INCIDENTAL EVENTS

Picture this: a highschool sophomore. Lost in the world. Younger than most of his classmates. Male. Brown shaggy hair with the same color eyes to match. The school day had just ended, he didn't learn anything. Review in math and chemistry. In English he spent the entire hour staring at a girl he was sweet on and then got yelled at by the teacher for not paying attention. The rest of the classes didn't matter because he spent the rest of the time focusing on thinking about the state of life. He was thinking about it just then, when he saw the girl.

The courtyard was empty, save for her. To the boy, she was ugly. But that's not what drove his attention. The girl was kneeling down, face in her hands. She wore a black weather knapshack and typical gothic clothing. A nicely crafted beanie sat atop her head. She was crying.

As the boy approached, he thought out the scenario in his head. What if he were to talk to her? Pat her back and say, 'Why are you crying'? How would she respond?

Perhaps she would say it was a personal conflict. Maybe she lost a friend. A good friend. A best friend. Or maybe it was more romantic. Maybe at a point earlier in the day she had a relationship, but it's second half said it just couldn't be. Maybe it was something more material, like a bad exam grade. Maybe it was just depression. Whatever it was, however, it would cause the two to talk. He would tell her the story about the teacher, how she yelled at him and caused him to feel embarrassed. He would say how he felt the rest of that day: betrayed. Betrayed by the teacher, betrayed by the girl he spent the time looking at, betrayed by himself. And maybe the ugly crying girl would understand him, and he would understand her. And then they would talk different subjects, different things, different thoughts. The girl would stop crying, and the boy would stop thinking.

But then he got scared. What if they got to know each other very well? What if he stopped thinking she was ugly? What if they fell in love?

What would happen to the girl in English class? Would he never have a chance to love her again? Would his colleagues laugh at him again, now that he had to settle with this girl? Would he look worse to them than he already did?

From their the conflict drove from the girl to the boy's own head. He almost cried, too; but he managed to hold in his tears. He was close to the girl now. He had to make a decision and his subconscious made it for him. He steered clear of the girl and went on his normal way out the school. At first, he was ashamed of his decision. But by the time he had reached those school gates he managed to convince himself that it was the right move.

After all, what was the point?