There’s this one kid who always stands out above the rest. You know the type, the one who knows all the answers in class, the one who wins Sports Day each year, the one who is brought up in assembly to be personally congratulated by the headteacher. The star. He’s cool too – he always has one too many buttons undone on his school shirt and his tie is never quite straight. He has that kind of laid-back attitude, that natural command. There’s always a group of boys hanging around him, laughing at his jokes, and a group of girls around the corner, listening in.
I want to be his friend so badly.
I went up to him the other day while they were gathered in the nook behind the bicycle shed and said “Hey, how’s it going?” I don’t really know why, but he started laughing at me, and all the other boys joined in. I must have said it wrong.
I tried again in the cafeteria, picked up my plate and went to sit at the end of his table. He pulled his chair out all the way back as I approached and I tripped up on one of the legs, dropping my lunch. They laughed. It was a bit careless of him though.
Then later as I was walking down the corridor I bumped into him. “Hi, my name’s…”
“Get lost loser,” he snapped as he walked away.
Being the star, he’s untouchable I suppose.