The Bully Loves Me

Part 1

Slap!

My palm was struck with a bundle of sticks. It stung so much that I grimaced. After that, Ryan slapped my head repeatedly until I submitted, bowing down.

"I told you I wanted guava juice, not tomato juice. Don't you have ears? How can you not remember?" Ryan complained, now pulling my hair.

Ugh, my whole head felt like it was being pricked with needles.

"There was no guava juice, so I bought what was available," I defended myself.

"Don't act like you know everything!" Ryan pulled my hair back and then grabbed my chin roughly. I was forced to look up at his angry face. His handsome face did not suit his thuggish behavior.

"Next time, go back and ask! Understand!" Ryan yelled. I could only respond with a faint yes.

"If you understand, go back! Get me a different juice! Not tomato!" ordered Ryan. As soon as he let me go, I quickly left, wanting to get away from him. I walked out of the classroom and down the corridor to the canteen.

Unfortunately, the journey was difficult. Along the way, several people intentionally bumped into me with their shoulders. Because of this, I fell backward and my glasses fell off. Luckily, the lenses were plastic, so they didn't break.

"Watch where you're going, loser!" one of them yelled at me, even though it was their fault.

"Just a pathetic loser!" another added.

"Move it, Loser!" someone kicked me.

I was known to be nerdy, ugly, and antisocial. To them, I was just trash polluting the school and didn't deserve to be there. Maybe that's why no one helped me, even though what I experienced was inhumane.

But I couldn't complain about my fate. I could only stay quiet, bow down, and then crawl to pick up my glasses. After that, I tried to get up, even though my legs still hurt from the earlier abuse. With a limp, I slowly made my way to the canteen. I had to fulfill Ryan's order to reduce his torture.

As I walked down the corridor, students gave me strange looks and whispered among themselves. Occasionally, after whispering something in a friend's ear, they would glance at me or giggle. I could only bow my head again as my cheeks burned.

After completing Ryan's task, I had to face the arrogant guy again.

"Here." I handed him his order.

After snatching what I brought, Ryan spoke with disdain, "Get lost! I'm disgusted by your face."

I was used to the insults, so I obeyed without resistance. Sometimes, if it was too much, I would just hide in a quiet place and cry alone.

This time, since Ryan was finally bored of bothering me and busy with his juice, I didn't want to be in his line of sight. If possible, I wanted to avoid him forever. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. After lamenting my situation, I walked to a seat in the back corner.

That place was suitable for someone like me who was rejected by everyone. There, I wouldn't disturb my classmates' view.

Unlike my friends who were busy chatting, I was only accompanied by a book that needed to be studied. Since starting school, I have always been alone, content with my solitude. I didn't like many people, and more people didn't like me. That couldn't be blamed, as I wasn't good at socializing.

My vision was so poor that I had to wear glasses since middle school. Now, in the second semester of the eleventh grade, my glasses were thicker, making me look even more nerdy. With this appearance, I was often called the Lonely Loser because I only communicated with books. I only talked to people when necessary.

***

It was a bright morning at S High School. I had just finished parking my bike and entered the class, trying to be an invisible chameleon. After sitting quietly for five minutes, the previously calm class became lively.

"Aw, Ryan's here," someone exclaimed. Hearing that, the whole class became excited. Many girls started fixing their makeup. Suddenly, they sat sweetly or pretended to behave like classy girls.

"How's my outfit? Is it neat?" asked Sinta, always trying to impress Ryan. She was one of those most ambitious to get him. Around her, other girls also prepared their most attractive appearances.

Yep, everyone was dazzled by Ryan's charm. Despite his handsome prince-like appearance promising a happy ever after, I might be the only one who hated him. What's the use of his handsome face and wealth if all I get when he's around is bullying.

"Ryan's so handsome," whispered girls from another corner.

"I get nervous every time I see him," another added.

Hearing this, I buried my face in my book. Hopefully, Ryan wouldn't see me or care. That way, my life would be safe.

Unfortunately, my hopes were in vain.

A few minutes later, Ryan entered the class with his best friends, Dimas and Ergi. All eyes in the room glanced their way. Some teased, some admired, and some appeared sycophantic. Like a ruler, Ryan walked arrogantly to his seat, stopping when he saw me.

With a sneer, he pulled out three notebooks and approached. He threw them onto my desk and stepped on the edge of the table with his right foot. "Do my homework, and Dimas and Ergi's too," he commanded.

Ergi followed his leader's behavior in bullying me. He put his hand on my head and spoke close to my ear. "You better finish it, or you'll face the consequences."

"But the class is about to start," I said fearfully. It was impossible to copy the homework in such a short time.

"Excuses!" grumbled Dimas.

Supported by Ryan and Ergi, they began to hit my head.

"If you keep making excuses, I'll train you after school," threatened Ergi. This was a common occurrence. During these 'training' sessions, I would be tortured.