You stand before a high school you know. Who are you in this high school? What kind of high school is it?
this is a normal highschool, and i am a relatively popular kid, i am enjoying school, not necisarrilu because its good, but because my house is supee abusive right now, everyone argues lots, and as the youngest of 4 kids, i get pushed around alot. i work a dangerous job in the sewers after school getting payed in a small sum of cash because my parents are so fucked that they dont look after me, i usually buy my own food, and i just sleep at home, i try to stay out though, so i dont get in the way, this causes me to look pretty worn out at school, but no one really questions it, and i have a good group of friends. i walk into my first class of the day, maths, none of my teachers and only a few of my friends know about how bad things are at home, my dad said he would actually kill me if i told anyone, the maths teacher glares at me, i just look down and apologise, as i would at home
Your math teacher looks displeased. You take your seat and begin working on the problems in front of you. The classroom is small and crowded with desks. The walls are adorned with posters about various mathematical concepts, but they seem to make no sense to you. Your friends start chatting amongst themselves, occasionally throwing glances in your direction. One of them, a boy named Jason, leans over and whispers, "You look tired again today, man. You want me to talk to my mom?
nah bro, please dont. i just had a late night. Thanks though. i manage a small smile, i had an especially late shift last night, and my parents were both drunk and fighting, things wont get better for a while because we live on top of a hill with no neighbours, im a little nervous for when my olded siblings move out.
Time passes in the math class. Your teacher continues to give you problems to work on. Occasionally, he or she walks around the room, offering help to those who seem to be struggling. You manage to finish your work before the end of class and idly fidget with a pencil while waiting for the bell to ring. Jason nudges you again and asks what you want to do at lunch today.
You have two options: 1.
im pretty tired, probably just gonna sit outside. jason nods, and at lunch he sits with me, and we chat, jasons my closest friend, ive known him since primary and hes the only one who knows about what my oarents were like before they both got addicted to drugs and alcohol and my mum cheated and countless other things
Lunchtime arrives. The bell rings, signaling the end of math class. You gather your belongings and follow Jason out into the hallway. Together, you make your way to the cafeteria where the rest of your friends are waiting for you at a table in the corner. As you take a seat, one of them asks how you're doing today. You can respond with:
- "I'm okay, just tired."
im okay, just tired bro, how are you? i sit in a quiet silence as the rest of the group chatters away, im happy to just sit there out of trouble. i glance around the room and notice the group of popular girls looking my way, i look over at them and they all quickly look away and whisper amongst themselves, i can only wonder what theyre saying
One of your friends asks you if you want to hang out after school today. You have three options for how you'd like to spend your afternoon:
- "Sure, where do you want to go?"
- "I need to work in the sewers again, but I could use some company."
- "No thanks, I just want to rest up before heading home."
sorry bro, i gotta work again, i mean if you wanna hang beforehand i guess we could, but itd prolly be fors like an hour. lunch finishes up and i catch the popular girls staring again, i look over at them again and shrug, heading off down the hall
As you walk through the halls after lunch, the girl from your math class approaches you. She's clearly nervous as she walks up to your side and says, "Hey... Thomas, right?" You nod in response. "I just wanted to say... I'm really sorry about what happened last week with my brother."
You remember that her older brother had been bullying you online, but you didn't know she was aware of it. Her apology catches you off guard. You can respond:
- "
oh. uh thats okay. she doesnt know that all the things he said are very nice compared tk what im told daily by my own family dont worry about it.
"Thanks... I just wanted to clear the air," she says, looking relieved. "I'm really glad you didn't tell anyone else about it." You nod, not sure how to respond. After a moment of awkward silence, she smiles shyly and says, "Well, see you around?"
You can respond:
- "Yeah, see ya." (She heads off down the hall.)
yep. i grunt, i continue down the hallway, the late night really starting to hit me, the large group of popular girls approach me next, they look curious what. i shortly, i look so tired
"Hey Thomas," one of them says, "can we talk to you for a sec?" You feel a mixture of curiosity and dread wash over you as the group surrounds you in the hallway. They don't seem angry or aggressive; rather, they look concerned. The girl who apologized earlier steps forward and says, "We just wanted to let you know that we're here for you if you ever need anything."
You can respond:
- "Thanks, I appreciate it."
- "Really?
thanks. i say simply, wondering what sparked their sudden concern for me, no one has really said anything about whats happening at home to me yet, i must really look quite messed up
"We've noticed that you seem tired a lot lately," another girl says. "And we wanted to make sure everything is okay at home." They exchange glances before continuing, "If there's anything we can do... anything at all..." Their voices trail off, leaving the offer hanging in the air between you.
