andrew sat at his chair clicking buttons on his keyboard like a madman. all his attention was on the computer screen in front of him. he was playing the world of warcraft.it had been four hours now since he stood up. his room was dark with the only light coming from the screen and keyboard. finally he defeated the last raid boss. with a clap andrew pushed his chair back from his desktop and stretched.
a 2 liter bottle of mountain dew sat next to his keyboard. andrew pulled his chair back to the computer. he grabbed up the bottle and took two big gulps. he smacked his lips once the dew quenched his thirst. a pack of chips ahoy was on the side of his mouse pad. he grabbed a cookie out of it and ate it. after a few more cookies he took another gulp of the mountain dew.
andrew switched up his character and began leveling it up. it was already ten at night. in a few hours he would have to log off and get ready for bed. the school bus would be at his stop at 7:30 sharp. he knew if he missed it again his mother would never let him hear the end of it.
andrew dreaded going to school. it wasnt his grades or that he found learning hard. in all classes andrew was a straight a student. even in gym he tried his hardest to keep up with his peers. which was one of his biggest problems. the other students teased him about his weight. weather the jocks teased him on the track or people gawked at him in the lunchroom. andrew couldnt get away from their persecution.
alone in his room with a game was the only place he felt at home. no one could judge him in WOW. no one watched how many cookies he ate or what he drank. they only cared about his level or skill and gear rating. his guild members welcomed him and accepted the bright personality and knowldge of the game he had. some even depended on him to lead them in dungeons and raids.
andrew looked over at his clock.
"fuck" he said out loud
it was already two in the morning. where did the time go he asked himself. andrew finished up what he was doing and logged out. he shut down his computer and went to the bathroom. once he finished andrew got ready for bed. before he knew it he was sound asleep. the sound of his alarm abruptly woke him up.
andrew jumped up and slammed his hand on the buzzer. he went to the bathroom took a shit and showered. by the time he got changed. andrew smelt eggs toast and bacon. with his mouth watering from thinking about the meal he made his way downstairs.
"morning hun"
"morning mom"
andrew sat down and looked at the clock on the wall.it read 7:00 his dad came down and kissed his mother. mrs. clarke was 5'5 slim with brown hair. her green eyes shimmered as she kissed mr.clarke back with a smile. andrew dad was about an inch taller then her. watching his dad andrew could see where he got his wieght from.
as he ate his toast he wondered to himself how his dad ever got his mother. it wasnt that his dad was ugly but his mom was far from it. she was in her mid forty's and could pass for a women in her early thirty's. mrs. clarke giggled from something his dad whispered in her ear. that made andrew remeber his dad had the charisma he lacked. everyone loved his dad. he always left peole smiling or laughing.
"hun you bettter hurry up or you'll miss the bus" mrs clarke said
andrew looked down and realized he was halfway through his breakfast. he looked at the clock again. it was only 7:10 now. it didnt take andrew more then a couple of moments to finish scarfing down what was on his plate, washing it down with orange juice andrew got up from the table. he thanked his mom and headed to the door.
by 7:20 andrew was walking down the block to the bus stop. wendy was already standing there. she was skinny with freeckles and red hair. wendy was his crush but he could never muster up the will to tell her. everytime he tried something stupid always came out.
"morning andrew"
"morning wendy"
they stood in silence with andrew just looking at the floor. he kicked some rocks in front of him. racking his brain on what to say to her. she broke the silence
"did you do the extra credit for mrs.jones class?"
"o shit no i totally forgot about it"
"well you could copy mines if you want"
"thanks that would be great"
andrew looked up at her smiling face. then quickly looked away and back at the floor. he felt himself getting red in the face and about to say something stupid. the sound of the school bus coming up the block made him look up. andrew breathed a breath of relief.
"well you could copy it at lunch if you want.... ill find us a table just find me in the lunch room."
"you want me to sit next to you at lunch." andrew said more naive the he wanted to come off.
