Don't be a Dick by Gabby Follin (young adult books to read TXT) 📕

He seemed really upset and I didn’t know how to fix it. I’m trying to emphasize for him but I just can’t right now, he’s too angry with me.

“I’m sorry Alex.”I said to him, hoping he’ll just leave it.

He rolled his eyes and gave a bit of a laugh,”It sure doesn’t feel like it. Now if you excuse me, I have to go to your mother to get checked because YOU didn’t try to help me.”

I felt hurt, I know that’s selfish for me to say right now but that hurt. I didn’t want to say anything to push any more damage to him physically and emotionally so I just let him do his own thing. He got off the wall and was limping down the opposite direction we were walking, down to Nurses Office.

I watched him limp and limp and limp down the hall for a couple minutes before I decided that there was no point in me being out here anymore and that it’s time to make up an excuse. I feel like I should tell the truth and say that my friend got his ass kicked because no one at this school cares for bullying.

But I can’t say that because I’m a little guilty of it.

I feel bad yes, I regret not helping yes, but honestly… I just didn’t want to get my ass kicked either. It was either, get hurt watching him get HIS ass kicked or try and help and end up with both of our asses kicked. I thought it would’ve been better for it to just be him but in the long run it would’ve been better mentally if we both got kicked.

As I was walking down to first period, I decided if the teacher asked that I would tell the truth. I am a coward for not trying to help him yes… I know.

I should’ve, because that would’ve helped him. With everything that has been going on with him it would’ve just helped him get a little bit stronger to know that there is someone there for him to back him up. But I’m sure now I made him feel like there’s no one now and I feel like a complete jackass for doing this.

But it’s not me who gets to feel these things, I’m not the one with problems. Alex is, and literally no one cares, so it just can’t be fixed.

And It’s not Alex’s fault, it’s just no one cares.

And honestly, sometimes I don’t either.

I slowly found my way to the nurse's office, or to Mark’s mother. I opened the door and the first thing I saw was Mark’s mother sitting at her desk clicking and typing away at her computer. When she heard the door open she looked up and immediately shot out of her chair and ran towards me.

“Dear god Alex!”She said.”What happened?”

She let me put my arm around her shoulder and we slowly went to one of her comfy beds she has in her office. Once I got laid down and as comfortable as possible I decided to lie to her.

“I don’t know Mrs. Phanelley. It was just some kids, I didn’t see who they were.”I said to her.

As the last word left my lips, I felt a feeling of heavy sadness and my eyes started to fill with tears.

I told myself right now wasn’t the time for this and that I should quit being a pussy and suck it up.

“Alex, you’re not lying are you?”

When she asked me this, I felt a little bit guilty for lying to her. She’s a nice lady, but I don’t really feel like she would do much if I told the truth. Mark sure didn’t.

“No.” I said painfully.

I looked over and saw that her face was pale and it looked like she wanted to cry. I’m not sure why, but she shouldn’t have to feel that way about me, it’s just Alex Glantias, school loser, everybody hates him for no reason, he’s repulsive, rude, mean, gross…

I tried rolling over to my side, so she couldn’t see my face, but when I tried excruciating pain started to pound all over my body. I yelped a little bit, as I tried bearing all the pain that was being taken in, again.

Mrs. Phanelley got a little worried for my bones I assume.

“Let me check if you have any broken ribs or something Alex..”She said quietly, standing up next to me.

I rolled over on my back and pulled up my shirt.

Mrs. Phanelley’s face basically went pure white when she saw how skinny I was.

She didn’t say anything of it though, thankfully, and just began patting away with her hands on my body. With each push, it hurt so bad, and I kind of wanted to smack her for making me feel all this stuff again, but at the same time she was trying to help me and it’d be good news to know I wouldn’t have to go to the hospital for a broken rib or anything. My dad would kick my ass dead if I had to go to the hospital…

As she took her last push, she sat down on the bed next to my legs and sighed.

“Alex, you don’t have anything broken thankfully… but… You know who did this, don’t you?”She asked me.

I felt my face go cold, and I guess color faded because she noticed.

“You just don’t want to start up trouble?”She asked me.

