I Want To Be Who You Pretend You Are
Chapter Two:
“Now William-” a curly haired woman with a bad taste in knitted jumpers was trying to direct me to my seat in my first crappy class, namely history.
“It’s wiL.” I said flatly.
“It says on the roster quite clearly, William,” she replied, annoyance panging in her already irritating voice. I stuck out my bottom jaw and grinded my teeth as her squeaky commands continued.
“William, I want you to sit next to Michael Way,” she pointed at a geeky looking kid with thick glasses.
“Miss, It’s Mikey, if you don’t mind,” he squeaked, barely audible, but she ignored him and ranted on some more about some crap no-one was listening to. Michael, or Mikey as I’m assuming he preferred, sat in complete stillness, staring at me. I wondered if something was wrong or if he was just weird in the head.
“I’m sorry, was I staring?” he asked, I struggled to hear his tiny voice.
“Nah, it’s cool. I’m used to it,” I replied, honestly. Everyone stared at me, I don’t even know why. It was like I was dressed in a tutu with fairy wings or something.
“You’re new, yeah?” he said after the teacher with a fondness for ugly jumpers turned around and started writing something on the whiteboard.
“Yeah, moved here from Seattle,” I replied, surprised when the boys face lit up at the mention of Seattle.
“Seattle? Oh wow, why would you ever move from Seattle?” his eyes were now wide and his cautious nature thrown aside.
“I don’t know, mom wanted to or something,” I shrugged.
“But…but Seattle has the best coffee,” he emphasized ‘the’.
I laughed and shook my head, “It’s not so great. It’s just coffee.”
“It’s never ‘just coffee’, coffee is like…the drink of the gods.”
The conversation about coffee continued on way longer than a normal conversation about a non-alcoholic beverage should have but I didn’t mind. At least someone was talking to me and it wasn’t Gerard, but for some reason that I couldn’t quite pin-point this kid reminded me of Gerard.
*
“What class do you have now?” Mikey asked me. I stared blankly for a moment then realized I was still at school. I pulled a crumpled bit of paper from my pocket and stared at it in complete confusion. I turned it up the other way but it still didn’t make anymore sense than before. Mikey giggled and made a grab for it but failed.
“Give me it and I’ll tell you,” he said, making another failed grab for the paper. I pulled it just out of the way in time to send him cascading to the ground.
“I’m so sorry, man,” I tried not to laugh as I stooped down to help him up. I grabbed his wrist and hoisted him back up, only to see Gerard staring at me across the hall. I blinked quickly and turned back to Mikey who was triumphantly holding the timetable.
*
“Do you wanna come eat lunch with us?” Mikey asked me as we stood at my locker.
It was weird, this is the first time…ever someone ever asked me that. I didn’t know how to reply to that.
“Ok, sure,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t sound desperate for friends.
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“It’s wiL.” I said flatly.
“It says on the roster quite clearly, William,” she replied, annoyance panging in her already irritating voice. I stuck out my bottom jaw and grinded my teeth as her squeaky commands continued.
“William, I want you to sit next to Michael Way,” she pointed at a geeky looking kid with thick glasses.
“Miss, It’s Mikey, if you don’t mind,” he squeaked, barely audible, but she ignored him and ranted on some more about some crap no-one was listening to. Michael, or Mikey as I’m assuming he preferred, sat in complete stillness, staring at me. I wondered if something was wrong or if he was just weird in the head.
“I’m sorry, was I staring?” he asked, I struggled to hear his tiny voice.
“Nah, it’s cool. I’m used to it,” I replied, honestly. Everyone stared at me, I don’t even know why. It was like I was dressed in a tutu with fairy wings or something.
“You’re new, yeah?” he said after the teacher with a fondness for ugly jumpers turned around and started writing something on the whiteboard.
“Yeah, moved here from Seattle,” I replied, surprised when the boys face lit up at the mention of Seattle.
“Seattle? Oh wow, why would you ever move from Seattle?” his eyes were now wide and his cautious nature thrown aside.
“I don’t know, mom wanted to or something,” I shrugged.
“But…but Seattle has the best coffee,” he emphasized ‘the’.
I laughed and shook my head, “It’s not so great. It’s just coffee.”
“It’s never ‘just coffee’, coffee is like…the drink of the gods.”
The conversation about coffee continued on way longer than a normal conversation about a non-alcoholic beverage should have but I didn’t mind. At least someone was talking to me and it wasn’t Gerard, but for some reason that I couldn’t quite pin-point this kid reminded me of Gerard.
*
“What class do you have now?” Mikey asked me. I stared blankly for a moment then realized I was still at school. I pulled a crumpled bit of paper from my pocket and stared at it in complete confusion. I turned it up the other way but it still didn’t make anymore sense than before. Mikey giggled and made a grab for it but failed.
“Give me it and I’ll tell you,” he said, making another failed grab for the paper. I pulled it just out of the way in time to send him cascading to the ground.
“I’m so sorry, man,” I tried not to laugh as I stooped down to help him up. I grabbed his wrist and hoisted him back up, only to see Gerard staring at me across the hall. I blinked quickly and turned back to Mikey who was triumphantly holding the timetable.
*
“Do you wanna come eat lunch with us?” Mikey asked me as we stood at my locker.
It was weird, this is the first time…ever someone ever asked me that. I didn’t know how to reply to that.
“Ok, sure,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t sound desperate for friends.
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