Unlike last time, I’m determined to arrive earlier than Todd so everything is prepared for him. On the day of the interview, I tell Emily and Meylin to be at the library forty minutes before. I just hope they’re not late.
No, let me rephrase that.
I hope Meylin isn’t late. That’s a more accurate description of things.
Anyway, I’m the first one in the room (number nine this time). I rummage through my backpack and begin setting up the microphones, and other equipment, at a fast pace.
I then take a deep breath and reorient myself.
That’s when I reach deep into my backpack and retrieve a black pen along with sheaths of lined notebook paper. This will be important for later. I put the pen, and papers, on the conference table and sit down.
This interview won’t be the same as last time for a number of reasons. First of all, I decided to abandon most of the questions that Meylin and I came up with. Instead, I spent the last couple of days devising new questions. Well, some of the questions are similar but reworded.
You’ll see.
I just decided on a new direction for this interview. Something more…I don’t know. Just something different, I guess.
“Hello? Is this the room?” Emily asks as she pokes her head inside.
“Yeah. Sit over here.” I tell Emily while motioning for her to sit down opposite from me.
“Meylin’s not here yet?” Emily asks as she takes off her backpack and places it next to her chair.
“No but she better get here soon, though.”
“What’s with the backpack?” I ask.
“Oh, that. Yeah. I have…wait let me show you.” Emily then unzips the backpack and digs in. A couple of seconds later, she waves a Spider-Man comic in my face.
“I told you before that you didn’t have to read to him.”
“I get that. I just thought it would be cool if I could show him some of my comics. I really like this one. It’s about the return of Kraven the Hunter and he’s preying on Spider-Man…”
“Alright, alright. I don’t care. Save it for Todd.”
“Um, okay.”
“Autumn…”
“What?”
“I know this might sound kind of pushy but do you think you could get me signed autographs from the cast of Spirit Scribe?”
“No. I can’t get you any autographs. Look, I’m trying to get ready for an important interview. Do you mind?”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
What’s wrong with her? She talks nonstop without really saying anything. And on top of that, she’s just very annoying.
Huh? What’s that?
I thought I just heard knocking.
I get up from my chair and exit the room.
“Where’re you going?” Emily asks but I ignore her.
I see Todd standing in the hallway and knocking on the wall adjacent to the open door. Why is he knocking when it’s already open? That’s weird.
“Uh, Todd, we’re here for you so just come in.” I tell him.
“I saw someone else in there and…and…I…I… thought you were in a meeting.”
“Oh, no. That’s just Emily. Here, let me introduce you.”
I lead Todd into the room and Emily waves at him as he makes his way towards the table.
“Hey, Todd.”
“Oh…Oh…Oh…Oh…Hi.”
“Um, yeah. Oh…Hi to you too.” Emily laughs.
“Emily, don’t.” I tell her.
“What’d I do?”
“Nothing. Anyway…” I begin as I turn away from Emily and look at Todd. “Emily’s here because she heard you’re into comics.”
“Yeah. I love comics. I go to the comic store every Wednesday. I’m such a dork. Wednesdays are, like, the ultimate day for me. I just get so excited when I know new comics are going to be waiting for me and…”
“Uh, Emily, I’m kind of on a tight schedule here.”
“Right. Sorry. My bad. Here, let me show you a favorite comic of mine.” Emily then hands the Spider-Man comic to Todd from across the table.
“Is this the Nick Spencer Kraven story that came out a while ago?” Todd asks while examining it.
“You’re good. You’re really into Spider-Man, huh?”
“Well, yeah. I’m actually more of a Miles Morales guy, though.”
“Are you serious? Me too. I love Miles. He’s just…he’s so awesome. I’ve pretty much devoured all his comic series.”
“It’s one of the best comic book series out there right now. Bendis is doing a phenomenal job.”
“Right on. My best friend introduced me to the character. Whenever they release a new one, we race down to the store and get it. Well, I pay for it. Anyway, Miles is just so cool. He’s cute too. I know he’s a cartoon drawing. Don’t judge me!”
“I’m sorry I’m late. I was finishing up with Kanisha.” Meylin announces as she walks into the room.
Todd and Emily don’t even look up as they continue their conversation about Spider-Man.
“No worries.” I tell her. Even though, I’m honestly a little annoyed but whatever.
“Okay. Here’s something I have to ask you, Todd. Who do you think would win in a fight, Thor or Silver Surfer?” Emily asks.
