Her Reason

CHAPTER 3

Alex entered his classroom with a bad feeling.
Something was going to happen, and he felt it.

He shakingly sat down and when he did..

“Boo!!”

“Gah–!!”

He fell down his chair and he was helped by someone.

“Oh my gosh. I'm sorry, Alex! I didn't know you get scared so easily.”

It was Ashley.
He fixed himself and sat back down.
“Well, now you do. So please don't do that again.”

She smirked at him.
“I can't promise you that.”

When their homeroom teacher came in, the whole room fell silent and started saying present when the teacher called their names.

After that, their next teacher came in and started the class.

Alex knew Ashley had other friends. And besides, they aren't that close yet. So he knows that he will still be mostly alone. And it would be weird when people see them together.

After class, Alex chose to stay in the classroom since it was just recess.

He hasn't finished his book yet, he saw Ashley go out with her other friends and he just read his book quietly.

He was alone in the classroom when he heard laughs.
He looked everywhere, but there was no one else inside but him.

He put his book down and when he did, he saw a frog.

“Ahh!! Frog!”

He tried to get up, but he just fell down his chair again.

His back hurt and he could barely stand up.
He knelt infront of his desk and saw that the frog was fake.
Someone out a prank on him.
But who?

He then heard louder laughs and the door opened.
“Did you guys see the look on his face! Haha!!”

It was the kid they call Josh.
And now that he got a closer look at him, he suddenly remember the same kid that bumped him at the hard-ware store just weeks ago.

He had two other guys behind him who were also laughing with him.
He knew these two as Francis and Jake which were also his classmates.

“What a wimp! Aww, you gonna cry now you little baby?” Josh mocked.

Alex tried to stand up, but fell down again since his back ached.

The three of them continued to laugh at him until Josh threw a piece of paper on his head and left him.

Alex used his chair to support him and sat back down.

Why didn't he defend himself?
He put his hand on his forehead and looked down at his desk.

Stupid. Stupid. You're so useless, he thought.
When his other classmates started to come in, he didn't look at any of them.

Not even at Ashley who greeted him.

***

At lunch, he sat alone.
He only ate half of his food and spent his free time alone in the classroom.

He had to stay late in school today since he was appointed as the cleaner for today.

Although his back still hurt, he didn't tell the teacher and just tried to forget about the pain.

After dismissal, he cleaned up the whole room.
He put the chairs and tables to one side, erased the writings on the black board, and swept the floor.

He found a note on his desk.

When he opened it, it was from Josh.
It had scribbles on it and words such as;
'You Suck!' or 'Loser!' and 'Nerd!!'

Alex sighed and threw the paper in the trash can and left.
It was already 6 pm and it was pretty dark.

He rode his bike and left the school. The street lights were all open and his hair blew with the wind.

Alex may have made one friend, but there are still people getting in his way.
He might as well distance himself from all his other classmates instead of getting hurt again.

When Alex got home, he went to his room and locked himself inside again. His sister isn't home because she's at some party with her friends, and his mom isn't home yet so he's all alone.

He just changed clothes and did his homework.
After that, he cooked himself some ramen and sat on the living room to watch TV.

He watched the news and after that, he watched some anime that was available.

Alex has a wide imagination, but he doesn't use it that much.
Since he's a child, he imagines some stuff.
But he doesn't act like that anymore. He thinks it's rather childish now.

The door suddenly opened and his mother came in with his sister.

His mother seemed angry and his sister sat down and rubbed her temples.

“What were you thinking? You went to that party and you didn't tell me?!” his mother bursted.

Alex was astonished.
He remembers that his sister told him that she told his mom that she was going to that party because he caught her wearing a formal dress with make up on.

How could she lie to him?

“Mom, I'm already 18. I can make my own decisions.”

“Yes, you are old enough to make your own decisions. But I'm still your mother, Erika! You can't make me not worry about you!”

Alex didn't bother listening to them fight and just went inside his room and read.

He heard the door slam later on.
He peeked outside and saw his mother sitting by the table, crying.

Alex closed the door and just crouched on his bed.

This is how useless he was.

He didn't defend himself, he didn't stop them fighting, and he cant even comfort his own mother.

He looked up at his desk and saw the box cutter.
He grabbed it and rolled up his sleeve.

He's never done this before because he was always scared, but he always wanted to.

He closed the lights, and did what he had to do.