Enter: The Social Reject
There are some people who are destined to be social rejects. You know what kind of people I'm talking about, they're the people who can't be accepted by their peers no matter what kind of clothes they wear, no matter how many fads they try. They're the poseurs, the weirdos, the objects of ridicule, the kids who sit in bathroom stalls and libraries during lunch because they have nowhere else to go, the kids whose worst nightmare is a teacher uttering the words "group project" or "pick a partner", the kids who don't mind being used or taken advantage of if it means being acknowledged.
My name is Tomomi Watanabe, I'm a junior in high school, and I have been one of these social rejects for as long as I can remember. I'm not really sure how or why I became one, I guess I'm just one of those unlucky few who are meant to be alone. The fact that I'm a magnet for embarrassing moments only makes it easier for my peers to ostracize and harass me.
When I say I'm a magnet for embarrassing moments, I'm not kidding. I've a plethora of embarrassing moments, but the most well known among the student body at school are: the time I randomly started my period during school and was forced to use toilet paper as a makeshift pad and a piece of bloody toilet paper fell out of my skirt, the time my mom picked me up in her piece of crap mini van and the sliding door fell completely off, the time I fell in a duck pond on a field trip to the zoo, and the time I peed my pants in class because the teacher refused to let me go to the restroom. The point is, I'm a social reject who tends to embarrass the crap out of myself. I've accepted it for the most part and learned to just ignore mean comments from other kids, but I have to admit that there's a part of me that always hopes I'll be accepted someday, even if it's only by one person.
Anyways, today was like any other day. It was currently lunch time and I was enjoying my lunch and a book in the bathroom stall located furthest from the entrance to the restroom. Well, as much as someone can enjoy eating and reading in a bathroom. As usual there were about three or four girls in here fixing their hair and makeup, discussing the latest juicy gossip. It's kind of funny really, I hear the latest gossip before most other people and I don't even talk to anyone; it's amazing what you can learn in the woman's restroom if you stop to listen. Their current subject of discussion was of someone I'd heard of before, hell, everyone in the school knew who he was, he was Gaara. The school's toughest, scariest badass and criminal, a loner by choice. Everyone in school avoided him if they could, understandably, a single look at him the wrong way could earn you a trip to the hospital. Apparently he had gotten into a fight with Naruto Uzumaki during passing period today and had managed to get off with nothing but Saturday school due to his fathers high rank in society. I was curious as to why he and Uzumaki had gotten into a fight and who had "won", but unfortunately the group of girls left the bathroom before I could finish my eavesdropping.
I wonder what it's like to be Gaara, well, more specifically what it's like to be a badass. If I were a badass what would I do? I envisioned myself pulverizing all those who harassed and ridiculed me, never to be laughed at or made fun of by them again. No. I wouldn't just vanquish my own tormentors, I would also defeat anyone who teased others. I would defend all those who couldn't defend themselves, and be admired and loved by those I defended... be accepted by them.
I almost laughed out loud. What a ridiculous notion, as it was I couldn't even stand up for myself. I would never be a badass, I would never stand up for myself or anyone else for that matter, and I would never be admired or accepted.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I slowly started to pack up my belongings, but froze upon remembering my next class. English. Oh God. I had to give an oral presentation today. I could feel the bile slowly working it's way up into my mouth and my entire body began to tremble. The last time I had attempted to give an oral presentation I'd had a barrage of paper balls thrown at me and vomited in front of the entire class. It was humiliating, to say the least.
I considered doing something that I had never considered doing in my entire high scool life. Ditching. No one would notice if I missed one class, right? I could just stay in this bathroom stall until fifth period was over and go to sixth period like nothing was wrong. Yeah, I could do that. I could claim that the teacher had accidentally marked me absent. They would believe me, right? I mean, I'd never done anything considered bad before, so it's not like they would have reason to believe I would ditch. And even if I did get caught, the consequences wouldn't be that bad, it's not like I'd get suspended or anything... I think. I would take drinking a gallon of bleach over giving an oral presentation anyday, so any punishment they threw at me if I did get caught wouldn't be that bad.
So, I pulled my book back out of my backpack, and decided to ditch.
"Ms. Watanabe, you are aware that you could receive a truancy ticket for ditching class aren't you?"