“That’s a tough one but I have to go with Silver Surfer. He’s just too powerful. Plus, he has all those cosmic…”
“No. Stop. Just stop. Thor will absolutely crush the Surfer. What, with the power of Mjolnir, gifted by Odin, I should add. There’s no way that Surfer wins.”
“You’re forgetting one crucial thing. Sure, Thor and Odin are Norse gods but Surfer is on another level. The guy was the herald of Galactus sent to destroy planets. When has Thor even come close to that?”
“Uh…let me think for a second.”
“Well, Freddy Krueger can kill both of them when they’re sleeping so there.” Meylin says.
“I don’t think Surfer sleeps, though.” Emily argues.
“Actually, I think he does. I remember reading an old issue of Silver Surfer and he was wearing a bathrobe.” Todd says.
“Are you serious? I can’t imagine that.” Emily laughs.
“See, even Todd agrees with me, and he’s the comic book expert, so Freddy wins.”
The one thing I notice, despite this completely ridiculous conversation, is how normal Todd sounds. First of all, there’s no underwater voice or stuttering. He’s actually okay in his own way. Don’t get me wrong, I said a “little,” let’s not go overboard here.
I also see a difference in the way Meylin interacts with Todd. It’s weird. She’s actually laughing and having fun. Maybe Meylin had a really good day at the courts or…I don’t know.
Whatever. It doesn’t matter. This is Meylin’s last interview anyway since she wanted out so bad.
No. I’m not going to think about that again. Come on. Have to focus on this right now.
Anyway, I think Todd’s good now. Time to get this started.
“Um, as entertaining as this is, I think it’s time we begin the interview. Are you ready, Todd?” I ask him.
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’m going to switch places with Emily so that I’m sitting next to you.”
Emily and I do just that while I mentally prepare myself for the inevitable. I have to get this right so I’m hoping that whatever magic she worked on Todd lasts for the duration of the interview.
“Count us down, Meylin.”
“Five…four…three…two…one…”
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Special Friends. My guest today is actually a graduate student from Monmouth University. His name is Todd King and I’m really excited you could join us.”
“Thank you for having me Autumn and Meylin.”
“Right. So, you were telling me before how you have learning disabilities in Math. Well, I have learning disabilities in Math too. How was that like when you got to Monmouth? Did they have any accommodations in place to help you?”
“Yeah. As an undergrad you have to take a couple of Math courses (when you major in History like I did). Monmouth has a disabilities office where you’re able to receive accommodations.”
“So, if you’re wondering at home, you’re still allowed accommodations when you get to college. It’s not an IEP but you still get extra time on tests, for example. Is that accurate, Todd?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why don’t you tell me a little about your professors in the History Department? Were they aware of your learning disabilities?”
“I’m not sure. I will say this, though; the entire department was great and very supportive. It’s just such an awesome faculty. But I’m not sure if they knew. Maybe. As you saw last time, I’m not exactly adept at hiding it. I have good and bad days.”
“Actually, now that I think of it, I presented a paper I wrote about a comic character with learning disabilities. It was a comic book class but taught by a History professor. So, maybe she knew after that. I don’t know.” Todd says.
“A comic class? Are you serious? That’s so unbelievably cool. What comics did you read?” Emily gushes in excitement.
“Emily, shush, we’re in the middle of the interview.”
“Ooops. Sorry.”
Great. Thanks to that idiot, I’ll have to do some editing tonight. At least, Todd seems okay so far, I just hope he stays that way.
“Now, Todd, this may sound like a strange request but can you put your hands flat down on the table?” I ask.
“May I ask why?”
“I noticed before that your hands have an…um…unique texture and look to them. If you don’t mind I want our audience to get a closer look.”
“Uh, okay, fine.”
Todd then stretches his hands out on the table and spreads his fingers. Good job.
It’s like his fingers can’t completely lie flat on the surface. For instance, a number of them are curved up and refuse to sync up with the rest. Really weird but makes for fascinating footage.
“Get a close up of his fingers, Meylin.”
Meylin gives me a surprised look like she doesn’t believe what I just asked her.
“Is that going to be okay?”
Meylin nods but doesn’t answer my question.
“Okay, Todd. I’m going to ask you for another favor. I want you to write your name on this piece of paper. In big letters.”
He pauses for a second as if contemplating what to do before writing his name in gigantic letters (even bigger than what I was asking for).
