Charlie’s POV
A few days after getting my casts on, I was finally allowed to go back to school. No offence to my parents, but staying at home all day was getting boring. As long as I take it easy, all should be fine.
My mom suggested that she should drive me to school, actually, scratch that, she demanded that she be the one to drive me to school, despite all of my protests.
Ever since I was hospitalised, my mom has been super present. I can’t even make a sandwich without her hovering. As if making a sandwich could be considered dangerous.
“I’ve spoken to all of your teachers, they’ve agreed to take it easy on you. The Principal even suggested you have a buddy to help you get to classes and whatnot.”
“Mom! I don’t need someone to hold my hand while I go to class. I’m not a baby.” I complained from the passenger seat.
“Don’t give me attitude, Charlie. What if someone barges into you and you fall over? You need someone to help you.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned. “Mom, I’ll be fine!”
“Maybe you should just stay home for another week.”
“Mom!”
“Fine. I’m just trying to look out for you. You’re my baby boy. If anyone hurts you, I will hunt them down.”
I laughed. “Jeez Mom.”
She stopped the vehicle at the front of the school, where dozens of students were sitting, standing or walking across the lawn.
She hopped out of the car and rushed around to get the crutches out of the back seat before opening my door and helping me out of the car.
“Do you need me to walk you inside?”
“Mom, I’m fine.” I said quietly.
“I don’t mind.”
“Mom, I can walk myself. Bye.”
“Alright, have a good day! Love you! See you when we get home from your Aunt Gen’s wedding!”
I used my crutches to make my way into school. I could feel all eyes on me.
I bet they’re all laughing at the gay nerd who got beat up by the school’s most popular quarterback.
“Charlie!” Olivia greeted me, hugging me to death.
“Clay told me what happened. I can’t believe it! Joey is such an ass.”
“Oh my god, you look terrible.” A girl I swear I’ve never seen before said to me.
“Where’s Clay?” I asked Olivia, ignoring her friends that were eyeballing me like I was a puppy.
“He’s with Ella and Tom, over at the bleachers.” She rolled her eyes.
I sighed.
If I attempted to walk to the bleachers, I wouldn’t make it back in time for the bell.
I walked away from Olivia and her annoying friends to go to my locker when Ryan walked alongside me.
“Hi, Charlie.” He said, keeping to my pace.
“Hi.” I replied. It’s only the morning and I’m already exhausted.
“I’m sorry about what happened.” Ryan said.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is, actually.”
I paused in the corridor and looked up at him, confused.
“I was the one who told the principal about Joey. I should’ve known he’d think that it was you and that he’d retaliate. I’m sorry.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked, a tad angry.
“I’m sick and tired of Joey being an ass and everyone treating me like I am one. He makes the whole team look bad. And all he ever wants to do is bully you. He needed to be stopped.”
“But you didn’t stop him. He broke my nose, and my leg!”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I sighed, continuing to my locker.
It was a lie. Nothing about this was fine. My leg itches and I can’t even scratch it. There’s also the fact that my entire body is still sore from having it beaten by a metal bat and a psychotic jock.
“To make it up to you, I personally volunteer to be your helper.” Ryan added, standing next to me as I did the code to my locker.
“I’ll walk you to classes all day.”
“Don’t you have your own classes to attend?” I asked, opening my locker and piling all the books I might need today into my messenger bag. My mom said a messenger bag would be easier to use.
“Well duh, but I don’t mind being late.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
I smiled. “Fine. Since you’re doing this to make it up to me, maybe you could carry my books.” I handed him the messenger bag that contained today’s books.
He took the bag and smiled. “Slice of cake.”
~
Ryan walked me to every single one of my classes.
When we reached my final class for the day, which was art class, he stopped me.
“Do you maybe want to hang out later?” He asked shyly, keeping his eyesight down towards his shoes as he kicked air.
“Depends if it involves mobility.”
“Oh, right. Maybe I could come over to your place?”
Ryan Woodsen, come over to my place? After school?
I didn’t expect this.
“Uh, sure.” I said.
“Okay, see you later.” He handed me my messenger bag and gave me a quick smile before heading off to his last class.
I couldn’t help but smile as I crutched my way to a desk.
“Someone’s smitten.” Ella whispered.
“No.” I said.
I sat down on a chair and set my crutches against the wall behind me.
“For this next assignment, each student will draw a name from a hat. Whatever name you get, I want you to do an artwork of that student, but keep it anonymous. Try to capture their essence. When the assignment is over, we will display them for the entire class to see.”
“Why do we have to do it anonymously?” Ella asked.
“When you view the artwork that someone did of you, I want you to see how they see you. You will personally judge the artwork of you. Describe how it makes you feel. Did the person do you justice?”
“Sounds like fun.” Tom said.
“Can Tom and I do each other’s portrait?” Ella asked.
“Anonymity is a huge part of this assignment.” Miss Smith said.
The teacher wrote down names and put them into a hat before calling students to the front one at a time to pick who they’d have to do their artwork of.
Instead of calling my name out, she walked to my desk and held the hat down for me to pick a name.
I put my hand into the hat and searched for a piece of paper.
I grabbed a random folded up piece of paper and pulled it out of the hat.
“Do not show anyone else who you got.” Miss Smith warned, causing Ella to groan.
I bet she was dying to tell who she got.
I unfolded the piece of paper and read the name.
I got a girl named Lizzie.
When the class finally ended, I shoved my books into my bag and turned to retrieve my crutches, only to find them gone.
I furrowed my eyebrows, which caused my nose to hurt. I looked around to see if I misplaced them. They weren’t anywhere to be found.
Where the hell?
I turned to the front, my eyes narrowing in anger when I saw the culprit.
Ace was holding my crutches.
“Give them back.” I said angrily.
“Come and get em.” He laughed, walking around the classroom on them.
“Please, give them back.” I said softly, a hint of anger still remained.
“Stop being a dick and give him back his crutches!” Ella shouted, rushing towards him to take them from him.
Ace evaded her, crutching his way back towards me.
When he got near me, I stood up to grab the crutches from him but ended up on the floor.
Ella rushed to help me off of the ground. “You’re such an ass!” She spat at Ace.
“Sorry, I was just messing around.” He said calmly, handing me my crutches.
“Go to hell!” I spat, snatching the crutches from him before angrily making my way out of the classroom.
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