Loner

1 - Outsider

Cole Sprouse as Matt Jones ^

***

Matt

"Watch it loner!" I hear from behind me, causing me to roll my eyes. Typical jocks.

Every day I stepped into this stupid school I was a target. To who? Everyone. To the cheerleaders, to the jocks, even to the fucking nerds.

I take my notebook from my pocket and open up the pages, revealing the artwork I had drawn when I was bored in Mrs Davies' class.

Before I got the chance to get hold of my pencil living in the mischevious pocket of my jacket, I feel my work slip away from my fingers and tumble down onto the cold, marble flooring of the school.

My eyes dart upwards after retrieving my notebook to see him.

Austin Malone.

Eastwood High's most beloved student. Or should I mention he's the principal's son?

The perfect family with the perfect son. But behind closed doors, their family is tearing themselves apart. Day. By. Day.

Beside him were his 'gang'.

Reece Turner. Max Peterson. William Stone.

They might look like a bunch of cleancut boys but they hold much deeper secrets inside.

How I know all this? Easy.

I don't have friends. I don't fit in.

I listen. I've listened to every goddamn secret there is in this place and I've heard everything.
The breakups, the betrayals, the affairs, all of it.

***

"Can anyone go into detail about Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia?"

"Matthew?"

I cautiously look up from my desk to see Mr Andrews staring down at me, his arms crossed, waiting for a response.

"After Polonius asks Ophelia what her relationship with Hamlet is, she answers that Hamlet has told her he loves her and that she believes him. Polonius calls her a 'green girl,' accusing her of being too naive to judge Hamlet's sincerity. Therefore, Ophelia hints her feelings toward Hamlet, only for Polonius to shoot her down." I say, raising an eyebrow.

My eyes scan the now silent classroom and watch all the students react, my head making its way back down toward the surface of my desk.

"Correct Mr Jones, however, next time pay more attention in class."

I silently nod, rolling my eyes. Teachers think their students are perfect, that they can get to school on time, that they can answer any question instantly, but that's not how it works.

We wallow in our own self depression day by day, whether we have a stupid smile on our faces or not.

My mind flashed back to the night before, hugging my denim jacket closer to my body.

Flashback

"You're useless Matt! I told you to clean the house over a fucking hour ago! Don't you listen to me?"