Wow. Look at that. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The letters are all scratchy and almost in unrealized forms. It’s like a kid in kindergarten scrawled it. Just bizarre looking and exactly what I was looking for.
I really do come up with the best ideas.
“Can I talk to you outside for a second, Autumn?” Meylin asks.
“Huh? What?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, I guess. If it’s important.”
“We’ll be right back, Todd.” I tell him.
“Come on, Emily, you have to come with us.” We then exit the room and congregate outside in the small hallway.
“What’s up, Meylin? And make it fast.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand the hand thing. Why’d you want me to take a picture and why’d you make him write like that?” Meylin asks.
“I’m educating our audience. Don’t you get that by now?”
“Educating them on what? It’s more like you’re…you’re putting him on display.”
“Stop right there, okay. You don’t know what you’re talking about. If you hadn’t interrupted me you might have understood what I was trying to do.”
“You weren’t…”
“How do you know, huh? You didn’t even give me a chance so can we please go back in there and get through this.”
Meylin just nods. Not sure why she’s so defensive when she couldn’t care less about Todd before today. He was “useless,” right?
Go figure.
All three of us reenter the room and, guess what, Todd’s still sitting there.
Yeah. That’s a big shocker.
“The reason I needed you to show your hands, Todd, is because I wanted to ask you something about them. Did your hands get that way through stimming?”
“Stimming? Is that what you said?” Todd asks.
“Yep. For those unfamiliar with stimming, it’s a repetitive motion, or movement, that is associated with those diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Like repeatedly rubbing a surface or flapping your hands, for instance. It’s a ritual that helps the individual lessen anxiety. So, Todd, was it stimming that caused your hands to look like that?”
Todd looks around the room like he doesn’t know what to say. He’s just giving off a nervous vibe.
“It’s okay, Todd. You don’t have to…” Emily starts.
“Emily, be quiet.” I tell her as my voice rises in anger. Why is she even still here? I don’t need her anymore.
“I…I…yes, they did. I’ve been stimming since I was a small child. Ever since I can remember, really. It’s funny. The first object I used for stimming was a small bean bag (it was part of set for a lawn game). I remember how smooth it felt in my hands. It’s one of my earliest memories.”
“Do you still use the bean bag today?”
“No. I don’t remember what happened to it; honestly, I was still a kid when I lost it. That’s when I started using a wooden coaster (the kind you put drinks on). I practically destroyed that thing throughout the years. It doesn’t even look the same anymore. Just a small piece of it is left (the same size as one of my fingers). I don’t know what I’m going to do if anymore of it breaks off.”
“Wow. Do you have your coaster with you?”
“I don’t stim in public so no.”
“You’re saying that you hid your stimming from your classmates, right? So, how was that experience like in school (talking about public school now and not college)? Were you open about being in special education or did you try and hide that also?”
“I never tried to hide it because there was no point. The middle school, and later, high school, that I went to were too small. I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to. Everyone knew if you were in a resource room.”
“Resource room is just another word for special education class. I just want to make that clear to our audience. So, what was that experience like? Would you say it was a supportive environment?”
“Middle school or high school?”
“It doesn’t matter. Actually, tell us about middle school first for a little bit.”
“I would say middle school is where I felt like I was different for the first time. It wasn’t just in academics but in my overall maturity as well. The other kids were just more mature than me. It was kind of like I was still in second grade when I should have been in fifth (if that makes sense). I couldn’t articulate my feelings at the time but I did feel a sense of isolation.”
“Okay. So, you were lagging behind in both aspects of life? Is that a correct description of what was going on?”
“Yeah. I would say so.”
“With the knowledge that you were behind your classmates, academically and socially, did your peers support you in your struggles?”
“No, definitely not. I want to preface my answer by saying that I know they were kids too but they lacked empathy towards my condition. Not only did they lack empathy but this was the first time I was targeted as well.” Todd says.
“What do you mean by that? Targeted how?” I ask.
“I think you already know about my stuttering issues and how, sometimes, it’s difficult for me to speak. Well, it was much worse back then. And I was openly mocked. There was one classmate that mimicked my stuttering every time I spoke in class. Or I was told that I needed to learn how to talk, among other insults. Most of the time, they just walked away from me in mid-sentence.”
