I felt trapped as our lovely principle slammed her office door behind her, she sat down at her tall mahogany desk, glaring at me and Alex, the popular kid, whose name I'd learned to be John, sat in the chair next to me, completely at ease, that little- "Who started this?" said the principle, Mrs. Coakley, interrupting my murderous thoughts of John the popular. I threw an awful death look towards him, "John started all of this, along with his friends." I said, well, more like snarled. Mrs. Coakley raised her pencil drawn eyebrows, "I'm surprised at you, John!" Mrs. Coakley said very loudly, "But Mrs. Coakley, I was only having a bit of fun, really, I didn't mean any harm." said John the popular innocently, Ehg! I wanted to wring his neck, that suck up! Mrs. Coakley smiled, "I'm sure you didn't, John, but Alexander and," the pushover principle looked down into her files, "Evelyn, violence is NOT the answer!" she said, her voice rising, well, tell that to the terrorists and the perverts that take little children from their families!
"Especially you, Alex, you should know better than to hit your friends like that!" the principle said, she sounded like she was talking to a two year old. Friends? What friend would make fun of you? And label you a freak just because they dress different, or, in Alex's case, What friend would make fun of you because you were sick? My angel only nodded, his right eye was bruising and his lip was bleeding, and he was holding on to my hand tightly, the words those kids said to him and me stung him. "I would like to talk to John alone, then I'll talk to each of you separately." said the principle, I sighed, Alex stood up first, still holding my hand in his, of coarse they were shaking, but worse than usual, from the sudden adrenalin rush. I saw out of the corner of me eye John staring at Alex, but it wasn't the anger or hatred I'd seen before, it was almost sympathy. I rose to my feet too, wrapping my arm around Alex's waist.
Mrs. Coakley's talk with John seemed to last an eternity, Alex and I sat on the wooden bench in the hallway, "I'm so sorry, Evi." Alex whispered, I turned to him, I was looking up and down the halls, "Hey, you did nothing wrong! Those kids were jerks, thank you." I said quietly, squeezing his shaking hand. "For what? I probably got you suspended, and that will go on your record too." he said sadly, I touched his cheek softly, "It doesn't matter." I said, his deep grey eyes stared into mine for an immeasurable moment, we were silent for a moment, but I had to ask, "why were those kids so mean." I said, helplessly, I didn't understand, what did we do to ever hurt them? Alex looked at me, a worry line appeared between his eyebrows. "It wasn't anything you did." He said quietly, I sighed, he read my mind again. "It's me they don't like." I looked into his eyes, angry now. "Why! What the hell did you do to disserve the threats and insults?" I was really mad, at those awful teenagers, even the teachers for not stopping it!
" I got sick when I was 11, I was hospitalized for a couple of months and I'd lost track of my old friends, they didn't visit, or write, or anything. When I was aloud to come home, I remember calling my best friend to see if he had any plans so we could catch up for a while, or ex-best friend , whatever, it was John Kerns, he moved on had new friends, even a girlfriend, he didn't want to be seem with a loser like me, and anyways being sick all the time is a turnoff, you know?" Alex smiled sadly, I looked at Mrs. Coakley's office door, popular kid and Alex used to be friends? I looked back at my lonely angel, waiting to hear the rest of the story. "So when I came back to school in the fall, I didn't know anybody, except John, he talked to me a little, but like I said, being seen with a loser like me was un cool. After my dad died, everything changed, I started dressing differently and I had different tastes in music, and I started to read and write more until it became an obsession." I held both of Alex's hands in my lap, stroking the back of his right hand unconsciously.
"I convinced myself that I was a loser, completely worthless, I mean nobody else had this cancer, nobody else had to go twice a week to get a needle stuck in you." Alex looked so sad and lonely, I wrapped my arms around him, he rested his head on my shoulder. "I've felt this way for 6 years and then Forks high got the news that a new family was coming to town, they were all looking forward to your arrival, and I think they were a little disappointed, that a girl as pretty as you decided to hangout with the diseased Goth kid." I gently pushed Alex off my shoulder, "Listen to me, Alex," I said seriously. "You, are not worthless, or a loser, don't you ever think that! I love you, those kids are just bitches, and you know what? They are the worthless ones." I rested my forehead against his, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." I whispered, Alex smiled, his pale tired face lighting up a bit. "I love you, Evelyn Cullen." I kissed his nose, "I know." I said, my angel laughed.
"Alex, I would like to see you know, please." Called the principle, Alex nodded and stood, shakily, up I kissed his palm, he smiled at me one last time before he walked over to the office door, he passed John Kerns on the way, the two boys made eye contact for a minute before Alex disappeared into the office. John sat down on the bench across from me, "I'm sorry." John said, I looked up, "Tell that to Alex." I snapped, the popular looked down at his hands. "I wish I could." he whispered, I raised my eyebrows, "Why did you do it then?" I questioned, softly, he knew I wasn't just talking about this afternoon, I was talking about the whole 6 years John had tortured Alex. "I don't know, I tried to be cool, to be 'in'." he made air quotes, "I guess you got your wish." I said icily. "Oh, come on!" he said, loudly, "Don't you wish that you were different? That you could be good enough? Making fun of alex was the icing on the cake help me be popular, He knew that I was only kidding." he said, looking away from my topaz eyes. If this was possible, there would be a hole burned into his face from the dirty glares I sent him.
"No, he didn't," I said, my eyes were burning, I had the mental image of a little Alex in my head again, only he was dressed in all black, he looked sick and lonely, unlike the picture in his bedroom. "He thought he was a worthless loser thanks to you!" I said my voice growing louder. "What?" said John, confused, "You heard me, you were supposed to be his friend." I said, completely disgusted. John swallowed, "Oh, shit!" he said he glared at him, but my face softened, he looked like he was about to cry, "I didn't mean it.' he whispered, "Please believe me!" he said softly, "I'm so stupid." he said, he looked less worked up, "Yes, you are." that was all I said, "Mrs. Cullen?" that was the principle, I looked up to see my Alex smiling down at me, I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his lips softly, "Thank you." he whispered, and sat down in my seat, across from his friend and enemy, I left the two boys, hoping everything would workout.