The Only Hope For Me Is You

Chapter 18

A Mikey Way Adventure! Ta-na-naaa! Parte Uno.

Mikey POV

"Move it, dork!" gruffed one of my favorite people in the world, shoving me out of the way. I was standing at my locker mindlessly putting my books away. Peace always loomed large over the hallways until time struck 12:25, feeding time for the jocks at the zoo. We humans most commonly refer to it as lunchtime. I was pushed again by all of the croonies following him until I was on my hands and knees. "Every single fuckin day." I mumbled to myself, making like Velma on Scooby Doo, trying to find my fallen glasses.

"Hey, you looking for these?" asked a soft voice. I looked up, and to my utmost horror, it was Alicia. The Alicia Simmons, with the hair and the butt and the everything. And she was holding out my glasses for me.

"Thanks." I stuttered, taking them carefully without touching her. I got up lamely. Not surprised, she was with her friends. She goes everywhere with Jennifer and Vonmarie. Never had I seen her just by herself.They stood behind her, no doubt uncomfortable being so close to a loser like me. Alicia seemed the only one at ease.

"No problem...are you okay? That sure looked like a pretty mean fall." she said, tucking a strand of her golden brown hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm used to it." I shrugged.

"But that still doesn't give them the right to do that. You should say something."

And get beat up any more than I already do? Uh, no, thanks. "They probably don't even notice me. It's no big deal, they're just hungry." I shrugged again.

She looked disappointed. Sighing,"Well, I wish you the best Mikey Way. You should really learn how to speak up." Alicia gave me a sympathetic smile. And with that she left with her friends trailing along behind her.

I gave myself a facepalm. Why am I so afraid? Why can't I say how I really feel to both jock monkeys and her? Is that what she meant? And was she really concerned or was this just a once in a lifetime charitable event? I must look like a wimp in her eyes. I'm just a coward. 

"Mikey!" yelled Frank in my ear breaking me out of my trance. I jumped. Ray and Bob were also with him.

Frank giggled,"Why are you so scared, man? Did you just see a female?,"He pronounced 'female' as if it were something I was afraid of,"Or worse, a mirror? That would be pretty fucked up, I'd be scared too." He slapped me hard on the back.

'Leave me alone, midget. I'll eat you for breakfast." I grumbled. He slapped me again in retaliation.

"Oooh man, you won't believe who said 'hi' to me just a second ago! Come on, guys! Tell him!" Frank said enthusiastically.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ray said, clearly miffed.

"You're delusional." Bob said.

"Alicia Simmons! You know, with the butt!" He shaped an hourglass with his hands. I glared down at him subconsciously.

"Why? What did you do?" I demanded.

"Nothin! That's the beauty of it! I did absolutely NOTHING. Well, except walk down the aisle like a frickin supermodel, that's what. She's got the hots for me, I can feel it." He laughed, pointing at my face. "I'm just joking, Mikey. You look like you're about to strangle me."

"I do not!"

"When do we not want to strangle you, Frank?" Ray said, rolling his eyes.

"Why thank you then. Look, I know you've had a thing for her since like the seventh grade. I'm just exaggerating, so chill out. Besides...she's not who I'm interested in anyways..." he said that last part to himself a bit too seriously. Maybe he's not joking for once in his life.

I couldn't answer. I wasn't a good liar so I just stayed silent.

"Well, Mikes, we're gonna go outside for a bit..." said Bob, clearly showing there was more he meant than what was said,"you wanna join us?"

I knew he really meant, Let's just go outside and smoke. I, for one, don't like it. I hate the fact that most of my friends do it, including my brother and I just feel like such a freak for not doing it. A freak within a group of freaks. But none of them judged me for it so I was never directly peer pressured into it.

"Nah, man. I gotta finish this essay on the Onondaga Indians for History this next period after lunch. That shit is boring. I couldn't stay awake yesterday after two pages of it." I said, which was true, I was planning on doing just that before talking to them.

We parted ways, with them heading to the back of the school and I to the library with Alicia Simmons running through my head until it gave me a headache. What am I to do with myself?