So Far Away

What If?

Boarding the flight, Dan was a wreck. The woman through customs gave him a sympathetic look as she checked his passport. He was starting to wonder whether this was what he wanted. Twelve months, on the other side of the world? He knew no one over there, and his previous exchange group had already left. As he sat in his seat, he peered through the window of the aircraft with tear-sodden eyes. It was too late to go back now, he thought. Far too late.

~

Phil sighed as he pulled his bag off, wincing at how sweaty his back was. After walking to school through the bushland on a 30 degrees celsius morning, it wasn't going to agree with him for the rest of the day. The rollcall of the morning begun, and as with his chronic pure misfortune, his spot on the searing concrete was directly in the sun. Today was going to be bad.

Australia did really have a knack for being extremely unpleasant some days. So did hoards of teenage dickheads. Phil wouldn't exactly say he was bullied, but he sure wasn't exactly idolised. He was someone who prefered to fly under the radar, happy with not being very well known. However, Phil had managed to get himself all sat alone in the shade at lunch time, before he was chosen to be the prey for a pack of hormonal 13 year olds.

"Aw, look at this Year 7 kid, all alone! Fuckwit." The boy spat.

Phil wasn't one for retaliation, but he just wanted to make these dickheads feel stupid.

"Sorry, I'm in Year 10. Now please leave me alone."

"What does that matter?" The boy spat. Phil started to panic, he just wanted to be left alone.

"It means you should leave me be. Please." Phil was starting to feel the panic rise in his throat, his right leg shuddering.

The boy seemed to accept defeat at this comment, a pang of guilt hitting him as he saw Phil shaking and looking towards his feet. But with a small reputation to uphold, his guilt quickly turned to a sneer.

"See you later, dick."

Phil sighed in relief as the two boys saundered off. Even though those boys meant nothing to him and he was older and in a higher year, it still sent panic rushing through his veins when he was singed out.

"Hey, Phil!" Phil snapped his head towards the sound, visibly relaxing as he saw it was a few of his friends.

"What are you up to, man? We didn't see you this morning! You missed handball!" Jacob spoke, grinning.

Phil sighed. "I had stuff to do. I'm really sorry, I almost completely forgot. Study and all for that maths test tomorrow."

"Fair enough. We missed you though!" Spoke another boy, Luke.

Phil flinched. He knew they didn't mean it. They said they missed him, but they didn't. They didn't care.

"I'll remember tomorrow!" Phil said, grinning slightly.

"Sure thing, mate. We'll see you round!"

"Yeah, ok."

As the boys walked off, Phil relaxed. Alone again, he picked up his maths book and flicked through the pages furiously. He couldn't let himself become even more pathetic at his education than he already was.

But that was pretty hard to do.