I walked through the doors, immediately knowing something was up. It wasn't just the annoying popular people, but the nerds, not that I wasn't one, and my friends as well. They stared at us. I glared at a few of them, sending my "friends" disappointed looks. It wasn't like we were doing anything we shouldn't have been doing. Thinking about that, I turned to a group of random popular people, a disgusted look on my face.

Some jock came up to me, a grin on his face. I could have punched him, but that would have caused a fight, gaining us "both" a detention. I tossed my sketchbook into my locker, locking it now that I knew people were going to start trying to get on my nerves, as well as Paradise's. I turned to the jock, a frown on my face.

"Can I help you?" I hissed. Outwardly, I was a friendly person. However, if someone got on my nerves or became a problem to me, I could become a very scary person. He backed off, thinking I wouldn't have reacted like that. A satisfied grin on my face, I walked over to Paradise, returning to my natural weird happy self.

"Shall we go to cl*censored* now?" I smiled at her happily. 

Paradise jumped again by his random voice, and she turned around trying to hide her discomfort. "Um. sure.." She said, as she got her things from her locker and walked to clas.s. Walking p*censored*ed people who were watching, she found herself looking down.

When they got to clas.s, for some reason she hoped that Lake wouldn't sit next to her. They'd cause more glances. And she hated that attention. But she didn't say anything, or even gave him a glance for that matter. She sat in the back as usual, and got ready for note taking.

I walked over. I could feel some kind of discomfort, and I figured anyone would if there were people looking at us like this. I went to speak to my friends, to convince them nothing was going on; Of course they would believe me, unlike those annoying gossipy populars.((I dislike these people. SO many at my school))

They supposedly wanted a change in what others were thinking. Though they may have seemed annoying around others, my weirdness often rubbed off on them, and they still liked having me around. Sadly, I glanced back at Paradise, wondering if she would feel upset. I turned back to y friends, smiling, just not as contented as before.  

(( Oh. Okay thanks haha! ))

Paradise watched as she sat down, Lake sit down with his other friends. She guessed that he was probably getting sick of this 'gossip' going around just as much as she was embarressed by it. What made her worry, was if he chose to just not talk to her at all. He wouldn't do that...Would he?... She thought to herself, as she grabbed the pen that he lent her before, and a paper out too.

I ripped a page out and began taking notes. People were p*censored*ing notes and I couldn't help rolling my eyes when it got to my friends. And so the insults rolled in. The teacher seemed to notice and confiscated all the cruel pieces of paper flying around the room. They weren't all about me and Paradise, or Paradise and me; people seemed to always pa.ss notes in this cla.ss, which constantly annoyed the teacher, the reason he let them do it in the first place. But now, it was doubled. Did they seriously think that bad of us? So i was a dork. Was it bad to have a change in friends every now and then?

When cla.ss ended, my friends practically dragged me out of cla.ss with them. I supposed that they didn't like the idea of the gossip either. Timothy turned to me.

"She is your friend, right?" I nodded. "Well, maybe you should hang out with us until the gossip goes down. Then you can be friends with her again." He thoughtfully added.

"That's crazy. They'll gossip more later." I gave him a slightly disgusted look. 

"Then she can hang out with all of us." James interrupted, a grin on his face.

"Uh, she's kind of a girl." I brought the subject up. One girl hanging out with a bunch of guys wasn't completely normal. The comments and gossip would be so much worse for Paradise then. I could never do that to her. I escaped my friends, going to my locker, then waiting for Paradise at her own. I didn't know what to do, where to turn. 

As usual Paradise waited for everyone to leave. But when she started getting up to leave as well, she saw a couple of students, in a little group looking at her. Then laughing. Repeatedly. She frowned, and looked down to make sure she atleast had pants on. Then looked up at them. Everything looked normal to her. Rolling her eyes, she realized they were just laughing for the same reason as before. Pursing her lips, she quickly left that room. Looking back at them a couple of times, and every time she did, they seemed to just keep watching and giggling. She had a feeling that something else was wrong here.

Seeing Lake waiting for her, at her locker didn't make her feel any better. She frowned at a couple of people glancing by her and Lake, as she opened her locker. Keeping herself silent, no matter how much Lake probably would talk.

I watched as several students laughed at us. Glaring at them each, I realized I could take it no longer. Seeing Paradise with that frown on her lips, somehow made me feel terrible. I growled in annoyance, glaring hard at everyone. 

"What's the matter? Is it wrong to make friends?" I shouted. "Why can't you just go about your own business? Don't you lame football players hang out with those pink preppy cheerleaders? Know what I think? I think that it shouldn't matter who we befriend because befriending people is nature! Just stop gossiping about us!" There were shocked expressions, as some left. I could tell some of them were insulted, but I didn't care. I'd pick a fight with anyone at the moment. 

I would have told them to stop p*censored*ing notes about lies, being that was one of the populars' hobbies, but I didn't want to embara.ss Paradise more than I probably already had.  glanced at her, a sad ex
pression on my face. 

"I am so sorry." With that, I walked off to my next cla.ss with James and Timothy, wondering if I should go back to my normal life, no matter how much it hurt. 

