The Heart Of Friendship

Part 16

Daniel

It took a lot to convince my mom that I was fine when she saw my black eye. She had wanted to get the bodyguards to follow me around again but I begged her not to. 

Having Alec's friendship and telling her the principal had said he would expel any bullies is what saved me and got her to let it go, saying she'd call the principal to tell him to expel the people that gave me a black eye. But there wasn't any prove, so that wasn't going to work.

The principal might have taken high measures to stop the bullying, but that didn't stop the weird looks I would get from the bullies in the hallway the following day at school. I mean for real, can't a kid get some piece? 

The principal had installed cameras around the school to keep track of all the bullying, so as long as there were cameras, there was no bullying. But he had installed the cameras afterschool yesterday, meaning there were no recordings of any bullying activity before then.

The school day had just started and the first period was to start in a couple of minutes. People were still in the hallways and outside with their friends. It was pretty nice to have a friend to walk and talk with before school started. 

Most days I would be sitting in class, the library, or just alone somewhere in the school. But today when I got to school Alec was waiting for me by the gate and people were staring like usual, but this time because of our friendship. I didn't know if they were against it or simply just fascinated by it. Alec seemed to not notice the attention. Either that or he didn't care. But I cared about what they thought.

"Daniel, check this out." Alec said behind me. He was staring at a talent show poster they had just put up in the hallway. "So what do you think?"

It was the school talent show which was showcasing in a month and auditions for it were to take place next week Monday. Today was Thursday. It allowed talents of all kind.

"What do you mean what do I think." I shrugged but knowing exactly what he was trying to say

"We could dance in it." He yelled confirming my thoughts.

"In front of the whole school?"

"Yah. What is so wrong with that?"

"Uh...everything. I've never even danced in front of my family. You're pretty much the only person that's seen me dance and now you want me to dance in front of the whole school?"

"Yes." He said "Come on Daniel. You're good. Once people see you dance, they'll love you. And you'll make friends."

"I don't want their love nor their friendship. Besides, I have you." I said before realising how cheesy that even sounded. But it was the truth. I just wanted everyone to stop looking at me weirdly and to stop seeing me as abnormal or something. But their friendship, I didn't care much for it anymore.

"I am pretty awesome aren't I?" He said with a grin nodding his head slowly and both his hands on the straps of his backpack "Just kidding." He clarified, letting his grin fade. "But seriously Daniel, you need to stop being afraid to be yourself because you're afraid of what other's will think."

"They usually think badly of me so what difference will it make?"

"You need to stop caring about what others think. They think you're weird which you aren't and they think you're nerdy, which is kind of true but you aren't boring like they think. There's more to you that what they all think so just show them and if they still think badly of you who cares. At least you'll no longer be hiding."

"I don't hide." I clarified. Do I?

"Oh, come one. You do hide who you really are. If I'd never gotten the chance to know you, I'd still think you are that nerdy, rich weird kid that no one wants to befriend just like everyone else thinks."