All I Want is You

I was Tough

I dragged myself off the bed next day. I did not want to go to school. I even hated school more now. All because of that bastard. The one whose name started with a “J”. I did not even want to say his name. He disgusted me.
I did not know what to expect today; everyone had been laughing at me yesterday and it was kind of a massive event to me. Usually I just got teased verbally and not in front of such a huge crowd, either by that stupid hateful being or some other “cool” kids. But yesterday was different. I was humiliated in front of almost the whole school, and I looked like a mess with food all over. And not to mention that rude comment that went with it.
Hopefully it would just be the same as usual, and not worse. I was actually a bit scared that I would be bullied like the other victims – and it might even involve violent.
But I had no way to avoid going to school, so I just had to deal with it. It was not like I was going to a place full of criminals – although that j-person did seem like a criminal. He should be locked up.
I went through my usual routine and went downstairs to have my breakfast, then went out and headed to school.
I tried to keep my head high as I entered the school so I would not look like I was crushed by the event yesterday. I did not want to look like a vulnerable target.
Even though I was trying my hardest to stop the situation from turning ugly, it seemed like it was no use. People were definitely changing their attitudes towards me. And it was not in a good way.
“Oh look! It’s (Yn) the spaghetti hair,” I heard someone say loudly.
“Hey! So besides spaghetti, what have you tried putting on your head?” another person yelled, “Have you tried using worms? I bet you have and man isn’t that disgusting?”
“It’s not gross to her; she’s like a dirty worm herself!”
“Oh my God yes!” people were laughing meanly now. I was fuming, but I could not do anything about it.
I kept my gaze straight and focused on walking to my destination which was my classroom. But I was interrupted.
“Is that a worm on her back?” someone said behind me, “Oh, let me get it off of you!”
Then the next thing I knew was that I was on the floor. I was pushed on the back harshly, and I fell forward and onto the floor. Luckily I did not fall face flat – I caught myself with my arms in time.
But since I was still outside on the school ground, the floor was rough. I had scraped my palms and a bit of my elbows too, and they were bleeding. It was not serious though.
I snapped my head up to look at the person that had done that to me. And it was one of the famous bullies at our school called Billy. Billy the bully. With lots of muscles. He usually did not get involved with me because he prefer physical bullying and I was not a target among this area. So the situation now did not smell good at all.
And standing from a distance behind him were John and his mates.
John and his mates were all snickering at me, and I tried to kill John with my dead serious expression. But of course it did not work.
He grinned back at me smugly, and Billy was still towering over me who had not got up on the floor. And basically everyone around was watching us like a show.
“That worm isn’t gone yet,” Billy said evilly, “Here, let me he—”
I slapped his arm away harshly before he could touch my shoulder – he was trying to shove me on my shoulder – “Don’t touch me!” I warned him.
“I’m just trying to be nice,” Billy’s expression darkened, “If you reject my kindness, you’re going to regret it.”
“I don’t care,” I stood back up and straightened my clothes and pulled on the straps of my bag, “I don’t need your kindness. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”
“Oh yeah?” Billy said with an eyebrow raised, “Then you might prefer my rudeness.”
He was about to push me again but I dodged him. He hit the air and I used all my strength to push his shoulders and he stumbled backwards.
“No one can ever insult me,” Billy said, clearly angered by how I stood up against him – no one had ever done that before, all the victims were too scared to do that, “Watch your back; you’re warned.”
He stormed away into the school building and I just stood there, staring at him. I could hear people mumbling and passing glances, and I turned around to look at John, even though I did not really want to look at his face – but I just had to see it.
His mates still had a smug expression on, but strangely, not John. He was staring at me with an unreadable expression – he had his eyebrows pulled together, and he was not smiling or smirking like his friends.
Then I turned back towards the school and got to the nurse to get my scratches fixed up.
“Oh my,” the nurse was there and she gasped when she saw me, “What’s happened to your arms?”
“I fell,” I answered simply. I did not want to start any drama. Drama meant attention, and when it was me getting attention it was not a good thing.
“Poor you,” the nurse helped cleaned up my wounds and bandaged them, “Next time be more careful!”
“Thanks; I will,” I nodded and smiled at her.
Afterwards I went to my classroom and everyone I passed on the way was murmuring about me. Well, that was rare to see someone stand up to Billy; that was why they were still talking about it. But luckily no one was calling me names… At the moment. I was not sure about later.
I entered the classroom, and the one I hated the most was already there. He was surrounded by girls in one corner of the classroom. I sat down in an empty seat in the other corner.
“John!” one girl squeaked, “Do you want to hang out with us after school today?”
“Nah,” John said and darted a glance at me – I rolled my eyes and looked away, to stare ahead of me, “I – I’m going to hang out with my mates.” Of course he would turn them down. John did not really like hanging out with those girls at our school.
“No bro, just go ahead,” one of his friends said, “For goodness sake, if I were you I’d totally ditch my mates to go hang out with so many hot girls!”
The girls giggled annoyingly, but I could feel John staring in my way again, “If I’m not going to hang out, then I’ll stay home to sort out something for my mum – I’ve promised her about that some time ago.”
“Seriously,” another of his friends said jokingly, “That doesn’t sound like you – you’re not going to hang out with that loser—” he gestured at me, I saw from the corner of my eye, “—are you?”
“What?” John said, like he was shocked to hear that, “Of course not!”
Even though John had denied it, all the girls still looked in my way madly.
I sighed; here we go again. I had done nothing wrong, but I was hated more again.
“Well, is she starting to amaze you?” his friend kept on teasing him, “You’re trying to finish this challenge, huh? Trying to get a girl who’s apparently hard to get, even though she’s not the cool ones? Because she obviously hates you.”
“That’s rubbish,” John said, “That will never happen!”
“Hey spaghetti head over there,” one of the girls shouted, “Have you done something to our John? Why is he always looking at you? You’re really annoying!”
“What?” I said, pissed, “If it’s to do with someone, that’s absolutely not me! It’s not like you don’t know how much I hate him!”
“Is that joke yesterday not enough for you?” John said, annoyed by how I said I hated him so loudly for everyone to hear.
“Whatever,” I retorted, not wanting to start another fight with him.
And then the bell rang.