Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliche

From the moment I woke up, I could tell today wasn’t going to be good. There was a crash downstairs, then a shout, then another shout, and soon, it was a full blown argument, loud shouting back and forth. I couldn’t hear the words, but I didn’t need to to know it was about me. I sigh softly and roll myself out of the tiny bed that was way, way too small for me and my awkward, lanky body, and go to my closet to get ready as quick as possible. Maybe I could sneak out through my window, and not have to risk going to school with a bruise on my face like last week.

I pull out my favourite tank, seeing as it was spring, finally, and I didn’t have to wear a sweatshirt, and my usual black skinny jeans. Guy jeans didn’t fit me, so I had to wear girls’, which is beyond embarrassing, and you can imagine I get made fun of for that. I tug my clothes on, going back to my nightstand to retrieve my phone, checking to see if I had any messages. Not like I had any friends, but the two I did have liked to make sure I was up and make sure I’m alive. I didn’t see any, so I stuff my phone in the back pocket of my jeans, and grab my glasses. I hook them in the neck of my shirt, going to get my bag before opening my bedroom door. I peer down the stairs, hearing another crash and more shouting, shutting the door immediately and heading back to my window.

I hated being on the second floor, but luckily, there was a tree right outside my window. I drop my bag down, knowing there was nothing breakable in there, before grabbing onto the branch and climbing out onto it, shutting my window slowly before dropping to the ground. I land with a thud, and I stay low for a minute, before hooking my bag over my shoulder and putting my glasses on, making sure they were on right before getting up and hurrying out of the yard and towards the school. It was about a half a mile walk, and it took me twenty minutes each day, or so. I never really bothered to time myself.

I hated school. I hated it with a burning passion, and not just because the teachers were assholes. No, I hated it because no matter how much I tried to hide, or how tall I was, I got picked on, and bullied, and I even got beat up once. Just once, surprisingly. I mean, I know I’m awkwardly tall and I have long arms, so it’s really hard for me to just hide and be ignored, but even the teachers pick on me. I’m lucky I have one friend, let alone two, and they weren’t necessarily popular, but they weren’t as lame as I was.

Speaking of those two friends I mentioned earlier, when I walk up to the school entrance, I spot their frames leaning against the wall next to the door, and I smile a bit to myself as I walk up to them. There was Caleb, who helped me after I got beat up, and Michael, who’s been my friend since grade school. I don’t know why Caleb stuck around. He had the potential to be popular and bully me too, but, I’m glad he’s around.

“Hey, guys,” I say as I walk up. I was walking up behind Michael, so Caleb notices me first and launches himself at me, wrapping his arms around my skinny frame and squeezing. I gasp out a breath in shock and try and hug him back, but he had my arms trapped.

“Austin! You’re okay! I thought for sure you wouldn’t be here today!” Caleb exclaims, and I wriggle out of his grip. He steps back and I take those few seconds to catch my breath and actually breathe. “Did I hug you too hard? Sorry,” he apologizes, looking at the ground bashfully.

I smile a bit and shake my head. “No worries, Caleb. And, yeah, I’m okay. A little bit tired, but okay. The ‘rents were fighting this morning so I snuck out the window,” I say, standing up straight again. Michael gave me a hug next, and his was way, way gentler than Caleb’s, which I was grateful for. I can’t handle two bone-crushing hugs in one day.

While Caleb starts to ramble on about something, I take the time to look both of my friends over and observe their looks for the day. Caleb was wearing a black and white and yellow striped shirt, with a black hoodie over it, unzipped, which was weird, because he almost never wore hoodies. He just had a normal pair of jeans on, and a pair of tattered Vans. He styled his hair like always, pushed back and gelled in place. Michael was wearing an American flag tank top, that looked a little too big on him, but fit him well, and a pair of black jeans, along with a pair of black Converse. Yeah, I basically just checked out my best friends. Who cares? Not them. I do it all the time, they don’t care anymore. Michael had also changed his plugs to tunnels, and I resisted the urge to stick my finger through it, because I know he hates that.

My urge gets the better of me, and I bite my lip, trying to hide my smile, lifting my finger and poking it through the hole in his ear. Michael glares at me from the corner of his eye and I laugh, removing my finger and bringing my hand up to cover my mouth, knowing the snort was coming, and I hated that. A few seconds later, after laughing for those few seconds, the snort comes and I just cover my mouth with my other hand, looking down.

I hear Michael chuckle. “You know, Aus, you should really stop covering your mouth when you laugh,” he says. I look up and roll my eyes.

