The Outsider

It is not often enough, or frequent enough that we see the outsiders story. We are comfortable in the same. In our town, different is a disease in which we must extinguish. These people known as outsiders are cast aside by groups. They are searching for a home, a home in which they can be accepted. In some ways we all are an outsider.

Growing up you never feel that you are different, never know that you will be considered the outsider even though you grew up here. Even though your neighbours had known you since you were in diapers. Nothing changed in this little town. People didn't move away, but those who did move here found out, quickly we weren't kind to strangers, like they were invading our land. It took years to fully accept them; even the children had become aware of the not-treating-outsiders-like-us rule.

I was only seven at the time when a young boy and his single father moved into the neighbourhood. My town was in an uproar. We all looked down at him and his little boy. When we saw them on the street we would cross it over to the other side, store clerks would follow them with scornful looks, thinking they would steal. It got so bad the father shut himself up, leaving his son to face the world, alone.

First day of school, the poor kid. Only I wish I could have told myself to go and talk to him. But I couldn't my parents would freak. For years he was the kid sitting alone, his father the local lunatic. This kid stuck it out. It wasn't till high school, years after we first met him that I knew he was there. He was different like me, and I was worried.

It was fourth period math class, we were taking a test. I couldn't even remember anything, math and me were not buddies. The teacher told us to take out our pencils, eraser and calculator. I rummaged through my bag. Nothing. I didn't have a pencil. I was screwed since I would get yelled at for not having one. I turned to my friend, Stacy, whispering, "You have a pencil? I don't have one."

"No, I don't sorry Kat.' I turned back to my desk, a hand stuck out in front of me. A pencil, sharpened and everything. I guess I should have looked up and seen that it was the boy who everyone had classified as a reject, but no I grabbed it then looked up. I gasped and dropped the pencil. But the math teacher thought we were cheating. My life started to suck at that moment. She told me and the outsider we had detention.

After class Stacy ran up to me.

'Kat I heard you and that, kid, have detention together.'' I nodded, she gasped. I couldn't tell her I wanted to say sorry to him, or that it was my fault. "I. was. so. worried." Pausing for some sort of dramatic effect.

"Stacy you were in class with me. You saw he just handed me a pencil. No big deal."

"No Katherine you don't understand this kid is going to be crazy like his father. Outsiders don't belong here. They are ruining everything nice we have here."

"No you listen here Stacy, I am sick and tired of you and everyone else saying that outsiders are ruining out town. We did not ask them to be targeted because they weren't born here. They came because they thought our town was a good one. But you and all the other selfish snobs can go and suck a lemon. Maybe stop judging people, and go and do your own damn thing." By now a crowd has formed and I was practically screaming at my best friend. Well I think ex best friend after this. I started away, and the crowd split down the center.

"Fine Katherine, but you will regret this that kid will drag you down." So that is how I went from miss popular to a zero. It hurt my best friend not even sticking up for me. But I turned around after Stacy had said "No one will be friends with you after this!"

"Screw you." I walked out of the school, towards the auditorium where detention was to be held. I notice the kid was right outside the door. He looked up from his book, as I walked in front of him. I stopped and turned. This was the final step before I became a reject too. I took a breath and was going to apologize.

"Stop, you don't need to bother. Everything can stay the same. If you go back and say it was my fault. Tell them you gad nothing to do with it" He picked up his books. Starting to walk in the direction of detention. I jogged to keep up.

"Hey no you listen here!" I stopped walking. "Stop!" I screamed at him. He huffed and turned to face me. "Look, I am not going back into that room and saying sorry to a bunch of plastic people. They can take there outsider crap and shove it. Now I wanted to say sorry to you not them. I didn't mean to get you in this mess, detention I mean."

"You are a strange girl, Katherine."

"What is your name?"

"I accept the apology. But after all these years of not knowing my name, I think it should stay that way. It doesn't matter my name, I will go back to being the invisible kid. The one you and your fellow townies hate. Now can I go to detention please?" He looked at me I nodded and followed him as we silently walked to our fate.

Detention let me get my homework done. I sat for an hour working on math equations. I would probably have to take summer school, knowing I had just flunked another test. Once it was over I walked outside, the parking lot empty. I would have to walk home by myself since Stacy was normally my ride.

I walked in the direction of my house, it was about a 15 minute walk. I sighed, my backpack weighing me down. In my mood it would take a lot longer than 15 minutes. I heard his sneakers crushing the leaves behind me, he started to walk beside me. It was weird after all this time of having him be invisible he sure wasn't now.

"Jesse, my name is Jesse Cobb." His voice was soothing. Like nothing I had ever heard before. He stuck out his hand. I reached for it.

"I thought it did matter, I thought you didn't want to tell me."

"Fine then." He started to walk up the path, leaving me behind.

"Wait, Stop, Jesse." I followed behind him, he didn't slow down. I stuck out my hand. "Katherine, Katherine Smith."

Our hands met, shocks flew. No I was not in love, I didn't think he was hot, nor did I want to get into his pants. These were literal sparks which burned my skin where they touched. Jesse looked up shocked and quickly removed his hand.

"Never tell anyone about this." His eyes wide open, he looked scared. I was too, and he ran toward his house. I looked down at my hand, there were no burn marks but a strange scar had appear there, right on my left hand. Small barely noticeable. But it as there, clear as day. Something was happening to me and I felt more like a outsider than a townie.