Randy kept running until he reached his locker, then he fell to the floor, sobbing. After a few seconds, he gained control of himself and began to wonder what was wrong with him. Until his confrontation with Steve, he felt normal. But then all of a sudden he was overwhelmed with feelings of vulnerability, like he couldn't handle the strain of being picked on. Of course, as a jock, Randy was rarely picked on, but he could always hold his own. This was like he had no confidence in himself, none whatsoever. And then when he went to his friends for help, Biff hit him, sending him into another fit of crying. Crying! And in front of his friends, too. He never felt so embarrassed in his life.
"Randall, are you okay?" a girl asked, breaking Randy out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw that girl he saw the previous night, right after the swap. Her name was Kyla, he believed. "Let me guess," she said, squatting down next to him. "Walter."
"Walter?" he asked, not knowing what she was talking about.
"I knew it. That scumbag has no right to do this to you. You may not be as strong as him, but you've got the brains. And that's what counts."
"Uh, actually, it was Steve."
"Steve? That's even worse," she said. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about those jerks. In another ten years, you'll probably be their boss."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked. "Are ... are you my girlfriend or something?" Given his ugly appearance, she'd have to be in love with him just to be near him, especially in public. He certainly wouldn't stick around someone like himself.
"Girlfriend?" She almost laughed. "No. We're just friends. Now, come on. Get up." She helped him to his feet.
Now that his tear-filled eyes had cleared, he got a better look at her. She looked nearly the same as the previous night: thin, small breasted, acne-filled face and thick glasses. No wonder she's not afraid to be seen with me. She looks just as ugly as I do, Randy thought. Now he wished that his eyes were filled with tears again. She was much better to look at when he couldn't quite see her.
