All I Want is You

Didn't Waste my Time on Romance

School life carried on, and the same old stuff happened every day. I was still hated among my school mates, and they were still calling me mean names. Thanks to John I was still remembered as the one who had spaghetti wig.
And I tried to avoid Billy as much as possible – I did not want to start another fight and God knew what would happen if he started to pick on me; things might turn out ugly.
“Hey!” I was on my way to the next class and someone – actually, it was John – bumped into me and the things I was carrying fell all over the floor, “So are your eyes starting to have problems too? Watch where you are going!” I hissed.
I bent down to collect my belongings and I expected John to retort or stamp on my books. But he just stood there, watching me pick up my stuff.
“I’m sorry,” he suddenly said and caught me by surprise.
“Huh?” I thought I had heard him wrong but he did really apologize to me. What was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly so normal around me?
“Sorry,” he said again and simply walked away. Well, that was way better than I had expected. Usually he would have through the sea of stuff I had dropped onto the floor or made rude comments. But now? He was even saying sorry! Was the world becoming upside down or something?
I ignored the weird encounter and just collected all my stuff and continued to the next class. That jerk was not worth the spaces in my head. I should not even think about him. That was a waste of resources.

“Ugh,” I groaned to myself as John and his friends entered the classroom. Yesterday I just argued with John at school because he was being stupid and snatching my seat again, and this lesson I was going to see him again.
I was sitting at the back of the classroom, and it was almost time for the lesson to start. There were not many grouped seats left, and even though they usually would sit far away from me on the other end of the classroom, they had no option left. They would have to sit near me, in the seats which everyone avoided.
“Gosh,” I mumbled, “Today’s going to be a bad day.” I did not want to have that sick person near me during the first period; it was like a curse!
But since I was singled out, it was easy for me to find another seat. I went to an empty desk to avoid that group of meanies.
“Oh my God Linda!” someone near me squeaked and stared at the seat which I had just left and also the empty seat next to it, “She’s left those seats! Let’s go and sit near John!”
Then that girl who apparently was called Linda rushed to those two seats before anyone could get to them.
Typical girls at our school. They were head over heels for John. So I was absolutely not the typical type. And I was proud of it.
John noticed that I had moved away from him, and he was now staring at me. But when he caught me staring back, he quickly turned away and talked with his friends.
He was really being unusual… Like I care.

“Okay, oops – sorry – thanks man… Oh Ivan you don’t mind do you?” I was in the line of the cafeteria and as per usual, John and his friends were invading the line and jumping queue again, and everyone just stepped aside to let them pass.
Then I could hear them close to where I was. I stood still, preparing to stop them from passing.
“Oh,” John’s voice finally rang behind me, “I – would – well, I guess we’ll just wait here.”
To my surprise, John had stopped right behind me. He was not planning to take over my place and this was simply extraordinary.
“What?” one of his mates said, like he could not believe his ears, “Why?”
I turned my head slightly to glance behind me, and I saw his friends trying to see who I was. When they saw that it was me, it was like their eyes were about to fall out.
“(Yn)?” one of them said, “That’s weird John, it’s just that loser! Why didn’t you continue?”
“Just stop okay,” John said with a strained voice, “She won’t let us pass anyway. And that’s going to cause a scene and we’ll just end up embarrassing ourselves.”
“What?” another of his friends said, “That’s so not like you, John! Don’t tell me what we’ve been making jokes about you two is true!”
“No!” John quickly retorted, “It’s not, okay; just shut up!”
“Well, seriously,” another voice said, “I agree with him… Something’s off about you John… Why are you acting so weird recently especially when that spaghetti head is around?”
“Just shut up,” John said, and I could tell he was annoyed. His friends could see that he was serious about it, so they did not speak further.
But that was simply strange. Even to me, someone who was not familiar with him, could tell. I was not going to pay any further attention though; at least he was not bugging me.

Today was another dull school day. John had bugged me less, but that did not mean other people had too, especially the real bullies. John was not a real bully to be honest; he just acted like the coolest guy at school and also the boss of the place. But that was actually all he did. He would not really harm anyone like those bullies who physically abused people.
I was walking in the opposite direction to everyone else. The school day had just been over, and I was asked to help my English teacher with teaching this junior boy English. The teacher said the boy had some difficulties in learning, and as I was one of the best students in that teacher’s class, she had asked me to tutor this boy who apparently was called Jordon today after school. People were walking towards the exit, while I was walking further into the school building to the staff room.
“Aye spaghetti head,” someone called as they saw me walking into the building, “Why you walking in that direction? Detention for being too stupid?”
I ignored them and everyone who was snickering at me. I increased my speed and turned a corner, and then another and walked down the deserted hallway.
And that was when I saw something horrible happening. There was a group of regular bullies at our school who were apparently surrounding someone against the wall. And from the spaces between the bullies I could see a junior boy sobbing.
“Stupid idiot,” one of the bullies spat, and shoved the junior boy’s shoulder harshly, making he yelped, “No wonder you’re wandering around the school at this time; you must be too helpless and the teachers had to give you endless detentions!”
“Hey!” I shouted and marched towards the bullies and the junior boy. They all looked up at me and the boy’s scared expression had resided a little.
“Go away, spaghetti head!” one of them yelled meanly at me, “This is none of your business; if you want to leave this place safe and sound, turn around now!”
“What are you doing?” I demanded, ignoring their threatening stares. I set my feet in front of them.
“Now go away before you regret,” they left the junior boy’s side and towered over me, “You nosy idiot.”
“YOU should be the one going away,” I hissed, “Leave this boy alone.”
“You asked for this,” the one standing in the middle said angrily, and punched me in the face without warning.
I groaned in pain, and held my jaw where I had just been hit. I could see the boy behind the bullies shivering with fright.
I shifted my glance back to the bullies, “That’s enough,” I said, furious, then something came up in my mind – I could not fight so many people off alone, but a teacher could do the job just by being here.
“Miss Green!” I pretended to be relieved and stared behind the line of bullies in front of me. The bullies all froze in their positions for a brief moment, then ran towards the direction which my back was facing without even glancing back.
I turned my head around to see them escaping; I smirked and rubbed my sore jaw. My simply trick had worked – I knew they were really cowards when it came to the matter of teachers, and they would be too dumb to even double check if what I said was true.
Finally I turned my attention back to the junior boy who was still in shock, “Are you okay?” I put a hand on his shoulder gently.
“I – I’m alright,” he whispered, “Th – thanks.”
“No problem,” I smiled small at him, “I know how that feels… It’s okay now; they’re gone, you don’t have to be scared now. Here, come with me.”
I was planning to take this boy to the teachers and as I headed towards the corner, I spotted John looking at us. From his expression it was like he had witnessed the whole thing.
I ignored him and continued my walk. But he would not take his stare off me. And it was starting to get uncomfortable.
It was like he felt sorry for me and his eyes seemed to be softer than when he looked at me usually.
What was wrong with him?