My Awkward Rise to Fame in High School

High school days are one of the most exciting periods of our lives. because it holds loads of memory. During this point in time, some people are popular jingo, like you literally find them everywhere or know about them because of one thing or another; sometimes such could be due to their intelligence, skills, sporting reputation, or even bullies and the like. And then there are some who, even in their own classroom, won't be recognized by their classmates due to how quiet and uneventful their activities in the school were. Today I'll tell you about myself in high school, and you'll get to know if I'm the popular type of the opposite.

You see, growing up I've always been the quiet type; I hardly tag and have just a handful of friends, and when I got to high school, the same was the case. Being an introvert, it was difficult to make friends, and so for that reason I tend to have little to no reason to interact with others; it even got to participate points when, after about 6 months in high school, I responded to a teacher's question from my back seat and some of the popular students in my class started looking at me awkwardly.

It was later I found out that was the first time I did something that put me in the limelight in class, because some of them were even asking if I'm a new student who just joined the class that very day. Well, if I had known what'd follow that particular action of mine, I guess I wouldn't have responded to the question but would continue residing in my shell. Well, those actions only made me known within my class, but it can't be said to mean I'm popular.

But then, along the line, sometimes happens that changes that because despite being an introvert and one who doesn't talk, yet I went on to be so popular in my high school, known to both all students and teachers, and it's for an awkward reason that then usually got me boiling with anger but left others laughing as they remembered what transpired to make me popular in high school.

Well, it happens that on that faithful day I was having a war of words with a female classmate. The short girl is known for her abusive words and how she isn't scared of anyone. I was having a terrible day, and she abusing me made it worse, so I was like, Isn't this short girl afraid of my height?

So I abused her in return. Well, it seems I said something so provocative that made her move close to me and start beating me; she even removed my belt from my trousers and beat me with it while I lay down on the floor crying.

One way or another, the school authority got to know about the fight, and we were brought to the school assembly to be punished by the principal in the presence of every student. When the principal arrived and saw the difference in height between I and the girl, he started beating me mercilessly without seeking explanation about what happened, but some teachers later stopped him and revealed to him that I was the one who was beaten up by the girl.

He was amazed, wondering how such a small girl could have beaten me, and I guess most of the students who didn't know what happened felt the same way; I guess I myself would have assumed the same given the gender and height difference. Well, that event made me a laughing stock throughout the school, and each time a student is trying to describe me to another but doesn't know my name, they'll just refer to me as the guy beat up by a short girl.

I can bet even the teachers would have at one point or another used the same description to qualify me during one of their conversations; it was a very fun experience, and even though I've graduated from high school for almost 20 years now, the last time we had a reunion, people who didn't recognize me again were told that same description to refresh their memory.

Even though then I used to get angry when such words were used to describe me, now I don't mind; I even join others in laughing about the event and how awkward it was.

All photos are mine.