Survival Of The Fittest

((Mortimer Schaub continued from Class of '25))

Mortimer was getting back on schedule, since he was back in school after the winter break. He was keeping tabs on his homework and his projects that were arranged for later in a few months. Though, in the meantime, all Mortimer wanted to do now is to hang with his fellow horror club members.

The problem was that the post-winter break fatigue was still happening, but he knew that some of his horror club members were still active.

Someone who happened to endorse the horror club was science teacher Jason Frasier, or "Fray-Fray" as the freshmen would call him. Mortimer didn't have the chance to take him, since he already finished his required two years of science classes to fulfill his graduation requirements. Mr. Frasier knew Mortimer for several reasons. Complicated reasons...

Mr. Frasier knows him, since he is a part of the horror club. Not that the horror club weren't a negative influence, but for Mortimer...

Well, here's an example.

"Mortimer. How was your winter break?" Mr. Frasier was notified that some of the horror club members were attempting to get together, though he got this from Mortimer. "I finally got Helldivers 2 as a holiday gift and watched Terrifier 3 again with Violent Night. How's your Christmas?" Mortimer knew almost all of the teachers, but the most well-known ones usually knew how to respects their own students.

Not Vice Principal "Mario", however. The Vice Principal's real name was Patrick Misel, but kids tend to mock him by calling him Mario from how he looked. What else can Mortimer and the other kids say about him? He was an asshole. It was worse, because Mortimer heard how the Vice Principal was dating the mother of some kid who graduated a few years ago. How embarrassing that must have been for that kid to deal with that prick, only to learn that he plans on fucking their mom?

"I've been watching more non-violent options with my family, if you were wondering." Mr. Frasier tends to say things in a laid-back tone.

"Doesn't your daughters get sick of having Home Alone and The Santa Clause play every day on Freeform?"

"It's why we watch Dr. Seuss and Frosty the Snowman." Mr. Frasier changed the topic, glancing at Mortimer. "I take it that you and the other horror club members will keep the classroom tidy while I help myself to some Jamba Juice."

"Of course. We do get rowdy, but we don't trash stuff." Mortimer said, but Mr. Frasier mentioned something.

"That's funny. Before winter break, I found a sign that I took down written that read, 'Victor Salva will rot in Hell' in my classroom after the horror club left for the afternoon when I got back from a teachers meeting. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?"

"Uhh-uh, no! I mean, it's practically taboo to be a fan of his movies. It could be anyone!"

Mortimer was the one who wrote that sign.

"I can't guess or know who would write something dramatic by checking their handwriting. You hadn't even taken my class after all. You need help with the projector?" Mr. Frasier asked Mortimer.

"It's all good. Mr. West showed me how to set it up back at his classroom." Mortimer had brought his larger portable laptop to help synch stuff in to the projector screen. He used his smaller Chromebook for schoolwork, while he stored some movies in his other laptop for the horror club. Mortimer had Mr. West for his freshman year, to which he knew him from being hip to the kids. During lunch at school, he had episodes of Futurama playing on his projector. Or in rare occasions, he would bring and hook up his N64 to play Smash Bros. Mr. West was a little shit, because he played the game longer than everyone else, so he knew how to completely screw over people playing against him.

"I take this as a sign that you know that you're doing here." Mr. Frasier got up from his desk, stretching his legs. "I'm leaving the doors unlocked as always. Make sure none of you leave anything behind, Mortimer." Mr. Frasier allowed himself to leave the classroom. The science classroom was like the others, with the seating being in a straight line in the middle with the lab tables on the sides of the classrooms.

Mortimer was the first one in the classroom, but this meant that since he was the first to show up, he had control of the projector to play whatever he wanted.

What did he intend to have playing while he waited for the others to show up?

American Psycho.

Does that film even count as horror? Mortimer argued that it still did, despite the fact that the main character is supposed to be a murderous Chad that represented the sigma male grindset that people like Mortimer envied and adored. Mortimer explained that the source material was made to be fucked up, since it casually described in full detail on how Bateman tortures and kills the women that have the misfortune of ending up in his hands. He even killed a young boy with a chocolate bar at a zoo. Not to mention cannibalism. Because why not?

He predicted that his friends are going to show up, so they aren't going to judge him when he has American Psycho playing on the projector. If some other horror movie club members arrive and ask Mortimer why the hell he wasn't watching something else sophisticated like Talk to Me, then he can come up with an excuse.

