The Mark

2

High School. The thing most teenagers dread.

Tyler has just started his senior year a few months ago. Senior year is supposed to be the best year you have in the span of four years you are in high school. However, that wasn't the case for Tyler. He was constantly bullied by some stupid jerk that didn't even know Tyler's name. He refers to him as something else.

Tyler's POV:

"HEY FAGGOT!!" I hear someone scream behind me as I walk towards my locker with an armful of books. I shudder at the sound and keep walking, ignoring it.

"HEY I'M TALKING TO YOU DUMBASS! CAN'T YOU HEAR? ARE YOU DEAF OR SOMETHING?" I know it's Josh yelling at me. By this time I can recall that voice from anywhere. It was constantly hurling insults and slurs my way. What have I done to make him this mad at me? I barely knew the guy. We've only attended high school together. Still I ignore it and just keep walking. All of the sudden I feel a hand on my left shoulder and I get slammed into the locker and my books slam to the ground.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you stupid faggot." His eyes staring right into mine. His are dark and cold. Completely full of anger. And maybe a hint so sorrow? I scoff and bend down to pick up my books, breaking the eye contact.

"You know... I'm only half a 'Faggot' so you can either call me fag or got. I prefer 'got' but you can choose. I don't really mind." I say smugly while standing back up. Josh just looks at me and shoves me back to the ground.

"A faggot is a faggot. You're fucking disgusting." He says. I roll my eyes. None of these words bother me cause I'm confident in myself. At least that's what I want them to think. I just laugh, pick myself up off the ground and start walking to my locker.

I look back over my shoulder, "Alright Joshy, you have a good day now. I'll see you in fourth block." I give him a quick wink and continue my original trip to my locker. I can hear him behind me and he makes a fake retching sound and his friends laugh.

School is a drag and it feels like weeks pass in just a seven hours day. Fourth block is just 15 minutes away and I'm dreading more and more after each second that passes. 15 minutes go by fast when you really don't want to go somewhere. The bell rings and all the students dismiss to 4th block. I stand from my desk and pick my bag up off the ground neatly putting in two text books. I zip my bag and sling it over my shoulder and make my way to fourth block. After walking completely across campus I enter the classroom. I take my normal seat which is in the middle while Josh sits in the back with his dumb jock friends. The teacher stands in front of the white board teaching a lesson that no one is paying attention to. She doesn't care. As long as it looks like she's teaching she'll get paid. I hear Josh and his gang snickering in the back and when it stops I feel a paper airplane hit the back of my head. Then the quiet laughs continue. I reach down to pick up the airplane intending to throw it back but when I reached down I noticed writing on the inside so I unfolded it and saw 'FAGGOTS GO TO HELL' written in red marker. I laugh and decide to write him a little note back. I giggle to myself as I write 'so do assholes baby'. I refolded the paper and threw it back after giving him the bird. Thank God 4th block ends soon.