"ugh... yeah if you want" wendy said now with a weird smile
"yeah sure i would like that"
the bus driver pulled up and opened the doors. they got on and went to their normal seats. wendy sat next to nancy and he went to the back of the bus. as they drove to the next stop he kept catching glances of nancy looking back at him. the two of them were whispering and giggling. once again he felt his face getting red.
the bus stopped and picked up a few more kids. it made it's way to the final stop before school. the one stop andrew hated. kirk copeland was at that stop. it seemed to andrew like kirks life mission was to torment him. every chance kirk got he bullied or teased him.
one day though andrew would punch him irght in the face. hopefully breaking his big nose and shutting him up for good. that fantasy came to a complete halt once the bus stopped. kirk and his pack of hyena's got on. as the bus started to move from the stop they made their normal B-line straight to him.
everyday andrew wondered why he sat int he back. kirk always came to the back. somedays andrew convinced himself that he wanted to be bullied. that he enjoyed being picked on. then he snapped out his pity party. the real reason he sat at the back was because, he was to big to sit next to anyone else comfortably.
"look who it is boy's andy the pansy" kirk said
"hahhahahaha andy the pansy, andy the pansy!" kirk's hyena's said in unison
the hyena pack was brandon cobble and zeph ranger. kirks lackey's and bully's in training. they followed him around and did everything he said and laughed at every joke. everyone on the bus watched on at the normal moring bullying. on one said anyhting they all just snickered and watched. some days andrew even noticed the bus driver watching from his rear view mirror at them. everyone watched everyday except wendy she never turned around. she never laughed or joined in with everyone encouraging kirk.
the bus finally came to a stop in front of their school. everyone shuffled off the bus and into the school. the hallways were packed as andrew headed to his locker. he finally found it and got out his textbooks for his first class. as he slammed his locker door, a feeling of being watched came over him. looking aorund andrews eyes caught wendy's. she was standing at her locker with nancy looking at him. she quickly looked away and closed her locker walking away with nancy.
andrew let out a huge sigh and thought to himself its gonna be a long day. the bell rang for first period. he quickly made his way to his classroom. as he turned the corner. kirk was walking his way witht he hyena's right behind him. andrew tried to pretend he was invisible and got as close to the lockers out of kirks path as best as he could. before he kept it kirks shoulder was slamming into his. all andrews books and notebooks went flying everywhere.
"watch where your going pansy" kirk said
"he!... dont you have class to get it!" wendy yelled
"what's it to you?" kirk asked turning to her
"you want detention today?" wendy asked tuggin on her hall monitor sash
"i'm heading their anyway tell the klutz to watch out next time"
"yeah tell him watch out"
kirk and the hyena's made a left and disappeared. wendy bent down to help andrew pick up his scattered papers. of all the days anyone could of been hall monitor. why did wendy have to be it today. andrew thought tto himself.
"you didnt have to do that... i had it under control."
"i'm the hall monitor that's my job"
a picture of a lone wolf howling at the moon caught her attention. wendy picked it up and admired it for a second.
"i didnt know you knew how to draw!"
"i....i... it's nothing just a doodle i was working on"
andrew pulled the drawing out her hand. he felt his face getting red again. for a moment in time they looked into each other eye's. wendy was about to say something but andrew cut her off.
"thanks i have to get to class"
andrew quickly rushed down the hallways. once he turned the corner he took a deep breath and face palmed himself. continuing to shake his head he hurried to class. through out the day andrew couldnt concentrate. all he could focus on was wendy. she called him andy. no one had ever gave him a nickname before. he watched the clock move and it seemed as if it froze.
every class seemed to last forever. all he could think about was lunch time. sitting with wendy, what he would say to her. what funny jokes he knew to make her laugh. by fourth period he already had a repertoire made up. along with half a black and white drawing of her almost done.
finally sixth period came and andrew excitedly got out his seat and headed to the lunchroom. before he knew it he had to slow down and catch his breath, andrew almost broke into a sprint there. he apused at the water fountain. while he drank his dad's advice flashed through his head. "be cool, just stay calm and be cool" sweat had already started dropping down his forehead from the sprint.