I look over at Meylin and her face is beat red. That’s funny. I guess that hit a little too close to home since she mocked Todd during our last interview. Too bad I can’t film her reaction. Show her that she’s not morally superior anymore (it would make great footage for the documentary too, just saying).
“So, you were bullied throughout middle school. Was it just because of your stutter or being in the resource room as well?”
“That’s what I meant by being targeted. It started with making fun of my stutter but then it escalated. They started to view me as a form of entertainment. Let me ask this before I continue. Are any of you familiar with the show, Impractical Jokers?”
“I’ve seen a couple of episodes.” I tell him.
Emily raises her hand like a dork but, at least, she’s not on camera. What a loser. I still don’t understand why she just doesn’t go home.
“Okay. Then you know it’s about a group of friends daring each other to say, or do, obnoxious things to people. Well, the difference between the show and my reality was quite substantial. The bottom line is, though, they weren’t my friends and I wasn’t being paid. They had me say a lot of inappropriate and stupid things to fellow classmates, and teachers, alike. The goal was to make me look as idiotic as possible for a laugh. I thought these kids were my friends but they obviously weren’t.”
“When you acted like that, did you ever get in trouble?”
“Oh yeah. I got in trouble all the time. It started in seventh grade and continued until the end of eighth grade. During that time, I was put in detention daily. I was even suspended once. I started eating lunch in the principal’s office because it had gotten so bad. However, the kids that told me to say those things, they never got in trouble.”
“You said it continued through the eighth grade. When you got to high school, did it stop?”
“Not in the slightest. In fact, it got much worse.”
“Can you elaborate on that?”
“Sure. First of all, there was a new group of guys that took over from the middle schoolers (the others lost interest at that stage). The one thing that I noticed was that it became more physical in nature.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“What I mean is that the comedy, for lack of a better term, was more geared towards physical stunts now. Don’t get me wrong, I was still told to do a variety of embarrassing things that I can’t repeat here (I know you have a family friendly channel). The main difference was that they wanted me to pick fights now while secretly pulling the strings.”
“Wow. That sounds…rough. Can you give an example of when they told you to pick a fight?”
“No, Todd. It’s fine. If this is too painful, you don’t have to get into it. You don’t have to do this.” Emily says.
“Emily. Just stop. Todd wants to share his story and educate people. Isn’t that right, Todd?”
“Yes.” Todd says.
“No. This isn’t right. He just said that he’s…you know…heavily influenced by people. It’s hard for him to understand people’s motivations.” Emily argues.
“So, you’re saying that I’m forcing him to tell his story?”
“No. I don’t know. I mean…yeah. Yeah, you are. You’re using your influence and…Meylin, help me out here.”
Emily gives Meylin a helpless look. It’s very pathetic, actually. However, Meylin doesn’t say a word. She just sits there and continues to film.
“You’re not going to say anything? Meylin…”
“Listen, okay. That was in high school, Emily. He has a graduate degree now. He’s past all that. Don’t you get that? Are you having problems understanding or what? You can leave if this is too upsetting for you but you better not interrupt again.” I tell her.
“Got it?”
Emily nods but, unfortunately, she doesn’t leave. Too bad but at least she’ll stop interrupting now.
“Sorry about that, Todd. But back to my question, any examples of how they got you to start fights?”
“You have to understand, these physical altercations happened all the time. It was a constant thing in my life. It’s hard to pick an exact instance because they were so frequent.”
“The fact is, and I think this was when I got in a fight with Dave in the cafeteria, where they begged me to pour a drink on him. Well, he punched me in the face a couple of times and I was subsequently banned from the cafeteria.”
“Did you have to eat in the principal’s office again? Like you did in middle school?” I ask.
“No. I didn’t. The high school had two cafeterias so they just put me in the other one.”
“So, while you were doing all of this, how were your grades? Did they suffer because of your…antics?”
“Absolutely. My grades were horrible. I don’t even remember doing a lot of class work. I was too busy trying to entertain my friends. Later on, my grades, and behavior, got so bad that I was transferred to a special school.”
“When did this happen?”
“My junior year of high school. It was a school for kids with severe learning disabilities and behavioral problems. I was enrolled there until spring when my grades started to improve. I was then allowed back into my high school.”
“Yeah. I’m not surprised. You were away from their influence so you became yourself again.”
“No. That’s not accurate. Yes, I was going to a different school but I still saw them. We started hanging out after school ever since my freshman year. So, I still saw them almost every day.”
“And when you came back, how were you treated?”
