HIDDEN (Hide Or Die)

Chapter 11

KYLE'S P.O.V.

I will never forget that face…

Might be a nightmare, or maybe a living terror. It’s not silly like forgetting my pants, and everyone laughing. Not scary like when I was exposed to the world and made fun of and chased away when I was four. No, this is worse. Because it is actually happening. I am awake, and I feel as though I might die from the pain in my brain; I’m standing in the middle of my new class, getting laughed on for no apparent reason that I can understand. Even the teacher’s laugh didn’t hurt me…

What did hurt me was the loud laugh that’s echoing painfully in my head. The reason behind the laughter and mockery. I couldn’t comprehend— there is no way my Andrew would do such a thing. But here he is; laughing proudly and fist-bumping the guy next to him. How? When he was so patient and nice to me just this morning? Something must be terribly wrong, because Andrew is not mean.

“Ha-ha, alright everyone; settle down. Kyle please sit down and— Andrew quit poking fun at your new classmate." I kept my head down and headed to my chair. I had to avoid one stretched leg that was meant to trip me, as well as endure the ‘low’ giggles. I got sick to my stomach and the want to run back home grew stronger. I had to surpass it though; I can’t be giving up quickly. At least now I would be able to walk outside of the house without the fear of being watched. This is better than being locked up.

“Hello Kyle! I’m beaky.” I looked up from my desk, I had sat down so quietly that I hadn’t noticed the beautiful girl I’m paired up with, the ginger—beaky— gave me a pearly white smile that I tried to reciprocate back. I was too astonished at the fact that a girl as pretty as her would talk to someone who was just made the laughingstock to the entire class. I stayed silent not knowing what to say since she already knew my name.

“Your glasses make you look cool, I like them!” she smiled again, as if she didn’t just lie to my face. I scoffed mentally, if they were so ‘cool’ I wouldn’t be made fun of.

I gave her a slight smile, not wanting to make her feel bad by being rude. I was too scared to speak because I knew I’d stumble over my words. That if I knew what to say, to begin with. She turned back to her notebook, scribbling down something. I did the same, turning my head towards the board but my eyes fell on the back of Andrew’s head. I was ‘blissed’ to be seated behind him. But it’s a curse really and instead of focusing on the teacher, I focused on the way his shoulders shook slightly as he talked and laughed with his friends in hushed tones that weren’t so hushed to me.

How come he can talk to them so easily but make fun of me? I hadn’t done anything laugh-worthy… but he already thinks that I’m stupid, as I listened in into their conversation. He doesn’t even know me and yet he’s judging me so harshly. Andrew from this morning has completely vanished and I had a feeling he won’t be coming back anytime soon. How am I supposed to get closer to him if he’s already closed himself?

If I hadn’t acted so childishly he wouldn’t have had such an impression of me. I’ll try to convince my mother to let me wear something different, maybe then he’d change his impression of me. He did say I looked stupid right? Maybe I’m just blowing this out of contest… maybe if I appeared smarter and looked nicer I’d be able to do what I risked my life for. Maybe then the rejection won’t be as humiliating.

I was harshly snapped out of my daydream with the bell ringing out, cutting off the teacher from whatever he was saying. I tried my hardest not to cringe at the loudness. I watched as everyone flew out of the class while I sat stoned, thinking about learning how to tune the chaos out. I stood up ready to run along but I couldn’t find what caused them to run, within seconds; the seats in front of me and all around me were empty and I’m left alone in the classroom; confused.