𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄, adam reed

rule 9 • he was the only person to treat me like a human being

the entire class laughed, and he read even faster, shuffling the cards in his hands.

i held back laughter, while my teacher shook her head.

as soon as he was done, he snatched the poster from me, and covered his face with it.

i read off the poster board, too, but nobody made fun of me, because i wasn't nervous.

the presentation was done, and everyone took their turn, forgetting about adams embarrassment.

everyone except adam and i.

he laid his head against the desk, the scene replaying in his head like a nightmare.

i scrolled through instagram, opening the rumor account.

at this point, it was the only reason i used instagram, besides to post pictures of myself.

'did you know that cherry's pregnant? who's the baby daddy?"

this account can't even be real anymore.

it doesn't exist.

i refuse to believe adam sits on his ass all day and writes this shit about me.

it's not my fault he didn't memorize his notes and embarrassed himself.

before i could get even angrier, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

i half expected it to be adam, with a stupid new insult.

but it wasn't.

it was ray.

adam looked up, rolling his eyes and judging us.

"hey." he whispered, glancing at the kids presenting in the front.

"hi." i said, suspiciously.

"do you wanna go on a date with me?"

"uhm.."

"you don't have too! like, you're cool, and i was just wondering-"

adam stared at us, eyes clouded.

he rolled his eyes, scoffing and mumbling something under his breath.

"yeah. i do wanna go on a date with you." i nodded.

adams face fell, and he placed his head back on the desk, as if he was asleep.

"really?" ray asked, glancing over at adam. "cool. i'll see you tomorrow at 7, then."

"where?"

"it's a surprise. you look really pretty, by the way."

he turned back around, with a smile.

i was bored, and it was excuse to get out of babysitting adam late at night tomorrow.

did ray only like me because i was pretty?

was that the reason i'd stopped being bullied? because i was attractive to people now?

ray wouldn't even look at me a year ago.

what had changed?

it felt horrible.

ray used to be the bully.

he used to make me feel horrible.

he made me feel the way i made adam feel. and the feeling was really really bad.

but he liked me now.

and adam cared about that too much.

adam hated that he had tried to help me when nobody else did, and in return, i bullied him.

i was pretty now.

so, if i was annoying, people didn't care.

i made the same jokes. i was the same person. people just liked me better.

and it made adam angry.

he was the only person to treat me like a human being.

and in return, i was horrible to him.

and that made other people be horrible to him.

adam looked up from his seat.

"you look pretty.. ugly." adam insulted.

i shrugged. "ray thinks i look pretty."

"what?"