Freak Genius

Chapter 2: MACY

Chapter 2: Macy

Macy walked down the hallway, reluctant to go to her next class. She didn't want everyone to see her crying. She didn't even know why she was crying so much. She had always been able to mask her emotions well. Why was today different?

She knew why today was different. Today, Dan had been involved. Brittany had been involved. Arthur had been involved. Jake had been involved. Usually she was left to deal with the taunts, jeers, and bullying on her own. She would be cornered in the bathroom, swarmed in the locker room, circled on the grounds after school, or casually harassed in the halls. Teachers never noticed because they were either not there or the bullies came at her in such a way it was undetectable. Once she had told her junior high science teacher and the teacher told her, "It's just friendly teasing, get over it. They're only messing with you!"

Being called pizza face is friendly teasing? Being called ugly is friendly teasing? Being called forever alone is friendly teasing? Being told your annoying is friendly teasing? Being called Freak Genius is friendly teasing? Being called worthless is friendly teasing?

It really wouldn't bother her much of she wasn't so alone on it. But Macy never had been able to find the guts to tell a friend... And definitely not her parents. She had always faked a convincing smile and forced a laugh at things that were funny. She never told. She never shared her pain. She'd always been afraid that if she told a friend she was bullied almost everyday that they wouldn't believe her.

No one had ever suspected, even though it'd been happening since grade school. Why would someone believe a "happy-go-lucky" girl with a "perfect life" claiming all along life really hasn't been as great as it seems? Would they think she just wanted attention? Would they call her emo and tell her she was crazy? Would they tell her she needed to see a therapist? Would they try and tell her it wasn't that bad an the same thing happened to them?

Because no matter how hard they tried, none of them would understand what it's like. Being picked on a couple times... That wasn't the same. When you're picked on you get over it. You move on. When you're bullied you begin to believe what the bullies say. It becomes who you are.you forget the real you.

And soon enough, when you look in the mirror, all you see is an empty corpse staring back at you with nothing left to lose. You see that ugly, fat pizza face standing before you. And when you talk you only hear annoying. When other people talk to you, you can see how you are forever alone. When you get straight A's and nobody else does you know you're a freak genius. Then hardest of all: When nobody noticed you want nothing more than to be anyone but yourself, you know you are worthless.

A guy slammed into her and knickers her off her feet. He rushed passed her not even realizing he just bowled somebody over. Macy sighed heavily. Her bones creaked as she struggled to stand back up. She glanced back and Arthur and Dan were catching up to her.

She quickly paced to her next class. Next door down, next door down. Beat them, beat them. She encouraged herself. The slightest trace of a grin cracked on her face as she stepped through the door to social studies.

Ms. Thine was passing papers out to the desks. A few were occupied by students. She beamed at Macy and Macy nodded. She sat in her seat in the front near the door. She reached down to pull a pencil from her bag when she recalled she didn't have any of her belongings with her.

Then it also dawned on her that she's been given a suspension for skipping class. Her squeaky clean record, not even a missing assignment, had been bathed in the dirt and muck. Suspension. How could she get a suspension? What had she been thinking?

Macy was given little time to think as Dan and Arthur burst into the room. Ms. Thine eyes them carefully, her thin, straw-like, blonde hair flying back dramatically, revealing her brown eyes, layered with cataracts. "I don't have either of you for another three hours. What are you doing here?"