I just stared at her, it’s like she was reading my mind. I didn’t want her to know, I didn’t want anyone to know. The only people who do were beating me up. Mark basically was too, because he let them.

“No, I just don’t know who they were.”I said trying to lie again.

She turned her head and started to cry, but then all the sudden panic whelmed over her.

“Alex, your nose is bleeding!” She yelled as she got up from the bed and went over to her desk and got many many tissues.

She handed them over to me and told me to put them over my nose.

“Go to the bathroom and wash up okay?”She told me.

I started to get up and walk to the bathroom, but then decided to turn back and see how she was looking at me. I presume she thought I wanted help,”Do you want me to come with?”

I shook my head, walking into the bathroom. I closed and locked the door behind me and planted my back to the door.

I felt tears coming on again, now that I was alone they thought they could come back. No way, not now, I’m still in school.

I wiped away the tears that had escaped and made my way to the bathroom sink. I started to wash my face off from the excess blood that had flooded it’s way out my nose. I wetted a paper towel and began wiping, towel after another. By the time I was finished and threw that last one in the gray trash can in the corner of the bathroom, I saw that basically all the other towels were stained in a mixture of water and blood. I shrugged at the thought and someone should know that it was just a bloody nose.

I unlocked the bathroom and opened it up, and right there was standing Mrs. Phanelley. She startled me, allowing me to take a couple steps back.

“Sorry Alex, I was just here in case you wanted some help.”She said to me, her eyes glimmering with tears.

“It’s fine.”I told her.

I started to walk past her towards the door to get the hell out of here but she stopped me. She grabbed my hand and turned me towards her.

“Are you fine?”She asked me.

I hesitated with an answer. I didn’t want to say yes because she and I both know that is a definite lie, but I didn’t want to say no because then she’d make me talk about it.

I’ll be honest for once.

“No.”I told her, my face straight trying to prevent tears from showing.

She didn’t say anything, she had loosened her grip enough to where I could slip out and leave. I did just that. I walked out of the nurses office and started to walk to my first period class.

All this on the first day of school huh. Of course luck never runs my way.

It took me a bit to navigate myself through the hallways considering literally every spot in my scrawny body was telling me to quit moving because I hurt so much. But I kept going, I didn’t want to get in trouble anymore than I already have.

After a couple more minutes, I found myself in front of my History class. The one I have first period with Mark.

I stood there in front of the door contemplating whether I should just hide in the bathroom for the rest of this period or go in and have Mark try and make things better.

I decided I wasn’t going to be a dick today and let Mark feel bad all he wants, but I wasn’t going to worry him and make him think I died.

I opened the door, unlocked, thankfully. I walked in and everyone’s eyes were on me. The teacher stopped her lesson and stared at me.

“So, what’s your excuse?”She finally said breaking the awkward silence.

“I got my ass kicked in the hallway, I was in the nurse.”I said to her.

At least I wasn’t lying.

She looked at me puzzled and just nodded. She began teaching again, completely ignoring what I had just told her. Even though, she began to lecture, everyone’s eyes were still on me. I found my way around everyone’s desk to one next to Mark. The only one open. I assume he saved it for me.

I plopped myself in the chair, and once I was off my feet, all the muscles in my small body began to ache. It hurt but I just had to deal with it.

I just stared forward because I knew if I looked to my side I’d see that Mark was staring at me intently with his big brown eyes, begging to tell me what was up.

Due to me not looking at Mark, he began to try ways to get my attention. First he started saying “psst” thinking that would make me turn over. It didn’t. He then tried waving his hands in front of my face when the teacher looked away, but that didn’t make me turn either.

He then threw a piece of paper on my desk, I’d gladly read it considering I didn’t have to look at Mark.

“What did my mom say?”

I opened the small pocket of my backpack where I keep all my pencils and picked one out and began to write a note back.

“No broken bones. Just really sore.”

I threw it back to his desk when the teacher looked away again.

I turned a little bit to get a glance of what Mark was feeling. I saw him pick up the note and read it and his face lost a bit of color. He began scribbling again.

Once he was done he threw it back over to my desk, and I picked it up almost immediately.

“I’m sorry.”

I wanted to roll my eyes, but this is my