Social Pariah

BATTLEFIELD

Lucas never actually wanted to attend class. His life in his school had been a series of downs and turns. There were no ups at all. He was always treated like an outcast in classes and even outside school. He was known as the boy who "should never be respected or should never be seen with".

During his English class, he was always called by the teacher since the teacher knew that he hated the subject. Even the cafeteria lady seemed to hate him as well. She always gave him the smallest portions of food and never smiled or talked to him at all. It showed that just because of one mistake he did, everyone labeled him as an outcast.

Lucas deeply regretted everything but sadly, he can't go back in time. If only he could go back. Because of the jumbled thoughts in his mind, Lucas didn't notice the girl in front of him and rammed on her. His thinking moment was interrupted by a cry of the girl's voice.

"I'm so sorry," Lucas exclaimed. He went over to help the girl but he began to notice her blue eyes looking at him in fear, her flaming red hair hiding half of her face.

"It's alright," the girl squeaked before she hurriedly grabbed her things and went away.

Lucas recognized the girl. She was present in almost every class he went to. Her name was Namya Daniels. Her parents were owners of an Indian clothing company and she was very rich as well. She was an Irish descent and Lucas actually found her accent cute before.

She used to be one of Lucas's few close friends. He and Namya used to hang out with Kyle and his other friends. But then, reality struck and soon, Lucas found himself alone, all his friends lost in the process. He could understand why she ran away from him. She was probably afraid that she would be humiliated by Lucas as well. Or she probably didn't want to be targeted by Kyle and other bullies in the school just for hanging out or talking to him.

Every single day that passed had always been a blur to Lucas. It was like he was having a silent emotional war with the peers in his school. He always ignored their glares and hateful stares and he didn't show that he was affected at all.

He knew that Kyle wanted to see him break down. To see him fall into a deep abyss known as depression and try to kill himself. To plead to Kyle and humiliate himself in front of the school. To feel the hurt and pain in his heart. Kyle was successful, Lucas knew. The pain was gnawing his heart every single day. But he understood why. His life in school is a battlefield and no matter who will win, both sides would lose something important. Lucas could only hope that he wouldn't lose his self-respect or dignity in the battlefield because a battle he won by throwing everything away would still be a lost cause for him.