I stood upon the stage flaunting my knowledge about the scientific world to my school. It was an odd hobby to know such things but it made me proud to know that I knew things that nobody else did. I was never the smartest kid. Ever. Knowing animals that nobody else knew made me proud and I wanted to flaunt it to the world.
“The Cuon alpinus is the dhole, a wild rusty red canine approximately the size of boarder collie that roams the forest of Asia,” I preached. I held up a stuffed animal and showed it to the school.

“Can you believe that girl,” a girl with long red hair spat. I froze as I stared at her. Her friends snickered, “she’s going on acting like we care. I’d rather shoot myself than listen to this.”

I tried to go on, my body quivered timidly with each movement I took. “And this is a Margay…”

I heard the snicker of all of my classmates as they exchanged taunts between the seats. Something struck my on my shoulder and I watched as a shoe plopped onto the ground. With it, I collapsed upon the stage, tears streaming down my face.

“I can’t do this,” I bawled, “why did I even bother? I can’t do this!”

A shadow loomed over me and I glanced up at a tall sleek, blood headed boy. He was a senior from my drama club who had always been nice to everyone even though he didn’t have to be. He was a kind soul with a pure heart. He held out his hand and encouraged me, “You can do it.” He spoke to the audience with a powerful tone explaining to them how rude they had been.

I couldn’t believe it. I had never had anybody in my life stand up for me. I smiled as I finally took his hand and he helped me up. With triumph, I finished my speech. At the end the audience roared with applause. A large grin came across my face. I had done it!

Only moments later, I sat up in bed, realizing that it was only a dream. My mind ran through the entire event over and over. I laughed at the thought that I would even do such a thing on stage. Then my mind flashed to the boy and I laughed. Another thing that would never happen… Why would he help me?

I didn’t fit in well at my school; I was a traitor from my old school. My old school was my new school’s archrival. I was always flaunting about how great my old school was and I wore my old school colors at events, just to be different. I didn’t want to be apart of my new school. I despised most of the kids at my new school because a year before I came to my old high school, I was tormented by my classmates at my junior high, which is in the same town as my new school.

Though despite this, I had joined the drama club. It was something that I adored at my old school and wanted to try it at my new school. The kids, as usual, closed me off. A few times during practice, I would find myself bawling in the stalls of the bathroom. One day, I decided to try something and talked to one of the kids who was on the same side of the stage that I was in, but I was always interrupted and pushed aside from by his “fan girl”.

I must admit, he was fairly good looking and smart. His goal in life was to be a doctor. He had well kept blond hair, he had light blue eyes, and he was tall and sleek; always poised. It was strange but he reminded me of my grandfather and was easy to get along with.

That day, as I walked out the door, I realized was the last day we were going to perform our play. I held my hands behind my head and sighed as I looked up at the sky. After the plays, they had parties called “cast parties” where all of the members would play games and chat with one another. I sighed. After almost two months of being a “member” of the cast I still didn’t fit in. I wondered if I should go at all.

After the play, and everyone was cleaning up the stage, discussing if whether they were going to go or not. I doubt anybody wants me to go… I thought to myself. When the boy looked at me and asked, “Are you going?”

Stunned I froze. I glanced down at the floor and said, “I don’t know if I can.” I lied. I didn’t want to tell people that I didn’t feel welcomed.

“Well you should. It will be fun,” he said.

“Okay…” I managed to say, “I’ll try.”

“Cool,” he said. Before I could say anything else he was across the stage discussing the event with other people.

I smiled to myself, maybe they do care.

At the party, I found myself alone, sitting in a chair beside the snack table while everybody else was laughing. A few times I attempted to barge in and join them but I was quickly pushed away.

When I got home, I quickly went to my room and flopped onto my bed and began to sob. I sat up, grabbed my laptop, and furiously typed onto my facebook statues, “I KNEW I SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE TO THAT PARTY! I just don’t fit in…”

Before I knew better there was a message in my inbox from the boy, apologizing for not noticing and explaining that he felt bad. He also told me that sometime he felt that way too but he pushed it aside and that I had to keep trying. With a bright smile I realized that he was no different than the version of him I had seen in my dream. Out of all the people in my drama club he was the only person who showed encouragement. In my eyes, that made him a true hero maybe even an angel. All I needed were those kind words.

Today, unlike a normal person, I do not have a crush on him but rather I admire him as a role model and one day I hope I can be as kind as he was towards me.