Strings

Chapter 3: New Friend

The first week of school is not the way I have expected it to be. I thought my life would be the same.  I thought that would be talking to my friends all day long, loving all my teachers, and meeting new people. Apparently, my expectations were nowhere near true. Well, beside the fact that I found a new friend. We were both loners left at the side of the road.

After Biology on Friday I walked out of class, alone of course, and noticed a really attracted guy also walking alone. I remember back in middle school he was part of the popular group. He had a whole group of friends. Why he was walking alone seemed kind of weird.

"Hey." I said as I walked up to him.

"Hi..." he said looking discouraged.

"What happened to your whole group of friends?" I asked.

"I would ask the same thing with you," he said.

"I asked first."

"Touché. They left me..." he said looking down at the ground. I could tell he was really sad about this.

"I feel ya man... Why did they leave you?" I asked. He is cute... And lonely... Perfect chance to make friends with a hottie... right?

"Oh... Uh, they found out I was gay," he said. Ohhhhhh............. Nevermind......... What kind of friends leave because you are gay? That is so mean! There is nothing wrong with being gay! I will have a stern talk with all of those people!

"Aw... I'm so sorry! Those people are jerks!" I said.

"I know... So, why did your friends leave you?" he asked

"Honestly, I don't know. I thought we were cool and stuff. We just didn't hang out over the summer then we grew apart. They just stopped talking to me..." I said trying to hold in my tears.

"Oh, sorry. But, hey! I got an idea!" he says as his frown turned upside down.

"Revenge?" I ask. I know revenge isn't always the way to go, but his ex-friends deserve it. You don't just leave someone behind when you find out they are gay. What if I stopped being a person's friend because that person likes to eat fish?

"I like the way you think, but how about we become friends. Hi. I'm Ethan," he says.

"I like the way you think! Hi. I'm Skylar, but you could call me Sky," I say.

Thank God I met him. If I didn't I would probably spend my entire high school years without any friends. I know it sounds like I would be over reacting, but I am actually not social... I know I am crazy, but that is only when I am with my friends. When I talk to my friends, I go all out. When I am around strangers, I barely talk. People that don't know me think I am quiet. People that do wish I was.

"So, where is your next class?" I asked so I could see if we had the same classes.

He handed me his schedule as I took out mine. I checked both of our schedule.

"We basically have the same schedule, except... You are taking AP biology???" I ask. This guy must be really good at science while I don't even understand what cells are...

"Oh, yeah. I really like science," he said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I suck at it! Could you please teach me? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" I ask grabbing his arm and tugging. After a while of me begging and tugging he finally gives me an answer.

"Okay, okay. Fine," he finally says.

"Yay! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I would fail science back in middle school. I just don't understand any of it. What even is the difference between an animal and plant cell? I don't even get how a cell works!

My dad is a doctor and supposedly, I somehow am next in line. How does my family expect me to become a doctor? I sucked at science! I barely made it by! I had to beg my teacher to at least give me a C which I never deserved. I envy the people that are naturally good at science. Anything I learn in science, I question. Why does it do that? At least in math, it is straight to the point. English, you follow the rules, you read and remember. In history, you just remember things about people and events. In French, you just remember words... In science, you need to know why it does that, how it does that, and anything else I don't know the answer to.

"Ha, you're cute," he said pinching my cheek.

"If you weren't gay I would probably have a crush on you. You're not like most gay people. No offense, but I normally expect gay guys to seem girly... You seem like a normal, manly guy," I stated. I hope I didn't sound offensive. It's just that I have met some gay people in my life and they are nothing like Ethan. Ethan seems like a really chill, guy friend. I would never expect him to be gay from the way he was.

Now that I think of it... That was offensive. I can't judge someone from the way they talk or act... I feel bad now.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that... I just meant-" I say trying to rephrase what I was saying.

"No, I get it. Don't worry. I didn't take it too offensively. I guess you could say that there are the two types of gay people. You have the girly gays, which you thought all gay people are like. Then you have the other type. They act normal just like anybody else, but their preference is different, " he explains.

"Oh... Ok, I get it," I say...

"You could have worded it differently, though" he says in a half smile.

"Sorry, I didn't know how to say it," I say.

"It's fine. What is our next class?" he asks.

"Um... Are you taking French or Spanish?" I ask.

"Spanish. You?"

"French." I say.

"What class do we have after that?" he asks.

I open my bag to find it and quickly taking out while walking. "Umm...." I find Friday's classes. With the paper in my face I see that the next class is... "English," I say.

Something hits me to the ground, just as hard as it did on Monday. I fall to the ground... once again.