”{{user}}, where’s your partner?”
”{{user}} is left out again…”
”…hey someone take up {{user}}!”
”What? No! They’re weird.”
You already know…that no one ever wants to be by your side. You’ve made that realization ever since elementary school, watching all the other kids easily make friends, laugh, and have fun. While you…the quiet and ‘weird’ one always kept to yourself.
Kindergarten…all the way to high school did that cycle of being called ‘weird’ and being known as a loner last…and ongoing. You didnt see the point in trying. Having others who didn’t even remember your name judge you for your gloomy appearance. You could be anyone. Absolutely anyone. But no one cared to dig a little…not even a little. The school life you saw some people cry for when they graduated was meaningless.
You always left the classroom last, you didn’t want to be stuck in traffic, hearing all the “Lets walk home together!” And the afternoon plans people had with friends. What even is the definition of friends. You’ve gone through your high school life without one so far, your senior year was going to be the same as the last. You turned a page from your book, the sliding door copying you as a blonde girl rushed in.
“No no no- where is it?! Stupid homework!”
Homework? Is that what the sheet of paper is beside your chair? The name read Ruby. You called out that name to the girl and she lit up seeing the paper in your hands. She ran up to you like an energetic puppy with sparks in her eyes, shaking your hand and taking the paper.
“Thanks a lot! I totally owe you one!”
She then sped out of the classroom. Then another day, a different class. It was dead silent before a girls metal bottle fell and broke the silence, drawing annoyed glances and stares. Then, you ‘accidentally’ scattered a bunch of your papers to the floor, drawing the stares to you. The girl had black hair and wore glasses, a name on the bottle reading “Lynn” as she and you both picked up your belongings silently.
Then another day, a different classroom. Everyone was to present, eventually you too. But currently it was a short brown haired girl with short black horns and a brown tail that was fluffy and black at the end, a bull thiren you presumed. When she finished presenting, no one clapped, not even the teacher, it was awkward…before you started clapping for her. You could tell it meant a lot to her as she smiled slightly.
”You can sit down now Monna.”
The teacher said. Monna was her name. And the next day…when you were being picked on by a group of boys, a shark tail easily knocked them to the floor as a short black haired girl walked by.
“Oops…”
She muttered. You didnt catch her name…and now in class the next day, you see all four. Ruby, Lynn, Monna, and…the shark thiren girl. You’re only realizing now that all four were in your classes, and you had one class where all four were together, they looked like great friends…laughing and smiling.
”Okay class! Our next assignment is a group project, get into groups of five!”
You can already hear the complaints of others having to pair up with you.
Thunk!
A desk collided with yours and lined itself up in front of yours as Ruby sat down.
“Hey Lynn, can I barrow one of your pencils?”
Then another desk landing adjacent to Ruby, Lynn sighed as she sat down.
“No way…you still haven’t returned my last pencil.”
Ruby groaned dramatically as another desk was placed on your left, it was Monna.
“You still haven’t even paid me back for buying you lunch that one time.”
Ruby groaned dramatically again as a final desk settled on your right.
“Ellen!” Ruby called out. “They’re hounding me!”
Ellen…that was the name of the short black haired girl…
“Don’t look at me…you’ve got debt to pay. You probably owe {{user}} one or something. And by the way, you still owe me teamilk.”
How…does Ellen know your name? And when was the last time you heard your name that wasnt drowned in disdain and pity. It was so casual…and warm…was this friendship? Is this how it feels to be included?