Secret Ssundee 3: Pained Memories (THE REWRITE!)

02: Sticks and Stones.

Colton stepped onto the bus and hung his head low, not looking at any one of the loud chattering kids that littered the bus. He sat in the first empty seat he saw. Instantly, a rough hand ran his hand through Colton's hair.

"I told you people are gonna mistake you for a girl if you don't cut it!" A voice exclaimed from behind. A hard tug yanked his hard back. He said nothing. A figure sat beside him and turned his head so Colton could see the face of his daily tormentor.

"Huh. You're a boy. I could've sworn you were a girl." Connor teased. The kids around him laughed.

'Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.' That was his mantra for surviving the constant teasing of his schoolmates.

Colton retied the hair band that kept his long dirty blond locks from flying in his face. He stared straight ahead, maintaining an impassive face.

"Or maybe you're of of those vegan hippies? Like with rainbow candles and rasta hats." Connor ran his hands through Colton's hair, jerking his head backwards every so often.

'Sticks and stones can break my bones but word will never hurt me.' Colton repeated in his head.

The bus screeched to a stop, and quickly a load of teenagers ran off of it.

"Looking forward to our next meeting, Mr. Stapleton." Connor did a mock army salute and ran out of the bus. Colton stood up to leave last, treading slowly off the bus.

You deserve more than this.

'Maybe, but life isn't always fair.'

~~~

Colton sat alone at lunch. well not really alone, but he sat in solitary and spoke to no one, taking bites of his ham sandwich periodically. Of he was lucky, no one would notice him, but it was often the latter. A boy in Connor's group of friends sat beside him.

"Wat'cha eatin' girlie? Oh I'm sorry, you're a boy! My mistake." He taunted him, making the boys around him laugh.

'Words will never hurt me.'

They're just noises. Ignore them.

The taunting continued for the rest of the lunch block, until the boys for up to go outside.

"Despite what those jerks say, I think your hair looks cool. It's something that not everyone can pull off." A female voice said beside him. Colton sat there and said nothing. No human interaction was best.

"Are you okay?" A different voice chimed.

"Colton. Colton? Can you hear me?"

Voices overlapped around him. He didn't ask for this attention, and this would most likely result in a new round of tormenting later.

"Are you okay?"
"Maybe we should call a teacher."
"Colton, you there?"

Anger bubbled inside him, fueled by annoyance.

"I'M FINE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Colton bellowed, and it's instantaneous effect made the girls surrounding him recede and they moved to the other side of the table.

Colton didn't like to yell. Mostly because it scared people. He was an early bloomer and his vocal chords had long since finished their transformation, leaving Colton with a smooth and deep voice. It also made his screams much louder.