Missed Opportunity

The following story is set in an alternative universe. Anything that doesn't make sense, that's why.

My name is Anthony I am 19 and a senior in high school. Today is the first day of school after a long good summer break. Unlike previous years where I had 7 classes this year, I had 3 simply because I was going to attend another school called E.V.A.T. also known as East Valley Academy of Technology. I was already there actually after a nice bus ride from my home high school. The first day of school was hectic with students scrambling to find their class on time. I walked past a video production class which was what I wanted but it was at full capacity so I walked up a flight of stairs to a radio broadcasting class hoping it wouldn't suck. I hope it wasn't going to be a waste of time. I liked listening to the radio but I had no interest in being a disc jockey. Everything involving video production was more vast. I loved writing and also had an interest in directing. Sure there was writing in Radio too but it just wasn't my thing.

"So why join a radio class if not interested and just wait for the video production class to be available next year?" you may ask. Well, it was to stay away from a teacher I disliked. Ms.Simon would have been the final teacher of the day had I not gone to E.V.A.T.. It wasn't bad blood between us but it wasn't exactly peaceful either. I won't go into much detail about past events between us I'll just say she tends to abuse her power as a teacher to her students feeling like she can get away with it. And so far she has. Nothing she does is physical. Just trash talking. Or threatening to fail people. But my troubles with her were over. Thank goodness.

I figured being in a radio class could be fun. I sometimes imagined myself as a radio jock, to be honest playing some of the best music ever like Rock. Or I've even imagined being a radio talk show host where I talk conspiracy theories involving aliens and weird creatures supposedly seen by people around the world. I wasn't a huge believer in that stuff but I was open to being wrong if it turned out that way. I was raised to believe in a powerful creator. I did, but I wasn't deeply religious. I certainly had my flaws. I was far from perfect. Everybody was.

The first day of Radio Broadcasting was an introduction like what to expect in the class. There were a lot of people-guys and girls. Eventually, some would be put into another class. There were the beginners and the advanced. There were two instructors one for each class who told us funny stories from previous years involving students. Everybody was given a chance to introduce themselves. I did it. But I didn't enjoy it. Toilet paper was passed around the class and whatever amount of squares someone had that's how much they shared with people. So to clarify in case there is confusion, 3 squares equaled three facts about you. The advanced instructor Mr. Ross was more in charge than Mr. Keyes the one I was going to have as a beginner.

All the rules and regulations were new to me and my classmates but the advanced side knew already from the previous year. Yet there they were with us relearning. It was a Thursday by Friday the next day we the beginners were in our own class. It was the middle of August and throughout the rest of the month to the middle of September, everything for the most part had been fine. I worked with some people and we became mutual friends. Others I still didn't know well but eventually would and that was a mistake on my part. Out of everybody in class, it seems like the most popular student was a girl named Stacy. She was like a celebrity among the guys who flirted with her and always wanted to be where she was. Took me a while to see what she looked like but when I did I was amazed by how beautiful she was. I sat in front of her in the upper far right side of room. Instead of typical classroom desks, we had tables with chairs. Most were small enough for two people. Others were big enough for 4 people.

I never bothered to turn around and stare at her even though I wanted to. Instead I snuck into a workroom with the lights off and stared out through the small door window to sneak a peek at her.

There was a part of me that was proud of that but another part of me that hated myself for that. Not because what I did was kinda creepy, just that I shouldn't have been so shy to just casually look at her in class. I was shy which is why I always wore a hat. Even as a big tall guy I was very shy of people which was the total opposite of my younger years where I was very social. I wore a lot of "Black," but wasn't a goth. Eventually, I wore sunglasses in class. Nobody ever told me not to. I didn't talk much and mostly kept to myself.

