The Rest Is History | ✓

01 | the first

Archer Woods.

Those two words had once been my source of sunshine, but now they only made my blood boil.

That boy was good at everything. He was great in academics, was captain of the boys' football team and also played tennis. He was an amazing photographer, and not to mention, was hugely popular among the rest of the kids, for his nature and...of course, his looks.

He was easy on the eyes, and was quite friendly (to everyone except me) which made him the most desirable boy in class. I kid you not, there was an actual poll among the girls.

So naturally, I should've known he would be selected Head Boy. He was responsible, the students and teachers loved him, and he was great at almost everything. What's not to love, right?

Well, I'd beg to disagree.

I first spoke to Archer around two years ago, in our common Spanish lesson. We were all required to take up at least one foreign language class, and we'd both chosen Spanish. One day in class, something had made me speak to him, and the experience wasn't pleasant. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

°

Ms Ramos smiled. "So who wants to translate these words for me? Archer, tú quéres?"

Archer grinned. "Sí, Señora."

He looked at the board confidently and began to translate the words written on it.

"So, yo tengo una manzana means I have an apple. El museo está cerrado means the museum is closed. Yo leo mucho pero no escribo means I listen a lot but don't--"

"Wrong."

I blurted it out before I could stop myself. The entire class looked at me with eyebrows raised--I was questioning The Archer Woods after all.

Archer himself looked at me. "Excuse me? Disculpé?"

I shook my head. "Yo leo means I read, not listen. And escuchar means to listen, while escribir is to write."

Ms Ramos smiled broadly at me and said, "muy bien, Vivian!" while Archer simply rolled his eyes at me and muttered, "of course you'd know, Ms Smarty-pants."

I turned around in my seat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smirked. "I think you know."

I started fuming. He was implying I was a nerd. Maybe I got good grades, but so did he, and above all, I wasn't only interested in studies! I did a lot of things besides that, and the entire school knew. I was quite popular if I say so myself, and not a social outcast who only studied, studied, and studied. He was acting like he was much better and cooler than me.

Cúlo.

The rest of the class was spent with Archer chatting and laughing with his friends, sometimes looking over at me and laughing even more. None of my close friends had taken Spanish, and I didn't want to sit beside people who'd only suck up to me for popularity. So I was basically alone, being the laughing stock of the 'cool' guys.

I had to do something.

So as the lesson ended and we all got up to move to our next class, I passed by Archer and his gang, who were still sitting and laughing. As I walked past Archer, I stopped at his desk and leaned in close to his face. I looked him dead in the eye.