The Watchers Wake

Chapter 1 - Dark Hair Guy

CHAPTER 1 - Dark Hair Guy

It was going to be one hell of a day. 

I stood looking at the main entrance of Sumner Heights High School and swallowed my small smile.  Yes, all things going well it might just turn out to be an interesting Monday.  I was ‘professional’ enough to hide my anticipation.  I had done this enough times to know that laughing too early, looking in the right direction at the wrong time, and being the first to react would be my undoing.

“Sports week this week Nobody, should be a laugh!  Hey guys, who am I?” The giggly voice interrupted my thoughts as it bounced by.   Kirsty Sully.  Her skirt was so short that seeing her legs splaying out in a caricature of an uncoordinated running style was unavoidable. 

Her laugh was cold as she turned and stood facing me, hands on her skewed hips, from where she stopped across the car park.  Half the school was now watching and although many were laughing, most were waiting.  Without turning I knew who stood behind me.  They laughed the loudest. 

“That’s a nasty case, Kirsty!  Could be Gonorrhoea or Crabs or both, you should get that checked out.”  My voice rang out above the laughter and the waiting crowd sniggered, not disappointed.

The harsh laughter behind me ceased.  Kirsty’s face froze in an unattractive scowl.

I turned and winced audibly, “Don’t worry I am sure that they can set up a clinic and treat you all at once.” Nodding my head with mock sincerity at the group of footballers/cheerleaders that stood behind me, “The CDC is quite capable, I have heard.”  I shrugged and walked away from the glares and into the laughing student body.

“Good one, Nobody,” Geoff laughed, “How did you come up with that?”

“Years of practice Geoff, many years of practice,” I let the breath out that I had been holding and with it the humiliation and fear too.  I came across as cool and calm but that was only the surface.  Underneath was a different story.  Especially lately, lately I just hadn’t been myself.   I couldn’t understand it but I felt different.  These confrontations which once had me feeling a little smug and somewhat justified, now just left me feeling, I’m not sure, almost unsatisfied, hollow, and just a little discouraged.

The rest of the morning we had classes as normal.  And as normal, after such a public showdown, my morning was punctuated by a variety of acknowledgement, of course there were the jocks and jockettes who sneered at me, and then there were the geeks who each gave me their own form of appreciation.  Depending on their affliction, this came as thumbs up, a soft pat on the back or just a shy nod in passing.  As usually I would answer a small smile to all, varying between the sincere and the sarcastic.  

At Sumner High the student body was pretty much polarised – them and us.  I was a geek and one of the ‘us’ so I suppose it was pretty much obvious who the ‘them’ were.  Actually I was more like the unofficial champion of the geek.  When persecuted I was the one they turned to.  Partly because the ‘them’ didn’t seem to scare me but mostly because I would actually do something about it, be that directly or indirectly, as everyone would see this afternoon, all going well.

 But to everyone, Jock or Geek, I was Nobody.   Nobody, that’s me. I had been Nobody since grade school and I expected to have it engraved on my tombstone.  It was a name that suited me.  It was how I felt.

I took my usual seat in the cafeteria, and silently questioned my path.  Although I was often left with no choice I could be less confrontational in my response to ‘them’.   Maybe.  Possibly.  Probably not.  I hated their arrogance and the way they discriminated.  That alone overcame my personal insecurities and forced me to take a stand.   Yes I was seen as strong and brave but it also singled me out.  Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Each time I stood up to them I became more the person I least wanted to be, popular. I was happier being Nobody.