People always tell you that fiction is very different from reality.
Of course I'm not talking about the kind of fiction that has a guy in a cape flying through the skies, or the kind of fictions where monsters or genetically altered animals run rampant.
What I'm talking about is the romantic comedy fiction.
The whole boy meets girl scenario is not going to happen just like in fiction.
At least, that's what I thought until one fateful day, having turned a corner on my way to school, a collision happened.
A boy and a girl bumped into each other.
They laughed awkwardly and the boy helped the girl up while saying that he was sorry because he had been in a hurry. The girl waves him off with a gentle smile on her flushed face, and tells him that it was all her fault for now looking where she was going.
All the while, I stood there and watched as my childhood friend – and secret crush – blushed and laughed with a guy she had just met, in a way that I had never seen before. Neither had she and yet he was bringing out a side to her that I had never seen.
Was this bashful girl with a sweet smile really the girl I grew up with? The tomboy who liked to run, fight with brooms, and who liked every Star Wars movie except for the prequels?
Had I only known a part of her in a sense?
If that's the case then that means that if she never showed this side to me, I never had a chance with her in the first place. Looking at her, laughing with the clown with silver hair, made me feel that there was never nothing outside of friendship between us.
All the smiles, friendly nudges on the shoulder, and the times when we would just look into each others eyes; everything had been one-sided on my part.
This is usually the part where a guy declares that he's going to fight to win her over or be seen in a different light by the girl they like, but I'm not that kind of person.
Not a fighter.
The guy is tall, toned, and wears a school uniform shirt that's easily two sizes too small.
Compared to my lanky messy haired self, it's obvious who Kairi is going to go for.
It's like me getting in the ring with a professional boxer. Why go through several rounds of hell when I can just throw in the towel now and obtain the same result? This way I can pretend that if I had tried to win Kairi over, I would have done so. A perfect excuse to fall back on.
Yeah. I was still young, only fourteen years old. There were other girls I would meet.
Yes. That's true.
And yet, I can't help but feel pain when I see the two of them walking away. Pain and humiliation at being forgotten so easily by the person I consider my closest friend.
To make things even worse, it's my very first day of high school.
People told me high school was hell, but I had no idea that it would fuck me up before I even set foot on the school.
A lot can change in a year.
Just a year ago I had been crazy close to my childhood friend. Now a year later, I barely talk to her, though it's mostly because I really went out of my way to avoid her.
We didn't live close anymore, she had moved a couple of years ago, and – get this – Riku, the clown with silver hair, lives next door to her now, which means the clown is rich as well. Ha. It's like fate likes to fuck with me.
So yeah, the thing I said about fiction and reality, well that stuff really got thrown out the window as Riku and Kairi ran through every cliché in the book.
First they met. Next they made a club, the 'literary club,' which is really just a font for them to hang out. Of course, Riku being the 'boy' in this story, they got more members who happen to all be girls. I'm well past the point of it driving me crazy, but it's still frustratingly funny how perfect that clown's life is.
Meanwhile, my parents got divorced in my first year of high school, and I no longer have friends because I pushed the ones I had away, and made no effort to make new ones; both of these can be attributed to me having a shitty life and being in a terrible mood for all my first year.
Now I'm in my second year and things aren't looking up at all.
Classes just ended and I'm walking through the halls of school, taking the long way yet again, because I saw Kairi with Riku on my way out yesterday. Thankfully they didn't notice me.
"Sora, could you hold on for a second?"
Hmm?
I turned to see the student teacher in my class, Aqua was her name I think. She was in my first class since the second week of school, so she's been here for roughly a month.
"I wanted to talk to you about something important."
"What's wrong? Did I forget an assignment or something?"
If I did, I really don't care.
"No. You're okay," she smiled.
Bright. Too bright.
The aura coming off this woman is freaking me out.
"I talked with the teachers and they have let me start a new club in school. A club that I want you to take part in."
"Sorry, but I can't stay after school. I got stuff to do at home."
"Don't worry about that, we've already talked with your mother and she says that you can do it."
What the hell? They called my mom? Why?
The shock must have been noticeable on my face, as Aqua smiled and went on.
"She's worried about you, and knows, just as I do, that this club can help you."
Yeah right. If mom was so worried about me, then maybe she would stop drinking every night.
"Now come with me, I'll show you the clubroom."
I bit back an excuse, knowing it wouldn't help, and followed after her.
At least we were walking deeper into the school, meaning that I wouldn't have to see Kairi.
Our walk took us to the very back of the school, to a closed classroom right next to the janitor's closet.
"Come in." Aqua smiled, her sickly bright smile, and opened the door.
I stepped in and – though I hate to admit it – was at a loss of words.
Sitting on a chair next to an open window, with blond hair like silk flowing with the wind, was a blue-eyed girl with a notebook on her lap, and a pencil held in her delicate feelings.
"I'm back Namine, this is the other member that I was talking about."
