18 Years

Tears Flow

Sebastian

Everything happens for a reason.

Everything does. It just does, and don't ask me why because I don't have a valid answer. When the beautiful, magnificent Beij got hit across the face by one of Clyde's stupid thug friends, I almost socked that Minotaur right in his big, ugly nose. Almost. Instead I stood across the hall, stunned. I saw her looking at Clyde, and he was looking right back at her. I've seen that look of Clyde's. That "I'm-too-cool-to-actually-admit-I-like-you-look." She didn't even notice me. She never really did. She just cocked her head at my horns, which stick out of the top of my black and red hair. Everyone is confused by my horns, and how I look. Everyone thinks I'm Satan or something. That's not true, I don't want to be like my great ancestors. I just want people to like me, that's all.
Back on track. I saw the hurt and frightened look in her eyes, like she was a puppy kicked too many times. Her icy blue irises flashed with hurt as the Minotaur's big burly hand cracked against her fair skin like a whip. I winced. How could he? How could Clyde let this happen? I know that Minotaur was his friend, why would he do this? I shyly walked over to Beij, where she was leaning against her locker, rubbing her cheek. I could see a tear roll down her perfect face. I just felt despair even as I looked in her eyes.
I was walking to her, slowly, so slowly. I shoved my hands in my pockets and put my head down so I didn't have to see anyone else by her. As I came to her, she looked up, and then away. She sniffed and wiped her tears with her palm. I opened my mouth to speak.
"I'm r-really sorry a-about that," I stuttered. She looked up at me. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates, and her lip quivered. I fished a rumpled Kleenex package out of my pocket, and beckoned her to take it. Her hands shakily grasped it, and she wiped her face with the small white tissue. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but I walked away before the words even left her mouth. I couldn't deal with the fact that she was actually going to talk to me. To me. I turned a sharp corner and bumped into Clyde and his buddies. He towered over me. I'm only 6"2, he's 6"4. He had his arm around what looked like his girlfriend. She was pretty, I guess, in a prom-queen-I'm-better-than-you-way. Clyde smirked, and nodded at his lizard-like buddy. The lizard hissed and cracked his knuckles.
My eyes flashed. Oh no. The lizard kid's slitted eyes narrowed. He pushed me up against a locker, and he grabbed the collar of my frayed shirt. "Messin with my friend aye? I wouldn't do that if I were you." He held me up against the cold metal for a while longer, cutting off my ragged breath for a second. He let me down, and I fell against the locker in a heap. I straightened my collar and gathered my fallen books. I saw Clyde look back with a saddened expression on his face, almost like he was sorry or something. Then he flipped me the bird. My eyebrows furrowed, but I just brushed myself off and walked away.
The rest of the day I couldn't stop looking at Clyde and Beij. Clyde would glance at her from his desk, and she would glance at him. Once they met each other's gazes, they would quickly look away, to make it look like no one would see. Why was Clyde such a jerk? Could no one else see that he liked Beij? These questions swirled in my head as I headed to calculus, my worst class. I hated math, I hated it so much. I slid into my desk, and set up my notebook and textbook to get ready to take notes. Beij and Clyde were sitting right next to each other, and I saw Clyde whisper to her. Beij did a sort of half unsure smile, and went back to work. I looked ahead at the chalkboard, trying to push the negative thoughts to the back of my head. A lot of negative thoughts are stored back there. I need to be happier. I need to focus on math. I need to stop thinking of some girl who will never like me. And I need to stop thinking of a guy who will never want to be my friend. Maybe I just need to take out my calculus homework and pay attention for once.

-R