Rebound

To Make A Friend

(1st chapter is a lot of yapping, skip some parts if necessary😭)

This reading consist of a collection of my very own poems made beforehand (some specifically for this) used in a story.

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Austyn took my hands in his, holding on tightly like I'd fly away if he'd let go. This time, it was sure he would never let go. He brushes the hair from my face like he always did, drawing it behind my ear, then holding me from the face and under my chin. His touch on my face was light while the hold on my hand was tight.

I could hear his heart, beating through his chest, soon reaching the speed of mine. Our hearts, racing each other. He still had an uneasy look on his face.

Don't worry, Austyn.
I won't leave again.
And you don't need to say anything this time.
I can hear you on the inside.

I jittered my eyes to the side, to find the piled up papers by my desk. All of my hand-written poems and poem books.

June, 30

It's the middle of summer vacation.

For starters, my name is Otis Preston.

I wanna introduce myself as an average guy.. but I'm not exactly average. Well- specifically on the normal-scale-wise. I'm not popular or anything, in that case then I'm average, or even below average. I moved from my old school exactly a year ago, and now I'm moving back. I'm genuinely excited, I expected this, but I'm also terrified.

We moved due to mom's work-related problems.. and my school, but I only agreed for a year. Mom said if I still didn't like it we could go back. Now, it's only about time. I really hate it here. At first people really took a liking, me being the new kid and all. I don't look weird or anything. I have a good physique, I workout almost everyday because I do professional dancing for a living. Dance is my life- almost. I've discovered a lot of new things I like after taking a psychology and forensics science class.

But I've always liked writing, reading, and poems. I'm just different, and there are a lot of different people in the school. It's accepted to be different. But, no one really wants to accept me when I'm different. Then they try to change me, and it becomes this whole problem. It's everybody.

Austyn was the only good one.- Well, at the school I'm returning back to. He's the only reason why I want to go back, but he was also the reason I left.

I hate Austyn.

I love poems.

It's mostly how I communicate- but that's the first problem. When people found that out(let's just call it the poem situation), everything went downhill.

It all started when one of the football guys really wanted to be my friend. His name was Johnny Anderson, he was a basic highschool football jock. He asked me what sports I was going to try out for and I was going to tell him none- but the words just never came out. I didn't know him that well, he didn't need to know much about me because when I tell people what I do they usually give me weird looks. He told me I should try out for football, and I told him no. I let him tag along every now and then. He introduced me to his friends, I was cool with it. Hanging out with football kids. They couldn't help but notice I was more fit then some of them, also pressuring me to join. Simple enough, I just always said no and told them I don't like school sports and I'd rather do things outside school. Eventually I told them I danced. They thought I meant like.. the typical freestyle song  or backstage dancing or something like hip hop. I had to explain that I did Ballet, Acro, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip-hop, etc. I told them I wear a bodysuit, tights, and dance shoes. They laughed and called me gay but for the most part they were cool with it.