My mouth dried up as she looked at me.
"He looks like a creep."
There goes my first impression of you.
"Now, don't say that Namine," Aqua laughed awkwardly, probably sensing the tension between me and the blond haired bitch. "This is Sora, he's going to be a member here as well. And now that you're together, I can go over the goals and duties of this club!"
Oh yeah, that sounds fun.
I took the chair from the table next to the blond bitch, and moved it to the other end of the room where I sat.
Aqua looked between us nervously before she put on her bright smile and began.
"This club doesn't have a name yet. I thought it would be fun if you two could come up with one. But that's for after you hear what this club is about."
Well, based on that girls terrible personality, and my own unique yet charming look of life, I'm guessing this is not a club but a containment zone to keep us from infecting other students with our attitudes.
"Both of you have had some problems with making friends with your classmates and I wanted to change that."
Oh, so I was right.
"You two will be taking anonymous requests from students, and help teachers with any assignments they have for you. I believe that this will make the two of you closer and more social with your other classmates."
"I apologize, but I have no obligation to be here for someone's pet project," Namine said in a curt voice.
I nodded, "She's right. Please make her leave."
"Nobody's leaving," Aqua cut in when she saw the glared Namine threw my way. I don't think I'll ever say this again, but thank you Aqua.
"This club will affect your grades negatively if you quit or don't work hard."
"That's not fair," Namine objected, "You can't bring down my grades just because you feel like it."
"All of your teachers agreed on this condition. Even your parents did."
"You called my parents?"
"She does that," I added.
Aqua clapped her hands and put on her excited face again, "In any case. Please work hard, both of you. I will work on getting you new members but for now have this."
She put a folder on the table.
"This has your very first assignment from a teacher," Aqua grinned, "Good luck."
After saying that, she left the room.
Dammit. Now there won't be any witnesses if this girl tries to kill me.
Well, I might as well look into the assignment so I can go home faster.
Getting off my chair, I walked to the table and opened the folder. Inside was a simple paper with the written words: "Please clean up my classroom (Room 115). Thank you."
Do it yourself dick.
"We have to clean a classroom," I said to Namine, who looked at me blankly before sighing and standing up.
"Fine," she said while placing her notebook on the desk. "Let's get this over with."
The sky was beginning to be painted in orange and red by the time we were done cleaning the classroom.
And when I say we I mean me.
Namine had looked the part. Putting her head into a bun and rolling up her white sleeves, but when she tried to pick up a desk to move, it slipped from her hands and came down on her foot. She was okay, but I still wordlessly took over what she was doing. In the end, she ended up shouting orders the whole time.
As it turned out, she was as clumsy as she was irritable.
"I suppose we can go home now that we're done with cleaning that classroom," Namine said as soon as the two of us stepped into an empty hallway.
Again, using we in this situation is not correct.
"Since she didn't tell us to talk to anybody after I was done, I guess it's okay for us to leave."
Namine frowned at me, "What's with that haughty tone of yous?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, "You're trying to say I wasn't much help."
"Do or do not, there is no try."
"So you're saying you were implying it."
"I'm saying I am implying it."
She clicked her tongue, "It's not my fault that manual labor suits you. What else can I expect from someone who was practically undressing me with his eyes earlier?"
"While I admit I stared at you when I first came into the classroom, there was no undressing. To me, you were like a car crash, terrible but I still couldn't look away."
"You're not much to look at yourself. I've seen toothpicks built bigger than you."
Okay, that one hurt.
"Oh yeah, well-"
"Sora?"
My words died in my throat when I spotted her. Walking over to us with a friendly smile.
"What are you doing here? You don't usually stay after school."
"I uh..."
Namine looked between us and tried to walk away, but stopped when her eyes landed on her.
"You too Namine," she paused, taking a small break to giggle, "It's weird to see you guys together."
"I know. The only time I'm around things like him is when I'm in a zoo."
"Whoa, no need to talk about your home like that," I muttered, but not quietly enough to avoid being heard, and was subjected to a heated glare from the blond.
But unlike last time, she smiled in a way that sent chills down my spine.
"Oh Sora, you're such a joker."
Huh? What stopped her from answering in an even worse way? Hey, if you don't one up me, then I'll look like a dick.
"I'm glad to see that you guys are friends," she smiled.
"We're not," Namine and I replied at the same time, causing her to giggle.
"Sorry, but I have to go. It was nice seeing you," she began to walk away but stopped mid-step and looked back at me, "And we have to hang out again, I feel like it's been a while."
Sorry, but I have enough self respect to hang out with someone who just remembered my existence in a random afterthought.
"Sure, maybe."
She smiled and finally left after giving a wave.
As soon as she turned to one of the other hallways, I let out a sigh.
"You have some sort of history with her," Namine pointed out.
"Shut up."
She smiled smugly, "Did you have a crush on her?"
I frowned and wordlessly tugged her hair bun, causing it to come down and cover her face.
