I knocked on the door of the principal's office and waited. Everyone was staring at me.
Everyone.
I was used to it though. The popularity has always been there, for better or for worse. I used to just embrace it like Vincent does, like Vincent says I should, but it becomes bothersome after a while. Some people love popularity, some hate it.
I knew which side I was on.
The door to the office creaked open, revealing the principal. "Ah Mr Carder, I was worried you wouldn't turn up" he says, giving me a small smile. "Come in."
I made my way across the room and sat in the chair opposite the principal's. He took a seat, stretching his arms out on the desk in front of him and knotting his fingers. "Mr Carder, I'm sure you're already aware that your grades are lacking. You barely passed last year, and I don't want the events to reoccur."
Reoccurring events, like they always do. Replaying.
The principal grabbed something out of his desk. It was a computer. His fingers danced across the keyboard. He then pushed the computer towards me, turning it around so I could see. It was a spreadsheet of my grades, D's mostly, with an E in maths.
"As you can see Carder, your grades speak for themselves. Your teachers report to me that you can't keep focus in lessons. You're always distracted apparently." This wasn't new to me. I've never been able to concentrate, not with everything else on my mind.
"However" the principal begins, reaching a hand around the computer screen to the mouse. He scrolled down to the final subject, which was just cut off the page. It was my PE grade.
An A+.
The man stared back at me. " Your concentration doesn't fail you whenever you're in PE it seems. Mr Green told me you are a star student." This wasn't surprising to me either, as Mr Green was the coach for the baseball team. He's always been fond of me, from making me captain to letting me off when I arrive late to practise.
"So I have decided" the principal began, turning the laptop back around away from me and typing out something. "I would like to assign you to another boy in the year above for some extra assistance to your work." Now that shocked me. I wasn't one for nerds. That would ruin my reputation.
The reputation you claim to not care about.
I snapped back from my thoughts to the computer now facing me again. There was a grades spreadsheet on it, but not for me. The spreadsheet was for the grades of a boy called 'Darryl Noveschoch'. I'd heard of him before, but I couldn't think why.
"You may recognise him, he volunteers in both the library and the infirmary" the principal said, reading the look of recognition off my face. I didn't recognise him from either of those places. I'd never even been in either of them. The principal once again scrolled down the spreadsheet, through A+ after A+ after A+. My eyes trailed on the last subject: 'PE'.
Receiving grade: F.
An F in PE from a straight A student. No, a straight A+ student. "At the rate Darryl is going, he will fail the year due to his poor performance in his PE classes, which would be a real shame" the principal examined.
"Therefore I offer you a proposal Mr Carder" he said, tucking away the computer in a desk and laying his hands out on the desk in front of him. "I would like to have Mr Noveschoch tutor you after school each day to improve your grades.
His stare turns more serious. "In return, I'd ask that you allow him to come along to your baseball practise each week. I'm sure you are more than capable of helping him out, hopefully improving his performance in PE." His expression became serious as he stared me straight in the eyes with a serious glare.
"So Mr Carder, do you accept?"
~~~
-Darryl's POV-
"Thank you for your help again Darryl, you're a huge help as usual" the librarian smiled at me. I picked up another book of the pile and placed it in the designated spot on the shelf. "Thank you Ms Smith, I'm very thankful you let me stay here to study. It's the least I can do" I reply, returning the warm smile.
I put my attention into sorting the books. "I'm actually waiting for someone today, he should be here any minute."
"Ooh gained a study buddy have you Darryl? That's very sweet." The old woman pulled out an olive green bag and began to pack away a few books into it. "Not exactly Miss, I've been given a boy to tutor from the principal."
"Is he making you tutor this boy?"
"No no! Not at all! He asked me if I would, and I gladly accepted."
"That's very kind of you Darryl. May I ask who this boy is?"
"A boy in the year below, he's really good at PE. He's helping me with my PE class in return for me tutoring him."
"What's his name dear?"
I pulled a neatly folded piece of paper out of my black jeans and unfolded it, reading the name off the top.
"Zak Carder. I believe he's the baseball captain."
The old woman's expression turned grave. She hobbled over and placed a hand on my arm, unable to reach my shoulder. She looked at me with her emerald green eyes, which somewhat reflected my own.
Ms Smith and I could've been related, both with light brown hair, emerald green eyes, as well as us both wearing black rimmed glasses.
"I've heard some things about that boy. Apparently he's troublesome. Ends up at parties round that boy Zelkam's every Saturday."
My stomach dropped a bit. I didn't think I'd be dealing with one of the popular kids. Ms Smith was still staring at me. "He is apparently violent and rude. No teachers other than Mr Green like him at all."
Ms Smith hobbled away, back to her bag on the main desk. "Be careful with him Darryl" she warned. "You're a nice boy, don't get caught up with him. It'll ruin your reputation." The old woman came past me to leave.
My reputation. With students or teachers? Both? Do I even have one with students? Is it good or bad?
