Carolyn

Thank You For Being My Friend

Chapter 2- Thank You For Being My Friend

I walked through the double doors that meant the bullying commenced. I bit my lip, preparing myself for it. I kind of hoped it would stop today, yet I thought this everyday and it had always happened.

Sure enough, there came the words that pierced me. "Idiot", "Bitch", "Little piece of shit", "Stupid". I was used to it by now, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

I barely make it through the 2 periods before lunch. I go down to the canteen as wait in line as I hear name-calling behind me. In front of me, I see a tall boy wearing a leather jacket the same colour as his ebony hair. Could it be...?

He turned around and smiled a small, awkward smile when he saw it was me. It was cute. No one has ever SMILED at me before! "Hey, it's you," he said in his raw honey voice that I just loved so much, whilst pointing to me. I chuckled. "Yeah, it's me." It was his turn to choose what he wanted to eat. "I'll have the roast turkey and potatoes," he said to the stern-faced dinner lady, who was missing a tooth and was wearing a hairnet over her sparse hair, which was a mixture of ginger and grey. She plonked what looked like a chewy piece of turkey meat and potatoes that were barely roasted and all mushy.

It was my turn. "I'll have a jacket potato, please." She put a whole potato on a plate. It barely had a slit in the middle. And no cheese. She spat in it and handed the plate to me. "That's disgusting! You can't possibly expect her to eat that!" Andy practically yelled. I looked at him and said "It's okay, Andy." He looked back, his eyes wide. "No, it's NOT! The students at the school treat you like shit, that's bad enough! But the staff, whose jobs are to care for the students and not judge them, are treating you like shit as well! That isn't acceptable! Now, I DEMAND that you give her a jacket potato that can actually be counted AS A JACKET POTATO!" The whole canteen was looking at us. I heard sneers and jeers. The dinner lady looked quite embarrassed, her cheeks red. She took back my plate and loaded another plate with another jacket potato, with a slit and cheese! She put the plate out and I took it, saying "Thank you," as Andy whisked me off in a dramatic exit. "Dude, what was that for?" I asked Andy. He shook his head and replied, "Don't give me that shit. I will stand up for what I believe in and that was completely unfair!"

We stood in line to pay and I reached into my pocket to get out my purse. I opened it as the lady at the till said "That'll be $2.50." Andy was standing beside me and he had already paid. I scavenge for the right amount, but all that's in there is a 5p coin which I always keep in there to remind me of home. "Shit," I mumbled under my breath. "What's wrong?" Andy asked. "I don't have any money, well, apart from 5p, which is of absolutely no use," I replied. He reached into his bag and pulled out a $5 bill. "No, I couldn't, you've done enough for me already." I put my hand out to stop him. "Don't be silly!" he said as he gave the lady the money. "I'll pay you back tomorrow," I said as he took the change. "No, no, it's okay. Take it as a thank you for being my friend," he said as he smiled his cheeky smile that melted me. We walked off and sat down at a table in the corner of the canteen. Just the two of us.