Another day at school. I got my midterms back today. Surprisingly, I had aced them, having only gotten one or two wrong answers.

A few months had passed. I had worked hard to change myself. I knew that I had too many flaws, and that I had to change in order to improve my image. The other people had stuck with their original uniforms and haircuts, but I wasn’t satisfied with that. Over time, I gradually began to get new clothes and a new hairstyle. I threw out the rest of my old clothes. I began to do better in class. No longer had I slacked off and ditch classes. In a short period of time, I had become one of the top students in my class. Even the teachers were surprised at my sudden improvement.

Secretly, I had been sneaking out to get in gang fights as well. I ditched the supermarket and the 50% off crap. It was boring and didn’t help me at all. I used some of my university savings and spent it on workout material and luxury clothes. University could wait. I had to change now.

Eventually, I noticed that some of the girls were eyeing me as well. I certainly out-shined most of the average students in my class. But I ignored them and gave them the cold shoulder. None of them were worth my time any more. I didn’t want to have anything to do with any girls from school. I didn’t change myself just because of them.

It was dark out as I finished my last class. I had applied for extra courses so that I could eventually get a scholarship when I applied to university. My grades were in the top 25%, after all. Passing the supermarket, I went to the area where there were gang fights usually going on.

One person only today. How weak. I guess they’re all recovering from their wounds, I thought to myself. I was doing the same. The lone person approached me, seeming to want a fight. However, I shot a bloodshot glare at him, and he got the signal. He walked off shortly.

I let out a sigh and continued walking home. I turned the corner and got to my home. Unexpectedly standing there was the girl I had first met. What was she doing here, I thought to myself. I definitely don’t remember having anything to do with her she ditched me the first time. The look on her face, however, I couldn’t ignore. All the life had been drained from her face.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Something happen?” I asked. No point in having her mope around my house. I wanted to rest.

“Nothing much, I guess. I-I just broke up with my boyfriend…” she responded. “He didn’t seem to want me any more.”

“Oh…” I was surprised myself. “Come in then, I guess. No point in standing out here in the cold…” I was at a loss of words. But I still wanted her out of my way. And although I seriously wanted to push her away, it seemed too harsh to do at the time.

She stepped inside the house. I asked to turn on the lights, but she refused. It was then when she burst into tears.

She told me about her situation. How she caught the guy dating another girl. How the guy’s demeanor suddenly changed for the worse when she told him she knew. How the guy had almost beaten her for not loving him back, and how she had run away today in fear of seeing him again in class. No wonder I haven’t seen her in a while.

I didn’t know what to do. I would be lying to myself if I had just left her there. I couldn’t be such a rude guy, even if she had ditched me.

I forced my face into a smile. A fragile smile from a beat-up guy like me. I didn’t know I had the capacity to smile any more. As if to say “everything will be ok.” And then, I embraced her. I comforted her. I lied through my teeth, but I hugged her tightly nonetheless. She cried it all out into my arms, and I had comforted her when no one else could. But why me, I wondered? Why not someone else? Why not her parents? Or her friends?

I walked her back to her house. On the way, we stopped by a playground. She wanted to stay there for a while, so I accompanied her.

We sat on a bench and reminisced. I still remember the time when I first met her, and so did she. I guess she didn’t completely forgot me after all.

After wiping off her tears, she asked me of my own wounds. I told her it was nothing. I had gotten into fights almost every other day, anyways. My body had gotten used to it.

“You look hurt. Let me help you.” she requested. “Sure, I guess.” 

As she wiped off the blood, she asked me. “Um…what do you like in girls?”

“Hmm…nothing in particular, really. Just need a nice girl who’d treat me well, vice versa. Not really been thinking about it.” I replied. Probably the only true thing I said in a while.

“O-Oh. Well…you know…um…”

“Yeah?”

“I think I actually like you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s nice.”

“I mean…I l-love you.”

“…”

“You’re not just saying that because you ditched your boyfriend, right?”  This seemed too convenient.

“No! It’s actually…umm…well…you didn’t really come to school, and recently you seem to have improved a lot, and you’re a lot nicer now than before, and getting good grades and such…you know?”

“I guess. Heh, you sound like a class president.”

“I-I am the class president!”

“…Oh.”

“You didn’t know?! *pfft*”

“Heheh…”

We burst into laughter. It looks like we knew little about each other in certain parts too. The mood felt lighter after that. We talked a bit more. I felt better myself. Maybe she wasn’t such a bad person herself.

I walked her home. As we arrived at her doorstep, I decided to reply to her.

“I’ll think about what you said. Maybe we can start anew again tomorrow. You know, as more than friends.”

She replied with a smile that seemed brighter than her usual smiles.

“I’d love that. Well, good night.”

“Night.”

On that night, I saw the life restore to her gloomy face. And perhaps a bit of beauty as well.

“Oh, and you know what? ” she said.

“Hmm?”

I turned back.

I saw her face, close to me, leaning in for a kiss.

I couldn’t resist. Maybe I should give her a chance, after all. I leaned in myself, lips getting closer-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suddenly, darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

Sudden pain.

My eyes regained vision. I quickly checked my surroundings for what had happened.

Hardwood floor.

Blankets in a mess next to me.

My room.