Humor Me

Chapter 4

Labels were already thrown at me the next day. After last night’s outburst in front of Alberta, I was labelled as a “Wreck” or “Unstable Rogue” or “Someone who was too good to even be in a group”.

Walking down the halls, those sparkling eyes I once received from peers were now clouded in either disgust or indifference.

You would think after standing up for myself I would deserve respect. But while in my silence, I realized making fun of Alberta made me no different than her. Even confronting her again seemed dirty to me. What if I had another outburst?

Gathering my bag from my locker, footsteps echoed down the hallway and there was a tap on my shoulder. This being my first contact with life, I jumped and turned around.

There stood the ticket booth guy, dimples prominent on his tanned face. “Are you going to the game right now?”

I shut my locker and put on my backpack. “No. I think I’m just going to go home.” Seeing Alberta was the last thing I wanted to do.

“You’ll regret it,” he shot.

I stopped adjusting my bag and studied him. He wasn’t joking. Not wanting this, I took out my car keys and was ready to leave. He put a hand on my wrist. I gave a sceptical look and said, “I will? Enlighten me.” 

He closed my hand with the car keys and placed his hand on my back, steering me towards the gym. “Because I don’t like to see strong people get put down so easily.”

I tried to escape but he had my hand now, pulling me into the rowdy gym. The basketball team was practicing their shots and the crowd was already divided in their groups. I spotted Melonie sitting with Alberta and Cleopatra. A mix of emotions juggled in my queasy stomach. “I can’t be here,” I started yet he dragged me up the bleachers, forcing me to sit.

“You’re not running, Jupiter.” He pushed his hair out of his eyes and poked my shoulder. “I might not know you that well, but I have heard what I wanted to hear. You’re a fighter.”

Words were stuck in my throat. I kept staring at him, both confused and overwhelmed. “Who are you,” I finally said. “Why are you helping me all of a sudden?”

He smiled and turned his body towards the court, the class president walking up the podium. “I’m not sure. I guess life just has a funny way for timing things; it’s unexplainable yet I kind of like it that way. How life always brings the right people on time but it’s our choice to be too late.”

His words wandered in my mind as the class president did his yearly speech. The president rambled on how this will be the most successful school year yet and how hearing the voices from the students will make us stronger.

Even though it wasn’t mentioned, the class president naturally presented each speaker by their ranking of popularity. 

Thus Melonie was up first. She dressed accordingly to Alberta and Cleopatra; black blazer and white pants. It was supposed to represent yin and yang; but now seeing the whole picture, I realized how amusing that was.

“My name is Melonie Jane-Doe.” She cleared her throat and flipped her hair back, readjusting her cue cards. She read aloud, “I’m part of the school’s elite group. We try our best to share our extraordinary wisdom and knowledge with the school but some people do not deserve—”

“Freak!” The shout came from the varsity football team.

A sudden rush of anger ripped through me. I found a comforting hand wrapped around mine and suddenly, I put a lid on those emotions. I supposed I should have done something, but I shoved my protest down my throat. This was not my battle. Melonie could handle this.