The school was always at its noisiest at the beginning of each class, more so now that everyone had returned from the summer holiday. The classroom was filled with the chatter of students, some excited to see each other after two months and some stressed about their last year of high school.
"Yoooo! Whats going on, you turbo dork?"
I yelped in pain as my head flew forward from a slam to the back of my head. I turned my head and saw the Turd standing behind me wearing the same pleased look on his face as always.
"Excited about another year spent with the mega masculine turbo daydream angel of Hajime high school?"
"What? What are..."
"Oh, of course you are! Such a foolish question now that I think of it!"
He waved his hair in an almost comedic fashion and stared out the window for a few seconds with his hands on his hips. He slapped me on the back of my head again and walked off, leaving me as confused as I was after every interaction with the guy.
"Man, he gives off such mixed signals. Does he hate me, or is he just too full of himself to care?"
Where I was the Quintessential side character, he lived for the spotlight. It was like he was created in a lab to be the perfect shoujo protagonist. He had long blond hair, rings on his fingers, and he was wearing his school uniform (which in our school for boys was just a white collared shirt, black pants, and a tie), with the collar almost fully unbuttoned and his tie loose.
I looked down at my own school uniform.
For the past two years of high school, I had gone against the dress code, thinking that having different clothing would make people think that I was unique and interesting. In reality, all I got was annoyed stares from my peers and an earful from the teachers. Now that our third year had started, I just decided to stick to the regular school clothes and ditched the loose jeans and all the other accessories I used to wear. I also had started to wear my hair down, which made me blend even further into the crowd.
I have never been outright bullied for any of the weird things that I've done in my life, but I've never had any real friends either.
If our school had a trip somewhere, I wouldn't be excited because I'd be too busy worrying about who I'd spend the day with or whether I had to spend it alone. If while walking with a group and my shoelaces were to come loose, I'd be left behind.
These may seem like small things, and they arguably are. For some people, being alone isn't a problem, and some even enjoy it. I'm not one of those people. I want to be liked; I want to be someone's best friend. But I'm not.
Although I'd given up on being friends with anyone, I wouldn't go around being needlessly gloomy or rude. As I previously said, I'm the quintessential side character, which means that in other people's eyes I'm not seen as the gloomy guy or the rude guy; I'm not especially hated or loved. I'm just kinda invisible.
"All right, everyone, settle down. It's about time we start."
The teacher had arrived and was already writing on the whiteboard. The loud speaking had died down to quiet chatter but didn't stop completely.
"Now, as I told you all yesterday, the biology assignment will be done in random groups that I assign."
The class was filled with unsatisfied murmuring about not being able to form their own groups. I, on the other hand, sighed in relief. I didn't mind too much being assigned groups. Matter of fact, I preferred it this way. Now I'd avoid the unnecessary awkwardness of sitting quietly on my desk while others were forming groups, waiting for the teacher to lump me into a random group and being met with the disappointed sighs of everyone in the group. I rest my head on my hand as I listen to the students reactions to the group the teacher is listing off from her computer. I don't really care what group I end up in as long as they don't hate me.
"How unfortunate for you, Rome, to end up in the same group as I. Your already feeble presence will be completely crushed under the mighty waves of my glimmering demeanor! Or maybe you might be lucky enough to get a single ray from the beaming spotlight always shining down on me!"
Man, how are the chances that I'd get stuck in the same group as the Turd?
The girls in the other groups were glaring at me with murderous intent spelled all over their faces.
The third person in our group was a shortish girl with straight black hair and bangs. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but she wasn't ugly either. It looked like she had potential to be one of the prettiest girls in class but had no confidence to try out anything new. She was wearing the school uniform, which for girls was just a white collared shirt with a black tie and a red skirt.
"Oh, but why are you so quiet, pretty girl? Such beautiful lips go to waste if you don't speak. Or would you rather save them for other things?"
The Turd was leaning onto her desk, looking straight into her eyes, giving her a smug smile.
"Come on now; don't be shy. Just say the word, and the mega masculine turbo daydream angel of Hajime high will grant you the most heavenly kiss."
The girl looked down her hair, now covering her face.
"Now there's no need to blush. Although it's completely normal to get embarrassed whilst talking to the mega masculine turbo day..."
"Twink."
The turd stopped speaking for a second with a shocked expression on his face. He shook his head, and the smile returned to his face.
"Oh, I must have heard wrong. It's alright, what were you..."
"I called you a twink."
She lifted her head up. She had an annoyed look on her face.
"You're always waltzing around school with your collar open and tie loose. You look and talk like a twink."
The turd took a dramatic step back, looking around shocked. The other groups were too deep in conversation with each other to realize what had happened.
"Why I... I'm not..."
He placed his hands on her desk and started pointing at her.
"I'm not a twink! I'm into women! I've been with loads of women!"
The girl took her phone out, looking like she had grown tired of the conversation.
"Oh, so you're a male harlot as well, huh?"
"What?! No, of course not! Now listen here, you spiky hag!"
The two of them went back and forth with the Turd making exaggerated expressions and movements while the spiky hag just scrolled through her phone while talking.
I leaned my head on my hand and looked at the two spouting at each other. I had disappeared again.