Weightless

2

John payed for his breakfast and walked over to the corner of the lunch room, where he always sat.

He doesn't have many friends, well, he doesn't have friends at all.
Everyone hated him, but they only did so because he was different than the rest of the crowd, an outcast if you will. His eyes were always sunken in, his dark hair always covered his face and he rarely ever spoke to anyone.

He started to eat his gluten-free pancakes and fat-free chocolate milk.
Other students from across the cafeteria gave him ugly looks and continued to converse to their peers.
This was actually quite normal for him.
When there is that one different person around, everyone has to talk about that person, making them feel like a misfit to the world.
But even though this was normal for him, it didn't mean it didn't bother him.

After John was done eating, he stood up, pushed his chair in, threw away his tray and walked to the courtyard where he took out his sketchbook and started drawing.
He never had an idea to what he drew, but he just did it, it calmed him down - took him away from reality for a bit.
Watching lines connect together with every movement of his pencil was awfully mesmerizing.

The bell had rung.
It was 8:45
Time to go to first period.

***

John arrived at his fourth period class, geometry with Mr. Hecker.
At about ten minutes into the introduction of basic shaped, the class was interrupted by two people: a boy and a girl.
The girl was an office assistant, and she handed the teacher a note.

"Class", Mr. Hecker spoke. "We have a new student who enrolled late, this is Adrian".

"You can sit in that desk next to John. John, raise your hand"

John raised his hand.

Adrian slowly walked over to his desk, with everyone's eyes glued to him as he sat down.
They all looked disgusted.

There was something pleasing about Adrian that John noticed.
Adrian was similar to him. He didn't think about it as being conceited, but there was something humble about him that he really liked.

Adrian had a similar style to John, he had brown hair that swooped down, covering one of his sparkling blue eyes. He wore black attire with wristbands going up each of his arms. He also had smooth, pale skin with a piercing under his lip.
He was very quiet.
Until he glanced over at John, and spoke.

"Hi", he said cheerfully. "I'm Adrian and you, obviously, must be John".

John was shocked.
He didn't know what to do.
No one ever dared to speak to him.

"Um hi", John said awkwardly.
Trying to keep the conversation going, John asked
"So, uh, did you just move here?"

"Yeah", Adrian answered. "I came from San Antonio".

"Texas?", John asked.

"Yep!", Adrian exclaimed.

San Antonio.
John used to live there when he was in elementary school, then he moved to San Diego after he had just finished middle school.

John didn't mention that he used to live there though, mostly because he was still surprised that someone was actually talking to him.

John and Adrian started having a casual conversation about different bands that they listened to, come to find out that they both listen to the same artists.

The bell rang to release students to fifth period.

"Hey what do you have next?", asked Adrian.

"Lunch", John replied.

"Me too!", said Adrian ecstatically. "Wanna walk together?", he asked.

"Yeah, sure", John said.

John couldn't get over the feeling that he's met Adrian before.
He looks so familiar.
So oddly familiar.
That face, had he seen it before?

This all seemed so fake to John, a dream almost.
Like a moment of sweet ecstasy that won't last forever, leaving him hollow and lonely once more.