Page 5 of Let’s Pretend I’m Okay

CHAPTER FIVE

DANIEL

It’s no secret I don’t pay attention in class. Through most of my classes, I rest my head on my desk and close my eyes to block everyone else out. My fourth period class was a little different today. There was a test, and while I don’t like doing my homework, I usually do take the quizzes and tests we have. There’s a part of me that likes to see if I actually do know the material like I think I do.

My teacher hands back the tests, starting at the other end of the room. When she gets to me, she pauses, staring at the paper. She glances at me... and then at the paper again. She opens her mouth to say something just as the bell sounds, releasing us from class.

She sets down my paper and says to the class, “Don’t forget to read pages thirty-two through thirty-five tonight.”

In big red handwriting there’s an A written at the top of my page.

I crumble up the paper and toss it into the garbage as I leave. I can guarantee I will not be reading our homework tonight .

I hate standing around in the hallways, surrounded by everyone. Every laugh and smile makes me cringe because it’s a reminder that not everyone’s life is as crappy as mine. Their voices overwhelm the space as everyone tries to talk over each other, but I force myself to ignore it the best I can.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a familiar figure.

“Hey, Olive!” someone shouts, hurrying up to her. He puts his arm around her. “What’s with the costume?”

“Get lost, Josh.” Olive tries to wiggle her way free, but he doesn’t let her go.

“Did you forget to look in the mirror before you left?”

“Get off me,” she says.

He laughs. “Don’t act like you don’t like it.”

Olive and I aren’t close, but I don’t like seeing her being picked on.

She pushes him away, but he pulls on the strap of her dress.

Anger builds in my chest, and I speed up to catch them. I tug Josh back by the collar of his shirt.

“Hey!”

“She told you to get lost,” I say with a glare.

Olive gasps. “It’s fine.”

Josh smirks. “See? She said it was fine.”

I push him against the lockers.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and his blond hair falls into his face. “What’s your problem? Can’t a guy have a little fun.”

I can’t believe he thinks this is okay. Olive might not be my favorite person in the world, but he has no right to treat her that way. “If you know what’s good for you, you’d shut up. ”

Josh’s lip curls up in disgust. “Oh come on, the freak had it coming.”

Without thinking my fist flies through the air, smashing into the locker beside his face. “I said shut up!”

Josh pushes me. “You jerk! Back off!”

“Stop it!” Olive yells. “You’re embarrassing me.”

I pull my fist back, ready to swing—

My arm freezes mid-air, held back by some unknown force, making it impossible to punch Josh in the face.

I turn slowly, expecting to see a teacher or some other faculty member, but instead, I’m met with the big brown eyes.

It’s the girl from the first day of school who hid behind me. Her brown eyes bug out. Her dark-brown hair is chopped short, and her face is twisted in a sour expression, glaring at me. “Leave him alone.”

I jerk myself free from her hold, shaking out my arm just as Josh shoves me one last time, knocking me to the ground. Then, he heads down the hallway.

My head is heavy, and I lie on the ground trying to catch my breath.

“Are you just going to lie there?” says the brown-eyed girl.

I didn’t expect her to still be here. I figured she’d run off.

“Here,” she says, extending her hand. “Let me help you up.”

I swat her hand away before standing up on my own. She’s only offering help because now I’m the vulnerable one.

Olive is nowhere to be seen.

“Do you always go around punching everybody?” the brown-eyed girl asks, falling into step with me.

Why does she care? She doesn’t know me.

I roll my eyes and walk faster. She wouldn’t understand even if I tried to explain the situation to her. Besides, she probably has nothing better to do than find the newest gossip and spread it around the school.

“I just want to know what happened,” she says.

I spin around, and she almost runs into me as she skids to a stop.

My eyes narrow. “Didn’t you see what happens when people annoy me?”

She scowls at me, crossing her arms. “Only cowards solve their problems with their fists because they’re too afraid to hear what the other person has to say.”

I almost laugh. Who is she to talk to me like that? She doesn’t know anything about me or about what just happened. Who is she to make assumptions? She’s nothing but a spoiled brat who’s clearly never had to deal with the real world.

I lean in, eyes darkening. “Get lost.”

Yet, to my surprise, she stares back at me without a single ounce of fear in her eyes. She rocks her jaw ever so slightly, and there’s only one word that leaves her mouth: “Coward.”