Too ashamed to meet the enquiring eyes of my principle, I averted my gaze to the ground and mentally cursed myself. How could I have been so stupid? I had been so sure my plan was fool proof, so sure that I wouldn't get caught, and I probably wouldn't have, if the janitor hadn't decided to clean the girls restroom during the last fifteen minutes of fifth period. God, how embarrassing, to be caught ditching in a bathroom stall of all places, and by the janitor. I felt so pathetic, so stupid, but after my vast amount of embarrassing moments this was a feeling I was well acquainted with. But now, now I was going to get a ticket? Suspension, Saturday school, detention, getting attacked by a pack of rabid wolves, any of those wouldn't have been so bad, but a ticket? My mom was going to slowly chop my body into tiny bits with a meat cleaver, there was no way we could afford to pay for a ticket.
"Ms. Watanabe?"
"No sir, I wasn't aware."
"I see. Well, considering this is the first time you've ever been in any kind of trouble, I will let you off easy, however, don't think there won't be any consequences for your actions. I want an essay at least two pages long about why you will not ditch class again on my desk first thing Monday morning. You will also attend Saturday school tomorrow morning from eight to twelve in the library and I will be calling your parents to inform them of your truancy."
Oh thank God, I'm not going to get a ticket. At least when my mom decides to chop me into tiny bits with a meat cleaver she will make it quick and painless instead of long and agonizing. Maybe the principle wasn't as mean as all the kids made him out to be.
"Alright. Thank you sir."
"I'm going to write you a pass, I suggest you go straight to your sixth period class without taking any detours to the restroom."
"Errr... yeah."
And just when I was starting to think he was nice. Was that comment really necessary? I already felt like a complete and utter moron.
Anxious to get out of the awkward situation, I practically snatched the pass out of his hand, grabbed my things and rushed out of the office to go to my last class of the day, photography, the only class which I actually enjoyed.
When the school year had begun, I had thought the class would be boring, only to find that photography was something which enthralled me. There was no sound in the world that was more soothing to me than the sound of a camera taking a photograph. With such a simple device, I could stop time, I could preserve a moment which would never happen again, it amazed me. Taking photos was like being in another world to me. I could forget about the fact that I was socially retarded, forget about all of my embarrassing moments and just enjoy what I was doing. Because of this I was very grateful to have this class as my last one before I would have to go home and face my mother, at least I could forget about this whole ditching thing for awhile.
Once I reached the classroom, I hesitated by the door for a moment, mentally preparing myself for the inquisitive stares and sarcastic comments I was certain to receive from my peers. Releasing a deep breath, I opened the door and walked into the classroom, acting as if it were perfectly normal for me to arrive fifteen minutes late with a principles pass in hand, and made my way towards my teacher, who was currently sitting at her desk. Attempting to ignore the murmurs and giggling of Karin and her gang, I handed my teacher the pass, who greeted me with a warm smile and filled me in on what we were doing for the day, and then promptly took my seat at my computer where I began my work. Well, so much for immersing myself in taking pictures and forgetting about my current predicament, all we were doing for the day was photo shopping pictures. Booorring. I had been working for all of five minutes when Karin decided it was time to torment me.
"So Tomomi, why were you late? Did you pee your pants again and have to borrow a uniform?"
At this remark her entire crew erupted into a fit of giggles. I decided to just ignore her and continue my work, but Karin was persistent.
"Or did your mommy have to bring you a change of underwear because you used all the toilet paper in the girls room?"
They all erupted into another fit of giggles.
"N-no Karin... it wasn't that."
"Oh, so what was it then?"
"I... it was nothing, leave me alone so I can work."
"Eww, don't you tell me what to do you little freak."
"Please just leave me alone."
"Aww, but I love making fu-"
"Girls, get back to work," our teacher interjected, much to my relief.
With Karin and her gang subdued, I resumed my work for the rest of the period, wishing it would never end.
"You're telling me you ditched your English class and sat in a bathroom stall for thirty minutes because you didn't want to give an oral presentation?"
"Well... yeah, don't you remember what happened the last time I tried to talk in front of a class?"
"Tomomi, this is getting ridiculous. I understand that you don't enjoy talking in front of people, but sometimes you just have to do things whether you enjoy them or not. If you can't even give an oral presentation how do you expect to accomplish anything in life?"
"I-I don't know mom... you don't understand-"
"I don't want to hear it Tomomi, go to your room until I can figure out what to do. I'm very disappointed in you."
"I'm sorry mom."
"Just go to your room Tomomi."
With my head lowered in shame, and tears threatening to fall, I obediently went into my room. She didn't yell at me and she wasn't mad. She was disappointed. That was much worse than being chopped into tiny bits with a meat cleaver.
A/N: So, as you might have guessed, this takes place in an alternate universe. It was inspired by the movie The Breakfast Club. Any constructive criticism is appreciated :)
Oh, and I don't own Naruto. Just my OC and the plot.
