Chapter 70
I lay in bed, counting the celling joint lines and counting sheep. Mostly all of the negative feelings are gone.
Leaving a determination to make the most out of my scholarship. He is a bully. There are terrible bullies in the school. And so what? We would never cross paths. I am very good and smart at keeping miles lengths away from trouble. You cannot be bullied if you don’t go close to a bully, no? It would all be okay.
I slept and woke up feeling energized. All of my negative energy gone. Feeling like I can take on the world. Believer by imagine dragons playing from Mom’s radio only fuels my determination. I added another sticky note to my reading desk. "New Goal; Graduate Krohn’s Highschool. Dad also insisted on driving me to school today. "I did not get to ask how was your first day at school yesterday."
"It was great." I answer. Keeping my mood and tune enthusiastic because he is perceptive unlike mom. "You don’t sound too enthusiastic. Did it not go well?"
"You overthink, Dad. It was an excellent first day. The school is great. The students are great also."
"Have you made any friends yet?"
"Do I have to? I’m awkward at it. I prefer to be alone. Moreover, I don’t need distractions."
"That might be just what you think. It does not matter how socially awkward you are, there must be someone cut out to be your friend. No one is born a loner.
Listen Kid, school can be really stressful. Having a good friend is one of the best ways to destress."
"Yeah well, I prefer reading novels." I answer.
"God, you are turning into a nerd. And I am so worried."
"There is nothing wrong with being a nerd."
We reached the gate. I was about to get down when Dad stopped me. "I forgot to tell you this yesterday. You were already out running before I remembered. "You see, about boys..."
"I know. I’II stay away." I knowingly completed.
"I was going to say you should watch out for the bad ones and date only the good ones."
"Dad!" I call in disbelief.
"What?" He gives me a wierd look. "We are in the twentieth century. That shouldn’t be a wierd subject."
"It’s not wierd. Its just cringe and a bull load of distraction which I don’t, and would never need." I declare with conviction.
"Dating is not a distraction. You are at the age where you are supposed to be getting butterflies and crushes. The chemistry of highschool romances is on a whole different level. Did I tell you that I had my first love at your age?" Yes he had. A dozen times. I am fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Ever since I asked him about his first love, my ears have not known peace on the topic. Me and my big mouth sometimes. "She was so amazing. Just that she was obsessive and crazy jealous. I wasn’t allowed to breath near any other girl.
No other girl was allowed to breath near me. I still think of her now sometimes. You don’t go to school to learn just books. So if you find a good boy, bring him to me let me examine him and look into what he is made of with my powerful magnifying glass."
I laugh. The reason for me laughing is that I know that mom would rather keep a tarantula pet or any kind of spider running free in her room than to have this conversation with me. "Yeah, from the books I have read, I know dating is fun. But you know what isn’t fun? Teenage pregnancies and heartbreaks." That pregnancy part especially. Mom would bury me alive. Or maybe put me in a coffin and throw it in the Mariana trench.
"You are right. But when you decide to be with someone, you can figure out your way around those things."
"Have fun. Bye." I sling my back over one shoulder and wave.
"Bye-bye." This time, I stood watching him drive away. I could spare those seconds because I got up early today unlike yesterday.
School has been peaceful for the past three days. I have also learnt a lot. Like how the gate that I am coming in through every morning is not the real entrance. There is another that the rich students use. We scholarship students are alienated not only by the privileged students but by the school itself. I had fully registered into the swimming team as an extracurricular. An announcement was made about an introductory party. Maverick called it a hazing party.
It has been put on hold because Ted Huntington, the guy that Calyx had injured his head. His parents had come with a doctor’s report the next day to come see the school board. The school board is trying to get them to settle and forget the issue. Maverick says that is how it always goes and that they can’t drag it out for long. They would be forced to eventually settle.
But it seems the parents aren’t going to take that.
Well, they really shouldn’t. One would go all in in this type of things. Even my mother, as chill as she appears to be would lose all of her mind if that were to happen to me.
With Dad, I know what he can do. He would drag it into a criminal offence. Two weeks in and I am fully starting to get the hang of the school.
Pay no attention to what is being said about you and avoid the other humans like a plague. The nickname "little lolita" is swirling around school. They are referring to me because of my dresses. And I act like I don’t hear them.
Maverick has become more than a tour guide to me.
We take some classes together. We eat at the cafeteria together. He sometimes visits me at the noodle shop. My boss and Meredith thinks I have gotten a boyfriend. I don’t try to explain it to them otherwise because Maverick is a little insecure about his homosexuality.
They might change how they see him if I tell them. Maverick is allergic to that. He also accompanied me to go get my swimming wear yesterday. We are totally friends now. Dad was right. There is gotta be one person that can totally relate to you.
No one is made a loner.