Chubby Duckling

3: Socks or Boxers

The party was a bust.

I knew when my lucky shirt got torn that it was a bad omen. I gave it to my mom to have it fixed and I don't know why but she thought covering the whole shirt with feathers equate to fixing it.

By the time I saw what she did, it was already too late, I was with Addy and Elly at Addy's house, where we decided to get changed together for the party. Of course I couldn't borrow anything from my two friends because nothing they own fit me. So I was stuck with wearing the feathered abomination.

It all went downhill from there. As soon as we arrived, the three of us got separated. Elly got pulled by the captain of the volleyball team, Addy entrusted upon herself the task of making sure that everyone gets a non-spiked punch and manned the beverage station in the kitchen, and I had to go to the bathroom. As I was walking down the hall, Tiffany saw me and thought that I was alone. She assumed that my two friends were a no-show. Apparently, Elly RSVP'd she and Addy were not coming as a prank. And since she missed them at the entrance, she kicked me out saying that I shouldn't be there if I couldn't make my friends come to her party. I had to sneak back in only to be harassed by some guy who turned out to be Matthew Evans, one of the most popular boys in school, captain of the basketball team, and playboy extraordinaire.

I dreaded coming to school on Monday because I knew I was in trouble. No one's punched a popular kid and gets away with it. I braced myself for the onslaught of bullying from his groupies but that Monday was surprisingly normal. Aside from the new kid in our class taking the empty seat beside me, it turned out to be an uneventful day.

The consequence of my actions did not come and bite me until Wednesday morning.

"Chammy, why is Evans looking for you?" Hannah, our class president, asked me.

"Who?" I replied, dumbfounded.

"Matthew Evans,"

I froze.

Because I punched him last weekend. I couldn't tell her.

"...he's outside looking for you." Hannah raised her thumb to point at the back before slipping to her seat.

I slowly stood up, then sat back down. I'm still unsure how I can face him.

Do I apologize right away? But I wouldn't have punched him if he didn’t harassed me. Besides, shouldn't he be over it by now? Why can't he just let it go? It's been 4 days! I wonder what he still wants after all this time? And why did he have to come now when Addy and Elly aren't here yet? I have no backup. Does my punch still hurt? Did he have to go to the hospital because of it and is now here to collect on his medical bills? Is he going to sue me if I don't pay him? Can I counter-sue and say that he's a p*****t? But he didn't actually do anything other than get too close to my face-

My internal monologue was interrupted by someone clearing his throat.

"Two more minutes 'til the bell." The new kid, who's name I forgot, stated as he sat down beside me.

"O-kay..?"

"If it's a conversation you want to keep short, talk to him now and you'll be saved in 2 minutes by the arrival of our teacher. If it's a conversation you don't want to have at all, stay here and just wait 2 more minutes, the bell will save you from having that conversation. Just make sure to avoid him for the rest of the day later."

I blinked.

That was actually brilliant. It didn't cross my mind that I can choose not to talk to him. I decided to go for option 2 and wait for the bell to ring. He's probably gone to his class by now anyways too or he'll be late because I took too long to come out.

"What is your name again?" I asked the new kid and promised myself to remember it this time.

"Andrew."

"Thank you, Andrew. Nice to meet you. I'm Chammy." I smiled at him and hold out my hand.

He looked at my outstretched hand then at me, then back at my hand before he lightly slapped it like an awkward side-five.

"You're supposed to shake it, silly!" I laughed, and lowered my hand, "but I guess that'll do too."

He stared at me for a second before proceeding to bury his head on his arms and lay on his desk in an attempt to sleep.

"Chammy-!"

"Chammy!"

Elly and Addy called out as soon as they walked through the doors. They were both panting. They probably ran in order to not be late. Elly, slumped on her chair and dropped her bag on the floor with a loud thud before turning to me and say, "Matth-hew...-"

The bell rang and our teacher waltz in.

"We'll tell you later," Addy said in a hushed voice.

After class, Elly told me about something I already know: Matthew Evans was looking for me. But what I didn't know was that he was looking for me to ask me out - which was preposterous.

"I know! That's what I said!"

Addy elbowed Elly and gave her that look that says she's being tactless again.

"I don't mean because I think you're not pretty enough to get asked out. It's really quite the opposite." She tried to explain in a hurry, "I'm just worried about his real intentions after he harassed you at the party."

She's right, why would Matthew Evans want to ask me out?

That's the question on everyone's mind. When second period rolled in, our whole class already knew Matthew Evans came looking for me in my classroom and was dying of curiosity for the "real" reason why. By the time third period finished, rumors were already spreading about how I'm stalking Matthew and he was looking for me to get me to stop.

"This has got to stop." Addy said as she took a bite of her apple.

It's already lunch time and we were seated at our usual spot. We're used to people staring and saying hi to Addy and Elly, them being the "Freshmen Goddesses" and all, but the stares we're getting today were all directed at me, and they aren't friendly.

"We think you should talk Matthew and get this over with." Addy continued.

"Yeah, reject his ass and shut down these ridiculous rumors or I don't think I can last another period without punching someone." Elly added.

"It's just rumors." I said as I sip on my juice.

"Just rumors?! People are saying you stole his socks and hanged it in your bedroom!"

"Oh is it his socks? I heard it was his boxers. Or was it his gym shorts?" Addy said as if in serious thought of what is it that I really stole.

"Eeww! Why would I steal his filthy clothes?"

"Exactly!" Elly exclaimed.

"He's saying that I stole his boxers?!" I asked appalled.

Both of them nodded.

"So this is his payback for the punch huh? He says something ridiculous like asking me out - that no one will believe, so that I get the backlash of his stans? Fine. I'll talk to him after school." I conceded in anger.

And then an idea struck me. "But before I do, two can play the rumors game."

I motioned for my two friends to come closer so I can whisper to them my plans. And just like I figured, it didn't take long before the entire school caught drift of the "real" reason why Matthew was looking for me.