Teenager Runway {Cole}

alex

I went to bed that evening, after spending all day with Kim at the Arcade, and before I fell asleep I started thinking.

It is true what Kim said about me, I have only fallen for girls that were previously my friends, it is kind of strange to say that but if I don't know someone, doesn't matter how attractive she might be, it just doesn't rock me at all.

Don't take me wrong, is not like I don't notice a pretty girl, of course, I do, but I would not feel the need to hit on them with a cliche chat-up line, and would take me more than just a look, I would see a girl many times before I would even say 'Hello', and we will probably be very good friend before I move any further... But, that is not being shy, it is just the way I am, I like to know my grounds before I hit on, must be my element.

The first time a girl rocked my ground was quite interesting and very heartbreaking. I made a friend on my first day at Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts: Alex.

AN: ALERT! If you don't feel like crying you might want to skip this chapter. Don't blame me if you need a tissue at the end.

{Flashback}

-"Hi, do you mind if I sit here" - I asked.
-"Fine" - he said without even looking, shrugging his shoulders, hiding his face inside his hoodie.

He was sitting near the wall in the far corner of the empty room, and for some reason, I wish I had arrived a bit early to have that exact place, in a strange way I assumed he would be feeling like me, a fish out of the water.

-"Sorry! I really hate this place!" - I said nervously.
-"Welcome to the club!" - again he didn't even look. But I notice his drawing.

It was like a stone angel, kind of scary, but really beautiful details.

-"You draw really well!" - I must have been desperate to make a friend.
-"Thanks" - again he carried on ignoring me

-"Are you new here too?"
-"Listen... I am not here to make friends, so leave me alone!" - That was not very nice, but I guess I push too much.
-"I am really sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." - I felt like move away from him, I was pissed off to be in that place and I guess he was feeling even worse than me. But I didn't move, and only because 1 minute after:

-"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude. Hello! I am Alex."

He finally looked at me and I noticed his very red eyes, as if he was crying just before I arrived, I realised that was the reason he didn't want to look or speak with me.

-"Hi Alex, I am Cole, and I guess we are both not happy to be here, my father has forced me to accept this scholarship. What about you?"
-"I couldn't say I was forced to be here, but wish I could be elsewhere..."
-"Like where?"
-"Haven... well! Hell would do just fine." - I understand that as he would rather be dead.

-"ought, that bad?"
-"Worse than you think."
-"anything I can do to help?"

I saw a smile on Alex's face, as he looked at me again.

-"You already did."
-"What do you mean?"
-"You had the guts to speak to me. Nobody does, they look at me and all they see is a freak."

I looked around and realised the room was filling up of other students, but they all sit as far as possible from us, avoiding looking at our direction. When I looked back to Alex, he has taken his hoodie out, and I see very little hair on his shaved head, some bruises in the spine line of his neck.

I didn't know what to think of that, I had never seen someone like him before, but I really like Alex, and from that moment we became friends.

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