My teeth chattered in the cold. It was so unusual for it to be cold. At school, we sat in the gymnasium every day in the mornings. The bleachers I sat on were cheap yellow and blue plastic that rolled in and out. Skylights in the ceiling allowed for rays of light to get in. In the middle of the floor in front of the bleachers, a basketball sat. One annoying, cheesy basketball logo. I couldn't focus on that though. There was so much on my mind.
Today is the day I would confront you. The day that I could bring things back to normal. I was determined. I was ready. I sat and wrote in my notebook, creating a story to take my mind off of things. You walked into the gymnasium just as I finished stifling a yawn. The sight of you made me think back to one of the many days I had not a clue you were so cruel.
It was the last day of school. You had moved to the school a few months back. Since you were in my class, we had become close friends. The bell rang, and I had ran out of the classroom, eager to get my bum out of tacky blue plastic chairs, and aged desks. The walls were a tacky blue, white, and yellow in stripe form. The walls, unlike high school, had no lockers to show, they were tucked away in classrooms. The floors were a blueish / greenish tile, many replaced with an obnoxious white granite. The school was over 50 years old. He followed me down the lengthy hallways, and out the metal doors to a sunny day.
The back of the school had several main areas. To the left of the exit was obnoxious blacktop with old cast-iron basketball hoops and bike racks. To the right were a swing set with no swings, and 10 different sized and shaped metal monkey bars. Past that were two dusty fields, one for softball, one for baseball. Between the two fields were a large grassy area for play. In-between the grassy area was a black path patched with rock and tar. That lead to the back entrance to the school yards that was ALWAYS unlocked. I looked back at him, and saw his phone sticking out of his backpack. I snatched it up, and right away he saw me. "I have your phone, HA-HA!" I taunted. In result, he tackled me to the grass. I held a firm grip on the phone. He tickled me until I finally gave up the phone. By then, we were both panting from the heat and exhaustion. He grinned at me, then ran to catch up with his other friends. Through-out the summer we had texted, called, and hung out with each other.
As I wrote, I peered up at you. Laughing, teasing, old self. That laugh that I would surly miss. But you had changed. I really can't change it like I had planned. My confidence deflated, my plan lost. A memory that would not go away found me.
When school had started back up, we slowly drifted apart. You had promised me we would stay close. But that did not work. Everyday, you would be waved at by someone in the the popular group. They were the group that I just couldn't stand. By the third month of school, you had totally ditched me. No longer would we speak other than in the hallways. One day you were laughing.. at me. I heard the popular people drop to a whisper as I walked by. Smirks and looks of pity upon their faces. It took all I had not to cry. I looked right at him. He made eye contact. " How could you be so mean? " I whispered. I ran away to my next class.That was the time that I realized he was not as nice as I had thought. Since then you tried to apologize, but you never really meant.
I waited until I saw you come up the stairs of the bleachers to put my notebook away." Hey , " He said casually, studying my face for a second. I just wished he would go away. " What's wrong? " He said, clearly not realizing the depression I felt. " Are you mad at me ? " He retorted. My mind rolled through what to tell him. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, burst that confident ego. " Yes ... for a while now " I said slowly, carefully shielding my depressed emotions with a pained smile. Silence filled my mind. Waiting for him to say something. Anything. He started to name off reasons why, each time I shook my head. " Just stop, please, it's too late " I said, trying to get the lump in my throat to go away. " Ok.. Ok.. " He echoed, and for the first time I swore I saw a frown on his face. It was replaced with a smile as he walked off to his friends, acting like I didn't exist. Like it never happened. That just made the lump in my throat bigger.
My friends came, and I realize it was time to be happy, not stress the unchanging past. But there he was. Sitting with me and my friends. I couldn't take it. I let my anger show, and stared up at him quietly. He had already angered half of my friends from past experiences, it was my job to make him leave. I was sure of it. "Go.. just go, " I said, allowing the anger to mix into my sorrow. " I'm not leaving " He taunted, not knowing he was making it so much worse. My friends echoed me, telling him to leave. So I knew I had to man it up. " Please, just leave me alone!" I shouted, but it only came out as a whisper. "Well as long as you say please" He crooned, and slowly left to his real friends. With the deed done, I only half listened as my friends talked, watching him out of the corner of my eye, wondering if I did the right thing. Wondering if I should have given him a second chance. Wondering if I should turn around and apologize.
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