One Hundred Letters for James

004

004:

Assemblies

(You won't remember this one, you weren't there)

It was maybe the second or third day of Grade Nine, and you were absent for a school assembly. I didn't have any other friends, so I sat on my own.

Do you remember Vera? She was such a bitch, her and all of her stupid friends. She had come up to me, with all her stupid little buddies.

"Hey Kathleen, where's James? Is he sick? Or did he finally get tired of you following him around everywhere?" She laughed. She was talking so loud, everyone was looking at us, because the assembly hadn't started yet.

"He's sick." I said through gritted teeth. I had always had a slight anger management issue, and I wanted so bad to sock her in the mouth.

"Why does he even hang out with you? Is he too good to turn down a love struck girl?" A collective gasp went through the assembly hall.

At the time, I was going out with Nathan. He hadn't arrived yet, but when he did, Vera pretended to be surprised.

She fake whispered "Does he know that you're cheating on him with James?" and Nathan just glared at me. He stood up and walked away, and I had already known that we were over.

"Oops, sorry!" And the whole hall laughed. I stood up, and I punched her in the freaking stomach.

I was pulled out of the hall and given detention for a week. I told you that it was because I said something rude to the principal, and that Nathan and I broke up because he met another girl.

I've been nervous around assemblies since.