Ethereal - Chapter 2 - How I Met You

Chapter 2- How I met you

 

I never really introduced myself to you, did I? By now you probably know me as a rude, boring clumsy boy who needs someone to defend me- right? Well, it’s a bit more than that to say, I have seen some things that no one else has ever seen...

 

It was my first day of middle school, I was 12 years old.  Mom was hoping for me that I get better luck than in primary school. I grew up in a mean, unforgiving world. And just I expected things on my first day horrendously. The school was as rough and filthy as my flat, and our aloof, arrogant headteacher already gone through the rules that our school is like ‘the best school in the world’ (just like my old primary school) and mischief will not be tolerated. As expected, it was all talk and there was nothing amazing about it.

 

Anyway, the details of that aren’t so important. I managed to leave class a few minutes early and was on my way home. Everyone else was too, I think. Usually, the family rules are to get back home right after school, don’t hang out with anyone at all. So that’s what I did. We didn’t have a car, and even if we did I’d rather go home through public transport or on foot. We had a school bus although we couldn’t afford the bus fare.

 

I decided to extravagantly spend a couple of pounds in my pockets. on a large cup of soda, which in the future I probably won’t have since I get bullied so much. Because of my social anxiety, it’s so hard to speak to anyone or stand up for myself, so no one ever really knows how I feel. Do you know what I mean?

 

I was at the bus-stop finishing off my soda, filling my empty stomach in seconds, making me feel rather bloated. I lacked the motivation to walk my way home. I still luckily had a few more pences with me- so why bother walking home? I started to hear someone run towards where I was just as the bus was approaching me. He was running for the bus, since he was in such a hurry I let him go in first. Rudely, he gazed back at me, I diverted my eyes avoiding contact with his. But I found it uncomfortable and upsetting that he did that to me.

 

“What are you doing kid? Are you getting on the bus or not??” said the bus driver who sounded rather displeased.

 

I noticed that the other person who went before me didn’t pay anything- he just went inside. I wish I was that lucky, but I’m not so I had to pay anyway. The bus was half full So I had free spaces to sit, So, I took the very back seats and put my backpack on the seat next to me. The weird guy was 4 seats in front of me so I was a bit far from him. However, the guy HAD to sit next to me. He already had good seating, yet he had to bother me- out of all people, me. I picked up my backpack and sat where I had put it. My face began to burn up when I felt him nudging towards me again.

 

Distracting myself, I took out my phone and started to look through my messages. Seemed that there was nothing new. I felt like texting mom but I was more focused on the person sitting next to me.

 

“Am I bothering you?” He said in a rather awkward tone.

“No- no- no!” I quietly said looking down at my legs which were swinging back and forth.

“What is your name?” He started to ask

 

Was this person mentally retarded? Why did he want to know what my name was? I always thought I was weird. My mom told me to start socializing with other people but I highly doubt this is what she meant.

 

“Why are you sitting so close to me?” I said almost losing my breath

 

Not hearing an answer from him, I felt extremely vulnerable, got up wore my backpack and forced my way out of the bus when it had stopped. I didn’t know what was his problem, but I know that the money I spent to get on the bus was wasted. It couldn’t be helped, unfortunately. But there was something wrong, still. I could hear my shoes clacking on the floor, but it wasn’t only mine. For a second I stopped, trying not to look behind me. He was there.

 

What did he want to do? Mug me? Kidnap me? Kill me? Was this the end? I picked up my pace and gradually found myself running. My heart was racing faster and faster. I didn’t want to go that day, no not that day. It made me wonder- it made me realize- it made me ask myself if I was ready. There were so many things that I wanted to do. I ran as fast as my legs could possibly take me, down a lonely, quiet, alleyway. I cursed accidentally taking the wrong turn, the painful grasp of someone’s hand cover up my mouth was all I remember…