Social Pariah

ESCAPE

 Lucas thought about what he was doing these past four days. This wasn't him. He had never been like this before in his whole life. This is not right, he told himself. I'm stronger than this. I shouldn't let her make me feel this way. She doesn't deserve to waste my time and thoughts.

Lucas decided to go to school today. He also called the owner of the museum that he would come back to work as he was not sick anymore. He felt guilty for lying but what's done was done. He took his bag and went downstairs.

"You going to school?" asked his mother. "Are you sure you're feeling well already?"

Lucas nodded, getting some toast for himself. "I've been absent for three days. I can't afford to miss school again."

His mother sighed. "Fine, but promise me that if you aren't feeling well again, then you'll go to the clinic."

"I will, Mom."

Lucas, after finishing his toast and drinking some water, went outside their house and started to walk to the path towards their school. He called Namya on the way, telling her that he was not going to be absent this time.

"That's great!" said Namya on the phone.

Lucas's lips curved upwards. "I know. I feel better now. Is Kyle and the others there?"

"Yes," replied Namya, "which reminds me that they're actually planning a hang-out later. I think you'd have to join them."

Lucas shrugged then remembered he was on the phone. "I guess so."

And their conversation ended abruptly. The day passed slowly as Lucas talked with his teachers about his missed assignments and quizzes. Finally, class ended and Kyle, as Namya had told him, invited him on the group's hang-out.

Tristan grinned mischievously while he fist-bumped with Lucas. Lucas, on the other hand, returned a forced grin, trying not to wince. He followed Kyle and the others to the wall near the public library. This was just a few blocks away from the museum so he could go there after they hung out but then, he decided to just tell the owner that he would start working tomorrow since he had a lot of missed projects which wasn't a lie but not the whole truth.

Lucas noticed that Tristan and Samuel were carrying two plastic bags containing spray paints.

"Are you going to vandalize the public library?" asked Lucas, staring at the bag in horror. "We could get in jail for this."

"That's if we get caught. You wouldn't rat us out, would you?"

Lucas shook his head. "Can I join?"

Kyle smirked. "Nice idea, bro. If you want an escape for any of your problems, just cause other people one." He laughed. "I hope the librarian's asleep."

Samuel handed Lucas one of the spray paints and said, "You can write anything on the wall. It's not like anyone would care about it. They would just apply a new coat of paint."

This was exactly the escape Lucas needed. And so, as he positioned himself on the middle of the wall, he wrote: I HATE YOU MARY.