The Vigilante

CHAPTER 4

First period was already ruined by Calum who decided to put his target on me. The geography teacher was oblivious about his behavior thanks to us sitting at the very back of the class. I barely could focus on the subject due to his constant nagging.
Being one of his victims is the last thing on my mind. I have seen too much and I'm proud of myself for staying in my lane.
"Your intelligence doesn't suit the way you dress," he remarked noticing my Sleeping With Sirens shirt and ripped jeans. I returned the favor, eyeing his clothing; signature dress code of a jock. I'm surprised thee wasn't one single speck of dust on his jacket or an impression of a ball that hit him yesterday. I wasn't observing him, but he always seemed to be everywhere I go. A lot of things happened for I now rarely approached a guy or acknowledge their presence or e is thence. My intelligence is shaded by the way I dress, confusing students with it.
"I don't like to show it off," my eyes stayed glued to the blackboard. From my peripheral I saw him clenching his fist from my lack of attention for him. I had a good reason and that was to get a better mark for my geography test.
"Do you ever give others your full attention except for your friends ?"
If I wasn't annoyed before then I am beyond now.
"They, unlike you, are the ones who deserve it!"
I rested my head on the palm of my hand, plugging my left ear with my middle finger to prevent his further annoyance. That time I was the one annoying him.

Lunch wasn't any better either. It was like the world froze when Calum threw his bag on our table. Zoe, Vanessa and Ari glared at him while I just observed the girls's expressions with my blank one. I could feel him glare slightly at me as I continued ignoring his presence.
"As you were saying ?," I sighed and caught Ari's attention, indicating to continue our conversation. I was smiling along.
"Oh hey Calum, what brings you here ?," Calum interrupted again, mocking a girly voice even I couldn't master. It was either that I enjoyed dodging to look in his eyes or that I don't want to risk slowly falling for him. I lost my touch in the department of relationships. A single or intense 'I love you' has me questioning about love. The walls I constantly built around my heart all came crashing down till it was dumped under all the broken bricks. I turned cold but I kept my cool.
"Please ignore him," I sighed. As they hesitantly tried to come back into the conversation, Calum roughly grabbed my bicep with one hand, placing his mouth right by her ear. The girls gasped as my gaze slowly darted to the ground, close to his feet. The girls mentally wondered how I kept looking determined, not once flinching. Everyone in the cafeteria was suddenly interested in our act like it was some kind of Shakespeare play.
"Ignore me ? No one ignores me!," I could tell that my ears would be ringing from his harsh whispers.
"I can tell, but not everybody is thrilled to have a chance talking to you."
Calm and smooth is how I talk to people, despite their behavior.
"Your ego is bigger than your respect towards others...."
I finally turned my face but my gaze was on his chest. I satisfied him with a quick look in his eyes before untangling his hand from me and stood up. Everybody kept quiet until I was out of their sight.

In some situations you can be praised for putting g a bully in their place. For me it just got worse. From being the outcast and secret nerd, I had been ranked as the bullies' main victim.
If Calum wants something, he is determined to get it. Not everything in life is available within a heartbeat. Sometimes hard work pays off.
I was surprised they left Luke unharmed that day. Soaked in the book he was currently reading while his locker door was open. Calum and his gang were nearing us and I was afraid they'd torture Luke again. But I was the one being pushed, causing me to collide with Luke. The locker door was slammed shut due to my impact, getting myself a cut on my forehead. I chose to keep ignoring them and helped the poor boy up.
"Just don't react to whatever they do, it'll annoy them but it's worth it," I lead Luke out to start our usual walk home. I could hear Calum punching the lockers out of frustration for not getting a single piece of my attention. One day he'll regret demanding what he wants.