The Cost Of Words (pt 3)

Author's Note:

This chapter is part of a rough draft of my novel The Cost of Words. I'm sharing it for feedback while I write and revise, with the intention of traditionally or independently publishing the final version. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

P.S. Characters, group names, and the title might be changed in the final published version.

Chapter 3

Macy

I reflect on Tom and I's hang out the entire way home, and I can't help but be mystified at what his world must be like. Contemplating every word before talking, wondering if the next small action you do will cost you all your words, always worried, and always scared. I'd never truly thought about that before, and now that I am I can't help but worry that I should've started sooner. What kind of friend am I to not even care about my friends life and what he's going through. I vow to myself to be better, I promise.

The next day Tom and I are back in Mrs. Lorelei's class, again. The same old boring class, I zone out most of the time anyways and today isn't any different. I only pretend to pay attention so that Mrs. Loralei won't target me with her venom disguised as niceness. This time she decides to target a greaser, this kid named Bryan that I've talked to once or twice but never really paid any attention to, he seemed like he liked it that way anyways.

"Mr. Bryan, what were we talking about" she asks, venom dripping in her voice. She knows he wasn't paying attention, that's how she picks her victims.

"I don't know, how should I?" he replies, the same snarkiness as that girl Layla the other day had.

"Excuse me, you don't speak to me like that, minus 50k words for you" she bites back, knowing she accomplished just what she set out to do.

I glance behind me to see how many that leaves him with, only to find he now only has 10k left, with a few minor words he was reduced to the lowest of the low, a beggar. But instead of snapping back he goes deathly silent, the whole room does. I wonder what everyone is thinking, are they laughing to themselves or feeling bad? All I can think about is how now he would be a new face I would see on the streets, begging for words, crying out when no one would help him.

But then again, I've never been on the receiving end of these things, so maybe it's really not as bad as I'm making it out to be, maybe he'll be ok after all. I really hope so. I hate to see people suffer, even though I know I usually ignore it, but still. Recently it started to hurt me more to see all these beggars and greasers struggling to find their way in life, struggling to not talk. But also, a part of me is relieved it isn't me, that I've never been on the receiving end of things.

But what if that was Tom, what would I do then, would I have spoken up like I should've done with Bryan, or would I just let it slide? I think this thought will haunt me forever, not knowing if I will ever be brave enough to stand up for anyone, to help anyone out when they truly need it, when they're being wronged.