I sat at my desk, probably bored to death as I impatiently tapped my hand repeatedly on the hard wooden table. My friends were congratulating me for my "wondrous" feat, but inside, I couldn't help feeling like I'd done something I'd regret. I was did that just to help the embarra.ssment and sadness to go away. I hoped it had. 

Now, the jocks and cheerleaders I insulted where probably hating me more than ever. I wondered if this would be a stain in my school life, though I hoped deep within me that it would quickly p*censored*. I like being around Paradise; I liked having her around me. I wished people weren't so critical these days. Sighing, I came to rest my head on my elbows, trying not to think about it,to dodge the world and it's pathetic trials. James poked me.

"You're zoning out again." He whispered.

"I don't care..." I mumbled. I quickly snapped out of it, though I realized there was no point to it since... well, I didn't know why there was no point to it, but I didn't care. I hoped she would be all right. To me, at the moment, that was all that mattered. 

Paradise hugged her books tightly against her chest, as if it was the last thing she had to keep her alive. Keeping her head down, as the jocks and cheerleaders were around there lockers.They looked like they were hiding something. She ignored it though. Not wanting to get involved.

As she walked p*censored*ed them, they're talking stopped. Which made her nervous. She couldn't help but stop walking, and look at them. Blushing. They were watching her, and laughing. She frowned. Wishing she could just ask what was going on. She turned her back to them, and walked toward clas.s. Or atleast that was her plan. THey had something better in mind. She felt someone grab the back of her shirt and force her against the locker. Dropping her books, she did a quiet yelp. "What the-" She said, as one of the jocks covered her mouth. She shook her head. This could not be happening...

  "I want to go to sleep..." I muttered, closing my eyes. James flicked my forehead and I blinked in annoyance. He stared at me, and I could tell that it meant it'd be better if I didn't. I glanced around, lifting my head. "Where's Timmy?"

Someone rushed into the room, and I turned, seeing Timothy at the door, a worried ex
pression on his face. "Your girlfriend is in trouble!" He shouted. At that, I quickly stood, practically gliding across the room after him. He led me to a large group of gathering students. Paradise was on the floor; they were going to beat her up or something. 

I growled loud enough for all of them to hear, then drop kicked one of the jocks. It wasn't expected of a dork kid, but I'd taken a self defense cl*censored* not long ago. They somewhat backed off after seeing that. I'd give them all bloody noses if I had to. There were several shocked faces, as well as snickers from the crowd, as if it was expected of me to come to her rescue. I rolled my eyes; this happened to often everyday. I bent down, helping Paradise stand.

"Are you all right?" I asked her, glaring at the jocks as I led her away from the crowd. I didn't want to pick a fight at the moment, when she could have been injured. 

((Ahh! Drama! lol)) 

I was relieved that she wasn't hurt too bad, but instead made sure no one was following us with cruel intentions. "What's your next cla.ss? I'll walk you." I offered, trying to help her become more comfortable. If they did that to her again, I really "would" give them bloody noses. Boys and girls alike, and all those watching just for entertainment.

Timmy and James came to my side, a look on their faces that seemed to say, "wow, that was amazing. No. James handed me her backpack and a sketchbook, in bad condition. The drawings were marvelous, or the two that I saw anyway. I figured she didn't want anyone looking, So I gently shut it, handing it to her along with her bag.

"Sorry about that." I apologized. "Those guys were just jerks. I'll talk to them later if it makes you feel better." I added, a soft compas.sionate smile on my face. I wanted her not to feel afraid, comforted. 

Timmy and James came to the left side of me; Paradise was to the right. I was fine with telling the jocks off or not, but when she'd told me it was fine, I felt slight hesitation, as if she didn't feel that way inside. That was probably just me, so I brushed it off. When she said English, we all grinned in unison. "That's my next cl*censored* too." I beamed, then suddenly frowned.

"The reason you were beat up was my fault, so you might not want to be around me... I'm sorry that you got hurt because of me..." I paused, feeling slight self pity. It was my fault though, and I didn't want her or anyone to suffer because of me. Unless they deserved it like those football players did.  

I hoped that she would still be friends with me, since she seemed lonely when I'd first met her. She might not have felt comfortable being around me anymore, if she knew that she might have been beat up every corner of the school. I honestly hope she felt otherwise. 

I was filled with happiness after she said that. Practically skipping to English like nothing bad had just happened, my friends laughing at my dorkness along the way, We took our seats near the back of the room. I felt happy. I didn't know why, but I was. 

I actually took notes this period with no distractions, well, except for a couple random rude crumpled up notes tossed at me fro half way across the room. I tossed them into my backpack for later. Those things were always fun to read, no matter how insulting. It made me laugh to be insulted. Insults were good things to me, because it showed me that I wasn't perfect and that people didn't quite agree with me. I wouldn't change, but I still thought they were funny to read.

Cl*censored* quickly ended, almost as soon as it began; it was lunch time. I rotated in my chair, grinning at Paradise. My friends asked for the papers tossed at me, and I stuck my tongue out at them, claiming the notes to be my "mail". They laughed, reminding me it was more like blackmail, or hate mail. Whatever you called it. I watched as everyone left. They seemed to be taking longer leaving the cla.ssroom today. I brushed it off, standing as they had completely gone.