"Sometimes, superheroes are just around the corner."
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The ticking of the clock reminds me of a bomb, and it feels like it while I'm sitting in class. The pit of my stomach is bubbling in anticipation as I watch the hands move clockwise on repeat, a countdown for the long-awaited weekend that I so badly need. My fingers tap in rhythm with the clock and I zone out to my teacher's boring lecture.
Finally, the bell rings and every student in the whole school jumps in excitement. I'm one of them, although I decided to wait for a clear out before heading home myself. I've put my stuff on my bag and nod goodbye to my homeroom teacher as I go out of the room.
My eyes wander to corners, trying to spot the monsters that haunt me for almost a year. Bullies are a thing for any educational institution, and I'm just one of the unfortunate kids that encountered them. With a heavy sigh, I squeeze myself with the swarming bodies of middle school kids that smell like sweat and stinky armpits. But this is what I have to endure to be able to get home in one piece.
Ever since grade school, I have been harassed by children my age for reasons unknown. Maybe because I'm too reserved? Or the fact that my mother and sister died two years apart? Though if that's the case, how can I explain the torments I've suffered when they were still alive? Most of the times, the fragile mind of a human being stupefy me.
A grin spreads on my face when I finally made it out of the building I sometimes call a prison. I jog towards my bike, but cannot help but notice the transfer student being mobbed. I can clearly see his face from where I'm standing under a tree, which is approximately two metres away from them.
His golden hair sparkles under the sunlight. His pale skin is a stark contrast to the dark blue sweater he's wearing. When he laughs, his grey irises disappear beneath long lashes that are caged behind his black-rimmed glasses. He has a nice laugh, the kind that will light up your mind. He's admittedly gorgeous, but the question will be, "Does the personality matches the looks?"
When I'm about to turn around to get my bike, I catch the blond's gaze on me. As soon as our eyes made contact, he smiles. It's soft and secure, but most importantly, it feels comfortable and bright. The way his lips arch on both ends isn't an indication that he's an overly cheerful person nor a mocking one at that. He's just nice.
I send a smile back to him and his grin grow wider. He puts a hand on the closest person to him and takes some steps forward. Towards me. Happiness envelops me and I'm about to move closer to him when out of the corner of my eye, I see Luther and his small posse step out of the school doors.
"Oh shit," I mumble and pick up my bike. Without a second glance, I pedalled away from the golden boy.
And that's the first time I met him.
It has been a week when I see him again. He's walking casually, the school's mandatory PE uniform clings on his body like his own skin. It accentuates his lanky form but all it did is make all the girls in a hundred-feet radius sigh dreamily at him.
Personally, as a guy, I won't find him appealing. However, his smile that's brighter than the sun seems like it's plastered permanently on his face. That, I didn't mind. Though I should pay more attention to the tanned boy and his lackeys that are walking down the hallways as if they own the whole school.
Chills run down my spine and I gulp. My feet are stuck on the ground, no amount of coaxing is able to will me away from the scene. In just a matter of seconds, Luther notices me and an evil grin erupted from his lips. He leans towards his friends and covers his mouth as if whispering to them.
