Popular?

The Bus

It's been about a week since dad told us the story at dinner, and mom says it might only be a couple days more that I have to wait to have a brother. Unlike usually I look around at my fellow bus riders with a look of gloating and giddiness. Usually I just stick ahead in a book even though I'm only on the bus for about two minuets, but I guess I don't do it for reading purposes. I don't exactly know why I do it.....I don't feel like hearing the stupid nicknames it took people all week to think of for me. I know it's sad, but I seriously think they have a list! Lamos! I miss Mia. Ever since she left to go to middle school I've had to check out twice the books at the library! I think that if I actually had friends I wouldn't have straight A's because I wouldn't read on the bus, and I'd never do homework because I'd never be bored. I wouldn't study for tests and quizzes because I'd never be bored. I wouldn't do extra credit because I wouldn't be bored. I wouldn't have found my love for extra- curricular classes after school because I'd never had found myself bored enough to start taking them. Maybe my not having any friends is good for me...in a way. I used to cry about these things, but I've gotten used to them by now. Whatever hanging out with your parents is way better then hanging out with people your own age because your parents pay for everything! I hope I'm not secretly using them! Way down in my heart...maybe I am...whatever, I shouldn't let myself bully me. If they cared they'd tell me, and I would willing pay for myself. Knowing that I can easily continue hanging out with my parents with no shame!
"Hey, dreamer!" Shouts Zach. Zach is an idiot. He thinks everyone likes him, but, really, he's got a group of about five people that are all fat and dumb. Two girls that always flirt with him, and three guys that follow him around everywhere. It's kinda creepy! If being popular comes with having people follow you around everywhere I'll pass! He's not even good at anything he just thinks he's the best...at least I know I'm not popular. I guess I can't talk though! He may not be popular, but he's still more popular then me!
"Hey Zachary!" I call back. I have always called him Zachary. He hates it because we used to be friends (he was my only friend) and everybody would always call him Zachary, but then in first grade he came back to school with a broken arm one week, and everybody signed hos cast just to be cool. Then he just started calling all those people his friends, and then we didn't talk for like a year until he started criticizing me so I'm not completely sure what happened in between...it just did.
"What J-j?" He calls back.
"..Nothing.."
He slides onto the seat with me pushing me against the cold bus window and says, "Then don't waste my time nerd!"
I'm glad I sit in the front of the bus because then it doesn't take him long to decide to go sit in the back again. After all the front is for babies...so I guess I'm a baby..Who cares. Zach is almost gone when he comes back again and says, "Oh, Yeah I forgot to finish. I get a little breathless around you...because you smell so bad!" he laughs. His followers laugh. I stare at him in boredom, and he continues, "Anyways, I'm still waiting for you to apologize to me.....I mean that's all you have to do to be popular!"
"Mmmm....and what exactly will I be apologizing for?"
"Well....let's think..hmmm..Maybe not signing my cast in first grade! Maybe not helping me cheat on my test last week. Maybe making me walking all the way up here just to talk to you. Maybe calling me Zachary. Maybe never inviting me to your house during our years of friendship. Maybe taking your lunch back when I took it last week. Maybe no talking a year....Is that enough?!"
"I didn't know you still wanted to be my friend, and I'm just wondering why your gonna make me popular? Don't you want to make yourself popular first? Oh, and by the way! I will be as popular as I want in a few days!"
"I don't want you to be my friend. You lost your chance a long time ago! I want to give you a big shot a follower, and I don't know why you would turn that down! Look at them! Only three have ever been given the chance! Hey, and if you didn't notice I am popular! Now it's my turn! How are you going to get popular?!"
"Have you ever heard the phrase curiosity killed the cat?"
"Hey! I thought it was my turn! Plus I don't have a cat so how is that gonna affect me?! I hate cats!!"
"Fine! In a couple days I'll have a baby brother if everything goes OK!"
"...Just so you know cats can't be adopted..."
"No...My mother is pregnant..." I speak slowly. If he's gonna act like a baby he's gonna get treated like one!
"Ohhh! Is that why she's so fat?! I thought that was natural!..Anyways, I take my offer back! I need respect from my followers! Not cats! Plus, my followers also need to be normal, and your not normal! You have a huge family! You can never be normal! Now, let's go back to the back! I think I'm about to pass out!...I guess you never get used to the smell!" He smiles at me and starts walking away. I have to say something. I can't let him get away with what he said about my mom!
"How long did it take you to think of that one?!" I shout after him. I guess that was all I could think of...lame...
"Stop talking! It makes you smell worse!" He yells back.