CHAPTER 3 | A CHOICE HE DIDN'T MADE
"He is mute!" Ian heard someone whisper loud enough for him to hear.
A five year old Ian tighten his lips and continued playing with the Lego set.
"Oh! That's why he didn't talk to me no matter how much I called him!" A voice gasped.
"You better stay away from him!" Ian heard the chubby boy who always takes away his share of evening snacks warn, "If you stay with him, you will become mute like him!"
Some girls gasped.
Ian rolled my eyes.
He don't know much but Ian remembered his mom had told him that a person's muteness can't be passed on one person to another.
Plot twist, Ian is not mute.
Ian just didnât like talking with anyone. The kids in his kindergarten were loud and noisy and cry over small things. They were really stupid too.
Ian continued building a house with the Lego sets when he heard fast footsteps come towards him. Before, he could look up at the person, the person kicked his Lego house and burst out laughing.
Ian looked up and glared at the chubby boy. He didn't remember his name and he didn't bother knowing it.
"Is the mute boy going to cry?" The boy taunted.
Ian said nothing.
"Keith! You shouldn't go near him or else he will pass his muteness to you!" A high pitched and whiny voice called.
So, the fatso's name is Keith.
Keith smirked as he began his annoying chant, "Mute! Mute! Mute! Mute!"
Ian pulled his knees close to his chest and covered his ears. He cast his eyes downwards and focused on the Lego sets the fatso had kicked, hoping the teacher comes soon and pinch his ear.
Even though, the teacher pinches his ear, he knew Keith will come to tease him again. And again.
Will bullies ever back off?
"MUTE! MUTE! MUTE!"
Ian closed his eyes tighter.
He woke up with a jerk and looked around.
He was still on his bed. The bright morning sun shone on his face through the window.
He glare at the open curtain.
Ian's mother loves coming early in his room and pull open the curtains letting the sun light fall right on his face, disturbing his sleep.
Thankfully, it wakes him up from his nightmares too. Ianâs mind wandered to the time, the incident in his dream took place.
It had been almost twelve years. Ian still didn't talk with people much. The bullies and teasing were also accompanying him till now. Although they have taken another form.
In his primary school they stole his stuffs and pushed him around. And said hurtful things to him.
In his middle school, the bullies picked fights with him.
A cold smile spread, Ian's lips as he remembered the time he had fought with countless people in his middle school because of his indifferent attitude. Those exchanged punches were the only thing that somehow made him feel alive.
Finally in high school the bullies had taken a form he preferred the most.
Indifferences and baseless rumors.
Every now and then, some of his middle school bullies came to pick fights with him but other then that Ian was living the kind of solitude life he wanted.
A pair of hazel eyes popped in his mind.
Ian rubbed his face with both hands and groaned. Of course, he have a new nuisance waiting for him at school.
A week had passed yet his seat partner (he didn't remember his name at all) still insist on being his friend.
Ian just figured he would continue shutting him down and ignore him. After a while he will give up.
Eventually.
That's what all the people in the past who tried to get close to him did.
A loud knock came on his door, pulling him away from his thoughts, his mother pushed it open and popped her head.
âIan! It's almost 8:20! Get up or you will be late!" She said.
He glance at the clock on his wall.
7:00.
He raised his eyebrows at her and pointed at his clock. She didn't followed his fingers. Instead, she closed the door and walked away.
Ian pushed away his comforter and got off his bed. He wondered why his mom always lied about the time.
If it's 8:20 a.m right now won't she be late for school too? After all she was a teacher at his school. Both of them go to school together after all.
He shook his head.
Parents.
After cleaning up and getting dressed, Ian walked into the kitchen. He was greeted with the smell of omelets and a scene where his mother was busying typing on her laptop.
Without looking up she said, "Morning honey."
"Morning mom," he muttered and scooped some breakfast for himself.
After breakfast, they drove to school. Ian muttered a "good bye" to his mom and made his way through the parking lot.
Ian walked towards the corner of the parking lot hidden behind the yellow school bus which was only used during interschool sports day.
A big and furry dog with brown fur came towards Ian wagging it's tail excitedly and hanging it's tongue out.
"Good morning, Cookie," Ian greeted the dog and zipped open his lunch bag and pulled out the extra box of food he had got for Cookie.
