you, me and music (the only escape)

chapter 8

When I came in chemistry class the next day, Alex was already sitting in the back at our table. I walked over to him and let myself fall into my seat.

"Goodmorning", he said with that breathtaking smile on his face.

"Goodmorning", I smiled back.

Then we started working on our project.

We talked about elements and neurons and chemistry stuff.

I looked at Alex for a moment and thought about how special he really was. Not in the way he looked but in the way he really was. He knew how things worked in the real world and I thought that was a good thing.

He noticed things, just like I did.

My thoughts shattered apart as Alex asked me to have lunch together today. I said I'd loved to, and that was that.

When the bell rang we both got up and made our way to the hall.

"See you at lunch", I said.

"I'm looking forward to it.", he said and I became really excited.

This would be the first time I wouldn't be eating my lunch alone in a month and it made me kind of nervous but happy at the same time.

I felt comfortable when I was around Alex, he never judged me and he always smiled at me. He seemed like a happy person and that made me happy.

...

"I really hate all these people you know. Like every single person in this cafeteria is so fake. I don't even know what they are doing with their lives.", Alex looked around the cafeteria with a face that was full of disgust.

"I know, like all they want is to be popular and rich and have girlfriends and boyfriends and parties and stuff like that. It makes me want to throw up.", I joined Alex' rant.

He smirked and his lips formed a half smile. "Okay here's a challenge, try to find one group of people that you would consider hanging out with."

I looked around the cafeteria and studied all the groups of students I saw. I saw the sports guys talking about a ballsport I didn't know the rules of. I saw a group of boys flipping through magazines with naked girls in, laughing and making jokes. I saw a group of girls showing each other their nailpolish and make up. I saw a mixed group of boys and girls talking about science and biology. And I saw a group of girls going crazy over some kind of "good looking" pop star. It just went on and on.

But I couldn't find any group where I would even consider hanging out with. They all looked so fake, like Alex said.

I was wondering, if these people went home, were they still obsessing over this popstar? Would they still practise ballsports in their yard and would they still wonder if there is life on that planet or if they sell that nailpolish in that color? Or is it just a mask that they wear to fit in at school that immediately falls of if they come home?

I thought about it for a second and then asked Alex what he thought.

"I think it's all just a mask, you know. I think they're still interested in the same things at home, but they're less enthousiastic about it, because at home, they have nobody to compete with. It's all a competition, really. Who can find the most exclusive color of nailpolish or a football signed by some famous football player, to show their "friends" and make them jealous. If people are jealous of them, they feel like they're doing good in the social competition. If they don't, they'll feel worthless. I think it's just pathetic."

I was really blown away by what Alex just said. Because I had always kind of thought the same thing, but I never thought about it with those words.

"What group would you hang out with?", I asked him, without answering the question myself.

"None. I would rather spend all my years of highschool alone than hang out with any of those idiots."

"Absolutely same.", I concluded. "Normally I hate being alone, but if hanging out with them is the other option, being alone sounds like heaven."

Alex smiled at my comment. "Guess we'll have to survive this hell together."