CHAPTER 13: OUTCAST

After everything that happened at the football game, I had a rough night filled with awful dreams. I couldn't help but dream about that one kid that killed himself. His numb body lying on the ground right next to the bottle of pills that he desperately swallowed just to "escape" his life and what was to come of it. I kept seeing myself there, in that bathroom with him. After his parents opened the door and saw me, just as they put their phones out to call the police, I wake in some very cold sweat.

After maybe the third time that this happened, I turned to my alarm clock and saw that it was 10:30 AM. Thank God that it was a Saturday, otherwise I would have been late for class. I got up from my bed, noticing that I was still in my dirty school uniform, and went over to the wardrobe to get some clean clothes. I pretty much pulled out the usual stuff: a towel, a bar of soap, a red t-shirt, some ratty blue jeans, and a black pair of boxer shorts.

I walked out of my room and went up to the second floor where the bathroom was. While walking towards the stairs, some of the boys in the dorm were eye-balling me. They probably heard about my secret from someone who was at the game, but nonetheless I ignored them and went to the bathroom.

Once I got to the bathroom, I laid my clothes right outside the stall that I going to use, and then I went inside it and stripped my dirty clothes off. I turned the shower on, and I started washing my body. Once I got done with my back, I couldn't help but think that somebody was watching me. I opened the stall just enough to see outside without exposing myself, only to find no one out there. I closed the stall door and continued to wash my body.

After I was done with my shower, I dragged my clean clothes with my foot underneath the door and started putting them on. Once I was done dressing, I picked up my dirty clothes, walked outside the bathroom, and went by to my dorm room. During the walk back to my room, a couple of Non-Clique students said to me, "Get out of here, you psychopath. We don't want your kind around here". I kept my head down and walked straight by to my room. I closed the door behind me and threw my dirty clothes in the hamper.

I turned on the radio to listen to some music while I went to the wardrobe to get some socks and sneakers. While I was getting the desired items and putting them on, I couldn't help but hear what Eric Young had to say about last night:

So, that reveal about Greg Winston's past life before coming here was a shocker. I never thought that Greg of all people would be a bully. I don't know him personally, but I do know that he's friends with Jake's former girl, Cameron Joseph. Just from all the messages that I got in the past 12 hours, Greg is really the most popular, or should I say unpopular, story since Jake dumped Cameron for Debbie Monroe. Just for this kind of occasion, I have a special song just for Jake and everyone that is listening. Here's Old Love / New Love by Twin Shadows. Enjoy.

"You are so very weird, Eric", I said out-loud as I turned the radio off. Jake and Cameron's break-up was old news already, and he's mistaken the part where Cameron broke up with Jake. Of course, I found out not too long ago that Bullworth Underground Radio works in conjunction with the Jocks. The Jocks make Eric tell stories that are in their favor. It was also their way of warning new students not to mess with them (that's why I got the "respect is everything" message from Eric on my very first day). The Jocks have control of the entire school, and I was dumb enough not to even consider that warning the moment I set light to the fireworks in the pack of weed. Now, my life here was ruined.

Taking a deep breath, I got up from my bed just as I finished putting my shoes on, and then I walked out of my room. I was going to need something to eat, otherwise I'd probably collapse on the floor. I walked out the dorm and started heading for the Main Building. During the walk though, more students, girls and cliques included, started saying mean stuff to me. "Go back to Liberty City where you belong, asshole", one girl says to me. "Liberty's too good for him. He should go to prison, that's where he belongs", another student chimes in. Keeping my head down, I quickly ran from them and entered the Main Building.

Once I was in the main hall, I quickly made a mad-dash through the doors leading to the Cafeteria. Once I made it down the steps to the Cafeteria, I quickly entered the line and waited for the line to proceed. After a while of waiting in the slow-moving line, I was able to get my morning breakfast, which consisted of pancakes, grits, and a biscuit. After that, I then tried looking for an empty spot in the Cafeteria where I could sit down. So far, all the tables were filled with people; people that won't let me sit with them.

After a while of looking, I noticed a table at the far end of the Cafeteria. It had Cameron's three friends sitting with them. I approached the table and then asked the girls, "May I sit with you girls?" All three looked up from their conversation and said to me, "Sure, but for a little while though".

"A little while?" I asked them. "Jake and the rest are going to be here soon. I figured you don't want to be around him after what he did last night", Margaret tells me. "I get it", I said as I went looking for someplace else to sit. "Greg, wait", Margaret tells me as I approached the stairway. "It's not you, okay?" she began to explain. "We got nothing against you. You're a sweet boy, and I can tell that you're still torn apart from the incident. Cameron isn't here today because she has a dentist appointment today. But if you need someone to talk in case Cameron isn't around, Emily, Francine, and I are here for you". "Thank you", I mumbled to her.

I turned away from her and continued to the stairway out of the Cafeteria. Unexpectedly, I accidentally come across Jake and his dumb-ass clique of apes. "Hey Greg, how are you doing?" Jake began to mock me. "I was wondering how well you slept after I told the school your deepest, darkest secret. No hard feelings, right? You did deserve it after all, what with you turning my package into a firework display. Enjoy your breakfast, you outcast". Jaquon walked by and said to me, "Your parents should be ashamed of you. Do them both a favor and jump off a bridge".