“It’s a habit, and a habit that I’m not going to quit. I hate my laugh, and I especially hate the snort. It’s annoying,” I reply. Michael just shakes his head and we turn to head inside so we can get to our lockers and get to class on time.

As soon as we step inside, I hear voices from down the hallway that we happen to need, and I glance down that way to see just the person I wanted to see. The most popular person in our school, Alan Ashby, was standing at the end of the hall, leaning against the wall and talking to his group of friends, and they seem to be laughing at something. He looks especially nice today, I can tell from afar. His ginger hair was a little shorter than normal, and was sweeping across his forehead, hanging just above his eyes. He was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt, with some white sprawled across the front, and a pair of black skinny jeans with the knees basically ripped out. I couldn’t see his feet from this far away, but he was probably wearing the same black Vans he always does. Hanging on his arm was Maddie, his girlfriend, who I despised with every fiber of my being. It wasn’t even just because she was dating him, although that got on my nerves, but because she was such a slut, and I’m sure she’s slept around with half of the school. Or, the straight half, at least. Who am I kidding, she probably tried to get with the non-straight half too.

I had a major crush on Alan, and I hated it, because he’s completely straight, and that’s obvious by the girl hanging off his arm, batting her eyelashes like it’s an attractive thing to do. That’s why I swing towards guys. Even if he was gay, or bi, he’d never like me back.

I must’ve been staring for a little too long, cause Caleb elbows me in the side and we start down the hall. Our lockers were all right next to each other, which was convenient. Michael and I had convinced the school to let us have our lockers right by each other, and Caleb’s just happened to be there. It all worked out, but, unfortunately for us at the moment, Alan and his crew happen to be right across from the spot we need to be. I keep my eyes down at we walk, trying to duck behind Michael before Alan, or Shayley, or Tyler, or any of the people hanging around him, notice me.

But, when have I been known to have good luck?

Oh, that’s right. Never.

Tyler notices me right as I duck behind Michael and I can hear his voice sneer towards us, and I try and hide behind Michael more.

“Hey, freakshow!” he calls, and I just flinch, ignoring him and turning to my locker, spinning the lock and I’m about to open it when I’m slammed against the metal, my nose hitting before the rest of my body and sending a jolt of pain through my head. “I was fucking talking to you,” Tyler’s voice spits from behind me.

“Hey, let him go!” Caleb pipes up from next to Michael, stepping forward and shoving Tyler back. “Leave him alone, he didn’t do shit to you,” he growls.

It’s funny, really, I’m taller than all of them, but yet I still get picked on. I guess because I’m tall and awkward, because I have an unfinished sleeve of tattoos on my right arm, maybe because I came out in freshman year? I don’t know, but even if I tried to fit in, someone finds a way to pick on me and send me into a rut of self-pity and self-loathing.

The good thing about Caleb sticking around, is that he’s really intimidating when he wants to be, even if he’s not the strongest person out there. He can throw a punch, I’ve seen it and I’m glad he’s on my side, rather than on theirs.

I heard Tyler mumble something, but I didn’t turn around to look at him, although I could feel his eyes glaring holes into the back of my head. I feel something trickle down my lip, and I bring up my fingers, seeing the familiar red liquid. “Fuck, I don’t need this right now,” I mumble, tipping my head back and pinching my nose.

“Goddamnit, Tyler!” Caleb snaps, shaking his head and grabbing my wrist, dragging me away from my locker and down the hall somewhere. I hear a group of laughter sound from behind me and I sigh when we turn into somewhere, most likely the bathroom. “Sit,” Caleb orders, and I do as told, still holding my nose while Caleb gets some toilet paper to help clean me up.

The bell rings after a minute and I sigh. “Go to class, I’ll be fine on my own,” I tell him, tipping my head back down and pushing him back to show I meant it. He frowns and opens his mouth to argue, but I just turn around and face the mirror, going back to fixing myself up. He sighs and nods, leaving the bathroom. No more than five seconds after it closes, it opens again. I sigh heavily. “Caleb, I said go,” I mumble, looking towards the little hall right as a small head covered in ginger hair pokes out, one eyebrow flicked up. I freeze immediately, my eyes widening slightly, swearing to myself. Of fucking course Alan has to come in the bathroom as I’m cleaning myself up. Then, another head pokes out, with longer hair, and I recognize it as Maddie, and I just squeeze my eyes shut. And of fucking course he came with his girlfriend.

Could my day get any shittier?