Mortimer is the type of horror nut who preferred slasher films. Though, not going by any order, his favorite horror films are Train to Busan and it's animated counterpart Seoul Station, Arachnophobia, Big Ass Spider (yes, that is a real movie), Mars Attacks, the first Saw movie, Trick r' Treat, The Cabin in the Woods, Bird Box, and the first Child's Play movie.

Not to mention Scream.

Oh Scream, his beloved father.

Without it, there wouldn't be any wit to modern day slasher movies. There needs to be some self-awareness. You can make a guy with a knife scary, just like Michael Myers. Along with Ghostface. Mortimer happily mains them both in Dead by Daylight.

Mortimer finished up with the technical set-up, making sure that his laptop was playing the digital copy of the movie. He turned off the lights in the classroom so that he can see the movie that was coming out from the overhead projector.

Mortimer sat near the front, trying to prop his legs up. Classroom seating wasn't comfortable in school. It never was, since there was a desk in the way, but Mortimer tries to get himself comfy.

The footage from the movie was currently playing the opening restaurant scene 3 minutes in.

Click.

Jump cut, and Gemini was there too.

The projector made quiet mechanical noises. Whirring, fans. A frame of light full of faces displayed. Howl, some other people who looked sort of like every white guy in a movie. The room was dark, and her sneakers made almost no noise as she crossed to a desk.

There was another shape in the shadows, actually taller than Gemini was. She nodded at the other shadow, then dropped her backpack, which thumped to the ground. Then she set her camera case (small, leather, one strap awkwardly tied to the D-ring because the clip had broken off four years ago) down very gently on the desktop and slid into the seat. It creaked when she leaned back. The desks always felt slightly too small.

She'd seen Frasier in the hall right outside. Talked for a minute or two—Hello, how are you? Fine, thanks. Don't get up to too much trouble. You too. Not those words, just something like that. Frasier was uncomfortably buff, very active in how he taught, smiley and engaging. Big family man. Gemini liked his class. She liked him. Mostly. Most of the time.

If something really bad came out about Frasier, though, she wouldn't be surprised.

She leaned forward and scooted her glasses up her nose. The film played on.

The classroom door briefly opened. Light entered the classroom briefly for Mortimer to see a horror club member that he recognized.

It was Gemini. It wasn't anyone like Wade that Mortimer would imagine showing up, but Gemini seemed to have been eager to tag with him, since she got his memo.

Gemini wasn't really a friend of Mortimer. He liked her taste in movies, but she can be temperamental and very gullible, even when she acted like she knew when people were trying to fool her.

She didn't say anything to Mortimer when she got in. She just nodded at him, to which he nodded back. Didn't even question what movie that Mortimer was watching or care that she missed like the first several minutes. Wasn't much to miss, besides the elitist structure that the film establishes with a restaurant that doesn't have a bathroom to do cocaine in.

The exposition usually sets up the tone of the film. Mortimer had "Introduction to Film" back last year, and now for his main English class he was talking "Film Criticism", which combined watching films and reading off related materials. For American Pyscho, you got a bunch of rich spoiled guys with coke addiction, who despite their successes, celebrate by going to clubs to do more coke, then have sex with women and cheat with each other. Mortimer needed that the drink that Patrick Bateman ordered is 25 dollars, which when it comes to some ripoff nightclubs in Vegas isn't far off. Though Mortimer realized that the music in the club was playing New Order, which is peak 80's.

The movie switches over to Patrick Bateman's morning routine. One of the most famous scenes in the movie. From the book, it took up a whole chapter or two in terms of length. It was a morning routine that was one that social media beauty influencers would use. The film came out in 2000, so it was prophetic. Then, there was the quote from Bateman's narration:

"There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable..."

"I simply am not there."

((Wade Colter continued from 15% or more or we’re legally allowed to leave ))

Fuck, my balls itch.

Wade was never a winter guy, not least of all because Vegas was an oven almost the whole rest of the year around, so having it get any colder than that fucked with his internal rhythm or something. That wasn’t really relevant to why he was presently pinching at his nutsack through his pants, but it sure felt like it was as far as Wade was concerned. The lingering hot sensation from when he nearly blew out his quads was… actually, yeah that’s probably the main reason, now that he thought about it.

