The Original Work (1st Short Story)

Be Like Bill

                Everything was in perfect sense, until Bill entered the classroom. He consumed all the courage he has on his pocket to slowly walk towards his seat at the back, at the very corner where confinement absorbs all his confidence and as darkness, his only friend, embraces him. All his other classmates look at him with disgust, as if he was an uninvited guest who crashed into a party. As Bill was halfway near his comfort zone, a guy shouted, "Look! Bill is wearing the same shirt he wore yesterday and the other day! What a big dirt!" And everybody laughed at him. Some even threw crumpled paper  to his face.

                Finally, Bill arrived at his seat. It was a great relief for him. The teasing didn't stop though, but at least he feels safer. This was not new to Bill, he face the same fate everyday but it didn't stop him from walking into that red carpet of shame every morning of his life, because he knew his seat awaits him. It was a way of escape for Bill from the reality outside the classroom. The seat was the only place he knew he would belong. His classmates are still mocking him. Bill didn't mind, he is hurting, yes, but because he feels the same kind of pain every day, his heart got calloused and he considers them all to be filtered with numbness. Bill is inside his own world now. He enjoyed his own company.

                At the other corner of the room, was a boy named Ben. He was a silent guy who owns everything. Name it: cool sneakers, high tech gadgets, fancy toys. But there is one thing he lacks... he doesn't have anyone to run with though he has the most luxurious sneakers. He doesn't have someone to play with though he has the most numbers of toys. He doesn't have someone to share with though he has the most advanced gadgets. He doesn't have a friend and it's all because he is too shy to talk to people. He finds it hard to trust anyone, because he thinks it's fine and possible to be a man on an island.

                He looked at Bill at a far stance. He thought to himself, "I can see myself in him. Alone. Always alone. But he's more famously infamous." Ben saw Bill bowing his head down looking at a piece of paper. Ben was not sure of what the boy was looking at, but he was sure that tears rolled from Bill's eyes. What's in the paper? Ben was so curious, but he feels more pity than curious, especially when the bulliest guy in the class snatched the paper out of Bill's hands and read it aloud.

                "Look, here's a piece of crap Bill's crying for! My dear child, never stop running towards the finish line, never stop looking up to the bright sun and never stop kneeling down in prayer. I won't take long, but always remember, I'm always by your side. Uhhhh poor little Billy boy!"

                "Please, give it back to me! I beg you! Please!" Bill cried out as he tried to get back his most treasured possession. The note was passed from one person to another until it stopped on the hands of Ben. Ben took a hold of it, and instead of conforming to the injustice made by his classmates against Bill, he stood up and went towards Bill. He gave the paper back to him and he hid Bill behind him, and Ben said to the class, "Stop it. Yes, Bill is different from us. And that is a good thing. Because unlike us, he is poor but he knows how to be contented. Unlike us, he doesn't have friends but he knows how to respect people. Unlike us, he is the filthiest person here but he has the cleanest and purest heart among all of us. So please, stop it."

               Everybody got their tongues tied together. They sat on their own chairs and life goes on. Ben went back to his chair, not to sit down and pretend like nothing had happened, but to grab his bag, pull a chair and sit beside Bill. Their eyes met, and they both smiled. "Why did you do that?" Bill asked.

               Ben answered with a soft voice, "You're the strongest person I've ever met... and I want to be like you, Bill."