I'm Feelin' so Low

“Hey! I’m not that short.. Fuck you!” Johnny claimed, as he shook his fist. Though, despite that, he had a smirk on his face.

Everything quietened down for a few seconds, the silence was awkward. We looked at each other, nobody knew what to say. That was, until Brian made the silence crumble by sarcastically calling out, “Yeah, not that short at all.”

“Just small enough to be trend on!” Zacky added, clearly backing Brian up on this one. Though I didn’t know why he was laughing, he wasn’t that tall himself. In fact, neither Zacky or Brian were tall, not compared to Jimmy anyway.

Everyone was laughing, except me. My ribs hurt, my body hurt. I couldn't laugh. I wanted to, because admittedly that was pretty funny.

“Hey, Aid, laugh would you!” Brian said, looking at me with a stupid smile on his face.

I hated when people called me that, like I snapped at Johnny earlier, only my mother called me 'Aid' or 'Aiddy', but I realised if I was going to make friends I'd have to just forget that. Plus, they didn't know my past so I choose just to chuckle a little, trying not to move a lot. I didn't want the pain to shot through my body once again.

“There's a jammin' session 'round mine later, who's all coming?!” Matt yelled out.

“Oh, you guys are in a band?” I asked, very intrigued by the subject.

They all nodded together. "We sure are! You should come listen to us," Matt insisted.

My stomach was oozing with excitement. I hoped they'd be a great band to listen to, and not pop my ears. I began wondering what instruments each of them played. I assumed Jimmy played the drums in this band. Brian looked like the guitar type and Matt perhaps a singer. I was unsure as to were Zacky would fit in, he didn't look like a bassist.

"Have you got a bassist, yet?" Johnny piped up.

Jimmy started snickering in a high pitched fashion, Brian looked at Johnny with blank eyes and Zacky looked like he didn't give a fuck.

"We do. We don't want any midgets around, anyway," Matt chucked back at him, as his reply.

"I'm better dude," Johnny pouted.

"So, what do you guys.. uh, play?" I asked, curious to know if my guesses were correct.

"Well, Zacky here plays guitar, Brian plays guitar and Jimmy is on the drums. I scream," Matt answered, obviously proud.

"Sweet.. Wait, why do you need two guitarists?"

"Cause we are almighty awesome!" Jimmy bounced in.

The bell for the end of break sounded through out the school, everyone began moving off in their own directions. Brian and Jimmy pounded up the stairs. Zacky wondered off down the corridor. Matt and Dixie went off down the opposite corridor, soon it was only myself and Johnny left standing.

"What you got now?" he asked nervously.

I grabbed out my timetable, I had a class on the next floor; Biology. I didn't particularly like that subject, it used to interest me but now it doesn't. Here, I hoped however that it would grab back my attention as I really wanted to pass my end of semester tests.

"Biology. Room 1:2 with Mr Harold. How about you?"

"I have uh, Wood Shop. I'll catch you later." And away he ran, he was out of my sight within a matter of seconds. I shrugged and headed up the stairs, no clue as to where my next class was.

I wondered around the corridors for a bit, looking for my class. Until I finally came to it. 'Mr Harold' it read in giant letters on the door. I knocked, knowing I was late.

"Come in!" I heard a cheery voice call out from the other side. I looked at the door again, did I see right? I wasn't sure if I maybe got confused with Mr and Mrs Harold, but sure enough it said Mr Harold.

I edged the door open, peeping my head through the slight gap. When a man with a checkered vest came walking swiftly over to the door.

"Ah, you must be Aidan, right?" he asked, opening the door wider.

"Yeah.." I retorted.

"Come and take a seat, love! Any space that's free is fine."

I walked around the rows of seats trying to find an empty space. Great, I had to sit next to a jock.

"Yo, Aidan, isn't that a boys' name?" he snorted.

"Uh, I guess." I rolled my eyes, trying to get my head around why everyone said that. I hated the fact that I had a 'boys' name'.

Already, I was wishing to be out of that class. As I began to daydream a little, I thought of my mother and how she'd always say that my name was beautiful, how the other kids were just jealous. That was a lie, why would they be jealous? It's not a beautiful name, for a girl.

Mr Harold walked light footed over to my desk, "Here's your paper. Write your name. And turn to page 1O."

I scribbled the name 'Aidan Vaughan' in my scrawny writing. Flicking through the booklet I seen how much of this class I'd already missed, coming in during a semester wasn't the best plan. I knew I should have came next semester when everything would really be brand new. I went back to daydreaming while Mr Harold gave a lecture about the Human Body. I thought about what my day was going to end like, I doubt I would be allowed to go round to Matt's house to hear them play. My father would never allow it. Then I thought that I'd probably get a beating for even asking such a thing. Wanting to go round to a boys' house? Despicable, in my fathers' eyes. Especially seen as I only knew Matt and the others for a few hours.

"Aidan, in the human eye, what does the Retina do? Explain in your own words."

I looked around, I knew the answer. But god, could I remember it.

"Think Aidan, think," I thought. I knew this one well, I always passed questions on the eye. "The Retina helps the eye to produce an image but it's only seen upside down, so it converts the image into nerve signals, which is passed through the optic nerve and to the brain when, it's seen the right way?" I questioned my answer.

"Never once, have I had an answer like that.."