On My Own (disc.)

Staring is... Caring? (1)

MICHAEL

Is high school a prison?

Many seem to think so. Others see it as a freedom - and I'd be lying if I said that that's what I thought.

No, high school is different for everyone. It can be some of the best years you'll have, or the years that make you feel like you're minuscule in a world of giants. For me, high school is the place where I get pushed around and whispered at. It's the place where I'm ignored until I fuck up, and that's when tornadoes of rumours swallow me whole, and either leave me in cuts and bruises, or bleeding out on the ground. So far, I've been lucky.

But here, following in Calum's shadow, it's safe. Because nobody messes with Calum's best friend, because Calum used to box, because Calum can kill you in one blow, because Calum can do all kinds of shit to fuck you up. (Bullshit. Calum's the biggest softie in the school, hands down.)

And today was no exception to that rumor, but it didn't mean that I didn't get pushed around and laughed at as soon as I walked off the bus. But there was always Calum, waiting at the corner when I get into the school, and for the rest of the classes we have, I'm safe.

So I walked through the doors, and as usual, Calum was waiting there, having put his things in Art already, his arms crossed and looking behind me to see who was here. The same thing every day, and I was fine with that.

Then Lewis paraded himself across the hall.

Lewis? Lewis who?

Lewis Hollster, the schools biggest ex-jock. He traded in his football jerseys for leather jackets and now he's got a rep for getting bailed out by his pathetic parents for petty shit, like having a little bit of beer, much to his sisters' fault. Brat.

But this was out of the ordinary; usually he'd do that sometime later than as soon as I walk in. More like, three hours after. He was hardly there for the first two periods. But I noticed as he walked by, he was looking over at Calum and I. Calum looked confused and skeptical, rightfully so, because this never happened.

But as soon as it happened, it was over. He walked by, and apparently, everyone else caught the glance at us, and whispers started instantly. Calum looked at me, as if I had a clue, and I didn't. So I shrugged, and we carried on. Just with every possible junior whispering our names.

We tracked Lewis with our eyes, and then we saw Luke Hemmings, walking the opposite direction that Lewis was. He didn't see him, though, because he was caught up in his phone. Lewis was too vain to move out of the way, though, and so Luke walked straight into him.

He glanced up, as Lewis was one of the few people actually taller than Luke, and did a double-take as he registered who it was. His eyes narrowed, and they shoved shoulders as Luke walked by. More information for the school to analyse and rumour about, you know, because they used to be close friends, practically brothers. Then summer hit, and over that time, they were two completely seperate people with completely seperate lives. Strange. And also none of my business.

So I walked to my locker, which was a pine green, scratched up, and rusted. And just a little jammed at times.

Like right now. It was jammed.

"Come on," I groaned, tugging at the trigger to release the lock harshly. Calum sighed and hit it right where the lock should be, and it swung open, almost hitting us in the face. Again.