who am i to you?

2.1

TW: Homophobia. Bullying. Slurs. Violence

***

"Bye, Gaylord."

I felt a sudden force to my back, pushing me. I lost my balance and fell face-first to the concrete. Luckily, I was able to hold out my hands before I hit the ground so my nose is safe from bleeding but my chin didn't escape the pain when it hit the ground. I almost bit my tongue but my braces did hurt my gums because I pursed my lips on that sudden fall.

Before I could process the pain, my body turned its safety-mode and my arms immediately covered my head, my body folding like a fetus on the ground.

I heard David and his friends snickering from behind me before they walked over me, literally, stepping over me on the ground. They didn't step directly on me this time but I felt Brendan's shoe scrape on my arm. I saw how he looked down on me with a smirk before he raced off to David and their friends, laughing as they left.

Before I attracted more stares of pity, I stood up. I picked up my phone on the way that had a shoeprint on the screen. It's either Tony or Moises who stepped on it. I dusted the sand off my clothes as I walked away like nothing happened.

I crossed the road to get to this convenience store where I parked my bike. As I do so, I'm checking to see if the cracks on my phone screen grew. It did grew and when I tried to turn it on, half of the screen is black and the other half was a blinking rainbow.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply, putting the phone in my pocket. I have to buy a new set of Airpods anyway. I guess I'll have to go to the store sooner than I had planned.

I wonder if the store can repair this or if I have to buy a new one. Before I find out about that, I first have to calm my grumbling stomach. I feel more of the pain in my stomach than from that fall. Sanay na akong 'di nagla-lunch so I think this is more from Tony's punch earlier that made me unable to move that's why I couldn't even leave my seat during lunchtime.

I took the chains off my bike that is still luckily intact and rode it to Ivan's resto. There's no choir practice today so it's so lucky of me to leave school early and have an encounter with David.

I chained my bike outside the small family restaurant and got inside. The bell made the person behind the counter look at me.

"Can I have meal C?" I asked Ivan who's behind the counter.

He pressed something on the screen, taking in my order. "Early dinner?"

"Late lunch." I gave him my card for the payment.

"Hindi ka pa nagla-lunch?" he asked, confused. "Alas-quatro na ng hapon."

I looked at his observing eyes. "I did some schoolwork. Naubusan ng time. And I wasn't hungry."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Don't get me wrong but you'll have to get a smaller uniform in the future if you continue this."