I was like a lone wolf even though I never really described myself as that. And I wanted to be famous I needed to overthrow my fears and become more open to others. So anyway, I was attracted to Stacy but didn't like her-if that made sense at all. I overheard her say one day that she was into " Tall Muscular Guys" so I knew had no chance with her. I was tall but certainly not muscular. I was mad and offended but I understood what she said. It made sense. Muscular men were popular with the ladies, out of shape guys were not, though I had seen some obese men with women. Not sure how that happened. Perhaps some girls were open-minded. Stacy seemed totally opposite. We had worked together once. It was sometime after I spied on her.

Back in late August, it was me, her, and three others one of them was her best friend in the class named Kate. Both sat next to each other too. I didn't get any pleasure out of it. I did it cause I had to not cause I wanted to. I always hated group activities because no one ever chose me. And because I preferred to work alone. In my opinion, if I failed then I would fail myself not other people. I wanted to tell Mr. Keyes this but he'd probably just ignore me so I remained quiet. If I was to work with others I'd prefer the teacher pick the teams.

It was early October when we worked in groups again. It was the third time of the year. Mr. Keyes asked me who I wanted to work with. I replied, "I don't know". I sounded bored and miserable. He told me we'd talk about it later so he can ask someone else the same question but before he could Stacy said " Hey, that's my dude, he can work with us" meaning her and Kate. It took me by surprise because I didn't know she had interest in me at all.

We've only spoken a few times. Once in the group back in August and one in September she asked me if she can do something in a studio I was in. I said yes and left. She did ask me before I left if I was mad. I said no but I kinda was. I wasn't doing anything important though, just fooling around listening to music and writing in a notebook because I had finished my work. I was mad what she said about the guys she liked. Keyes didn't even ask if I was fine with Stacy's request, he just granted it. He just said "Okay" and wrote my name down and moved on. Stacy asked me if I was okay with it. I just shrugged and said, " I guess". Same bored miserable tone. Stacy chuckled. Kate said something to her that I couldn't hear clearly. In my mind, I was asking her, "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" Keyes had tried to get her to work with me one afternoon and she refused just so she can work with some guy named Gale.

Gale was tall but not muscular. He was fat. Fatter than me. Stacy had a strong liking toward him. Maybe not as a boyfriend but she probably would make out with him if given the chance. Fucking whore.

Gale was the opposite of me. He was loud, outgoing, confident, and in a garage band. Anyway, that's what I thought of Stacy. A whore and a hopeless romantic. Because she seemed to enjoy her popularity with every guy who spoke to her. Most of them did. Some did not. Probably too fearful to. She often went back and forth from our class to the advanced side just to chat with people. At one point it annoyed Mr. Ross to yell at her to knock it off.

Mr. Ross was no better-he always allowed his students to enter our class whenever they wanted. Either to chill or borrow stuff. If you're advanced and you need to borrow stuff from a beginner class, that's pathetic. A lot of them annoyed me but what can I do?, absolutely nothing because I was a student and Mr. Ross was an incompetent leader. Mr. Keyes too. The advanced class were like parasites to me. I wish I can spray them with bug repellent but that would land me in jail possibly in prison eventually.

So anyway working with Stacy was gut-wrenching every day I asked myself why I was with her and Kate in this stupid group. I did what I could to help out but mostly sat there doing my own thing. They didn't seem to mind. The more I hung out with Stacy I wondered if she had any attraction for me. Although she was pretty she was not my type in terms of style. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and a thin build. She always wore jeans and a shirt. When she said "Hi" to me it was always soft and seductive. She often smiled at me and sometimes had trouble making eye contact. Sometimes she was quiet around me or had to be where I was. I had developed a crush on her early in the group even though I was still angry at her for what she said about the guys she liked. I had doubts about her. Like maybe she was playing me for a fool.

Every time some other guys came into our workstations or recording room to say hello to her she too would flirt with them in the exact same way. Even further. Alec for example always got shoulder rubs from her. Alec was an arrogant piece of crap who believed he can get any girl he could. He was the tallest in the class standing 6 foot 4 and very muscular. He had a shaved head a big pointy nose. Alec was a lot like Gale only he didn't play in a band. I went to school to learn what I can before going home not be annoyed by idiots like Stacy, Alec, and many others.

