The Bad Boy Saved Me ✔

E L E V E N | Harriet the Spy

{Gif of Julian and Julius}

Song: Love Will Remember

Artist (s): Selena Gomez

It's not your job to like me. It's mine.

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High school is a dreadful place. It's where self-esteem, innocence and dreams go to die. 

High school is drama and fights. Break ups and make ups. It's rushing to grow up, but then realising you want your innocence. It's hurting over someone else. It's getting knocked down over and over again until the point where you question yourself about whether you should just stay down. It's disappointment and lies. It's those knots in your stomach that make you want to cry. It's having a fake smile upon your face so much that people actually believe you're happy. It's hurting but still trying. 

Are the years spent at high school actually the best years of your life or are you just lying to yourself in order to hold onto something that never actually existed? 

I shut my locker with a slight bang, before starting my small trek towards my English Lit class. I had double English today, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed English. It was also a class that I shared with Neel; although he had always been in that class, the difference now was that he would sit next to me. 

Once I entered the classroom Neel was already - surprisingly - present. I sent him a small smile, taking my seat next to him. We didn't make conversation. We didn't need to. The silence was welcomed. Mr Douglas started the lesson with his usual 20 minute rant on the problems of teenagers before addressing today's work.

"What is literature according to everyone?" Mr Douglas asked but when no one answered, his eyes narrowed, skimming the class before stopping on Neel.

"Neel, care to answer?" Neel looked up at him for a second before retrieving his phone and typing something in.

"According to google, it's defined as written works, especially  those considered superior or of lasting artistic merit." Mr Douglas sighed but didn't say anything.

"There are a lot of books that can fit into that definition. And all of these book cover a wide range of topics. Yet, everything can be improved. What is literature missing?" Mr Douglas pinched the bridge of his nose when no one answered again. I shrunk in my seat hoping he wouldn't spot me. He sighed heavily before his eyes landed on me. 

"Olivia. How about you answer at least one question in my class" He raised his eyebrows at me.

Life was such a bitch.

Before I could do anything, I felt Neels hand slide into mine, giving it a slight squeeze. I looked at Neel who was just staring ahead and then back at Mr Douglas. 

"Anytime soon, Miss Greene" Mr Douglas pretended to look at his non-existent wrist watch.

"Not long ago, I read a Children's novel by Louise Fitzhugh's called 'Harriet the Spy'." Mr Douglas seemed shocked but nodded at me.

"I've read that book. Has anyone else?" No one else had. So he asked me to explain the basics of the book. I cleared my throat, breathing heavily.

"Well, it's based around a bratty, precocious budding writer named Harriet who roams around New York's Upper East Side after school, spying on people and jotting down brutally frank observations in a notebook." My voice was quiet. When Neel squeezed my hand once more, it gave me a burst of confidence, that I had never felt before.