I was supposed to meet with Reeve that day too, but I couldn't help but be uneasy.

 

Naser's and Naomi's words kept bouncing around my head relentlessly. 

 

Even though I had been a victim of rumors and endless bullying, I couldn't stop being wary of Reeve.

 

Somebody I had been trying to befriend could have a potentially dangerous criminal, the kind of person I wanted nothing to do with.

 

Still, I didn't just want to drop her like that, I wanted to confront her about it, maybe the rumors were false. 

 

But that could have waited until later, for the moment I had science class to survive. 

 

I looked at my assignment. 

 

… 

 

I have no idea what's written in this book, my brain sees the book and cannot process any of the words in it. 

 

"Uuuh hey Fang, do you have any idea what we're supposed to do here?" 

 

The pterodactyl turns towards me, a blank look on her face.

 

"Really dweeb? Is this the subject you wanna fumble on? This is the easiest shit we had to do all year!"

 

“C’mon man cut me some slack, this is completely incomprehensible!”

 

“Dude, you built a fuckin’ railgun using a buncha magnets, how the hell is something this simple flying over your head?”

 

“Hey, that's different! The instructions to build it are retard-proof!”

 

“What the fuck are you talking abo-”

 

“*Sigh* Look, something's off with you lately, what’s up?”

 

“...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Don’t be coy smartass, you look more of a mess then usual, fuck’s up with you?”

 

“...Nuthin’.”

 

“Nothing my ass, look, either you tell me what’s gotten you into this funk or I’m telling everybody about that Saturnia shit you downloaded using the school’s wifi.”

 

“Wh-buh?”

 

“How the FUCK DID you know about that?”

 

“Damn, this is the first time I’ve heard somebody manage to shout and whisper at the same time.”

 

“Anyway, you’re not as subtle as you think you are, so out with it, dork.”

 

I took a moment to reflect over the ultimatum, there was no way Fang would rat on me like that and no one would believe her.

 

Still I ain’t lettin’ anybody ‘round here know my powerlevel, fuck that shit.

 

“Alright, fine.”

 

“I met this person a week or so ago, and I’ve been told some rather… concerning things about he- that person.”

 

“And honestly I just don’t know what to do, this person’s a friend of mine, and now hearing those rumors got me rattled.”

 

“That all? Man you’re a pussy.”

 

“Fuck you too, it’s just I feel guilty for feeling this way about her.”

 

“Oh? So this friend’s a girl?”

 

Aw fuck.

 

“Fang, please.”

 

Fang raises her hands, a small smirk on her face.

 

The smirk fades immediately, a serious look on her face.

 

“Look Anon, people love to shit talk if they get the chance-”

 

“I know that, it’s just that I can’t rule out the possibility that she really did do something horrible.”

 

“There’s just too many people in school that hate her.”

 

Fang whistles.

 

“Man, what kinda shit you got yourself into?”

 

“The kind that’ll get the entire school on my ass if I’m not careful.”

 

We stopped talking about my situation and we decided to focus on the science test at hand.

 

I still wasn’t there 100% mentally, my mind kept going back to Reeve and her supposed crimes.

 

Christ on a pogo stick, I’m such a wimp…

 

As I kept throwing myself a pity party the remaining classes in school for the day came and went, now only one thing remained to do here.

 

I gathered my courage and I went to the rooftop.

 

“Yo Anon, how’s it going?”

 

And there she was, Reeve.

 

Her usual smile on her face, but something was off about it.

 

It didn’t feel genuine, it felt like she was forcing it.

 

“Hey, you alright there? You look paler than usual.”

 

Her face was smiling, but her eyes told a different story, they seemed… hollow.

 

“Dude, what’s going on? You’re startin’ to scare me!”

 

“Oh! S-sorry about that, I was just… lost in myself.”

 

This situation is fucking with me, I need to confront her, and I need to do it now.

 

…

 

But in the end I never mustered the courage to do that, the rest of the day came and went like it usually did, never once confronting Reeve.

 

I bid her farewell and I went home, doing so I thought up in my mind the thousand ways I could have talked to her, the things I should have said, but never had the balls to say.

 

Pathetic.

 

I now understand why my old man treats me like a waste of space most of the time.

 

I am a spineless coward, when Fang called me a pussy it was just a joke.

 

But she was right, I really am a pussy.

 

I have to change that.

 

I HAVE to.