Wade hardly limped at all while meandering down the hall and to the Horror Club, where he promptly stopped scratching his balls when he saw people insi— MORT!

“Hey, Mort.” Wade said, a wide grin spreading over his face as he went in. It didn’t falter when he saw the girl either, though he was aware of Geminis (who names their kid that?) reputation for being testy, but, me casa sue casa or whatever the term is. He nodded to her but little else. Seemed appropriate to him.

“What are we watching, folks.” He asked as he turned to the movie, taking the seat on Mort’s other side. He knew the answer already but… conversation.

Gemini nodded back at Wade, who was briefly silhouetted in the doorway by the brighter hallway lights outside. The light also fell on Gemini's face, shining off her glasses, but not in a cool anime way, just the way where she couldn't see especially well. Then he asked his question and she was immediately totally off her game.

A bunch of thoughts all at once: Answer. Lie. Feign ignorance. Is Frasier still outside? Why does he always have sunscreen? Nobody cares. It's Mort's fault. How much do I count as being part of this club? Why do these people tolerate my presence, and why do I tolerate theirs? We're getting suspended. No, Mort's getting suspended. If one of us killed the other two right now using some sort of weird lab equipment, shoved beakers down their throats and scorched all the hair off their bodies with Bunsen burners, how much of a head start would they get before the bodies were discovered? If I get suspended, my stepdad will kill me. Not if I go straight home and take the car and drive out of state. Not unless he tracks me down.

Actually they were several minutes into the movie now, minutes that had passed without a word exchanged as Gemini watched the screen, and she'd been frozen. Was this actually happening? It was serendipitous for a few reasons, but also for those same reasons she could see the headlights of the oncoming train. But there was nothing she could do; she was enthralled and had to see how it came out.

This was all in the space of moments.

"I just got here," she said.

It was still within the opening minutes in the movie, until the door opened once again to a ray of light that engulfed the classroom briefly.

Mortimer turned back to see who it was and began to give off a devilish smile.

"WADE!!!" Mortimer sat up from his chair, so that he can give his friend a hug. Not for gay reasons, obviously. It was a literal bromance.

For how long that Mortimer knew Wade, he almost forgot. Maybe it was one of those times when Mortimer was at the special resources center at elementary or middle school. Maybe it was high school. Mortimer didn't give a shit. Every Eric Andre needs a Hannibal. Wade was Mortimer's partner in crime.

Wade asked what movie they were watching, when he went to sit next to Mortimer, while Gemini mentioned that she only got her. It was surprising that no one recognized the movie. Even Christian Bateman, who was at the Espace restaurant. They don't even show the people in the movie eating the food. It's more of the characters using dinner as an excuse to maintain their social status in public. Plus, there were the affairs in the movie that were very casual.

"It's a first come, first serve, Wade. I figured I use the chance to show a classic." Mortimer said, getting himself comfy in his chair.

You know Wade had to hug Mort back. Also not for gay reasons… yeah.

Anyway, no one actually answered Wades question but that was fine because, again, Wade knew the answer already. So, he just nodded along to what the two of them did tell him.

“I’m not complaining. Always have room for a classic.” Wade said, leaning on the desk in front of him.

“Sequel is a classic too, if you squint hard enough.” Wade chuckled to himself after saying that. Truthfully, American Psycho wasn’t really his favourite movie in the world. Yeah, he understood the actual intent behind it and appreciated the criticism of materialism and all that, but in terms of sheer violence and disturbing imagery he thought the book was more interesting. They both had the sequel beat as well, but Wade didn’t say any of this for the simple fact that he only just then realized what he just said and needed a moment to unstunlock himself.

Gemini regarded the hug from the corner of her eye, blurry figures in her peripheral vision coming together, merging briefly into a bigger blur.

She didn't get it. She didn't like being touched casually by strangers. It was a thing that happened sometimes. At the store, people would tap her shoulder to get her attention. Because she was tall, people would sometimes try to move her out of the way—sometimes just lay a hand on her shoulder and steer her, like pushing a cart to the side, totally oblivious to how she tensed up.

In some circumstances she could deal. At cons, when she was in costume, it was more okay because people usually asked, and she sort of knew that she'd end up in pictures with them and maybe they'd want to pose with her, and that was fine until some greasy-haired thirty-something guy with a goatee snaked an arm around her waist. But with friends, if she hadn't seen them for a few hours or days or whatever, they should just... say hello.

