The sun is shining so brightly. I smile my best porcelain smile, at the most repulsive person I have ever met in my life. We walk down quiet streets, passing old people and dog walkers. I mean, who else is out? It’s eleven o’clock in the morning on a school day. He looks down(I am rather short) and smiles at me. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, I can see his fangs. They don’t bother me much because he talks through his teeth, spinning wonderful lies through those fangs, and I devour every word. “You’re beautiful”, “You’re so smart”, “you’re different then other girls, that’s why I love you so much” I relish these compliments, they satisfy my voracious ego. But my ego is always hungry for more, so I have to go on these outings, instead of staying in class, to quench my “emo self-esteem” and of course, my ego.

We talk about videogames, movies, ex-lovers and friends. The same conversations everyday. When I sense the conversation straying from me, I immediately revert to “emo Nadia”. “Really? She must have been way prettier then me. Why do you even bother with a girl so ugly? You could be doing so much better.” The bait was set, now I just need to wait. “How can you say that?”, says big bad wolf, “you are hot, a goddess, she hurt me and I know you won’t do the same to me.” My ego purrs, satisfied. Now to think of something to do until school is over.

“Come on, we are almost there.” We are walking to his house. To play videogames and talk, to hear how great he is playing guitar, I guess. It was his idea anyway, it’s better than sitting in chemistry, trying to understand the teacher’s strong accent. The chemistry teacher, a tough, hard-faced woman, with the thickest accent I have ever heard. If it wasn’t for that accent, then maybe I would have stayed in class all those days.

“Okay, we’re here.” There is an army truck in the drive way, from the looks of it, barely used. We walk through an empty living room, only a fat, black, cat home today . “His name is guy. He’s the only black guy in the neighborhood, get it?” He giggles stupidly, and I just smile it off, “what a stupid joke. A stupid joke from a stupid guy” I think.

Before I even realize it, we are in his bedroom. He turns on his dusty, old television, his super Nintendo with it. Megaman X starts up, in his 16 bit of glory. He then takes about twenty minutes playing, explaining to me why Mega Man is so awesome and how much he relates to this outdated, Japanese videogame character. Finally, he asks; “Do you want to play?” I answer; “Yeah, sure”. I lay down and he gets on top of me. He has his hand on my breast, and smiles, showing his fangs again. This seems wrong, but I think to myself; “Why not? I am a goddess after all.”

The walk home was sheer torture, my legs are killing me. I get to my house and run into my mom, as she is leaving to pick up my little sister from school. “Hey Nadia, I’m going to pick up Sara from school, how was school?” “Fine” I say, the guilt rising in me. I really hate to lie to her, a hardworking single parent with three kids.

It is the next day, we are back at his house. Playing the ill-fated Megaman X, and him getting closer. It finally hits me. What the hell am I doing? Sacrificing my education, for sweet lies and Megaman? I think about all my friends in school. Many of them idiots, but at least they are in school. I suddenly feel sick. This is the last day I cut, for sure.

Today is a new day, I am walking in the hallways. The idiots are crowding the hallway. They all seem so happy. But I realize something, they are laughing and pointing, at me. I later find out that the asshole, A.K.A the wolf, as soon as I had left, told everybody what had happened. I run to find him. He is standing near a staircase, talking to some girl. I rush up to him and ask to talk. What does it matter that I am late for class? I haven’t been there in a while anyway, the teacher wouldn’t mind a few minutes- she probably had forgotten about me by now.

I demand answers; he provides none. He gets defensive, practically shouting at me that he never told a soul, even though the idiots all claim he was the one who said it. I just walk away. This humiliation has gone too far. The only way for it to go away is for me to learn from my biggest mistake, to grow up a bit, and try to make up what I have carelessly thrown away: my grades and my dignity.