Into An Idiot

1. Idiot.

2010

Sophia

//

\\

School... Again.

"Ash, I don't have to go, do I?" I beg.

He laughs.

"Sorry Soph, I had to, so you have to."

"Shut up. You're in tenth year. You don't even have to go anymore if you don't want to."

"I don't, but I do. And I have work after, so I won't be home when you get home." My brother says as the bus pulls up to the front of our house.

I climb up the steps and sit in a seat close to the back, by a window.

Ashton smiles and waves.

I flip him off as the bus starts to drive away.

-

After the bell dismisses us, I walk outside and go to the busses.

Ashton gets home about two hours after I do.

"Hi, Soph." He says, walking directly in my view of the television, followed by one of his friends, a loud, funny, and creative boy, Michael. He doesn't say anything today.

"Hi Ash, Hi Mike." I say.

Michael doesn't say anything, and kind of stumbles after Ashton. I notice he's wearing my brothers zip-up hoodie, even though it's pretty warm out.

"We're going downstairs." Ashton announces.

"Okay." I call, turning up the volume on the TV.

-

Michael and Ashton walk into the den after staying in the basement for a while. Usually I hear them singing and practicing for their band, but today I don't hear anything.

-

Michael sits next to me, pulling his feet up onto the couch cushion.

"Hi." He says.

"Hi." I say.

He smiles a little. Then something on his shirt catches my eye.

"Michael? Does you shirt say something on it?"

He folds his arm over his chest. "No."

"It does too." I say, tickling his arm. He giggles and slips off the couch.

"Stop!" He laughs, face turning red. I sit next to him, laughing. He tickles my stomach, and I collapse on top of him, laughing even more. We just lay there and laugh hysterically as Ashton watches.

Then I get up. Michael sits up, shaking the hair out of his eyes, smiling. He doesn't stop smiling when I put my hands on his chest to hold him still, reading what's written on the front of his shirt:

IDIOT.

"Idiot." I mutter under my breath. Michael lifts himself up and leans against the couch, my fingers slipping off the fabric of his shirt. He gives me a sad smile, and I shrug. I don't really know what happened, and I don't know why.

\\

//

Michael

//

\\

The school bell rings. Time to go home. I walk down the hall of the school, avoiding the eyes of anyone who passes me. I feel a sudden tug on my backpack as my feet are dragged on the floor, shoes squeaking. "Let me go!" I yell, trying to run.

I get dragged into the bathroom, where someone holds me by the collar of my shirt, partially choking me as I try to get away. I recognize the faces of the boys holding me, and scream for help.

The tallest two smash me against a wall as another takes out a permanent marker. For a second, I regain strength and try to make a quick dash to the door. The two tall boys jump on top of me, holding my arms to the cold tile ground, pushing my head against the floor as I scream, tasting blood in my mouth. Finally, I give up and lay limply on the ground as one boy writes on the front of my shirt in big capital letters: IDIOT.

The boys holding me down laugh; let me stand up weakly and stumble out of the restroom, almost tripping over my own feet and crashing into a boy with dark curls. "Hey, calm down. It's okay." Calum says.

"I left my bag in there." I sniff, wiping my eyes and bloody nose on my sleeve.

"I'll get it after I beat up those assholes." Calum gives me a hug of reassurance and then opens the bathroom door. I sink down to the ground, back against the wall, wiping my eyes. Squeaky footsteps echo down the hallway, slowing down as they reach me.

"Michael?" The boy says, looking down at me.

"Luke." I say, not bothering to hold eye contact with him.

"Why do you do that?" Luke asks, sitting next to me.

"Do what?"

"Ignore me."

"I'm not ignoring you, I just don't want to talk."

"Oh." Luke says. "I guess I'll go."

"No, wait..." I half-mumble.

"What?"

"Can you just sit with me, please?" I ask quietly.

Luke shrugs and crosses his arms. We both look up as the bathroom door opens and Calum walks out.

I stand up weakly as Calum hands me my bag, gives me paper towels to hold over my nose, and walks me outside. Luke walks a few feet behind us. "It's okay." He says patiently as I continue to wipe my eyes. "What happened?"

I shrug.

"Listen, Michael, relax. Whatever happened wasn't your fault. I bet these kids just grab whoever they run into after class is over." Calum assures.

"But they don't. It's always me."

"Always? I thought this was the first time."

"No, it's been going on for a while now." Michael throws the bloody paper towel out in a trash can. "We're here."

Behind the counter at Macca's, Ashton stands politely, taking orders and giving people their change. When he sees Calum, Luke, and Michael, he rolls his eyes.

"What is it, annoy-your-friend-at-work day?" He smiles.

"No, it's Michael-needs-some-encouragement-because-he's-having-a-horrible-year day." Calum says. Ashton's face changes.

"Oh. What's bothering you, Mike? Actually never mind, my shifts done in five minutes. I'll walk home with you."

-

Ashton joins us outside. "And then they wrote Idiot on my shirt."

"Oh my gosh, I didn't know all this happened."

"Idiot!" Someone driving past laughs.

"Here, put this on." Ashton takes off his sweatshirt and hands it to me. I drop my backpack to the ground and pull the shirt on.

"That's better." Ashton says.

"Yeah, I guess." I mutter.

"Hey, are you okay? For real?" Ashton asks. I shrug, looking at my feet. "Come on, let's go home. Calum, Luke, you two can go home, I just want to chat with Mike for a while."

The two boys leave and Ashton and I walk back to his house.

He opens the door, and I see Sophia sitting on the couch. I don't say hi even when she does. I just follow Ashton. My mind still feels kind of foggy, I'm not sure what we're doing or why or what I should say.

But Sophie also makes me nervous. She's pretty, only a year younger, and smart. She makes me smile more than anyone or anything else could.