Bad. Definitely bad with students.
I moved to the opposite side of the room to stack books on that side. 'You've never met this boy' I reminded myself, picking up a red book and placing it in the right spot.
He deserves a clean slate when talking to me for the first time, just as everyone else does.
The library dog came over to sit with me, pawing at my spare hand as I sorted through the huge pile of books. It walked out of the back door to the library and into the filing cupboard. I looked at my watch. 4:14 pm. Shouldn't he be here by now?
I should leave. He'd never want to come see me, a nerd, it'd ruin his reputation.
It was always reputation here.
I didn't even know what to expect. I wasn't given a picture of the boy, so I had to wait here and hope.
Suddenly, the door to the library opened, and in walked someone. I presumed it wasn't him and didn't bother turning around. That's when he spoke. "Um... are you Darryl? I was told he'd meet me here." I turned around to talk to the boy.
He wasn't at all what I was expecting.
The boy was short. 5'8 at best. He had raven hair, tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes. Other than his height, he did look like why I had anticipated, but that wasn't what was bothering me.
It was how small he was. Not just in height, but in build. The clothes he was wearing were oversized and hid most of his build beneath, but I could see from his face and a few fingers poking out of his light blue hoodie that he was small.
So, so small.
The boy stood staring at me. I was so confused. Then I remembered he'd asked me a question, and that I was now staring and not answering. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. "Yes! I'm Darryl." I replied, flustered. "You must be Zak."
I walked up to the boy and held out a hand towards him in form of greeting. The small boy looked anxiously at my hand, pulling his hoodie sleeves further over his hands so that they completely hid his fingers. "I'm not one for handshakes" he said nervously. "I hope you don't mind Darryl, and sorry for being late. I'm Zak." The boy looked at me with a weak smile, but I could tell it was forced.
That's when I noticed his face. His right cheek was cut, a bruise on the right side of his forehead. There was a splinter and dirt in the cut, which clearly hasn't been cleaned after the incident happened. There was a streak of blood dried to his face where it had been spilling. The blood was crusted and looked old.
The small boy, Zak, seemed to notice me staring and averted his eyes, his stare dropping to the floor. I always stare at people a little too long.
Well done Darryl, you've messed up already.
I put a hand on the boy's shoulder. He seemed upset. "You alright there?" I asked kindly. Zak looked back at me. "Yeah I'm fine. Just had a rough day."
Aww.
"You can drop your things over there" I say, signalling towards a desk by the far end of the library. "I'll be right back."
I walked out of the library and ran down the corridor to the infirmary, holding my pass against the door. The door made a small 'click' and opened. The boy needed help, I could tell. Not just with his grades, but with something else. I saw that solemn look in another boy once when he needed help.
That boy was you.
I thought to myself, opening some drawers and pulling some things out. "Yes, and I'm not letting him go the same way I did" I mumbled, pulling some plasters out of a drawer. I walked back to the library and pushed open the door, only to find the boy wasn't sat where I'd left him. "Zak, where are you?" I asked nervously to nothing in particular. I heard a boy yell from the cupboard and rushed over, expecting the worst.
What if he hurt himself? You're an awful tutor Darryl!
I was however pleasantly surprised to see Zak sat on the floor in the cupboard with the library dog's head in his lap. Zak looked up at me with a genuine smile plastered across his face. "You never told me there was a dog! I love dogs!" he squealed as the labradoodle attacked him with another round of kisses.
How cute.
I smiled to myself at the boy and dog together on the floor. "You never asked you muffin" I replied with a smile. Zak looked up at me in confusion. "Muffin? What's that supposed to mean?" His eyes lit up. "Is it the dog's name?". I sighed to myself. "It doesn't matter. And the dog's name isn't muffin, it's Rocco."
"Rocco? I love him!" The small boy replied, pulling the dog in for a hug.
So cute.
"Well then" he said, getting to his feet as Rocco attempted to lick him again. "We have some studying to do, don't we?"
Zak picked up his bag and walked over to the desk, dropping it with a dull 'clunk'. His bag was very detailed. A plain light blue bag, similar to that of the short boy's hoodie, but it was covered in little fabric pieces. I noticed the arrowhead shape of the school symbol, as well as his baseball name 'Skeppy', and his baseball number fourteen. There was a baseball bat and ball, and several other little designs.
My eyes lingered over a blue goofy face, with a little label attached to it that said 'Vin' on it in scrawled handwriting. None of the stitching was neat, with odd colours and wonky lines, but it was nice in its own way. Unique.
And so, so cute!
"Your bag is very nice! Did you make it yourself?" I asked. Zak smiled at me. "Everything but the derpy face, my best friend made that for me." He started laying out some books onto the desk. "And thank you" he added, his smile growing. "It's nice when people compliment my bag. I worked hard on it."
The boy wasn't like Ms Smith had said at all, he was just a bit nervous.
Reputations make us think some things don't they...
Hope he doesn't care about mine.