Cookie barked once at him and then started eating the food, Ian got for him.
Cookie was a stray dog Ian met when he first came in the school. Ian named him Cookie and he feed him quite often. He would have taken him home but his mom had firmly rejected him.
After, Ian finished feeding Cookie, he pet him and played around for a few minutes. Other than scowling at humans, Ian loved playing with stray cats and dogs. His mom said raising a pet was too much of a responsibility and never got him one.
He glanced at his watch, there was still twenty minutes for the bell, for morning assembly to ring. Ian figured, he could go to the class and read a book.
"I will see you at lunch, Cookie," He said and made his way to the class.
Thankfully, his seat partner had not arrived. Ian sat down and fished out the book he had borrowed from the school library.
Just as he finished reading a paragraph, an annoyingly loud voice greeted him.
"Good morning! Ian!"
He immediately recognized the loud and annoying voice. He tried his best not to groan and roll his eyes.
However, he couldn't help but glare at the direction of the voice.
His seat partner was next to him beaming.
Ian didn't bother answering him as he turned back to the novel he was reading.
"What are you reading?" June asked, as he leaned towards Ian.
"None of your business," Ian snapped, "Leave me alone."
"Oh! I also love reading. I am currently reading a book about anti gravity and it's impossible to put it down," June grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.
Ian paused. Did he just...
"I can tell that you think what you are saying is funny but..." Ian looked at June dead in the eye and said, "No, you are not."
June widen his eyes in surprise, "What are you talking about? I am hilarious!" He laughed.
Ian glared at him, "Are you naturally this much pain or do you try?" He asked.
June blinked.
"I am just trying to spark a conversation with you!" June justified.
"And I remember telling you to leave me alone." Ian gritted.
"Come on now just let me be your friend!" June insisted, "Everyone knows they need a friend!"
Ian put down his book and let out a sigh, âHumanity sure does know a lot," he began, âWe know that everything is made up of atoms."
June nodded his head.
Ian continued, âWe know that planets revolve around the sun."
June again nodded his head.
"And we know that you are consistent pain in my ass!" Ian finished.
June continued nodding his head but stopped when he released what Ian said. June stopped nodding and shook his head. He looked at Ian with wide eyes.
"What? Noâ"
Before June would say anything, the bell for morning assembly rang. Ian got up quickly and walked out of the class room, trying to mute out June's voice calling his name.
***
After lunch having lunch in the school cafeteria as usual, Ian made his way to the class. He wondered if he should read a book or write his homework. Or sleep.
Ian frowned, when he reached his table. The books he left on it was covered in brightly colored notepads.
The fact that the notepads where pasted all over the books and covered every space baffled him.
Three words were written on all of notepads with a black marker.
Be my friend.
"Hi Ian!"
Ian glared at his seat partner and shook his book in front of June.
"What is this?" He angrily hissed.
June grinned, "My message to you!"
"You are so weird!" Ian muttered as he started to peel off the notepads from my book, "Justâ just leave me alone!"
"I am not weird!" June defensively said, "I am just limited edition!"
"Aaaaand a narcissist," Ian said, with an eye roll and went to throw away all the notepads, he crumbled.
Ian felt a small guilt bite his heart as he threw away the bright colored paper ball in the trash can.
"Why are you trying so hard to be my friend?" He asked, when he reached their seat.
June shrugged, trying hard to show that Ian's action didn't hurt him much, "We don't know each other but I am worried about you. No one deserves to be alone."
"I choose to be alone," Ian flatly said.
June looked up at him, his hazel eyes boring into his onyx eyes.
"Is it?" He asked.
Ian blinked.
Is it?
Is being alone a choice?
Suddenly, flashes of memories came over his mind. A woman's sharp cry of pain, a man grabbing her by her hair and those dead dark eyes looking back at him.
"I trusted you with our little secret, why did you tell mom? Now she has to suffer because you didn't shut your mouth up!"
Ian clenched his jaw and looked straight into those hazel eyes and nodded.
"Yes, being alone is my choice."
June smiled softly, "Well, get ready to regret your choice. I am gonna be your friend no matter what."
Who is your favorite male lead so far?
A/A : I have made fifteen parts for this which means there are fifteen male leads but Ian is my favorite of all because he is a special part of my creation. He is inspired from my own life and is the very first male lead I created for this book.