What About Loyalty

Chapter 4

I guess now's the time to admit this: I'm not exactly a widely-liked guy in school. Truth be told, I never cared much about popularity. I just go about doing my own thing.

Which, unfortunately, pissed a lot of students off. I guess they were never taught to deal with everyone they meet, because they say I'm annoying and weird. Well, excuse me for having inane and/or conversations with myself and reading novels and comic books in class. No matter how nice I am, they ignore that and see only the abnormal side of me. Sometimes, it seems as if only Ali and George see the real me.

So yeah, I'm not particularly the most popular student in all of high school. I guess this is why I'm surprised when I hear people talk about me.

Remember when I told you that yesterday and today would be followed by some of the worst weeks of my whole entire life? Well, sit tight and activate your recliner, because you're about to learn all about it.

The trouble started at lunchtime. I was sitting alone at a booth eating my lunch. In the booth behind me, I heard my name being used in a conversation. I naturally stopped eating and listened closely to what was being said.

I might not have mentioned this before, but I have extremely sharp hearing, which makes me very adept at eavesdropping.

As I listened, I recognized the voices. Ever so gently, I turned my head to see Bruce, Marvin, and Gloria (Bruce's girlfriend) sitting and talking.

"What're we gonna do with that retard?" Marvin asked.

"Well, we gotta do somethin'," Bruce replied. "Specter expects me to ask Coach Baxter to give him a spot on the team, but I don't want coach to do that for him."

"That's life," Gloria chimed in. "If that happens, you gotta deal with it."

"Not while I got a plan," said Marvin.

"Whatcha got for us, Marv?" Bruce said as he leaned towards Marvin.

As I listened, one of the many thoughts running through my head was, 'Thank God they didn't notice me.' I also thought about reporting all three of them to Mrs. Ludot, one of the vice principals in our school (and who works specifically with kids whose last names started with the letters O through Z). However, I just didn't have it in me to do that just yet.

Call me a p***y, but I was just about to let it slide... that is until I heard word of a rumor that I sexually harassed Hilary Hurston!