A Geek's High School Survival

"Don't give anyone your lunch money Wayne, and make sure you really stink up your shoes so no bully even thinks of looking in there." My dad was really overprotective. "Trust me, I've been through it all"

"Does that stuff really happen at high school?" I gulped with concern, my dad's overprotectiveness was scaring me.

"It sure does, high school is like junior hell" said my dad.

That was really over the top, no wonder my mother got a divorce.

School started in 1 week, I was really nervous and my dad was not helping.

We were having dinner and all this high school talk was making me lose my appetite.

"I'm suddenly not hungry" I said to my dad.

"It's ok Wayne, you don't need to worry about fitting in"

WHAT! How did he know that's what was putting me off?!

"I wasn't worrying!" I scoffed at dad. "I just had some snacks a half hour ago"

"Whatever you say" My dad smiled. "Oh yeah, I'm taking you to get some shoes tomorrow" my dad said as I went to my room.

---

I sat on my bed thinking about what high school would be like, would it be any different to junior high? I was a highly achieving student and was bullied for being a 'geek'.

Seriously, what's bad about being clever? It just means i'll get into a good college, a good university and hopefully get a high paying job. Who am I kidding, being clever is the key to success!...and money! Yes, you can call me greedy.

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, high school. My best friend Rob is super confident about high school but he doesn't have bullies to worry about. He doesn't really participate in class so he's pretty much a C student.

I think I should just stop worrying about high school and go with the flow. Oh and I wonder why my dad made such a big deal about getting shoes, and should I take up on dad's advice?

I mean, I do have problems with bullies and he's been through it all so maybe his tips could really help me. Well, I think I should just hope for the best.

---

"What about these ones" I showed my dad some fancy, colourful high tops. Yes we were at the mall shoe shop.

"They'll get stolen" My dad replied.

"Fine" I put them back and kept on looking for more, all the while thinking: 'why would a bully wan't my shoes? Cheapskates.'

"How about these?" My dad showed me some plain old shoes.

"But they're ugly! They look like old people shoes" I said

"They're not old people shoes, they're walking shoes"

"Yeah, for people walking for over 85 years" My dad looked at me annoyed, "Fine..."

"I need to check them first" said my dad. He put his hand inside the trainers and said "Yep, just enough room for your lunch money, wait here while I go to the checkout"

While I was waiting I saw my best friend Rob, he came over to me and said "Hi Wayne! You buying shoes?"

"No I'm looking for my unicorn!" I said sarcastically. We both laughed. Rob got the fancy, colourful high tops and showed them to his mom who went to the checkout.

"I was going to get those high tops," I said to Rob, "but my dad said they'll get 'stolen'"

"I'm lucky I don't have to worry about bullies!" said Rob, laughing.

"My dad checked the trainers I got to see if I could fit lunch money in there" I said, confused.

"My big brother Bob said that all the nerds put their lunch money in their shoes and then made their shoes reek like crazy so that they wouldn't get their lunch money stolen." Said Rob. Suddenly, everything dad said made sense.

"Oh yeah, Bob knows a lot about that doesn't he, there's a reason I call him Bully Bob" I laughed and even though Rob didn't like me disrespecting Bully Bob, he couldn't help laughing.

Rob was lucky to have an older brother to look out for him. I have an older brother, Bruce (yes I know, his name's Bruce, my name's Wayne, my dad's a fan of Batman),but Bruce lives with my mom in Salt Lake City. The only person I have looking out for me is my dad, and he can't help me in school.

I suddenly realised that my dad was taking awfully long at the checkout. Then finally he came, I said bye to Rob and on the way to my dad's car I thought to myself about what Rob said that Bob said and how I could take advantage of that to outsmart them bullies

---

My dad then took me to get some clothes, at the clothes shop he said to me "Make sure you're wearing beige" I was confused "no known gang is the colour beige"

"That's ridiculous!" I said, unconvinced.

"Will you think it's ridiculous when a group of people come up to you if you're wearing black and think you're part of a rival gang and beat you so hard your eyes pop out. Trust me I've been through this...except my eye didn't pop out." My dad went to the checkout and this time he didn't take longer than before.

Well, I've been thinking about what I found out about what high school is like and I think I have some ideas on how to outsmart those bullies.