Word Count: 2157

Chapter 2: I Thought P.E Was Supposed to Be Fun.

"Robby?" My Mom immediately asked, and stood up, when I opened the door to the kitchen. I could tell by the bags under her eyes she had stayed up all night.

"What do you want from m-" I asked but she quickly gave me a hug. "W-w-what?" I stammered. "W-w-why?" I asked. I felt her embrace me a little bit tighter and I jumped.

Was this some kind of cruel joke? Was she going to make me feel like she loved me and then stab me in the back? I thought. But my Mom's voice snapped me back to reality.

"I'm so sorry Robby," she choked. "I'm so sorry my baby boy," she held back tears, giving me a smile, and letting go of me so she could stroke my cheek which was covered in blood, but she didn't care. I gave her a forced smile, and she looked happy to see that her son was doing okay. But I was lying to her. For some reason at that precise moment I let my walls down for a second. I don't know what came over me but I started sobbing. "Robby?! What's wrong?!" Mom asked me worriedly. I was at a loss for words I didn't know where to even start. The only thing I could manage to slip out was.

"It's nothing. I j-j-just," I paused. "I love you Mom," I sobbed, hugging her again. She didn't say anything, nor did she hug me back. But at that moment I didn't care."I love you so much," I slowly let go of her and she looked like she had mixed feelings. She looked happy, sad, angry, guilty, and mitulaptive all at the same time. We stood there in silence for what felt like forever until she broke the silence.

"Shouldn't you be heading to school?" Mom asked emotionlessly.

"Oh yeah," I remembered, walking to the bathroom to quickly wash up. By the time I was done, most of the blood on my face was gone, and I had stopped my leg from bleeding a little bit. It was my chest that would not stop gushing blood, I'm guessing the cut was really deep for it to be like this. Whatever. Good enough. I just hope Sam won't worry. I hoped. I grabbed my backpack, my phone, gave my Mom one last hug, and then walked out the door. I looked down at my phone and saw I had one text message from Sam. I unlocked my phone and saw a text message that read.

"OMG!! My DAD is literally helping coach our P.E class today!! NO!! He's totally going to embarsses me!" I let out a small laugh, but then gasped in pain remembering the cut on my chest. I texted her back.

"C'mon Sam. Everyone loves your Dad. It'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah okay whatever! Lol. See you at school."

"Yeah see you at school." I turned off my phone to see myself standing in front of the school. They were right, muscle memory actually does work. I took a deep breath, tightened my grip on the straps of my backpack, and walked into the school. When I walked into the school I saw Sam talking to her ex-boyfriend Miguel. I shoved my hands into my pockets, in fists. Sam turned around and beckoned for me to come over. When I reached them Sam squealed.

"Hey!"

"Hi," I replied.

"Oh, I don't think you two know each other!" she said happily. "Robby, this is Miguel!" She said, pointing at Miguel. "And Miguel, this is Robby!" She then pointed to me. I looked at her highly excited expression but then she frowned. "Oh my god, Robby! Are you bleeding!" She yelled worriedly.

"No, no, I'm not, don't worry," I reassured giving her a forced smile. She put her hand on my hairline and when she pulled it away her whole hand was covered in my blood.

"What happened?" Her voice broke, holding back tears. I looked at Miguel and he looked shocked.

"Sam it's nothing," I tried to convince her.

"Well it's obviously something!" She raised her voice slightly. I jumped. She started crying. "Oh god, Robby," she whispered. She put her hand on my back and led me towards the girls bathroom. "I'll be right back Miguel," she cried. People looked at her weird but she didn't care.

"Sam but this is the-" I muttered and she pulled me into the girls bathroom.

"Is it just your head?" She asked.

"Sam-" I argued.

"Answer my question," she said emotionlessly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"Yeah," I lied. She pulled a pack of bandages out of her backpack.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"I hit my head on the door," I said emotionlessly. She gave me a unsure look but then I gave her a confirming nod.

"Let me bandage you up," she demanded. She grabbed my wrist but I pulled away.

"Sam, I really don't need your help," I argued.

"You do! Look at yourself!" She yelled. I looked at myself in the mirror and she was completely right. I needed help really badly. Then the insecurities started to flood my mind.

Is it really that easy for her to see through me? Is she just pretending to be my friend? Is she just pretending to care to stab me in the back later? How in the world does she know that I need help?! I shook my head.

"See Robby," Sam sighed. I looked down at the ground. "You need help," she said sadly. She put her hand on my shoulder.

"I don't need help! I'm not weak!" I yelled, yanking her hand off my shoulder, and ran as fast as I could out of the girls bathroom. I heard Sam screaming my name from behind me but I didn't care. I just kept running, until I saw my classroom. I stopped but then I started wondering things.

Really why am I even doing this anymore? I don't even need to go to school anymore. I turned to walk away but something was telling me to stay. I am not sure what came over me but I just heard Sam's voice.

"You have to stay in school Robby," and then I heard Mr. LaRusso.

"School is important Robby. If you don't go to school it will affect your future a lot," but which was surprising over all was when I heard my absent fathers voice.