andrew drank some more water and pulled his composure together. he wiped his brow and took a breath. moments later he was standing in line trying to calmly scan the lunchroom. finally he spotted her sitting by herself. wendy looked his way and waved. andrew waved back as coolly as he could.
within no time andrew got his food and was off the lunchline. his mind was so focused on wendy. he didnt notice he was passing kirks table. before he knew it he was laying on top of his lunch. the whole lunch room broke out laughin. kirk had put his leg out right in front of him.
andrew got up and looked around at all the laughing faces. the room started to spin as he looked down at his wet and stained clothes. then he looked up to see wendy starring with her mouth open. before he could think andrew was running as fast as he ever did. out the lunch room and right into the bathroom.
he found an empty stale at the end and went inside, slamming the stall door behind him. in a rage andrew punched and kicked the door. then clutched his hand feeling like he broke a knuckle or two. tears streamed down his face. they werent from joy they were from anger. the door should of been kirks face. he should of stood up for himself. why did he run like a coward.
andrew pulled himself togeher and walked out the stall. he washed his shirt as best as he could. the spaghetti sauce stain just smeared. he was to embarassed to go back to class and look like a fat slob. as if on auto-pilot andrew just headed to his normal hide out. which was under the bleachers on the field. at least two or three times a month. andrew found himself sitting their alone with his notepad in hand. once again he was escaping reality. trying to figure out an excuse to give his mom about today.
"are you ok andy?" wendy asked
andrew almost sharded himself in shock. he was so focused on his drawing and thoughts. he didnt realize wendy had walked over all the way under the bleachers.
"is that me?"she asked looking at the picture
"uhmm...its nothing"
he closed the notepad quickly and scooted over and inch from her.
"i dint mean to be nosey....maybe i should of not came here....i saved you my muffin and apple i figured you were hungry."
as she said that andrews stomach growled. he held his stomach and accepted the food. wendy started to get up and leave.
"wait please im sorry im being a jerk... thank and hear check it out"
andrew handed her his notepad. wendy took it and looked through all his drawings. they sat for a few moments talking about them. he even managed to make her laugh. for the time andrew forgot all about what happened. all that mattered was they were having fun.
"isnt this cute andy the pansy got himself a girlfriend"
"yeah cute real cute kirk"
they were so enthralled in their conversation they didnt even notice kirk and the hyena's making their way to them.
"leave us alone get out of here" andrew said loudly
"what was that.. did you hear that guys the pansy is trying to have back bone" "why dont you come out from under their and say it to my face."
before andrew knew what came over him he was standing face to face with kirk. andrew had to look up at kirk but he was bigger then him. before kirk could say another word andrew punched him right in the nose with all his might. blood began to trickle down kirks nose. once he saw it a look of rage came over him. he punched andrew in the stomach and slumped him over. a left hook hit him right in the face knocking him over. next thing andrew knew was he was being stomped out by kirk and the hyena's. wendy was screaming for them to leave him alone.
the coach mr ryback came running over blowing his whistle and broke it up. he sent wendy to class and made the boys stay on the field and do push ups. he didnt need to ask who started it or what happened. he had saw it from across the field. he was proud that andrew finally stood up for himself but that didnt mean he could get off the hook for breaking the rules. mr.ryback knew kirk had it coming for a long time and he was kinda happy to see him get his just desserts deep down inside.
when the final bell rang for the end of the day he let andrew go home and kept kirk and the hyena's. as andrew walked away bruised and soar kirk and the hyena's started their laps. wendy was standing at the bus stop when he got their. before he could say anthing she gave him a kiss on his cheek.
"what was that for?" Andrew asked
"for standing up for me and yourself that was so brave... are you ok"
"yeah ill be fine nothing i cant deal with"
the bus door opened and they got on the bus everyone watched Andrew's face and whispered as he walked down the isles. he made his way to his normal seat but his time wendy slide in right next to him. Andrew gave her a smile as the bus started up and they rode away from the school.
