Is My Life Ordinary? - Chapter 123

[This will be in 3rd Pov. It’s my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.]

{Present Time}

“Why did you stop?” I asked him.

“… Allen I don’t think I can do it…” Peter seemed disputed about something.

“Is it something related to the decision you made at that time…?” I asked him.

“…?!” he shivered but soon regained his composure.

“Tell me what happened next,” I said.

“I-I can’t…” he covered his face but that isn’t going to stop me.

“Peter, you have to say it.” I said, “That’s your redemption. Don’t you also want to get redemption? Don’t you want to free yourself from this… suffering that has been eating you from inside?”

“…”

“I know you have been holding it inside for far too long,” I said, “It’s time to let it go.”

“…” his silence didn’t mean anything to me. I just want this to end quickly.

“T-Then… it was when we were-”

…

{A couple of Days Later}

“So what are we going to do today…?” Andrew asked Peter.

“…”

Peter, inside in his own world, thinking about the events that took place a couple of days ago.

“Peter?” Andrew shook Peter a couple of times but he still didn’t respond.

“Peter!” Andrew called out to Peter ear-splittingly.

“W-What..! What happened?” with the sunned scream-like sound Peter was appalled for a moment.

“You tell me what happened,” Andrew said, “You have been like this for the past couple of days. Did something happen…?”

“Andrew,” Peter’s voice resonated inside Andrew’s head as it was the first time Peter had a serious tone on Andrew.

“… What now? You are being weird Peter,” Andrew spoke.

“Did you apologize to that kid?”

“Huh? What kid?” Andrew scratched the back of his head yet he was trying to comprehend the question.

“What kid? That kid who you yelled at,” Peter felt slightly guilty for not knowing something like this, “Shouldn’t you have apologized to that kid? I know you were partially under after the game heats but still, you could have talked things out with him.”

“What are you talking about?” Andrew said in his defense, “You tell me one thing. What is that person’s name?”

“It’s Ryan… I guess,” Peter in a low voice replied back.

“See,” Andrew went on further, “You aren’t even aware of that kid’s name for sure. And you want me to apologize to him? Also, because of his mistakes, we have that much gap you know, right?”

“What’s with that vindication?” Peter said, “Aren’t you just being mean here?”

“What do you mean? I don’t even know where that kid sits, do you?” while Peter was trying to talk the matter through Andrew with reasoning Andrew was throwing a reverse card back to back.

“…” Peter couldn’t answer that either.

“You don’t even know his name for certain, you don’t know his seat in the classroom and I am pretty sure you don’t even know where he is right now,” Andrew said, “Or you know where he is right now.?”

“…”

“It’s practically a stranger to you, and to me as well,” Andrew aforesaid, “Then why do you care if I apologized to him or not?”

“Wh-Hu-Why?” Peter knows for certain that Andrew was in the wrong but Andrew’s way of thinking isn’t partially wrong.

To apologize to someone that is almost a stranger isn’t something someone does.

“Just let it go,” Andrew said, “You are just banging your head against a wall that has nothing behind it.”

In frustration, Peter stood up and left the room leaving Andrew nonplussed.

“W-Where are you going now…?” Andrew called out to Peter but with nothing more to say Peter didn’t turn back.

…

“What is he talking about? If he is being rude to someone then he must apologize, it’s basic manners. Yet he is admitting to having done anything wrong,” Peter muttered in discontent.

*Thum*

*Thum*

*Thum*

Even though it wasn’t Peter’s intention to walk past the court, he unconsciously took turns leading to it.

Maybe it was the impulse to take out his discontent and irritation through basketball, it was the only thing he has been that could lighten up his unwieldy heart.

“Who is playing at a time like this…??” Peter wondered about as he sought to take a look inside the court.

*Thum*

*Thum*

The bumps felt a little off, after playing infinite plays against different players Peter was able to predict the bounces were not perfect.

The bounce in basketball has a rhythm, every person has a separate one but the thing is that Peter was a step ahead, he could tell if it’s truly the right rhythm.

