Just a Freak

"Hello, Mikey."

I love my kitty.

He's brown and fat.

His name is Michael Jackson. I call him Mikey for short. He sleeps on my bed every night.

Not the bottom bunk. The top bunk.

No one sleeps on the bottom bunk.

I guess you could consider Mikey my friend.

But he thinks I'm a freak, too.

That kind of made me think about Caleb.

I wonder if he thinks I'm a freak yet.

If he doesn't, he will soon.

"MOM!"

Assembly.

"MOM! GET THE MEATLOAF!"

There are a couple obnoxious boys behind me. I want to pound their faces. They keepy shouting "Mom, get the meatloaf!" I don't know if this is a movie quote or what, but it's pretty fucking annoying.

"Riley! Get the meatloaf!"

Laughter ensues.

Ha, ha. Meatloaf. Ha, ha.

"Riley, are you emo?"

"Am I what?"

When the Hell will this fucking assembly start?

I just had to sit down here.

"Are you emo? Do you like to slit your wrists? I see slits on your wrists."

I looked down. It was from a couple nights ago when I dragged the scissors over my arm. Did that make me emo? I definetely didn't like emo music.

"Fuck you."

I pulled my sweatshirt sleeves down my arms. My hood was over my head. My hood makes me feel more secluded.

"What's wrong, Riley? Are you crying? Crying and cutting yourself?"

I inched forward until my butt was on the very edge of bleachers seat.

The assembly finally started.

It was an anti-drug presentation.

No biggie.

We have one every year.

I've thought about drugs. The fact that they're harmful doesn't repel me. But it's like cheating, I think. If you're depressed, you take drugs and BAM! It's better for two seconds, and then you're addicted.

Whoohoo?

Besides, everyone's been doing them. I'm not everyone. I take pride in that.

Caleb was staring at me when he saw me moshing in the hallway. I waved at him.

He smiled. Sort of. It was like a half-hearted, shy smile, and it faded quickly.

But it was still a smile.

Mr. Geiger here today. Hallelujah.

I'd made him a clay present.

It was an clay Expo Marker.

He laughed for five minutes straight when he saw it.

It's sitting on top of his computer moniter.

He says he'll cherish it forever.

That made me skip back to me seat.

Before Jason Brown tripped me, of course.

But I didn't care much.

Fuck him.