“Sorry I don’t date pigs,” she giggles covering her mouth. “Aww what’s wrong piggy, don’t cry chubby bacon. It was just a joke.” She laughs as her airheaded brainless lackies laugh along adding more insult to the injury. Bruce’s smile falters slightly as he tightens his hold on the flowers in his hand.
He should have known better. He just should have known better.
He wipes his eyes and ducks his head walking away from the pre-teens cackling like hens in his direction.
He walks towards his locker and leans his head against the cool metal breathing in and out slowly. His grip tightens on the flowers. His head aches as he tries to calm down. He can feel Guardian pushing at the edge angry yelling to fight those immature girls. Bruce feels the sweat dripping down his face and pulls away from the locker. He just needs to go home and forget about it. He went out of his comfort zone and failed.
He tried, he should get a gold fucking star for it to be honest.
She…she had talked to him, was flirting with him for a whole month. She had even made a pass at him. Seriously winking at him after she picked up a pencil ass in the air that was a sign right?
He wasn’t stupid.
He hasn’t been oblivious or at least he doesn’t think he was being oblivious or putting differences in his perspective. She had shown an interest in him. Talked to him more than any other girl. Blushed around him and was affectionate. She even passed him a note with hearts circled around his name so he thought maybe…maybe she was interested?
He wasn’t stupid.
It was all a stupid prank. Fucking idiot he was had decided to ask her out on a proper date. He had saved up some money bought a cheap bouquet because that’s how you woo girls right? Flowers and an interest in her life. Sure he might have done research with the cringe worthy rom-coms his cousin watched but even Jennifer thought flowers would be a sweet touch.
He thought his anxiety was going to eat him alive all morning. He had to choose the perfect time to ask her. As soon as he had asked her hands sweating over the steam of the flowers arms shaking holding out the bouquet, and just overall heart racing she had uttered those words.
He bangs his head against the locker trying to calm his shaking movements.
He feels the anger leaving or being suppressed he’s not sure now what Guardian is doing but if he just focuses on getting home and away from school, he’ll be fine. Who cares about skipping school, he needs to be away from this environment now. He twists the combination lock left right the left again before it clicks and he’s able to open his locker.
He should have noticed the smell, or something wasn’t right with his locker but he’s a teenage boy whose nose is resistant to certain smells it appears. Raw slimy bacon plops out from the locker and onto his shirt and shoes.
He tries not to cry really, he does but he can’t stand it. So, so what if he had a little weight around the middle. It’s not a fucking sin. He can still perform PE and he feels good and it shouldn’t be important. He has to be fine right. He feels the burn in his eyes and growls no help from Guardian as he sees his books covered in slimy fat from the raw bacon.
The books are ruined. His school books, notebooks, pencil case, even the photos inside his locker are completely ruined. There’s no way to salvage them. They’ll smell like rotting meat for the rest of the school year. His aunt will hate him even more and may not even decide he deserves new books. She’ll twist it around to where it is his fault. He’ll be in trouble no one else.
He feels the tears streaming down his face and rubs his eyes quickly. Flowers are tossed by his feet as he begins to remove the smelly meat from his locker and carry it away to the nearest garbage. If he hurries, he might be able to get the stains out might be able to gently wash the textbooks or have time to rewrite his notes tonight.
“Oh, wow Piggy look at all the bacon. Did you shave it off your body yourself? Hmm still got some fat around here,” laughs one of the girls from earlier pinching his stomach from behind. He flinches not even reacting in the present. He watches her strut laughing with her friends and clenches his fists.
It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
He just wanted to ask her to the dance. He wasn’t expecting her to say yes…well that’s a lie he was hoping she would…maybe? It could have been fun…maybe. She wasn’t all that popular, she seemed smart in class and well she looked pretty he guessed. He wasn’t sure he just wanted to take someone to the dance. A rite of passage for his age just something to do and maybe have fun? But no, she had to be cruel. They all had to be cruel.
He watches her leave no care in the world giggling as she chats with her friends. She wouldn’t be the only one responsible for his actions. She was just the final straw. He hates this school. He hates the people here. Nothing is fair, no one protects him. It’s just always been Guardian and himself no one else. No one helps, no one prevents bullying they just let it happen with causal statements of “kids are cruel” “that’s just life.”
Well fine if they want to pull the “life sucks get use to it” mentality then he’ll make sure it’s paid in full. He’ll make sure they all know. Every single one of them is going to pay. He’s done. He can’t stand this stupidity anymore. He was hoping to get into a good high school take AP classes and transfer quickly to college anything to get out of this town but it’s not going to work. He’s never going to leave this town alive and neither will they.