Crescent🌙

6

The next few school days were not only a bore but also a frustrating game of trying to ignore any soul that tried interacting with me. Highschool felt like a never-ending play with long winding dramas and annoying characters set out to taunt me. Madeleine - at least I think that's her name - asked me if I would join her after school to study for an English test in the library, which was apparently tradition for her friend group every Thursday.

I politely declined, coming up with a reasonable excuse to get me out of any social interaction past what was necessary. I just simply couldn't bring myself to spend precious time with people I didn't care about, despite how lonely I really was and how desperately I needed friends.

"Maybe another time, yeah?" I smiled, already turning to head to my next class. I exited the building, making my way towards science, the sudden coolness in the air chilling me.

I spotted Josh walking with a few of his friends, laughing inaudibly and smiling wide. We made eye contact, but I pulled my eyes away and headed straight to my next class with pace. Although I heard some shuffling behind me and presumed Josh was walking fast to catch up with me.

"I need to copy your homework again for-" Josh started. I didn't turn around.

"Get someone else to do it, yeah?" I muttered.

Walking without a break in my rhythm, I heard nothing more. I wondered if he understood the message, that I wasn't gonna let him push me around anymore.

-

It had occurred to me in my science class that if I sat at the back, kept my head down, and applied a nonchalant look to my face that no one would bother me. Not even the teacher. This new practice would come in handy, especially as I had already completed my tasks for the lesson and was set on daydreaming whilst staring out the window.

A mere dull sun poked weakly through the clouds, and only a subtle wind brushed through the trees, but I still stared outside in contempt. My once buzzing mind had stilled for a few minutes, and I decided to fill it with dreams of the future.

I had envisioned a life in a small house positioned in the middle of a thick forest. A fire grew brightly within a fireplace that sat proudly within my imagined living room. I could almost feel the corduroy couch that I layed upon, resting my head on someone. I wondered for a minute - who would I end up with? Would I ever experience a life without solitude?

"Tyler? Are you going to be staring outside that window the whole lesson?" Miss Bell asked, sighing.

I had almost jumped at her sudden words but attempted to recompose myself quickly. The others in the classroom all stared at me intently - or so it felt like - and I tried to ignore the uncomfortable awkwardness.

"Sorry, miss." I spoke softly.

"Okay, let's get back onto the topic!" Miss began before returning to teaching. Her back turned to the classroom as she scribbled on the board.

I put my head down again, heat slowly dissipating from my face. Being told off was a major fear of mine, and regaining composure was difficult. It didn't help that Josh was sitting in front of me and turned his head to smile at me. His arm was draped across the chair.

"Naughty, Tyler." He tutted, "Dreaming about me?"

Usually, I would have retorted back by saying something along the lines of "that would be a nightmare, actually." But I was ignoring him currently, and he had not gotten the message.

Instead, I avoided eye contact, gazing at the notebook in front of me. I began writing down some notes that I thought could be important despite having completed most of the work. Just anything to fill the awkwardness.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that embarrassing!" He whispered, avoiding being caught by the teacher. Josh waited for a few seconds before opening his mouth again, but he was pushing it this time.

"Can you just leave me alone." I spoke calmly.

"Sorry." He mouthed silently, turning attention back to the teacher for a few seconds. He leant back in his chair, letting it creak, and sighed, possibly out of boredom.

It was a shame that Josh was in most of my classes AND was my neighbour. I could barely avoid the guy.

Towards the end of the lesson, Miss Bell had begun collecting our homework. A reached into my cluttered bag to dig it out and place neatly onto the desk. I had put quite a bit of effort into this one and even having done extra credit. Sometimes, academics just came easy to me, unlike social interactions.

Miss Bell collected mine before heading to Josh's desk. He nervously fiddled with his pencil as she awaited for the homework to be handed in. Her arms folded crossly to her chest, "Anything you have to give me?" She asked sternly.

I watched as Josh shook his shoulders, "What can I say? I didn't have the time!" He boldly stated, although I could tell he was anxious.

"Josh, this is the third time in a row you haven't handed in your work, it's more than just a detention this time." Mis Bell sighed.

Josh looked down into his lap at that, clearly not expecting a harsher punishment.

"I think at this point you should be doing something else other than sitting in detention. I think I should speak to our lunch supervisors into making you clean up after every lunch for, let's see, a week?"

Josh nodded, "Sorry miss." He seemed genuinely upset at the thought of being humiliated every lunch. And I could have prevented that by letting him copy my homework. However, he also could have prevented this by doing the homework himself, so I was not at fault. But why did I feel a tinge of guilt?

1005 words
Very late update sorry. In uni right now the fucckkk.