Edge of seventeen

Chapter 13

I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, already dreading what awaited me at school. The night had been a blur of apologies and endless repetitions of "I will never hit a woman from this day onward," and I was bracing for the fallout. I figured the school would be buzzing with gossip about the slap—something along the lines of "Isn't that the guy who got slapped across the face?" or "Elliot Adler actually got slapped? What a loser!" I was mentally preparing for a day filled with whispers and judgment.

So, you can imagine my shock when I walked into school and found something entirely different. The halls weren't filled with sneers or whispers. Instead, they were alive with an unexpected buzz of excitement. I was greeted with high-fives, claps on the back, and cheers. It felt like I'd somehow become the hero of some ridiculous school-wide drama.

"Dude, that was fucking awesome!" someone shouted as I walked past.

"Seriously, Elliot, you've got balls!" another student chimed in, giving me a thumbs up.

I was stunned. I had expected to be the subject of ridicule, but instead, it felt like I'd somehow won some twisted popularity contest. The support was almost overwhelming. I hadn't expected the cheering, and it was a strange mix of relief and confusion. My ego, which I'd thought was thoroughly wrecked, was getting a surprising boost.

As the day progressed, the buzz around school continued. The more I walked through the halls, the more I heard things like, "Did you see the look on Sasha's face? Classic!" and "Elliot Adler showed some serious guts!" It was clear that Sasha's drama had somehow turned into my bizarre form of victory.

I noticed Sasha wasn't around. Rumor had it she was probably hiding out to avoid the embarrassment of her own making. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. She had a knack for blowing things way out of proportion and then disappearing when the heat was on. It was almost poetic justice, really.

Her absence was a relief. It meant I didn't have to deal with her or any awkward confrontation. The whole mess had ended with her losing her temper, making a scene, and then vanishing. The fallout from our last encounter had said everything that needed to be said. I didn't even need to send her a text with a "We're done" message; the events had made it clear enough.

As I walked through the halls, the support from my peers was almost intoxicating. I couldn't believe how things had turned around. What felt like a humiliating confrontation had somehow morphed into a bizarre form of validation. My brain struggled to process the shift from feeling utterly humiliated to being cheered on by my classmates.

By lunchtime, the school's cafeteria had become a strange celebration. I was surrounded by friends and even a few strangers who seemed eager to pat me on the back and tell me how great it was that I'd stood up for myself. It was like being thrown into the middle of a bizarre party where everyone was celebrating my awkward attempt at self-defense. It was surreal and, admittedly, kind of exhilarating.

"You handled that situation like a champ, man!" one of my friends said, slapping me on the back with a grin. "Sasha had it coming."

I nodded, trying to absorb the strange turn of events. "Yeah, I guess. It's just weird, you know? I thought I'd be getting a ton of shit for it, not this weird... support."

"Hey, sometimes people just need to see someone stand up for themselves," another friend added. "And you did it."

The rest of the day passed in a strange haze of congratulations and awkward interactions. My initial embarrassment had been replaced by a strange sort of pride, and while I still felt conflicted about how things went down, I couldn't deny the weird boost of confidence it gave me.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, I found myself reflecting on the bizarre day. What had started as a humiliating confrontation had, in an odd twist of fate, turned into something I hadn't expected—a strange form of respect and validation. It wasn't the victory I had planned for, but it was a win nonetheless.

I headed home, thinking about the unexpected support from my peers and how sometimes, even in the most ridiculous situations, you find yourself getting a little bit of validation. It might not have been the ideal outcome, but it was a reminder that life is unpredictable, and sometimes, even the most humiliating moments can lead to surprising victories.