Anyways, Mort did not say what the movie was but Wade clearly already knew. It was good that it was dark, because that hid how Gemini's lips turned down. Okay, if he knew, why ask? Was he just trying to get them to say it? Or was he also passing the buck like she was?

But two things prevented her from going too far down that line of thinking, despite the suspicions starting to bubble. The first was that Mort unambiguously acknowledged responsibility for the choice, meaning he was first in line for the guillotine, and the second was that Wade brought up the sequel.

"There's a sequel?" Gemini said, glancing over their way again.

While the movie was on it's laundry scene, Wade mentioned the movie was a classic... until he mentioned that the sequel was a classic, too. A statement that made Mortimer want to projectile vomit at what his ears were befallen to.

"Bruh, what?!" Mortimer said it, like Wade just committed murder.

Gemini didn't seem to be aware that American Psycho had a sequel, to which Mortimer didn't care that he raised his speech volume to strike down the heresy that was the unneeded travesty that was American Psycho II.

Yes, this is a real film.

Yes, no one liked this.

And YES, it is completely unneeded and even the author of the original American Psycho chewed it as well.

"Wade, you're better than that to say that the sequel is a classic! They weren't even planning on filming a sequel to American Psycho, until Lionsgate thought to go fuck-it-all and link it to Patrick Bateman was no reason! This movie didn't need a sequel! They wanted to try to go for a fran-franchise!" Mortimer nearly began to stutter. "Hell, they were trying to go for the Scream route with the sequel and they don't even make the kills in that film gory at all! OH, and the Patrick Bateman in that film gets killed by a tween! He wouldn't have that shit pulled on him!" Mortimer said in a rant. He calmed down a bit to wrap up his short rant. "They tried to copy the style of this film to the sequel. It failed miserably."

Mortimer glanced back up at the screen. He may or may not have talked over the scene where Bateman took Courtney to a restaurant, where she was so hammered with drugs that she passed out in the middle of the dining room.

At least, the business card scene was coming up. Another ironic scene.

Mortimer lowered his voice again to the usual sound level. "Where's Ray, by the way Wade? This should be his jam."

Another of Mortimer's partners in-crime was Ray Janeczek. Like civilized gentlemen, both Mortimer and Ray would be playing their daily dose of Dead by Daylight, with some splashes of Left 4 Dead custom maps for good measure whenever the time felt right.

Like civilized gentlemen also, they also watched Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, two of perhaps probably some of the most violently gayest animated shows in existence.

Not that Mortimer and Ray were gay, of course.

Ok, maybe Ray was a little bit flamboyant.

...It's not like Ray doodling some of that yaoi is going to be bisexual.

Ok, maybe Ray was gay. Mortimer didn't care.

Mortimer did like the art, though.

"Don't tell me that Ray got winter breaked like the rest of the crew." Mortimer said, knowing that the winter break and probably some unlucky kid who had to do an essay over no school took its toll on people.

“Yeah, it’s—” Wade was answering Gemini’s question when Mort started his engine, so to speak. Wade, being Morts ultimate super best friend forever (patent pending), was already familiar with how he got when his dander was up. So, all Wade did was prop a hand under his chin and wait for him to say his piece. When finished, Wade just shrugged. Walking the statement back as an option—Wade didn’t really like the movie at all— but it was bitch made behaviour and Wade’s mom was a wonderful woman.

“And that’s the general consensus.” Wade said to Gemini before his attention was taken back by Mort’s next question.

“I haven’t seen him at all, so, maybe he was, I don’t know.” Wade was about to say more, but he didn’t really have anything else to add to that. He shrugged again and went back to watching Patrick Bateman crash out over business cards.

This guy would absolutely get killed by a tween.

(Thomas Shaw continued from 15% or more or we're legally allowed to leave)

Thomas Shaw entered the classroom, feeling a little worn out. After three important tests, a mile that Thomas was forced to run, and multiple other unfinished assignments, Thomas wanted to go home and take a long nap.

But miss all this? Never.

Back in freshman year, after missing a significant session of DND that everyone would reference for the rest of the year, Thomas made a vow. That vow was that as long as he wasn't bedridden or dead, he would make it to all the clubs he was a part of so help him god.

