January 9th by Jason Tru, Jason Tru (read me like a book txt) 📖

No, excuse you. Don't touch me! '', one of them exclaimed, shoving him on his shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance. '' Yeah, don't touch her, or us. '', the other backed her up. '' Well, I just needed to get to class... '', August tried to explain in a soft voice which seemed to be fading into a whisper. '' Oh, shut up. Why are you in school? I don't think you deserve school. I don't think you deserve to be in our presence. '', the first girl, growls, while combing her shoulder-length, frizzy hair. August didn't know what to do, so he just stood there for a moment, looking at the floor or to the side, trying his best to avoid looking at them before they accuse him for not being worthy of seeing, now. The two girls stood there for a few seconds, chewing their gum before accusing him of being ugly, then leaving. August breathed out in relief, when he saw them walk away. He quietly picked up his pace to get to his class before anyone else notices him.

His safty didn't really last long, when he slammed right into Blake's chest, falling to the floor, while running, with Blake standing there as a rock. Automatically, Blake kicked August's leg while on the floor, in anger, '' Watch where you're going, faggot! ''. Blake kept going, once more, as he gripped August by his shirt, lifting him up, ever so quickly, then shoving him again. August notices in the distance, Caleb walking by with Jasper, and completely tunes Blake out. As soon as Blake noticed August's ignorance, he smacked his cheek, '' Wake up, faggy. ''. While August was being slapped, Caleb took notice and pulled Jasper along with him, to witness. With August not saying a word, Blake got more and more angry. He twisted August's sweater even more firmly, having it pull tightly around his arm. '' Ah! Stop! '', August squeaked, closing his eyes tigtly in fear. '' Stop what, huh? Oh, this? You don't like that? '', Blake would tease, doing it harder. He tightened his grip and pulled August, bringing him close to his heated, red face. '' What're you going to do, faggy? '', he'd whisper in a monstrous manner, in August's ear. August just lost himself during the hold-up, as he looked at Caleb with his eyebrows raised at the front, and widned, glassed eyes, soon glaring red from the pain, waiting for Caleb to stop Blake. He kept staring at Caleb, waiting, and Caleb stared back as well, but in an oblivious way. '' Haha, hey, I'm gonna' go buy me a soda, alright? Coming? '', Jasper laughed, poking Caleb. He broke his eye contact with August, and laughed along with Jasper, walking away. He acted as if he never saw what was happening to August. August just stood there, being lifted by his shirt and having Blake insult him. He didn't understand what happened. He could not wrap his mind around why Caleb ignored him; he could not wrap his mind around why Caleb didn't stop Blake. He couldn't understand why he just became invisible. '' Fall asleep again, faggy?! '', Blake boomed as he scrambled at August's lower shirt, accidentally grabbing August's wound from the Insulin shot. August squirmed and kicked his feet, as he tried to get away from the grip. '' Stop! '', he yelled, trying to move Blake's hand from his tummy. '' Haha, oh you want me to stop? Alright then. '', Blake calmy teased, as he took his other hand and grabbed August's waist and squeezed it, before finally taking his fist and digging it into August's tummy, where he knew was injured. August's left leg flew back from impact, as he fell to his knees with his hands over his tummy. His eyes just saw blue and black for a moment, flashing over and over. All he could hear was the loud screech silence, as he took in the pain. Blake just walked off with his laughing friends, leaving August on the floor like that. August lifted his shirt and placed his little hands over the area where he was injured, and kept it there for a bit, trying to ease the pain. When he lifted his hands off, he saw it getting more and more, red, and having it feel like a heart was in it, beating as loud as trumpets. He quietly gathered his books once more and managed to make his way to class.

August settled in his seat at the back of the class and opened his books, turning to the page instructed. '' Well, this seems alright. At least it's a bit safer now '', he'd whisper to himself, as he started to note the teacher's voice with his deep-purple pen. He's always been really fond of that pen, or purple in general. August was okay for a good few moments, writing the notes and finally being left alone, before being shot in the head, randomly, with wet spitballs. As he continued, another hit him. Snickering could just be heard from the back, raising, louder and louder. August refused, though, to turn and see the people that are doing it, nor to see the other people who enjoy having spitballs hit him, over and over. By the end of class, August darn well collected enough moist paper to build a sculpture. He just tried to dust them off and continue into his next class.

By lunch, August, once more, skipped his meal. He did, this time, though, remember his medication and took it. He just left and went to a small opening at the back of the school and stood there until lunch was over. It was somewhat of a hideout in a sense that he found. It was an old messy place that no one ever goes to. He just used it as a hiding spot. The hideout was basically like, a forgotten supplies closet.