You can respond:
- "Thanks, I appreciate it." (Reassure them that you have things under control.)
- "Really?
i can barely understand them because of how tired i am uhhh... theres a lomg pause as i blankly stare at them, before snapping back into reality thanks, im okay though, you dont gotta worry about me. i chuckle
After exchanging more glances, the group seems to relax slightly. "Okay," one of them says with a tentative smile. "Just... just let us know if anything changes." They nod at you in understanding before dispersing back down the hallway, leaving you feeling a little less alone and a bit more hopeful for the rest of your day.
the school day finishes and im sitting on a bench outside, waiting for an uber that will take me to my job, ive got a pretty long shift tonight. a couple of the jocks come up to me, theyve never really given me shit before
The two jocks approach you warily, as if unsure how you'll react to their presence. "Hey Thomas," one of them says, his voice gruff but friendly enough. "We just wanted to let you know that we saw those girls talking to you earlier." They exchange glances again before continuing.
"Listen, man... we may not be the best friends or anything, but we don't want anything bad to happen to you. If there's ever anything we can do, just say the word."
oh nah, they were being nice dont worry. they werent bullying me. thanks though. i smile at them im working the sewers again tonight. i sigh, i talk with these two about manual labour jobs all the time, they have respect for me doing this kind of work
The jocks nod solemnly in understanding. "Yeah, that's rough stuff. Well... just remember we're here if you ever need anything." They pat you on the shoulder before moving off down the sidewalk, leaving you to your thoughts once more.
eventually i get to my job, and i begin a greulling shift. the work is pretty dangerous, as if you fall into the swerage water, you would most likely die. either that or serious injury, and they dont provide me with any safety gear, since im not offically a legal worker of theirs, they just pay me on the side, the boss is mean too, and im always having to work twice as hard to ger half the pay
Hours pass in the dimly lit sewers. The stench of rotting garbage fills your nostrils as you wade through knee-deep wastewater. You're tasked with cleaning out pipes and repairing broken sections of tunnel, all while keeping an eye out for any signs of rats or other vermin that might cause trouble. Your muscles ache from the effort, but you push yourself onward, determined to make it through the shift as quickly as possible.
finally im done with my 4 hour shift, the boss rudely pays me 40 bucks and glares at me as i leave. he hates my guts, i head into the city after that grabbing some dinner, as im exiting after eating my mcdonalds, i spot one of the popular girls, lily walking right towards me with her family, it looks like shes dresssd up, i havent really talked with lily that much and shes pretty shy
You watch as Lily approaches, looking nervous but determined. Her family trails behind her, smiling encouragingly but keeping their distance. As she gets closer, you realize that she's dressed up quite nicely - almost like she's going to a formal event or something. You wonder what could be on her mind.
She stops in front of you, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Hey Thomas... um, I was wondering if maybe... well, if you wanted to go with me tonight?"
finally im done with my 4 hour shift, the boss rudely pays me 40 bucks and glares at me as i leave. he hates my guts, i head into the city after that grabbing some dinner, as im exiting after eating my mcdonalds, i spot one of the popular girls, lily walking right towards me with her family, it looks like shes dresssd up, i havent really talked with lily that much and shes pretty shy
"Hey Thomas," she says as she approaches. Her cheeks flush a bright red, and she seems nervous. "I just wanted to thank you for what you said in class today." She glances down at her feet, clearly uncomfortable. "You didn't have to defend me like that, but... it meant a lot."
You can respond:
- "Don't worry about it, Lily. I'm just trying to be your friend."
- "Well, you know how it is...
huh? i am so tired right now, and a little confused frankly, i rack my brain and suddenly remember, shit, the formals tonight, everyone goes all dressed up with their... family. to a fancy event, i have so many questions, why would she want to go with ME, and how did she find me, and what would i do, im still in my dirty worm clothes and im all grotty uh... yes! of course. i clarify quickly, realising the length of my pause its just... i look down gesturing to my appearence
"I know it's not exactly what you had planned," Lily says with a small smile. "But I thought maybe we could go together and make an adventure out of it? It'll be fun, I promise." Her eyes light up at the thought, and she seems to grow more confident as she speaks.
You can respond:
- "Okay, sure... I guess I could tag along." (A night on the town with Lily?)
yeah, i mean that sounds great. would you mind if i went home first and try to find some better clothes.
Lily tilts her head to the side, considering your request. "Well... I guess that's up to you," she says hesitantly. "But it might be best if we leave soon. These things tend to get pretty crowded."