Social Pariah

MOMENTUM

Lucas met Namya on his way to his class. Namya tried to avoid him but he grasped her arm which made her yell in surprise. Namya's books fell on the floor and she tripped on one of them, scraping her knee. Namya scowled and said, "I never pegged you to be blind."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "So you're talking to me now?"

Namya looked at Lucas and gasped. "L-l-lucas? N-n-no, I was t-t-talking to m-m-myself."

Lucas scoffed. "Sure, you were." He rolled his eyes. "I never pegged you to be a stutterer."

Namya gulped. "I'm sorry! I'll just be heading out now."

Before Namya could run away, Lucas gripped on her hand tightly. Namya looked at Lucas in fright and caution. "What do you want?" she asked. Namya tried to pull away from Lucas but his grip seemed to strengthen in every attempt she did to pull away.

"I'm sorry," Lucas replied. Namya stood there, frozen. She was looking at Lucas in disbelief. Lucas knew that Namya didn't want to believe him. He was deemed untrustworthy from the moment he unleashed his fury.

"You can't possibly mean that," said Namya, shaking in anger. "This is another one of your plans, isn't it? You want to humiliate me too, don't you?"

Lucas shook his head. "Of course not, Namya. I know you probably don't want to be my friend but please at least accept my apology."

Namya glared at Lucas. "Do you really think I'm the one who deserve that apology? Who did you humiliate? Who?!"

Lucas lowered his head down and casted his eyes on the floor. "Kyle," he answered.

"Good," replied Namya coldly, slowly getting her books one by one on the floor. "Now, if you did apologize to him, I would've considered your apology today. Goodbye, Lucas. Let's just forget that we ever became friends. I don't want to be friends with a monster."

Namya started to walk away when Lucas said," Really, Namya?" Namya didn't dare turn around in fear. The tone of Lucas voice had changed and Namya could sense the hurt in it as well as the anger laced on his tone hidden through a calm exterior. "Since when did you become so insensitive and snarky? Here I am, apologizing to you and you're already calling me a monster."

"Lucas, you –"

Lucas glowered at Namya. "Forget it."

Lucas was about to turn around but he was surprised when Namya held him back.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. It's just hard for me to process your apology right now. Please give me time and space."

Lucas looked at Namya nonchalantly. "That's fine by me."

Namya smiled weakly before walking back towards the hallway. Lucas stood there for a while as the footsteps of Namya faltered and all that was left was silent. This was his moment, his moment to make things right. He would apologize tomorrow to Kyle and he would try to regain all his friendships. Lucas never felt more excited in his life. Tomorrow was a big day, a really big day.