I Don't Deserve Love: Alternate Ending

Chapter 7: Bully Me Twice

"Opal! Do you want to be in my group for Friday's lab?" I grinned at Iris's enthusiasm and nodded.

"That'd be great. Who else is in the group?"

"It was just me and Damion, and we both kinda struggle with labs so it'd be great to have someone who actually knows what is going on to be in the group!" I laughed as we walked down the hall together. "See you at lunch!" Iris called as she hurried down the stairs.

The morning flew by and I found myself heading for my locker to get my lunch money. I retrieved the ten-dollar bill and tucked it in my vest pocket. Today I was wearing a deep green, long sleeved shirt with a black vest, white slacks, and black flats.

I turned to head for the cafeteria when Kentin's face flashed through my mind. Slowly I turned to look up the staircase. Only stopping to think for a second, I started up the staircase. Once I was at the top I looked around. Most of the students had cleared out of the hallway already so I soon spotted Kentin sitting on the floor with a packet of cookies in his hand. After another pause, I walked over and stood next to him. He didn't notice me so I knocked on the locker above him which caused him to drop his cookies and fall back from the surprise and he looked up at me with panic in reflecting in his green eyes.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Kentin, I didn't mean to scare you."

"O-o-o-o-opal! Why are you here?" Kentin stammered, sitting up while rubbing his head.

"I was going to invite you to eat with Iris and me again." I looked at the cookies he was scrambling to pick up and frowned. "Amber didn't take your money again, did she?" Kentin looked down the hall, not meeting my gaze and I frowned.

"Come on then, I'll buy you lunch."

"You don't have to do that, Opal! I brought extra money to pay you back for yesterday but Amber and her friends ambushed me this morning when I got to school. I'm such a weakling," Kentin trailed off, his voice trembling. I squatted, wrapping my arm around my legs and resting my chin on my knees so that I was at his level and smiled at him.

"You are not a weakling, Kentin. They are three bullies and you are one person. It only makes sense that they would win in a cheap fight like that. And you don't have to pay me back, I'm happy to help you out."

"You beat them and you're only one person!" Kentin said with red cheeks. A nervous chuckle escaped me as I stood back up.

"Yah, well, I am kind of a freak," I said, remembering what Amber had called me yesterday.

"No, you're not! You're nice and smart, and strong! You're not a freak!" Kentin said vehemently before his entire face turned red and he looked away. I watched him, wondering how I was supposed to react. No one but Auntie had ever said something so nice to me, but for some reason, it was easier for me to accept being called a freak than it was to accept Kentin's view of me. I shook my head and smiled awkwardly.

"Come on. I told you yesterday, cookies aren't enough for a growing boy." Kentin looked up at me with a sad expression but he followed when I started down the stairs. We walked in silence down the hall towards the cafeteria until I saw Iris's familiar figure waving at me just outside the cafeteria.

"Hey Iris, you didn't have to wait for me. I would've found you," I said with a smile.

"The girls I usually eat lunch with are working on a project so I thought I'd just wait for you and we could find a table together," Iris said with her usual enthusiasm. "What are you getting today? They have pizza, enchiladas, hamburgers, or Chow Mein."

"I dunno, what do you want Kentin?" I asked, looking back at him. He was staring at the ground and I wondered if I had somehow hurt his feelings.

"Kentin? Who's Kentin?" Iris asked, looking around before seeing who was standing behind me. "Oh, Ken! Why do you call him Kentin?"