Thomas slapped himself in the face, a failed attempt to wake himself up. Mr. Fraiser saw this little stunt, and asked jokingly, "What happened, lose a bet?"

Thomas replied, "Oh no, Mr. Fraiser, just a little tired..." Mr. Fraiser smiled and told him, "Well you've come to the right place, where you'll sleep like a baby." Thomas chuckled, as right at that moment, he could see Patrick Bateman freaking out over business cards. Thomas stood a little straighter, telling Mr. Fraiser, "Thanks, you'll know I'll try." and began moving over to the other kids inside the classroom, listening closely to see how he could ease himself into the conversation.

Thomas had one main thought in his mind:

Yup, I made the right choice.

Gemini's lips pressed tightly together. She was skeptical that a sequel would work well. Then again, she was skeptical that a film adaptation would work well to begin with. But it was all over the internet, in memes that even managed to make their way to her, and from what she'd seen so far? She was reasonably impressed.

Of course, she was watching the movie with somewhat split attention. At the same time it was playing, this conversation was unfolding, and also Gemini was keeping an eye on the door in case Fraiser came back, so that she could take a shot at slipping behind a cabinet or under a desk to maybe escape the storm that seemed like it would inevitably follow.

At least the conversation wasn't messing her up too badly. Gemini's mom talked a lot during movies, and she'd watched a bunch of anime in group settings, so she was used to dividing her attention and was good at keeping enough of it on whatever she was watching to not get distracted. She thought of it a little bit like focusing a shot: you chose what was important and made sure that was clear, then let the surroundings come into greater or lesser clarity depending on the effect you wanted to produce. In this case, that effect was a measure of guarded caution, though, so there was a little more blur towards the center of the frame than she typically favored.

"That's interesting," she said about the sequel and how it was apparently hot garbage, and then the door opened and someone else came into the room and Gemini was already halfway slid out of the chair, camera in hand, before she realized it was just another student.

Casually, like it was no big deal, she scooted back into her seat.

Patrick Bateman wouldn't get killed by a tween.

Still, it sucks that Ray got winter breaked.

Another student walked into the classroom, the door opening once again for another horror club member to enter. It was Thomas Shaw, he was a Catholic kid who Mortimer thought was more invested with mainly movies of all kind. However, Mortimer admired how he was a self-proclaimed fan of the Beatles. There was a good chance that Thomas might have watched LOVE several times and brought stuff from the gift shop before the Mirage closed. Mortimer gave a nod to Thomas, when he went to sit down.

Sneaking behind Thomas was Mr. Fraiser himself. Mortimer can see the cup of Jamba Juice in his hand. He must have been quick in getting it, unless the lines over at the Jamba Juice was zero to none.

Mr. Fraiser avoided going in the way of the projector, heading back to his desk with his drink.

The movie was continuing on with Patrick Bateman stabbing a homeless man to death and stomping his dog to death.

And to think that the same actor as Bateman would go on to play Batman.

Fuck yeah, Thomas showed up.

Wade gave him a wave, noticing that Mr. Fraiser was back too. This made Wade little less comfortable, not because of the guy himself but because of the whole ‘homeless man being stabbed to death’ thing going on in the movie. Frankly, if he were on the outside looking in at this, he’d be inclined to be super creeped out by the classroom of people watching something that violent.

Oh, that could be a good story; horror cult in a school. Oh, right Thomas.

“How’re you, Thomas?” Wade asked, keeping his voice low so that he wouldn’t disrupt the movie.

Thomas continued walking, watching the guy who his little sister knew as Jack from Newsies committing murder. Wade (YEAH!) had talked to him, and it was common decency to respond. "I've been doing good." Was the response he gave, although Thomas knew he should add something to that. After a beat, Thomas added, "What a kind man Patrick Bateman is."

Thomas had seen American Psycho a few times before and felt it was pretty good, if a little confusing at first watch. Thomas then realized two other people were in the room, and looked around to see who these two were. Thomas recognized the two figures as Gemini and Mortimer. Good to see some familiar faces. Thought Thomas. Thomas considered the two pals, he knew Gemini mainly from Horror Club, and Mortimer was the sort of person who got stuck in your brain, what with all the crazy jokes he would say. Not to say those jokes turned Thomas away. He liked humor, even the messed-up ones.

Time to expand the conversation. Thomas looked and noticed a camera Gemini held in her hands. "Hey, whatcha got there?"