Just Another Stereotypical Road to Nowhere

Chapter 2

I'm sorry that my chapters are so short, I promise that they'll get longer. But this was the perfect way to end this chapter.

~themagicmeow~

‘The day my world turned upside down’ is such a cliche, but it works so I’m going to use it. Last Thursday was the day my world turned upside down. It was a good day at school: I only got ignored. As if to make my day even weirder, I met the new girl. She’d moved into town a few days before, but Thursday was her first day of school. She came up to me, dressed in a sweet smile and soft, pretty colors that I would never wear. But they suited her. She introduced herself as Marie, and asked if I would show her around the campus. I told her that being seen with me was social suicide, but she said that it didn’t matter. And I believed her. I showed her to her classes that day, and she sat with me during lunch. I actually smiled, for what felt like the first time in years.

I should have known that something was wrong from the lack of harassment.

When the final bell rang, we were ambushed. Of course, it had to be the football team. One of them grabbed me from behind and held my arms behind my back. “Leave Marie out of this, you cretins! She’s new and doesn’t know how things work!” They just laughed at me. I looked around and saw that she stood next to Trevor, the captain. She was laughing too, her sweet smile replaced by one of the sadistic grins that adorned the cheerleaders. “Marie,” I whispered, not wanting to believe the betrayal.

“Did you honestly think that anyone would actually become friends with you? You’re not normal, you don’t fit in. You will never find someone who accepts you. Get used to it.” Those few words hurt more than any punches that I had ever received, and I started crying. I cursed myself for being so quick to tears as I pulled away from the football player who held my arms. I ran all the way home, my feet following the familiar path.

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I opened the front door and shut it as quietly as possible before dropping my backpack on the floor next to my shoes. “Put your backpack upstairs where it belongs, Jamilla,” my mother said from the landing. I knew she saw my tears. “We’re going out to that new restaurant for Mallory’s birthday, but they don’t allow minors, so wish her happy birthday while you can. I’ve left your dinner in the fridge.”

That was the final straw for me. All my insouciance, my perfectly crafted mask of indifference was shattered. “What’s wrong with you?” I screamed as loud as I could. My father rushed out of his office and stood next to my mother.

“Don’t take that tone with your mother,” he ordered, going into authoritative lawyer mode.

“Do I even matter to you, either of you? I’m not the boy that you wanted or the barbie-doll daughter that you want me to be! I’m myself, but all you see is a disappointment! You’ve never really seen me, have you? You never realized that I never had any friends! You didn’t even notice when I came home with a black eye two months ago! Do I matter that little to you?” My throat was raw from shouting and my voice shook with sobs.

They said nothing, their faces remaining detached masks of disinterest. Their silence confirmed my fears. I turned around and ran out of the house, barefoot, and down the street. I turned the corner and entered the park. I reached the old maple tree and dragged myself into the embrace of its sturdy, comforting branches. The foliage surrounded me and I cried away the pent up sorrow of years.