Not based off of me

I could hear them yelling about me in the principle's office. And even though I could only make out a few words, I already knew what it was about. Skipping school, so much potential, grades in the gutters, acing tests, blah blah blah. I had heard it all so many times before. How I could do great things, if I set my mind to it. But about half of those times I heard that was not towards me.

It seemed like everyone that was a 'genius' failed, and everyone who barely understood anything passed with flying colors. Do you know how many times I've seen someone ask a thousand questions, never get over a C on a test, but ace the class? And yet, those of us who sat in the back and talked got flying colors on tests, yet were punished for not doing homework. It seemed unfair. Those with brain capacity were put down, yet the stupid and motivated got through. And they were to represent America's Finest.

But I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted to hang out with friends and get laid. Seemed like an easy goal. Seemed. But they didn't understand. What they saw as a future for me was really a future for them. So that I could work and fund their retirement. So I could be shown off as a poster child, like some medal on the wall. They didn't get it. I didn't care about school. It was the same thing every day for 200-some days, 12 years straight. And they dont even teach anything of relevance to the real world. Well, except PE.

They were still arguing about me. I knew what it was about this time. How I should drop out, go to some smart people school where my brain can be 'challenged', and how I should get a job to pay off the vandalism charges. I found the two things being in the same conversation amusing. But I didn't want to be challenged. I wanted to have fun. The only things I wanted a challenge is were sports, video games, and girls. Though not too much of a challenge on that last one. Just enough to make it feel worth it.

I finally got fed up with it. With their decisions. With their decisions of my life. My bike was right outside. School wasn't out yet, but I decided when school was out. And right now, I didn't feel like it was too in. So I left. Grabbed my bike, unlocked it, just left the chain and key right there and peddled. I don't remember peddling too hard. I knew I couldn't get far. So I just cruised. I'm not sure what happened next. I remember it was dark, and I wasn't sure how it got so. I guess I spaced out during my 'cruise'. The sudden realization that I had been peddling for hours brought upon the hunger pains, along with my legs wanting to fall off. After that, I remember the headlights of the car, and thats about it. I woke up the next morning in the hospital, my mom crying, then slapping me (the doc wasn't happy about that) and them telling me I was lucky to be alive and well. But why was I lucky? I still had 'home' to go to, parent to explain to, school to go to. I wanted to be left alone. So many people deciding what was right for me, and I wanted to tell them to shut up. That they were wrong.

Turns out, I was the one who was wrong.