This was first posted as a seperate story, but I decided to mash it in here.
Enjoy!
~O§O~
“Oh look, it’s Alexandria. Pity that such a pretty name got wasted on such a freak.”
Taunts follow me down the hallway as usual. And it’s only the first day of school. Sigh. If you hadn’t already figured out, I’m Alex. Do NOT call me Alexandria. Ever.
A freak? Well, let’s put it this way. I’m tall. Ridiculously tall. 17, and 6 foot tall. I’m not the best looking person in the world. No big blue eyes for me, outlined in eyeliner and caked in mascara. Nope. I refuse to go around looking like an owl, so I just leave my grey eyes alone. I like them, they’re special. No one I know has eyes like mine.
“Look at her hair; someone took the garden shears to it. But I’m not surprised. Her hair looks like an overgrown shrub.”
Instead of long blond tresses, my black hair is cut in a choppy style that frames my face. So? It’s my hair; I don’t see why they have a problem with it. Long hair isn’t exactly good for sports.
“Eww. I didn’t know that today was ‘come-to-school-like-a-hobo-day’. Gross!”
So what was wrong with my hoodie and jeans? I admit that my converse is more than a bit worn, but I can’t bear to throw them out.
My body? Well, you can forget about the hourglass figure, tiny waist with a large rack and butt, as well as endlessly long legs.
Actually, yes to the long legs. Take an average person, stretch out their arms and legs until they become six feet tall/long and then you’ll get me. My body is almost all lean muscle, with barely-there breasts and a practically non-existent butt.
I’m not exactly your normal kid. Yes, I can hold a decent tune. Yes, my report cards boast straight B’s and the occasional C. But out of school- that’s where I become an alien.
I have no social life to speak of. No Facebook or Twitter, no parties or drunken escapades. What’s the point of me owning the latest smartphone, because I have no one to text? Only my family and sport coaches are in my contacts.
What do I do with all my spare time then? Run. Swim. Lift weights. Cycle. Anything related to sports. I’m in a soccer, hockey and basketball team. The basketball team trains all year, but the soccer is only for summer and the hockey only during winter.
And when it comes to track and field events, I’m the undefeated champion in all the women’s events. Seriously. Not to boast, but no one even comes close. Just another reason to have everyone dislike me.
Every day I wake up and go for a run. A shower and breakfast follow, and I drag myself through another day of school. After, I head home to my various sports or to the basement, my own ‘gym’.
Today, the first endless day of school this year, is about to begin. First lesson after assembly is history. Boring. I’m about to doze off, but then I see him. He’s got messy auburn hair, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses frames his striking hazel eyes. A bulky bag is slung on one shoulder, and an awkward smile is plastered on his face. But what really gets my attention is his height. Finally, someone who’s at least 4 inches taller than me. He looks to be 6’5”, if not taller.
“Attention students, we have someone new joining us. This is Joseph Hunter, please make him feel welcome.”
A lone whiny voice speaks over the polite applause.
“Great, another freak.”
Miss Henderson ignores their comment and the muffled laughs. She turns to face the new arrival. “Joseph, you can take a seat next to Alex. Alex, please raise your hand.”
Tentatively, I stick my hand in the air and he begins making his way to the seat next to mine. The same voice makes itself know again. “Oh look, the two freaks are together. How cute! They could make us freakishly tall children.”
Laughter breaks out like a wild fire. I turn red, and bury my head in my textbook. ‘This is the last year I will have to endure this, the end of this year and I’ll be free.’ I chant this over and over in my head. It’s my senior year, my ticket to freedom. Finally I’m sick of people talking about me, but never to me. Laughing at me, but never with me. I repeat my ‘mantra’ in my head for the rest of the lesson, tuning out any other voices. When the bell rings, I’m snatched out of my head.
“Alex, Alex?” A voice with a subtle Scottish lilt finds its way into my ears, and then I realise someone’s talking to me.
“Sorry Joseph.” I laugh sheepishly, shoving my stationery into my bag. “What was are we meant to be doing?” He sighs before repeating himself.
“Miss Henderson gave us a pair assignment, creating a family tree about your partner and their relatives. It’s due in a month. Do you want to work with me?” I gape, pausing on my way out of the classroom.
“Are you sure? No one ever wants to work with the school freak.” It was true, until now I had completed all my pair assignments by myself. He shrugs.
“I don’t care; people already think I’m a freak. Besides, you didn’t look very freaky to me.” I smile broadly before nodding.
“Sure, I’d love to.” He grabs my phone out of my hand before punching in some numbers. As he hands it back, a smile is on his face.
“I put myself into your contacts. See you soon!” He turns and begins walking the other way. Striding to my class, I saw what he had put his number as.
The Other Freak.
And as I saw it, I couldn’t help but laugh. I had made my first friend, and it felt fantastic. Maybe I would be able to survive this year’s taunts and hateful words.
Maybe I would, with the other freak by my side.