Peter stepped closer and peeked through the window.

“What am I missing here…?”

“…. isn’t that him?” Peter murmured.

In that empty room, a sole person was surrounded by uncountable balls scattered around.

Only a single ball moving up-and-down was making the echoing voice throughout the court.

“I suck at this…” Ryan said dishearteningly.

“… Pftt! He is doing the basics all wrong…” Peter giggled after watching him suffer, “Still I shouldn’t… shouldn’t try to make fun of someone… pft… who is trying his be-pft! He is dropping the ball right at his foot…!”

Trying not to let out his laugh heard by Ryan, Peter tried to pinch himself, closed his mouth with all of his fingers yet that wasn’t enough.

“W-Who is there…?” hearing those slightly heard voices Ryan became alerted and also a bit scared, as his eyes were all shifty.

“…”

With no response, Ryan stepped forward just to make himself confirm it for sure that no one is watching him from the sidelines.

“If someone were to watch me like this I might as well…” Ryan said, desperately hoping for no one watching him.

While Peter was trying to find some kind of cover to hide himself he turned all around but unfortunately, he was in the middle of the hallway so even if he had found something it would have appeared odd and would have been found out easily.

*Step*

*Ba-dum*

*Step*

*Ba-dum. Ba-dum*

*Step*

*Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum*

With every step getting closer Peter’s heart rate was going up.

“Alright, alright. I was watching,” Peter spurred right in front of Ryan, before Ryan could find out about Peter, Peter revealed himself.

From Peter’s perspective, it was better to admit before he was found guilty.

“Woah!… Y-You scared me…” Ryan jerked back.

“Oh, sorry for scaring you,” Peter apologized to Ryan as he watched him shocked and a few steps back.

“… N-No… I w-wasn’t scared at all…” Ryan said.

“Well if you say it like that. It doesn’t help me change my statement,” Peter said as he heard him stagger… a lot.

“…”

“Tell me one thing,” Peter said as he extended his arm as a sign of peace.

“W-What…?” Ryan asked as he understood the signal.

“You aren’t comfortable with talking to other people, right? You are a complete introvert,” Peter said.

“… W-Why would you s-say something like t-this…?” Ryan reacted a bit dejected yet he couldn’t deny it.

“Well first of all. You aren’t sociable. None to be honest,” Peter said, “Then when Andrew yelled at you a few days ago. Instead of talking back, you were scared. Scared. You couldn’t even say anything. If I am being honest, you felt like a small child at that time.”

“…>”

“You know normally children are the one who gets the most scared when they say something loudly all of a sudden,” Peter said as he tried to connect the dots for Ryan.

“… N-No,” Ryan couldn’t find a way to counter-attack, the hit by Peter was too deep and accurate that even if he tried to heal it, the best he could do is use a bandage.

“I am not trying to make fun of you or anything. I just feel like it’s just your self-defense mechanism that lets you keep away from socializing with people,” Peter came to a conclusion.

“W-What?!” and it seems like Ryan wasn’t even aware or agreed to that conclusion.

“What? Isn’t that the truth?” Peter was sure that he wasn’t wrong, or more like he was feeling like he couldn’t be wrong.

“W-Why? Why? Why? Why would you think like that?” Ryan retorted, “You don’t understand anything. You don’t even know me. We aren’t that close that you can say I don’t socialize with people…!

“W-Why are you yelling all of a sudden?” Peter felt a bit dejected.

“J-Just shut up! You people are all the same…! After you have everything you could just assume that others aren’t trying to achieve what you have!” Ryan seemed raged, “What do you know about me?! Do you really think that I don’t try to be like you? Do I wish to be an outcast?”

“I a-am sorry if I hurt your feelings,” Peter apologized when he saw a nerve about to pop out from Ryan’s head.

“If? You are just like HIM. Only Allen knows what it really means to be HERE,” Ryan exclaimed as he shoved aside Peter.

“W-Wha-!” Before he could say anything Ryan fled outside the court leaving Peter guilty, rejected, sorry, and awkward.

TO BE CONTINUED….