DIFFERENT -Eli Moskowitz-

10.0

written from Eli's perspective

The bell rang, telling students that first period was over and it was time to go to second. I got up from my desk and packed all my stuff to leave. As I was packing my stuff, someone walked by and dropped a note onto my desk. I picked it up and opened it, reading that it said 'If I was a freak like you I would never show my face in public'. It hurt a lot to read, but I knew I couldn't show any big reaction, or whoever did it would start doing it more. I threw the note out, like I do with all the others, and started walking through the halls to second period. As I was walking, Demetri walked up beside me.

"Hey?" He said to me, unsure of what really to be saying. I didn't say anything back, I just nodded to him to acknowledge him. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened in the library earlier." He said sincerely. It was not a usual thing he did, apologize and mean it, so I knew he really felt bad. 

"I accept your apology, but I don't really think it's me you need to be apologizing to." I told him, knowing he knew he had to apologize to Kay. 

"I know I do, but I owe you an apology too because it wasn't right of me to make all those assumptions, and I was just being insecure because I'm afraid of losing my best-friend." He said nudging into me as we walked. I smiled back at him.

"You know you could never lose me as your best-friend, were binary brothers." I said to him. This caused him to let out a little laugh, and I knew we were on good terms again. The worry about what would happen between him and Kay was still in the back of my mind though.

"So, based on how Kay blew up at me, did you guys, you know..." He trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud. Seeing as we were both extremely virgins, even saying sexual words was not easy for us. I knew he was asking if we had... you know, did it. 

"Obviously not, I mean like little things kinda happened, maybe, but we didn't, you know..." I trailed off too, also not wanted to say it, again because extreme virgin. 

"Oooo, so you might be getting it soon!" He said presumptuously causing me to blush and shake my head in disbelief. Disbelief that he had just said that, and disbelief that it would ever happen. "I'm sorry, that was too much," he said laughing at me, "What little things happened?" He asked genuinely being curious. 

"Well she called me cute," I started telling him, an even bigger blush creeping onto my face as I remembered all the little things that had happened, "and she ended up leaning her head on me as we watched a movie, and she kind of straddled me while climbing over me, but that could just be me being hopeful. Oh, and she jokingly told me that she told my mom we were making out, which also may just be me being hopeful, and she may just have done it to get a reaction out of me." I finished listing to him all the little things I remember. 

"Well then, it was more eventful than what I had imagined it was. Maybe I've been wrong this whole time and she does have a crush on you." He said and I slowed down my walking speed trying to process what he had just said. Maybe she has a crush on me? What if she does? What do I do then, do I have a crush on her? I mean, yeah I guess so, but I've never had to deal with this before and I'm like a lost puppy right now. "Stop spiraling in your own thoughts, you don't even know if she likes you or not, just be cool for now yeah?" Demetri said pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded to him as he continued to walk away, disappearing into the crowd that flowed through the hall, and I walked into my next period. I sat down at my desk, pulling my books out for the class, and spreading them out so I could see them all. I started reading through my notes when a hand came down onto my book I was reading from. I looked up to see Kyler standing at my desk, and immediately looked back down. 

"Aww what's the matter lip?" He started taunting me, using the nickname they know bothers me, lip. "Were you hoping I was your little girlfriend?" He said, as him and his group of friends started laughing. I kept my head down, hoping that they would go away if I just ignored them. "Listen-" he kept talking "-I heard your cute conversation with that dumbass boyfriend of yours, and I can guarantee to you that she doesn't like you, she's just being nice to you because she feels bad for you." He said, and it stung a lot. He was just telling me everything I worried about deep down, and it was taking everything in me not to cry. Still, I kept my head down and didn't say anything to him. "Yeah, she was texting me all about it last night, after she left your house. Told me how weird you are, and how hard it was for her to be so close to your face and not gag at the sight of your lip, and..." He kept talking on and on, but I had stopped listening at this point. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks, and I just needed to be out of this situation. I closed all my books up and put them away, grateful of the fact that Kyler had earlier taken his hand of my books when he was talking. I picked all my stuff up, after trying to wipe my eyes, without having made it noticeable. When I started packing up my stuff, Kyler and his friends obviously knew they had done enough damage to make me want to leave, so they laughed and walked to their seats. I sat in my chair with my head down waiting for the teacher to come in, and the moment she did, I got out of my chair and walked up to her desk. 

"Could I be excused for the period?" I asked her in such a small voice, even I was ashamed, as I kept my head down. 

"How come?" She asked, politely, but I still didn't want to answer her. I just looked up at her, with my red puffy eyes, and tear stained cheeks, hoping she would just let me go. She looked at me with pure sympathy in her eyes, and said "Of course honey." And let me go without any further questioning. I was so thankful of her. I quickly walked out of the class and to the nearest bathroom, locking myself in a stall and letting the tears fall freely now. I got out my phone, and in losing all my pride to Kyler, had none left to lose, so I called my mom to come pick me up. She said she would, without really questioning it, and told me she would text me when she was outside. She texted me within fifteen minutes, and we drove home in silence. When we got home, I immediately went to my room and shut my door, and mom still didn't say anything to me.