Immature Mistakes | mj.q✓

Three

'Why do you want to talk? You still wanna be my friend?' he asked in genuine surprise.

Chengxin slightly chuckled. 'Of course I do, we've gotten into a massive load of trouble together before. And I don't support what you did, but we all make mistakes right?'

'I...' Jiaqi started.

'Though I can't say the same for the rest of our friends. They don't want anything to do with you because that was just too much. If their parents hear about it, they'll kill them.'

He nodded. 'I understand. And you? You're not worried about that?'

Chengxin nodded. 'I'm not. But I hope you're better now, I mean physically and emotionally too.'

Jiaqi forced a smile and nodded. 'I'm probably better than I've ever been.'

He looked around the classroom, and there was so many eyes on him. Glancing at the clock above the board in front of him, he noticed there was about 5 minutes until class started. He decided it would be best if he would address them to ease the gossip.

Jiaqi stood up. 'Guys.' he announced to get their attention, and now even those who were taking secret glances at him were now looking in his direction shamelessly.

'What are you doing?' Chengxin asked him in surprise.

Jiaqi turned in his direction momentarily then turned back to the classroom. 'I don't know what thoughts you have of me being here. Most of you see a monster in me, or a bad guy, and I guess I don't blame you for that. But what I just wanted to say right now is that I've changed. Since 9th grade, I haven't been the best person. But sometimes it takes a lot to show you that you have to make a change in your life. So I'm sorry to everyone I wronged in this class and I'm not who I was anymore.'

The students looked at each other as Jiaqi finished his speech and sat down. His former friends looked at him with surprise, and so did Chengxin.

'Are you being for real?' Chengxin asked him once he had sat down.

'I am,' Jiaqi nodded. 'It feels like this is my second chance at everything.'

His friend looked at him with a humorous expression.

'Are you saying this so you seem like a better person and not get expelled for what you did?' his friend Yaowen, safe to say former friend, commented from his spot in the opposite corner.

'No,' Jiaqi shook his head and spoke loud enough for him to hear, consequently for the entire classroom to hear. 'I don't really mind what will happen next now, and I know you guys are tired of hearing my explanation. If I have to be expelled then so be it, I'll be fine.'

He wasn't sure of his statement, he wasn't sure if he really didn't mind about what was going to happen next. Heck, he surely did, but it wasn't going to make him transform back to who he was.

Yaowen snickered along with some other of his classmates, while some had simply listened and put in no comment.

Chengxin patted his friend's head, 'listen man, you know I'm always going to be your friend. But it seems like our crew is pretty much divided over this matter. So I sort of have to choose the other 5 or you.'

'No pressure Chengxin, you don't have to leave your 5 friends for me.' Jiaqi told him. 'I understand.'

Chengxin sighed. 'We're still buds though, we're tight. I don't care about what happened with Janine.'

Jiaqi gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded. Chengxin got up from the chair. He returned to his usual spot and started to converse with another of Jiaqi's former friend, Zhenyuan.

The English teacher walked in a moment later for the first period, and everyone who still hadn't taken their books out of their backpacks started to place their books on their desks.

'Oh Jiaqi, you're here.' the male teacher commented after he had finished writing "English" on the green board. 'Welcome back to school.'

'Thank you.' He answered awkwardly now that everyone's eyes were on him once again.

'We don't know how long he'll stay here though.' One annoyed student mumbled.

The teacher turned to her. 'I think it's highly inappropriate for you to suggest that Meghan.'

He knew why the teacher said that; he was trying to not make him feel bad because he had recently attempted suicide. The English teacher was one of the teachers who purely disliked Jiaqi, and he couldn't blame the English teacher because Jiaqi was usually a troublemaker. To hear the English teacher defend him for once in his life somehow made him feel worse about the situation. It seems everyone knew about what had happened, and they would probably treat him differently. He didn't want to be known as the troublesome kid who almost did the unthinkable.

He looked down at his desk.

'Jiaqi, you're welcome back to school. Lucky for you, you didn't miss much. But I suggest you ask your friends for notes, and if you don't understand what we learned last week, you can find me.' The teacher told him with a smile.

'Thank you sir.' Jiaqi nodded.

'Unbelievable,' one student commented venomously to the other. Jiaqi had anticipated this, but he didn't know school would become this hostile.