"You gotta stay in school Robby, or else you'll become a screw up like your old man. Do you really want that, Robby?" Johnny Lawrence asked me in my head. That was the one thing that my Dad had ever said to me that actually stuck with me. The only good advice he had ever given me. Maybe the only advice he had ever given?

I walked into the classroom, and took my seat.


After 2 and a half hours of social studies it was finally time for P.E. P.E is my favourite class. Only subject I'm good at, really.

I walked into the gym and saw Mr. LaRusso was standing in the corner, and he beckoned for me to come over. When I got there, he looked very excited to see me.

"Hey Robby!" he said happily.

"Hey Mr. LaRusso," I replied. Then his cheerful smile dimmed down and he looked serious again.

"How have you been holding up?" He asked.

"Good. It's completely-" I tried to say but he gasped.

"What happened to your head?!" He asked worriedly.

"Oh this." I said pointing to the blood in my hairline. "Hit my head on a door," I reassured, and he sure looked relieved.

"Well," he paused. "You have to get changed for P.E," he stated.

"Oh," I replied. My leg started burning again, and my first reaction was to bend over and hold my hand over it in hopes to numb the pain.

"Hey Robby? What's wrong?!" He asked, his face returning to a worried expression. I winced in pain. "Robby! Are you okay?!" He asked worriedly. He was standing beside me now, and was trying to lift up my pant leg. I used my karate to grab his hand and snap it off just before he could lift it up to show the wound.

"Nothings wrong," I replied, straightening up. Mr. LaRusso didn't look so convinced until I gave him a really real looking fake smile. It was one of my best talents other than being a natural at karate. I could smile even after a moment's notice. Even if I had had a 30 minute meltdown 30 seconds before. He gave me a smile and then he told me.

"Well you have to get changed into gym strip,"

"Oh yeah," I replied. I waved to Mr. LaRusso and started walking to the guys' change room. I saw Sam standing near the guys change room, talking to Miguel. When I got near she yelled.

"Robby!" I looked her right in the eyes and brushed right past her into the change room. As soon as I closed the door, I remembered something terrible. My P.E strip… oh god. It's a white shirt. I turned around and walked out of the change room, and straight towards Mr. LaRusso.

"Robby?" He asked.

"Yeah hi, I was just wondering if I didn't have to wear, P.E strip?" I asked hopefully.

"I wish I could say yes, but the rules are the same for every student. I can't just break the rules for you Robby, that would be unfair. Sorry," he explained.

"Oh, it's fine," I said disappointedly, walking back to the change room. I walked past Sam again, this time not even looking at her. When I got into the change room. I took my backpack off and started digging through it for my P.E strip. When I found it, I saw Miguel walk in.

Shoot. I thought. I took off my sweater and shirt revealing the big gash in my chest, that was still gushing blood. I saw Miguel look at me through the corners of his eyes. His eyes widened in horror. Dang it! I thought. I put on my white shirt, and put my hoodie back on. I took my pants off, that was hiding the giant wound from the end of a high heel. I saw Miguel's eyes fill with tears. I quickly put on my jogging pants and walked out of the change room. I then went to sit down with everyone else in the centre of the gym.

"Okay, we are playing basketball today," Mr. Roberts, the gym teacher, stated. "You need to find partners," he demanded. Everyone stood up. A bunch of girls started walking over to me, because apparently I am the most handsome boy in our entire school. But the exact person I didn't want to be partners with got to me first.

"Hey Robby, do you want to be partners?" Sam asked. I saw Mr. LaRusso looking at me so I didn't decline even though I wanted to.

"I'll grab a basketball," I said.

"Okay!" She said excitedly.

This is bad. I thought, fearfully.

"Are you going to grab one?" Mr. Roberts asked. I shook my head.

I hadn't even noticed I was right in front of the bin. I grabbed a basketball and walked back over to Sam, who was talking to her Dad, and Miguel. When I got there I heard Miguel start talking.

"Sam, I have something important to tell-" But Sam cut him off.

"Hey, Robby!" Sam said. "Let's get going!" She smiled. I gave her a small smile. "Talk later Miguel?" she asked Miguel.

"Yeah sure," he sighed, looking defeated. I then looked over to Mr. LaRusso who was frowning at me.

"Hey Robby, you have to take your jacket off," he demanded. I frowned.

"But Mr. LaRusso-" I started.

"Robby, I already told you that you had to change. Please take off your jacket," he apologized.

"You don't understand-" I tried to say.

"Robby," he said, giving me a look.

"Fine!" I replied angrily. I unzipped my sweater, and looked down at my white shirt that was now red with blood. I hesitated but Mr. LaRusso was giving me a look.

Here we go. I thought, unzipping my sweater all the way.

"There! Happy now!" I yelled. All the other people in the gym turned their heads to look at me. But I didn't care. Sam covered her mouth with her hands, tears streaming down her face. Mr. LaRusso looked angry at first. But then he looked sad, choking back tears.

"Robby. I'm-" Mr. LaRusso started. I turned around and ran as fast as I could. I heard people yelling my name from behind me, but I just kept running.