BOYS LIKE GIRLS / CLIFFORD

03

MICHAEL CLIFFORD

-

The second day, I arrive to school like I usually do but instead of going to the end up the classroom like I always do, with heavy steps, I walked in to the very front and plot myself in to the seat in front of Alyssa.

I buried my face in to my arms, facing down. Alyssa was already in her seat, either reading a book or doing mock exams by herself, with her ear phones plugged in, not talking to anyone.

Suddenly, I felt an ache in my back, like a sharp object was pocking me, I turned around and there was Alyssa holding her blue pen.

“What the hell?” I asked, trying to look at where she was poking but unfortunately it was at where I couldn’t see. 

“Here.” She said, giving me a pile of mock exams, “Give it back to me before homeroom starts.” 

I gave her a strange look, but accepted the pile of paper, with a quick glance, I knew it was for all of my subjects, history, geometry, chemistry and literature.

“What is this? Some way to transfer me to someone like you?” I asked, throwing the pile of paper back at her, “I don’t want to do extra school work.”

“So what? You’re just going to fail high school and spend the next forty years of your life flipping burgers?” She said, as she shoved the pile of paper back at me.

“I don’t see why not?” I replied, rolling my eyes, “What I do in the future, doesn’t concern you.”

“You must believe in something, under your shell of stubborn.” She scoffed, “Don’t you at least want to try and be a good student, not even a little bit?”

“Why do you care? Alyssa.” I asked, “I was never a part of your concerns.”

“Because I knew you can do better than this.” She finally said, shoving the pile of paper back at me.

Shaking my head, I accepted it anyways. “Fine.”

-

“Are you for real, Michael?” She said, at the end of homeroom as everyone was fumbling around, trying to find their textbook for next block, “You barely finished half of the quiz, and out of those you did finished, you got twenty four in-corrects out of thirty six.”

I shrugged, I honestly didn’t really care how Alyssa thought of me, I did the mock exam so she would shut up and stop creating more stains in the back of my uniform.

“Whatever, but seriously? Michael, you need to study more.” She shook her head at me as she shoves the pile of paper in her desk.

At that moment, I didn’t know what happened, maybe it’s cockiness she had in her, or the fact that I’ve been failing through my freshman and sophomore year, or even the fact that only get one third of that mock exam correct is pretty embarrassing, I started studying.

-

Right after lunch, we had a free period, half of the class stayed in the class room when the other half went out for an extended lunch. Calum was trying to impress Alyssa with one of his stupid ‘magic’ tricks.

“I’m going to make a bunny appear out of nothing.” He said, mysteriously, looking in to Alyssa’s eyes.

“Sure, show me.” She nodded, Calum began rubbing his hands with each other (It usually rubs on something else at night if you know what I mean), Luke and Ashton were standing behind me, both giggling.

“Boo!” Calum shouted as he suddenly opened his hands, scaring Alyssa who let out a little squeal, causing Luke and Ashton to laugh hysterically.

I rolled my eyes at the crowd, no one was lamer than Calum, but instead of angrily shouting at him like other girls would do, Alyssa smiled and laughed along with the others.

Alyssa.

Alyssa.

Alyssa.

Always the good girl. She was nice to everyone, but me. Why is that? I don’t know and I don’t want to know. Maybe it’s the natural scent of being an idiot that was scaring her away, but in that case, I don’t see why she was sticking around with Ashton, Calum and stupid Luke. Luke was smooth with the girls, a little bit too smooth, the girls liked Luke because of his natural good looks, blonde hair, blue eyes and ‘a smile that’s worth a million dollars’ according to Calum, but he never got any of them, he was ‘cute like a puppy’ he wasn’t who you show off to your friends, he’s the nice guy to them.

Ashton has always liked Alyssa, no, correction, Ashton liked all of the girls in our grade. No matter what size, shape, color, personality, Ashton liked them. He just likes Alyssa a little bit more than the others.

Calum was one of those boys that thinks every single girl has fallen under his spell, he thinks he’s superior when he really isn’t. I don’t even know why I’m putting all of my friends under the microscope and examining them like this, but the thought of them putting their pig hands all over Alyssa, who isn’t even that pretty, she just has really pretty eyes and a nice smile.

Oh shit.

I did not just thought of that.

I try to shake the idea out of my head and stood up, making my way to the bathroom to wash my face and clear my mind.

-

“Mikey.” Calum stood in front of the urinal next to mine, placing a can of Dr. Pepper in front of me.

“What do you want? Calum.” I said, sighing.

“A love letter.” 

“What, no, Calum, I don’t feel about you that way!” I said, mocking the voice of a teenage girl, Calum rolls his eyes as he attempts to explain.

“No, idiot. A love letter for Alyssa.”

I raised my eye brows and glanced at Calum (At his face, not down, you sicko), he was serious about it.

“I need more than a can.”

“A can of Dr. Pepper everyday and you get my Nintendo if this love letter actually works.” He said.

After trying to calculate that in my head, all I had in conclusion was that there’s a lot of Dr. Pepper for me and another Nintendo wouldn’t hurt.

“But,” He added, “Can you write a good love letter?”

“Of course I fucking can, I’m like the Shakespeare of love letters.” I replied.

“Well just make sure the whole ‘Romeo and Juliet’ death happens to Alyssa and I.”

“I highly doubt she would fake her death.”

“You know what I mean, just finish your piss so I can.” 

“Fine.”