Ad libbed from nowhere. Or the depths of somewhere. The hole is empty. We may disregard it now.

A question.

--begin--

There is a boy I know. He lives down my hall, actually. On the same side of the building, but much further down. Not that I ever go down the boys' side. The girls' side is so much cleaner. Fresher. Better smelling. Better looking. Definitely.

Back to the boy. He isn't large. In fact, he can be positively described as small. And more or less typical, in some ways. The squinty eyes hiding behind thick glasses. The tousled hair. The air of a studious student. Sometimes, anyway. Yes. He is a certifiable dork. Or nerd. Or whatever kids who look like him are called, either behind their backs or directly to their faces. All the characteristics of a nerd.

But none of a nerd's brains.

In other words, a typical jerk.

He wanders about, a social pariah, more or less. He's only allowed into groups as their entertainment. Not to be entertained. But he doesn't know. He joins, drinks, riots, and rambles on and on and on. He is rude and doesn't know when to shut up. There doesn't seem to be any shred of social consciousness within him. His beady eyes peer from behind his thick glasses, and sometimes I wonder why he can't tell people apart. Or remember anyone. I live on his floor! And yet, he barely realizes that I am alive. Not that I mind. Not in the least.

What are his parents like, I wonder? Do they know how so many people loathe their child? Or how many people avoid him, avert their gaze when he ambles by? They must. They have lived with him-- raised him-- from babyhood. Of course they know. But what happened? Did they give up? Leave him at school to be someone else's headache so as to relieve their own heartache at such an ungainly child? Perhaps. Perhaps there is a younger brother or sister at home, showing much more promise. Perhaps this younger sibling has the disposition of an angel, displaying none of the rude characteristics that are so belligerently pouring out of their older brother. Then they have given up and left him to his own devices.

I am almost sorry.

And almost is such a fine line.