After school, August waited for everyone to leave, as previously warned, and then left. The doors were heavy but never so light. He felt such a relief that the school's day has ended and he could go back home. He totally forgot about Denis for a while, before stepping outside and seeing the tree again. As soon as he saw the tree, he hopped and ran full-speed towards it, tossing his bag in the grass and hopping on it as well. This was the moment that he's been waiting for. '' Oh, Denis? '', he sang in his cheery mind, taking off his knitted hat and gloves, as he adjusted himself into the warmer atmosphere. '' Oh my. Where is he? '', August questioned, looking left to right at the road. '' Maybe if I close my eyes again, like last time, he'll show up. It's probably just the timing '', he mumbled in a relaxing voice. He sat there for a while, with closed eyes, waiting for Denis. '' How far are you?! '', he'd yell in his mind, at Denis. It didn't really take this long, last time. August just switched random positions, all over, having his feet on the tree, then standing, then using his bag as a pillow, just trying to wait. He remembered that he fell asleep, lightly, the last time, so to his odd mind, he tried to fall asleep. Obviously, this turned out to be an exceptional failure, because of August's excitement. He couldn't sleep at all. In the end, he just decided to take out his sketch pad and finish his doodle. He drew his pen once more, and began on it.

'' Hey, kid! Need a ride? '', August popped up, ever so quickly, looking around, trying to see who said that. He looked past the car for over a minute, trying to find the person who said that, before catching his senses that, that was Denis's car. When he noticed, he literally jumped off of the grass, nearly hitting his head on a branch. '' Hey, watch it. '', Denis joked, as he reached over and opened the door that August found difficult. '' Oh, I'm fine, '' August replied, laughing along as he scratched the back of his head and walked over to the car. '' You took quite a while, today, huh? '', he playfully questioned as he bent down, fitting himself into the car. '' Aren't those your books? '', Denis questioned, pointing under the tree. '' Oh! Yes it is. '', August blurted, handing Denis his bag and bolting out the car to pick them up. '' What's that? '', Denis questioned, handing the bag back, with his eyes caught on the book on top of the rest. '' Oh, it's my sketch pad. Haha. '', '' Sketch pad? '', '' Yeah, or Sketchbook. It's just a little book that I doodle in when I'm bored '', '' Oh, you did that? '', he'd ask, while taking the book, seemingly permitted. '' Well, yeah. I don't really like drawing, per se, but I just do it when I have time. It's like, I don't know. It just happens. '', August'd try to explain himself. '' Who's this? '', Denis would question, rubbing his wrinkly fingers on top of the page, feeling the print of the pen's strokes and marks. '' Ah... '', '' Who is it? Haha, it looks like me. '' he laughed. '' Well, it is. '', August admitted, turning his face a bit, while Denis looked at him with a wrinkly smile, showing some of his missing teeth. '' Oh, it's me? '', he questioned pointlessly, as he looked back at the book and rubbed his fingers on the ridges of the words, '' BestFriends '', which were joined together at the bottom of his picture, like art. '' Well, I mean, this guy looks a it older than me, I'd admit. '', he commented, having the silence broken, as they both laughed loudly. '' Well, you know. You're only as old as you feel, right? '', '' Right! '', they both blew into laughter once more. '' But, best friend? What about your other friends? I'm sure, old me, I'm not the best. '', '' Ah, you're not old. '', August giggled, taking off Denis's hat and wearing it. '' And, well, I'm not; I mean... '', he struggles, '' I don't have any friends. ''. '' Nonsense! Fellow like you, no friends? '' Denis exlaimed, trying to lighten the moment. '' Eh, they don't really like me here, though. '', August sighed, lifting up his shirt, showing the marks on his body, letting them speak for itself. Knowing exactly what happened, Denis just rubbed his right hand over it and gently dusted it off, as if it had any dust to begin with. He added no comment, nor did he engage in the topic, for he knew that either way, they'll both not want to talk about it. He softly rubbed his thumb finger on it and put the shirt back down. '' Well, we should get going. We're still parked in the road. Haha '', they both timidly laughed, as he turned the key and started the car on its way.

'' Remember your house this time? '', Denis lightheartedly questioned, as they neared the residence. '' Haha, I do. Don't worry. It's, there. Wait, no, there. '', '' Look, I'll just stop outside here from now on. I won't ask. Haha '', Denis teased. He smiled widely, and pat August's back, goodbye, before having August leave. While August waved and scampered his way over to his house, Denis stood in the car and looked from the distance, with the same smile, still prevalent. He sighed after a while, and placed his foot on the peddle. Without anymore tie wasted, he drove off.