Chapter 8. The new weirdo.

Authors note. This is so short, and I don't know why. Well, now that summer is on, I can write even more. So to all my fans, I am back!

School will never change. I can almost bet you on your life that if you went back to your old high school you would still see the same teachers there. That being said, it's almost a miracle when something does change, such as new buildings, new staff, or even new students. Mrs. Amanda’s classes without a doubt were still the weirdest bunch of weirdoes this school had to offer. I included. The class was small, but together you would think that the teacher had some wacko army being formed within the class room. She had told us like 3 days in advanced that the new student would be arriving today. To be honest I didn’t want to meet him. I didn’t want to waste my time with him. I already knew how the equation would go. He would come here, then, he would be all popular, and he would call me names, and possibly give me a swirly. Even the name sounded like a bully’s name. Donnal Buie. I shook with utter fright at meeting this kid. I just plainly didn’t want to do anything with him. Connie, my best friend felt the same way.

“So, what do you think he will be like?” I asked the day before he came to the school.

“I don't know.” Connie said. I think he will just be like everyone else and pick on us and laugh at us and tease us, me about being fat, and you about the weird way you waddle.” I glared at her.

“walk.” I simply said in a dreary tone.

“I'm remorseful.”

“Okay. Me too.”

“I know for a fact he will just shove our heads in our lockers. He's probably some huge guy with muscles that could stamp out someone like you and me.”

“When people tell him about us, he will want to kill us, or make our lives heck.”

“He will do both.” I said imagining some kid stringing Connie and I up by our underpants and hanging us on some tree, then laughing as he walked away.

“Should we even try to meet him tomorrow?”

“I don't know.” I answered honestly. I mean, we may just have a chance to get to him before anyone else does, we could try to keep him from talking to the other kids, so they can't tell him about us, and maybe he will like us!” I was so hopeful that I was literally jumping in the air. “And we could laugh, and eat lunch together and…” I stopped when I saw the look on Connie's face. It was one of pure pity, like I was some child who did not understand something so obvious that it slapped them in the face.

“Robert. Get real. He's going to hate us, he's going to call us names, and he's going to beat us up. End of story. Come on, look around. Do you see other kids on this jungle gym with us?” I didn’t have to look, the silence was enough a clue.

“no.” Connie again just shook her head, and said.

“Okay, now think logically.” I knew what she wanted me to think, and I knew why she did it. No one liked us, so no one had any reason to say something good about us. It was as simple as that.

“Okay I finally decided. You with me on this, let’s just not meet him. That's all. Let’s just talk to each other like we always do. Okay?” she liked that idea. Then there would be no hassles at all.

“okay.” We headed back to class, where we passed by Ciara carter, who just turned her noses up at us. I honestly did wish she would just ignore us, and not be mean to us. If she was going to treat us like this, then she could just never speak to us again, but no. she just had to show exactly who she hated, and that was Connie and I. and it strangely, was for reasons unknown.

The next day Mrs. Amanda had us all sit down at our desks, and get ready for the new arrival. Mrs. Amanda had me go to the front of the room to get something, and as I did so. The door swung outward, and in stepped the new member of the weirdest class of the school.

All I could see of him, since I was after all some good feet from the door were that he was black, and that his head was round. Not even knowing what I was doing, I walked up to him, and clapped his shoulder.

“Hi. Welcome. I like Goosebumps books. Do you??” I like Goosebumps books? That was probably the least cool thing I could ever in my life say, but there was nothing I could do about it however. I studied his face, and what he looked like. I am extremely observant, and I can tell all about a person just by studying how they look or talk. I studied this boy quickly because I knew I would never have another chance, once the other kids told him about me, he would hate me, and that would be the end of it. I was right about his skin tone. He was black, but his skin was that of a deep brown, like something you would place on top of ice cream. Even though his eyes were sightless, they were wide, and his nose was sort of pointy looking, but then again I was at an angle after all. His head was shaved balled, and he smiled easily, because he smiled at the sound of my voice.

“Yes I do. What’s your name?” his speech was smooth, and soft, like he spoke to all kinds of people, and he didn’t care who they were or what kind of bad habits they had or anything. He stuck out a brown hand, and I shook it. He was taller than I was. I came up to his chest. That was another thing, he looked athletic. Before I could open my mouth Connie was beside me.

“Hey, welcome to the new weirdo school! You like Goosebumps huh?”

“Yes. I do.” His proper voice said. I was shocked because he didn’t seem to hate us yet. Wait till he talked with the other kids. He would soon learn the truth about our weirdness then resort to hitting my bad leg like so many other people did.

“what's your names?” we both opened our mouths, but then the rest of the class was there, hands grabbed Connie and I, and inconspicuously pushed, shoved, and heaved us away from him, like we had some germ or something. The various boys and girls that chatted with him were bombarding him with information.

“Hi. I'm Amanda. I like makeup.”

“Hi, I'm Shane.”

“I'm Pam”

And on and on this went. Connie and I tried to get back in the others circle around the new kid but the other students pushed us back. Finally giving up. Connie and I went to the back of the room, sulking. I think Mrs. Amanda saw this, because she broke up the circle and continued lessons. She did however have Donnie stand in the front of the room, and have each of us talk about ourselves a little bit. Donnie was the kind of person who smiled really easy, but not those huge retarded smiles where all the gleaming teeth show. No, this was an “I'm comfortable wherever I go” smile. After Connie and I told him about our individual selves, leaving out the fact that we play the Goosebumps game where we imagine that we are in the books, and also about the fact that we read Goosebumps like all the time, the lunch bell rang. We all went to lunch in a mad dash, except for Connie and me.

“I told you” Connie said. “He hates us.”

“That maybe so. Did you see the way he smiled when we spoke, that means he's actually telling us to shut the…” I was cut off by Mrs. Amanda telling us to get a move on. We did so, slinking out of the door.

“When do you think he will start calling me stuttering Stanly, or you fatty?”

“I don't know. It takes time, you know that.” As we walked out of the class room talking, I thought I saw someone by the door. We paid no attention to him, because we were to busy talking about Goosebumps books after we stepped out of the class room, someone called our names.

“Connie, Robert.” We both stopped, then slowly, fists raised, we turned around. Looking at the new kid standing there with his cane, just a few feet away from us. I whispered in Connie's ear.

“Remember, the first time he gives us crap, ignore him!” she nodded.

“Connie, Robert?” he asked, hearing no response from us.

“yes.” Connie said vigilantly. “What do you want?” his eyes were something I would never forget. Wide, brown, but lighter than his skin, and friendly.

“I was just wondering, if I could sit with you guys, then hang out with you at recess. Is that okay?” he slightly held his arm out to us, I think trying to decide if we were still even there. At the same time, with stunned, shocked, bewildered faces that Donnal could not see, we both said

“Yes, but we do something weird at recess.”

“Great! Can't wait to see what it is.” He gave us a smile. I wasn’t sure if he knew we could see him, but that soon did not matter. With small laughs of joy, Connie and I patted him on the back and said “Let’s go!” and with that, Connie, me, and our new best friend headed to lunch. Forming a bond stronger than we could ever imagine.