Just as they walked away from me to get to the table that the girls were sitting at, I mumbled under my breath, "Assholes". I walked up the steps and back into the main hall. Figuring that no one would bother me while I was hiding behind the stairs, I went there to eat my breakfast. Once I sat down against the wall, I then noticed a couple of gold-metal plaques on the wall in front of me. I ate all my breakfast first, then I got up and inspected the metal plaques.

When I got up to the plaques, I couldn't help but read the inscriptions written on one of them. This award is presented to Jimmy Hopkins for Outstanding Heroism. Canis Canem Edit. What did this Jimmy Hopkins guy do that got him this award? I went over to the other plaque, and it pretty much read the same thing except it was written for some guy named Clayton "C-Money" Stone; what the hell kind of nickname is C-Money anyway?

Once I was done with inspecting the plaques, I picked up my plate and took it to the nearby trashcan over by the English classroom. Once I dumped my garbage into the trashcan though, I turned around only to be faced by several Greasers. Five against one; there was no way I was going to get out of this. "What do you guys want?" I asked before making the remark, "I don't do oil changes". "Jason Vincent sends his regards", says the one Greaser that I attacked twice now before he punched me right in the gut. Losing my breath after being punched down in the stomach, I quickly fell to the floor, making me a vulnerable target for the Greasers to kick and punch me.

For what seemed like minutes, I felt every punch and kick that they threw at me. I even began to start feeling blood oozing from some of my wounds. While the Greasers were beating me, all the students in the hallway as well as possibly some from the Cafeteria watched and cheered as they beat the living daylights out of me. After a while, the Greasers were broken up by a couple of Prefects. Before I could see their faces though, I passed out right on the spot.

….

I woke up in an unfamiliar setting. At first, it was hard to see because of the bright light, but with a beeping sound and some talk about medicine and antibiotics, I soon determined that I was in a hospital. After a while, there was someone calling me by name. Her soothing voice made me recognize it out of all the loud noises in the hospital. My eyes adjusted enough for me to see a familiar blonde-haired girl waiting for me. "How do you feel?" she then asks me.

"Like a million bucks", I sarcastically replied. I tried to sit up right, but then Cameron says to me, "No. No, stay down. The doctors are worried that you have a concussion. Just relax". I took a deep breath and then asked her, "How long have I been out?" "You've been out since 11:30 AM, according to the Prefects that saved your life. It's 6:30 PM now, so seven hours", she answers. "What happened when I was out?" I asked her.

"The five Greasers that nearly beat you to death were detained and taken to Headmaster Kowalski's office. They now have detention for an entire month. Jason Vincent, who ordered the attack, will probably get two months", Cameron explained to me. "And what about Jake?" I asked her. "Does he get any punishment after what he did at the game?"

Cameron started sighing right when I asked, "He's getting away with it?" "It was not Dr. Kowalski's idea", Cameron started to explain. "The head football coach, Mr. Stark, said that if Jake can't play, then they won't be able to get to the playoffs at the end of the year. Hell, even his father is protecting him. Jake's dad threatened Kowalski with a lawsuit if Jake is suspended from the team. He's untouchable, and he won't be getting punished".

With all that Cameron said to me, my anger started building up. Why the hell isn't he getting punished? He clearly broke the rules, he needs to be punished. My anger was starting to get the best of me that I started balling my fists up. "Damn that Jake, damn his father, and damn Coach Stark", I said out-loud. I never liked Coach Stark anyway. During my first week at Bullworth Academy, I walked past him in the school hallways. When he saw me out in the hallway, he made the remark to me, "What are you supposed to be; a boy, or a girl? If you're a boy, cut that silly long hair of yours". Ever since then, he's always said to me how he would cut my hair had I been in his Gym class. I never liked him, and with all that Jake has done, I can't believe that he's going to turn a blind-eye away from it.

"Greg, calm down", Cameron says to me. "If you keep building your anger, then they won't let me see you till you leave". "When am I supposed to leave anyway?" I asked her. "From what I heard, at the very least tomorrow morning. They just got to do some tests first before they let you go", Cameron tells me. "Just great", I said out-loud. "I don't even like being in hospitals. Not since my dad told me about how he ended up in one after a job gone wrong".

"I'll stay with you all night long then just to make you feel comfortable", Cameron suggests. "You don't have to", I told her. "Besides, don't you have to go hang out with your friends and do something fun. After all, it is Saturday night". "Greg", Cameron began, "I'm staying. I care about you, and if being in a hospital makes you uncomfortable, then I'm going to stay with you all night. I'd do the same for any of my friends on the cheer-leading squad". "Thank you, Cameron", I told her. "I really appreciate it".

All night long, Cameron has kept me company. I never did get why she would stay for me. Granted, she did say that she would do it for her other friends, but something told me that there was something more between us than just a friendship. Did Cameron have a crush on me? It would make sense considering how Jake has treated her like trash for a good while now. Something tells me that I would find out soon enough though. I never had a girlfriend before, so this would be all new territory to me. The one question I have to ask myself for now is "When should I make a move?"