‘Don't look so scared. We'll do something easy. Just find someone you know and say hi to them.’
‘...Right now?’
‘Right now.’
He grimaced and looked among the passing faces. He knew quite a lot of them, actually, but he wasn’t jumping at the chance to tell that to Garovel.
‘How about her?’ said Garovel. He pointed to blond Jenny Friedman, with whom Hector had attended middle school.
‘Fuck no!’
‘Why not? What’s wrong with her?’
‘She’s a girl!’
‘What?! I had no idea! Eww! Keep her away from me, Hector! Don't let her touch me with her girl-cooties!’
He pursed his lips. ‘I... just... agh... There’s just no way... Talking to a girl is way more difficult...’
‘Why?’
‘Because! They--! They're--! I don't know! It just is!’
‘Fine. What about him, then?’ The reaper pointed to Micah Chamberlain. ‘I remember him from the other day. Seemed nice enough.’
Hector’s face soured as he strained for an excuse. Nothing sprung to mind, and he gave a defeated sigh. ‘Alright, I’ll... try...’
‘You’re not moving.’
‘I’m... just... waiting for the right moment...’
‘There isn’t one. Go on.’
‘B-but... uh... what do I say after hello?’
‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you.’
He made his way through the crowd to Micah’s locker. When the other young man turned and saw him standing there, Hector was so afraid of looking like a deer in the headlights that he just blurted the word out. “Hello.”
“Hi,” said Micah, friendly but a bit hesitant. “Uh... who are you?”
‘Fuck me, what do I say?’
‘Your name. Say your name.’
“H-Hector Goffe.”
“Oh! You’re the guy I accidentally hit during the food fight! I’m really sorry about that. I meant to find you afterwards and apologize properly, but I forgot. I hope you’re not too mad.”
Hector was the deer now.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
I laughed spectacularly at Garovel joking on Hector. But I winced ever so horribly when Micah didn't remember who Hector was at first.
ReplyDeleteI feel sooooooo sorry for Hector... It will take time!!!
ReplyDeleteWait, he had a better chat with the cops!!! Does he need danger to improve his social skills??
He didn't remember his own classmate...
ReplyDeletewho can blame him
ReplyDeleteEven if the person's quiet you normally still remember your classmate...
ReplyDeleteMaybe you have been in some pretty small classes or you are like the friendliest person alive But when you are not too outgoing and in a class with( if you were paying attention) 50 people you can't be expected to remember everyone
ReplyDeleteLOL Hector is too adorable xD
ReplyDeleteand Garovel should be thankful that Hector is shy(er) with girls — no girl problems (breakups, dates, marriage, divorce)- takes too much time lol
50 PEOPLE!!!
ReplyDeleteIn my school there can't be more than 24 people in each class and that's only a few classes that are so big. In my class we are 15. Then i understand why he doesn't know if he hasn't been in the same class with Hector for a while.
yeah tell me about it. One time there was this one guy from one of my classes, who spent like 30 minutes trying to make me remember him. I felt like such a dick
ReplyDelete30 minutes...from ONE of your classes?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean?
ReplyDeleteO.o
ReplyDeletei had 14 different classes a week (not everyday) then, plus the least i had in a class was like 33 people. The school was not (that) overcrowded we just had a lot of people
ReplyDelete