That Girl Who’s Always Alone The Back

Prologue

Staycation.

That’s what I did this summer.

While everyone is happily going at beaches, resorts, you know. Making “Summer Memories” with their family and friends, I was in front of my desktop, posting memes on a Facebook page. Anime memes or just random shitposting. It was fun at first. Me and my online friends from other countries and a few who lives from a different region started that page from scratch. Now it became somewhat famous. Not really THAT famous like Mexican Otaco nor like Being Noticed by Senpai. I don’t even think 4.6k likes is famous. But somehow, yeah. It’s kind of an achievement.

Until shit happened and me and the main admin of the page were the only ones left.

I didn’t give a fuck but her, oh, God knows how it hurt her.

She calls herself Mashed Tomato online because her favorite character is Nishikino Maki. So I called her “Tomato” for short. She’s a writer/artist. And damn. Her works are the best. Both her art and her novels and short stories are the best. But since the genre she writes isn’t popular here in the Philippines she never get the attention that she deserves. While shit people get published. It kinda pisses me off while she's cool with it. Tomato writes tragic love stories and fantasy that is far from the norm. She rarely writes stories with happy endings. She told me that the sole reason she made that page is to promote her artist page (which roughly only has 200+ likes) to the said page. Thinking that promoting it to a very popular page would get the attention it needs (plus her target audience is there) and get published. Hopefully.

Tomato is just a city away from me. I haven’t seen her face but I’ve heard her voice a few times. But all she ever says is my name and “PENETRATED~” in a very lewd voice. It always gives me quite an erection. But judging from her voice, I think she’s really cute. I asked to hang out with her a couple of times but… she says that she hates going out. I respected that decision of hers.

It was fun and all. Until summer ended.

-June 13, 20xx-

School started.

I wasn’t ready for school. Not yet. Not until I posted my scheduled posts. I don’t know why but… I just want to help Tomato with her page. And yeah, everyone left her. I won’t do the same. So I’ll help her with her dream. Call me stupid but… I like her.

I know, I know. Blah blah.

But there’s something in her that I just can’t ignore. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t actually give a fuck about looks and all. I think I just like her personality. She goes from 420 to S a d g i r l. And like Game of Thrones, she has no middle ground.

And before I even knew it, I’m already on my school. Man, me dazing off while walking should be added unto my resume.

Polo National High School.

Students swarmed the entrance of the school, looking for their designated classroom, hoping that them and their friends would be together. But me? I’m a lone wolf. I have no frie-

“Hey Echo!” A familiar voice said, interrupting my badass monologue inside my brain.

“Mark.” I said as I let out a sigh.

“We’ll be doing the same shit again this year!” He said, grinning with his crew cut.

“Yeah yeah, sure. As long as we’re classmates again.” Which is rather, I’d hope not. Last year was crazy. And I’ve seen crazy on the internet. This guy deserves some cookies. And probably, some chromosomes.

Mark went on my back and pushed me, making me a human shield on the swarming normie students. And there, I saw my name. And his name. I let out another sigh. Class 4-Andrew, huh.

And as we walked, Mark told me that he went to the beach with his family, met a cool chick there, and then became his girlfriend. They still text every now and then, blah blah blah. He’s your typical normal happy go lucky kind of guy. It’s not that I don’t like him or anything. It’s just that… being with an energetic guy kinda drains all of my energy. Okay, make it ‘being around people’. I hate being around people. Seeing them all happy and shit while I on the other hand, feels so empty. I don’t know why though. Probably because of my family problems and all. Let’s not talk about that. Not now.

Ah. School. How I missed you.

I remembered an online friend who used to be an admin on Tomato’s page, he was like “Study hard while you can. Don’t grow up like me.” Blah blah. He said he can’t go to college because, financial problems. So I guess I should just love my days here. Like he said. Although he already left among the others.

“Look, dude.” Mark said as he pointed at the blond girl who’s sitting at the front with his lips. “Hot.”

I scoffed. “You know that you’re out of her league.” I said.

“I know. But you know, man used to just look at the moon. Longing for that one day, he could be with the moon. Until he decided to invent a rocket ship.” He smiled. “Watch and learn man.”

Oh, I’m watching.

As Mark was approaching, a guy came from the door and kissed her casually on her nose. That’s when Mark started walking back towards me.

I clapped sarcastically. “Well, done. Ore no tomodachi.”

“He’s just her boyfriend.” He said with his sad face. “But you know what they say, tied roosters are the easiest ones to catch.”.

Good luck with that.

Apparently, that girl he’s talking about is the new Student Council President who won the election other year. I believe it was Mark who told me to vote for her because, ‘American Girls are the best!” But I don’t think Svartsevich is an American surname. In the end, I voted for her because he said he’d treat me a glass of soda after school. Unfortunately, I think he forgot everything about that. And the fact that he has a girlfriend.

And then our teacher came. Ms. Dacocos. She made an intro about herself and about why she chose her profession…. And stuff like that. I didn’t listen as I was on my phone, stealing memes from pages and comment sections.

Then came the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Or should I say, Mark. He said he’s too shy (wow) to look at every girl who’s in the room. And he’d be listing the names of the girls he thinks of as cute (I pity them who’s going to be in his list to be honest) and look them up (or in normal language, stalk) on Facebook.

Blah blah blah.

“I’m Mark Cruz. Fourteen years-old. My hobbies are…. Playing basketball and looking at attractive girls. Like you Alexandria! I love you so much!”

Everyone laughed. While Alexandria, the girl with the blond hair, covered her mouth and giggled.

“Okay, you two can flirt later, okay?” Ms. Dacocos said. “Next.”

It’s my turn now, isn’t it? Damnit. I knew I should’ve just sat on the front. So that I could just go first and then everyone would later forget what I said and move on with their pathetic lives. But no. He just wants to sit on the back because probably he watched too many anime’s where the protagonist always sits next to the window at the back to look outside. Damnit. Damnit all. I let out a sigh to calm my nerves. It’s just a simple intro. It won’t bite. Just breathe normally so that your heart could relax.

“I’m Jericho Salvador. I’m fourteen. My hobbies…” Oh God. What are my hobbies? Posting memes? Admining a meme page? Reading hentai doujins? Watching anime? Crap. That just sounds so pathetic. I can’t say that shit. “I… play games.” Which is true. I actually play this game on mobile called Dystergia with Tomato. And our guild is kinda strong. Except that there’s rival guild who calls themselves “Brotherhood of the Crows” or something Crow. I don’t know. I’m bad at remembering trivial stuff like that.

And so I sat.

Phew. I really hate standing up in front of people. Because, I hate people. Oh, right. I already explained that earlier. Or not? I forgot.

And then just when I thought that everything was over since I was the last one, a voice from the opposite side of the classroom spoke.

“I’m Rianne Gray Reyes. Fourteen. I write stories and draw art for it. I also admin a meme page.”

She had long raven hair matched with dark pools for eyes hidden behind her round glasses. By the looks of it, she’s just as tall as me. Only if she removes her heels, that is.

Somehow, somewhere, I have heard that voice from before. Until the words came out of my mouth.

“Tomato….?”