Misfits (#2)

3.

I'm sheltered from the world in a multitude of ways so as soon as I could start, I learnt about it through books and classes. I've always liked academia because I've always had an academic brain.

But school itself, the people and the norms and the gossip has always ridden me a nervous wreck. Always. Since I can remember, I've never been able to fit in and it's not because I'm outlandish or have had a horrid rumour circled about me. I just never have.

I keep to myself. It's the only way I've known, though it doesn't bode well for me with some girls.

Learning's cool. Every bit of the rest of it makes my hands clammy.

I'm the only one of my brothers to go to a public high school. For one reason. The only thing about school I've ever truly loved. Who is stalking up to me with her sharp eyes and very clear annoyance as I sit on the small windowsill in the cafeteria.

I lift my gaze and am already observing. Being best friends since you were five years old allows you to memorise a persons mannerisms. And right now, Aurelie's mannerisms tell me she wants to rip someone's head off. Pretty common.

I silently watch as she clangs her tray down on the table in front of me. I close my book and lift my gaze, just as she blows one of the curls escaping her messy bun away from her forehead, and sits.

She's biting her lip. I wait just a few seconds-

"I fucking hate math." Aurelie stabs her fork into a sausage.

I set my book down and roll my lips in to suppress a little smile. When Aurelie's in angry rant mode, I could be speaking Mandarin and she wouldn't notice.

"Seriously, Vy. If it was a literal person, I'd shit all over it." She stabs more violently, "Like a giant massive turd and then shoot it or something. Just out of spite. I've done no wrong in this lifetime to have to be submitted to...that."

I open my mouth to speak but she's not done, swaying her fork and pointing it right at me, "And Mr Nesty Nelson can suck my cock."

She narrows her eyes at me. I really do try but my smile rises higher.

"Nesty's a new one." I tuck my hands under my thighs.

She takes a bite and glares, "That douche could horde a nest of wasps in that beard. He'd probably use them to kill me because he has it out for me."

I smile to myself, "Battle of the beard."

Awesome.

"He has it so fucking out for me, Vy." She grumbles back, not having heard thankfully.

"You called him a moronic misogynist with a worm for genitals."

"Have you seen his genitals?" She accuses, I open my mouth but there's no point, "Exactly. Nothing's offensive if it's true."

I lean forwards and push back one of her thick curls whilst she keeps picking at her food, now frowning like a bothered kid. If I'm picking up on things clearly, I know what this is about.

"Hey, did the test not go well?"

"I don't know. I always tank in that class."

Although I wouldn't go as far with the insults, I'm definitely not a fan of Nesty Nelson either. As a kid, she always struggled with school but growing a little older, I took notice to her specific difficulties.

After talking about it with her, I sat her parents down with Aurelie's hand in mine and told them about dyslexia and the signs Aurelie was showing. She was too scared to but they helped her as much as they could from that moment on.