After some time went by I hated the class and just wanted out. It had its moments of fun. Sometimes we saw movies most being films that came out in theaters earlier in the year that now were on DVD. But that alone was not enough to salvage my presence in class any longer.

In late October Kate told me she and Stacy were going to some county fair. Her dad was going to take them. It was really because the advanced students were going and Stacy wanted to be close to a boy named Chris. It was the first time I heard of him since working with Stacy and Kate. When I found myself alone with Kate I asked her if Stacy always talked about Chris and she answered yes. I found that weird. So I didn't really believe Kate. She was Hispanic like me. She had black hair and brown eyes again like me only her hair was longer. Kate was about the same height as Stacy standing 5 foot 7. That was my guess on their heights. Kate wasn't as attractive as Stacy and a bit on the chunky side but some guys still flirted with her. Girls had it easier than guys it seemed. You can be short fat and not so attractive but as long as you had a vagina you still had a chance to get laid.

Although we had a lot in common when it came to movies and music I was not attracted to her plus she had a boyfriend already. See having a vagina pays off. In terms of "Personality", I preferred her over Stacy. Kate is the only one who seemed normal while Stacy was a fake bitch. Giving me attention one moment then suddenly when other guys are around I'm no longer important I'm just another unknown face in the crowd. I decided to leave class. Hopefully the class I actually wanted would be available next year so I can attend and meet new and better people.

Finding out about their plan was on a Monday the following day was a Tuesday which is the day they were not there. It was my last day. I didn't bother to tell people my plan. Well, my family yeah, but that's it. It was great to feel free. After my 3 classes at my home high school, I went home. I never even bothered to visit Radio Broadcasting.

"For What?", so Stacy can ask me why I left. I wouldn't have given her a nice response. I would have said something like " Why should I still be here?", so I can watch you act like the whore that you are and talk to every guy who gives you some attention?."

It would have come off as me being jealous more than anything else which I was, and hated myself for that. My original plan was to just avoid Stacy and never talk to her but I failed that objective. I didn't get Stacy at all as a person. Why say you like a specific type of person but then never really stick to that idea? Why would a girl say she likes "Tall Muscular Guys" but then flirt with some who aren't that. Stacy flirted with me, Gale, and other fat guys. This girl was stupid. How she made this far in school was beyond me. I actually heard her once say she wanted to get married and have kids. Well, with her lack of intelligence she won't accomplish that.

If she did like me she missed out on me. She had me in her grasp and let me slip out of her grip by acting like a damn fool. If everything she did was just to get my attention because she truly liked me then it was a missed opportunity on my part.

But in all honesty, I never would have asked her out so continuing to pursue me would have been a waste of her time.

So in conclusion the whole thing with Stacy was kind of a loss but not really. If she had a better personality she'd make a great girlfriend but her slutty nature ruined that opportunity. There were other pretty girls out there, smarter ones too. That's what I liked in a woman. Beauty and intelligence. Stacy only had beauty.

The problem with women is they never seem to stick to what they say they want in a guy. They always say they want nice guys but settle for jerks instead. Maybe some girls went with what they said but most did not.

I should have been thrilled a hot girl wanted to work with me but I would have rather not done that and honestly wished me and Stacy never spoke or became "friends". We may have had a few friendly conversations but they were mostly awkward.

Like the old saying went, "There's plenty of fish in the sea" I certainly looked forward to it. Hopefully, the next girl has a higher IQ whose words matched her actions.

I shouldn't say "Hopefully" because every opportunity to have a girlfriend over the years since the fifth grade I have failed miserably because I worried about the opinions of others or I simply did not share the same feelings other girls had for me. Those rejections soon became regrets. There were also girls I liked who rejected me. Sometimes I feel like it was my destiny. Like I was meant to be alone. What I didn't know was if I was creating this destiny with my insecurities or if my life was predestined by divine intervention.

Why would the creator do that to me if it was his doing?. The only way to find out was to keep living and hope that something good came my way that would prove I was eligible for love.