“The exact same. The only difference now was that they started to keep most of my stunts outside of school hours. Not to mention, the school’s administration made sure to give my friends and I different lunch periods (to avoid any problems).”
“So, the bullying started happening exclusively after school?”
“That’s right. And you’re also exactly right when you defined what it was. Just because they pretended to be my friends, they were still bullying me.”
“Anyway, yeah, it was the same story. However, that summer was when we started to experiment with alcohol. And as you can probably guess, drinking made my situation much worse. I was even more susceptible to them.”
“We used to drink in one of my friend’s basement. They used to get me drunk and watch me throw up (then I’d get beaten for making a mess on the floor). We’d go to parties too but they made sure I was on my best behavior. No one wanted to see me acting stupid in that kind of environment.”
“I get that. My question is, though, when you were in the basement with just your friends, what else happened down there?”
“A lot of things. However, I want to make something clear so it’s not accidentally misconstrued. It wasn’t just them telling me to do stupid stuff and watching me get embarrassed. There was also a lot of physical and verbal abuse, as well.”
“Many times I was beaten for no other reason than they were upset or frustrated about something. I was called a retard constantly. There were times when they urinated on me or smeared feces in my face and…”
“Okay. We don’t, um, really need to go further into that right now. Let’s, uh, fast forward to your senior year of high school. How was that experience like? Did the bullying continue even to your last year of high school?”
“I was only a senior in that school for about two months.” Todd says.
“Can you tell us what happened?”
“I…I…don’t really want to get into it. I…think it’s better left unsaid.”
“Come on, Todd. It will help people with developmental disabilities avoid this type of situation. You want to help them, right?”
“It’s okay. You’re in a safe space.” I insist while looking at him dead in the eyes. If this is the grand finale, it has to be good.
“Okay. If you think it’ll help.”
“Of course it will.”
“Right. Let me think for a second. I’m in my senior year of high school and things are about the same but only quieter (like I mentioned before). Anyway, Halloween was coming up and the guys wanted me to dress as something.”
“Let me guess…Spider-Man.”
“No. They actually bought me a Batman costume from one of those party stores. The problem was, it was a kid’s costume (probably meant for nine or ten year olds). I was seventeen years old at the time so I barely fit into it. Obviously, the goal was to make me look as idiotic as possible. Especially, since they wanted me to wear it like a week before Halloween.”
“I remember changing in the school bathroom and wondering how I was even going to put the thing on. Well, it wasn’t a good fit since the costume started ripping immediately. You can guess what happened next. The guys had me going up to people and saying embarrassing things. Or they had me screaming down the hallways. It was the same kind of stupid garbage that I’d been doing for years.”
“Another problem with the costume was that…how can I say this? I know this is a channel meant for kids so…”
“Don’t worry about it, Todd. If it’s too graphic I can edit it out later.”
“Okay. Good. So, basically, you were able to see my genitals through the fabric. And that, not only added to the humor in their eyes, but it made for excellent target practice too for a lot of the guys in school. Later on, the school expelled me because they believed I intentionally exposed myself.”
“The worst part, though, was what happened after school. I don’t know if I mentioned it before but they wanted to film me doing things in my Batman costume. So, they had me walking around the neighborhood acting like a complete moron. I don’t even want to get into what they made me say. They filmed all afternoon. Finally, at the end of the whole thing, they wanted to end on a high note. They took me into the woods, grabbed me by the mask and….”
Emily then bolts up from her chair and runs out of the room. I hear her crying in the distance.
What’s wrong with that idiot? It was starting to get really good too.
“It’s okay, Todd. She’ll be fine. You can finish up.” I tell a noticeably shaken Todd.
“No. You need to go after her.” Meylin says while putting my phone on the table, indicating that she was done filming.
Have I entered the Twilight Zone? Why is everyone overreacting to this? This is great footage here. Now, I have to chase after that crybaby. This is really ridiculous.
“I’ll be right back.” I get up and exit the room.
Huh?
That’s weird. Meylin isn’t following me. Maybe she’s getting the equipment together.
I can’t believe this is how today’s going to end. Stupid Emily. Crying over something that doesn’t even concern her. The worst part is I didn’t even get to say my trademark phrase.
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Being Special Chapter 1: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-1-b5e175dc0d00
Being Special, Chapter 2: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-2-4c622095b4e9
Being Special, Chaper 3: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-3-9515c777c14
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