all started from there.

He's a good friend, even if he's aiding her destructive behavior.

"So, what are you burying exactly?"

"Feelings, memories..."

"You said you don't feel anything for him any more." Clayton contradicted her. "Do you think this is a game?"

I'm curious as to what this burying of stuff is giving her. What does she get out of it? Sad that she doesn't seem to know herself.

"Dance? What dance? There's a dance going on?" Clayton feigned ignorance. It was impossible to ignore that there was an event happening. Posters and banners were all around school. Girls were giggling from every corner hoping for a date. "Nope I'm not going. The whole school thinks I'm gay remember? No girl would go with me." Jaslyn gave him a friendly slap on the arm. "I'm serious. I'm not going."

"That's good." Jaslyn commented. "Wanna go with me?"

Clay's bit here is too cute...then I got worried that she had run out of guys and had turned her fangs in his direction. :lol

The yawping thing was too funny, and something I can totally see Clay just making up. :lol How it helped Jas, I have no idea, but I guess it's not necessary to explain something if it works, right?

Great short story, Mezz. :cheers

[mezzogal]

The yawping thing was too funny, and something I can totally see Clay just making up. How it helped Jas, I have no idea, but I guess it's not necessary to explain something if it works, right?

ok, i admit, i lifted the yawping episode from a movie, the Dead Poet Society. and i'll try to explain the point anyway. i find that Jas's problem is that she's trying to be someone she's not. the yelling was mainly to help her to get in touch with herself, to stop all the posturing and acting. that's what i think. how bout you?

[Canadian bAiken]

I agree. I think doing that breaks you out of that 'keeping up appearances' thing. Like she did something totally out of character and nothing horrible happened. It's freeing.

[mezzogal]

The link doesn't work for me.

i finally figured out what link u were talking about. it's the one for the short film right? ya. the link has expired. it was part of a Canon film festival that's over by now. but the film is similar to the story. basically, there's a girl who's been ignored by a hot guy that she has a crush on. this other guy (i forgot his name, lets call him comes along and teaches her to bury her feelings and love for him. then she spirals out of control (just like jas). in the end, B loses his patience with her and digs up all the buried shoeboxes and opens them. inside, he finds that she's pasted someone else's face (i don't know who. either her original crush or over the face of her ex-boyfriends. anyway, the closing shot is of she and B playing video games at B's house and she saying that boring life B leads is not so bad afterall.

[Canadian bAiken]

Ah. I'm glad to know it wasn't my computer. Thanks for the synopsis.

[All4Clay2004]

Oooh good story Mezzo! I like how you showed Jas being like a lot of teenage girls - not really liking herself and looking for her self worth in a guy. Clayton's right...you can't like someone else til you like yourself - paraphrased by me.

Great job!

[footloose]

hey All4, check "The Sigh of a Faraway Song" as well. now that's a mess. :biggrin

[mezzogal]

hey All4, check "The Sigh of a Faraway Song" as well. now that's a mess. :biggrin

mess? heeeeeyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!! :brows

[footloose]

i meant not your story, but the state you got Clay in there :giggle

[matchill]

Hi,mezzogal,

Sorry for my absence such a long time.
I finally introduced your story, INVIAIBLE MAN in my blog!!
Hope Japanese claymate would like this as I do.
Thank you for your permission !

And recently I read your another story.
Boy, that is so beautiful!! You're very talented!
Way to go!! :rah

http://alwayswithclay.blog102.fc2.com/

[matchill]

oops!
I put wrong URL address. Here's right one.

http://alwayswithclay.blog102.fc2.com/

[mezzogal]

thanks for the link. nice blog tho i can't understand the language.