Same Difference

~ Chapter 2 ~ How Could I Be Your Friend ~

Today at school, I sit down in my usual spot beside my friend Erin, and with us is a few other girls from my school who are a part of this group.

I watch the cafeteria like a hawk, tapping my foot vigorously on the ground, making sure that the jerks don't harass Alex. I make sure that no one does. I don't see anything just yet, but something might happen soon. It could happen anytime. It always did, every day, and I was always so stupid to not do anything about it.

Things would be different this time.

I look at my friends for a moment, just to see what they're talking about.

"He's so weird."

"Yeah. I used to think that he was kind of okay, now he's just weird."

"What's up with the clothes? Why so fancy?"

"I don't know. He's weird."
Most stupid conversation that I ever heard in my life.

I get a little defensive. "Guys," I cut in. "Who are you talking about?" Like I didn't know who it was. Like no one did.

Chloe leans in with her blonde hair hanging forward, and whispers his name. "Alex." As if there was a need to whisper. Everyone talked about him, whispering or not, and he knew.

I was angry, but didn't show it. "Oh, just shut up about it guys. What's so bad about him?"

They all have shocked looks like I stole one of the popular girls' Starbucks. After all, I've never said anything like that about him. I just kept quiet and they probably never even noticed. "Wren," Chloe starts. "He's creepy. Why does he wear button ups to school? Everyday? Why so formal? There's no button ups dress code. And he is awkward when he talks, when he does anyway. And why does he not talk to anyone? I used to think that he was a pretty chill guy, now I think that he's kind of a... Loser."
A lot of things she said was stupid. Why he doesn't talk to anyone? Because if he did, they would just say something rude to him. Creepy? I don't see why. Awkward talking? Why wouldn't he under the circumstances? Weird clothing choice? Who cares? His wardrobe is more on the cool side than not. I guess everyone just wanted to make fun of someone after Charlie, the last school nerd swallowed pills like they were a pack of candy, and died. He saw the pills as an escape.

They turned something that I would have thought that was cool, into something that is over-board; they think his outfits are overrated. That last kid died because of them, and they're doing the same thing that they did to the last nerd and he died, so do they want Alex to die, too? Why?

I give her a look like a mother would give her child for doing something they weren't supposed to do. "You guys a seriously ridiculous. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him. Who cares if he wants to look nice for school? He's better dressed then most of the guys at our school. Why do you even care?"

"Why do we care?" Danielle asks, repeating what I had asked. "Why do you care." She says that firmly, not really like it's a question.

"Because I'm doing the right thing. You don't know what's going on in his life. Stop judging him. You barely even know him. Just stop." I usually never was like this before. I usually never said much about serious topics and never really talked at people like this.

"We aren't being mean to him. We just talk about him." That response makes me want to slap her right across the face, making it as red as a tomato, but I don't, because that is not the right thing to do.

"Still! I also see you guys with disgusted looks at him in the hallway. He probably noticed. He notices everything. The way that you look at him should be anything but disgusted. Have some sympathy. Stop."

"What's up with you? Stop being such a goody-goody."

My eyes shot up in surprise. "Really? A goody-goody? We aren't five anymore. Stop it with that. Is it so hard to just shut up about him? What's the point in making fun of him? He's perfectly normal."
Chloe leans in closer to me. "I would be thinking that you like him, but that can't be true. No one would like him."
"How would you know? You can't see in everyone's minds."
"You don't like him, do you?" They all looked at me in shocking anticipation.
He wasn't weird or gross or anything, but he just didn't seem like the kind of person that I would go out with. I never really wanted to go out with anyone. At that thought, I rub the insides of my lumpy, shiny-patched wrists with my fingers. Love. "No, I don't. But someone could. Who knows?"
They aren't looking at me, and I think that they are just ignoring me, but then I realize that they are all looking at the same place. They are all staring at something behind me, and they look like they just want some popcorn with their stares.
I hear a few laughs and yells behind me, including various other noises, then I turn myself around and see what I have been looking out for all this time. Alex.
There were about five guys saying the usual rude things that people would say to him, and Alex just shrunk into himself lower and lower by every word like a turtle.
Same thing everyday.
Someone steps forward, he shrinks, one word, he shrinks.
Step: shrink, word: shrink, step: shrink, word: shrink.
Several times a day in the same sort of pattern.
But this time, it would be different.
Step: shrink, word: shrink, step: shrink, word: shrink. Step, word, stop.
I stood up from my chair, not stumbling a bit. I'm so sure of what I'm about to do. I don't even push my chair back. I stand up, making my chair slide back, and I walk straight to the scene.
"Hey!" I yell at them. It doesn't take long for them to notice me. I already know that the entire cafeteria is looking right at me. After all, I was probably one of the quietest ones in the school. Seeing me stand up like that and yelling for attention at the boys seemed like something that someone with the opposite personality of me would do. The boys looked at me in shocked, and I just stared at them all, with a face that showed that I'm serious.
Alex also looks shocked, but a whole different sort of shock than all the others. He probably gets the idea; some quiet girl from school is standing up for him. Why?
I then look him in the eyes, his brilliant green eyes, and he looks back, and I see that there's hurt, sadness, shock, but overall hope staring down at me. Hope.
This ends. Now.
***
Hi! I just wanted to say to vote for more! I'll post the next chapter soon. I hope you're loving it so far! Thank you!

Haha I'll talk more in the next few chapters.
For some reason chapter two has more reads than chapter one haha.
P.S. I added a different prologue at the beginning, and the old one is now the first chapter. I just wanted to make something else the prologue and push the other prologue behind that, so yeah. Just letting you know if you want to go check it out!
~shiveroth