I strode towards the entrance of the school, my heart beating erratically against my chest. I had no idea what would happen. Singing to get them back right now sounded really a stupid idea. But as I had said, I really did not have any choice. Elena told me that she had tried this idea and it worked.
Hopefully, it'd work for me.
Hopefully.
Usually, the students would mind their own business - chatting by the lockers, occasionally making out, blah, blah, blah.
But, it was different today.
The girls - as soon as their gazes fell on me - threw themselves at me, surrounding me like some hungry predators. If I didn't know any better, I'd flash my billion dollar smile that would make all the girls swoon, but that was the last thing I ever wanted.
These girls were responsible for what happened with Alex, the reason behind why we called it quits, and also the reason why I was now hell-bent on getting them back.
No matter how stupid the idea was.
"Ladies, I love the attention and would love to spend time with all of you, but I have some pressing matters at hand."
One of the girls frowned. "What pressing matters, Jakey?"
Jakey?!
How dare she call me by that name?
That right belongs to my sister, witch!
Not you.
But I didn't say it.
Another one stepped in. "Oh? Do you mean your ex? Didn't you guys break up already?"
Did I break up?
I didn't-
Never mind.
They didn't have to know what happened.
"What are you guys doing here? Head back to class!" Someone yelled from a distance. The crowd scrambled away in a matter of seconds. As soon as the path cleared for me, I saw the person who made this happen.
Coach Louise.
"Thank you, Coach."
He broke into a smile. "You better make things right, Matthews. I'm counting on you."
With that, he left.
Wait, did he know what I was about to do?
How?
_____
During lunch, I made my way to the center of the announcements. There I met the class president who agreed to let me use the room during lunch.
Standing before the microphone, I took a deep breath.
"All the best, Matthews." Luke, the Class President, spoke from his position at the door.
"You gonna stand there and watch the performance?" I raised an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it with my back facing him.
He waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "Nah, I was just leaving. Besides, you needed to do this alone. You're quite nervous."
He was one of the few who didn't bully people and was a nice person. Nice enough to allow entry to this room when I explained to him the situation. He immediately agreed to help as he understood my point of view.
"You're right about that."
I could hear his smirk. "I'm right about a lot of things. Good luck."
With that, he shut the door behind him.
Now it was me and my determination to make things right.
"Good Afternoon, Riverdale High. This is Jake Matthews and I'm here to tell you guys something."
The students quieted down, from what I saw through the monitors.
I continued. "You see, two weeks ago, I came here as a new student who had no idea what was inside this region you all called your beloved Riverdale High School. This school was always painted in front of the whole world as a place where everyone stayed in harmony and anyone could be anything. There was a strict no-bullying policy, every student was friendly and disciplined, the teachers were great. The transparency displayed on the websites of this school could make anyone want to be enrolled here. But that is not the case."
"I'm not even sure if the teachers and the Principal are aware of the fact but- bullying does take place here. At first, it was in secrecy because the students were afraid to be caught. But now, the students display no signs of fear and bully the weak in public. Not every student is friendly and disciplined and the school has kept a lot of secrets from the new students that in no way, assures transparency."
"Why am I telling this now? After all these months? It's because my friends had to deal with this mess on their own. My friends were bullied and none of the teachers or students took a stand. If one did, they were blackmailed and shut down completely. I don't know, teachers, shouldn't you be putting a stop to all of this? Shouldn't you expel the students who are involved in these activities? But then again, half your school is involved. Expelling half the school isn't feasible, but we all expect them to have some sort of punishment."
"You might wonder how it affects me? I am a wealthy kid, I can have anything I want and I am never bullied. So why am I the one saying all this? I am not a bystander like some. I can't turn my back on someone who's been bullied. I am the kind of person who wants to be a friend to all. I want everyone to think that they've got a friend in me. I wanna have people in my life who see me as the dork I am and not the heir to some business empire."
I bet ten bucks, there were gasps.
"Before wrapping up, there is one more thing I gotta do." I paused, steeling myself for what I was about to do.
"Alex, Jeff, Cady, Mia, and Emma. If you're watching this- and I know you are, I wanna say I just wanna say I'm sorry for everything you guys went through and what a horrible friend I was to all of you. I can't be thankful enough for what amazing friends you have been to me - a person who is least deserving of your friendship. I know, we may have not met in the best possible circumstances but I really want to give us another shot. If you guys want me to be a part of the gang. And to end all of your misery, I'm dedicating a song to my friends."
You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in meYou've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me
If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too, maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do, it's me and you boy and as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see, it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me