When I Realized What I've Become

Chapter 5

Months passed and seasons changed from fall to winter. I slowly fell out of love with Willow and focused my attention back on Summer. I abruptly stopped going to meetings after Bret pulled me to the side one time before lunch. He told me stories about what they did to him and when he broke up with Harlow, Willow put a knife up to his throat and threatened him in his own room late at night. And even cut him a bit. So, I stopped going to not get that sort of treatment if I ever dated someone in the group.

I quickly made fake friends outside of that group. People wanted me to be their friends for what I did out of rage and anger. Girls wanted my phone number, Instagram, Snapchat, basically anything to get in contact with me. Because I was big and strong for them. I didn't know what to do or how to feel. It was as if the world finally realized that I existed for once. I actually got invited to parties for once.

A new friend of mine, Jason came up to me. Jason was one of the boys that I considered cool before I punched Oliver. He was what you'd imagine as a jock. Not necessarily with all the muscle that they have but build like one. Football, basketball, and baseball are what he normally played. Almost every other day he would wear jerseys and either shorts or sweatpants.

"Hey Walker!" he yelled from across the room after science, "You need a wardrobe change."

I couldn't tell if he was joking but I chuckled and responded, "Yeah probably. All these nerdy shirts really should go."

"And the glasses too!" he said while packing up his bag.

I felt a stab of guilt but I decided to keep playing it cool, "Oh yeah I guess these things could potentially go."

"You and me," He said, putting his black backpack onto his shoulder, "we're going' shopping."

"Wait what?" I thought he was kidding.

"You," He points to me, then himself, "me. We're going shopping for you today to look better. And," he said, "I'll get my girlfriend and one of her cute friends to come along. How about that?"

"I......I," I stuttered, "Sure, great we'll do it today."

"Alright man," he gives me a high five, "After school, we will go and we'll get you all the girls!"

I chuckled, "Sounds like a plan."

I called my dad and told him that I was gonna get a wardrobe change.

"Okay," he said over the phone, "your limit is one hundred dollars understood?"

At the end of the day, Jason came up to me and waited as I put my books in my locker.

"Yeah, dad I understand," I said, then saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

"You ready to go?" he said.

"Yea," I said.

Walking out I passed by Harlow, Delilah, James, and Jazz. As I passed they stared me down. Almost as if I did something wrong, like betrayed their trust. Lizzie for a while gave me notes when the meetings were but I only went to a second one. She kept slipping notes into my bag about the meetings. But I kept ignoring them. As I kept ignoring them I became closer friends with Brett. To me, he wasn't a bad guy. Just someone who got misunderstood by everyone. The more I hung out with him the more he talked about the stories in the group and how he slowly got rejected. I didn't know what I did that would make them hate me. It felt like it was more than just hanging out with Bret.

It felt as if the more I hung out with Bret the more I became wrapped in drama. But I didn't mind.

Jason met with his girlfriend, Ava, in the hall. After them kissing for a solid minute and him running his hands through her long straight brown hair, he asked her to get some girl that was single to come along.