A Side No One Saw

Wes was always a quiet respectful person.  He never said much but was considered almost popular by the cheerleading snobs and resented by their football-playing boyfriends for his handsome looks.  He had dark brown hair and mysterious gold eyes that always seemed to have a distant look in them.  He was 5’8”, which was shorter than most of the 16-year-old guys in his grade.  He wore black pants and band T-shirts – usually Nirvana or Korn ones.  He usually had a friendly temperment and rarely lashed out at anything.  He appeared to be a normal happy person but looks can be deceiving.1

Wes was being torn apart inside.  His mother had died recently.  His father left when he was about eight so he had no one except his little sister Dawn.  His Aunt Matilda thought that the two were too young to be on their own so she insisted that she take care of then until Wes was eighteen and out of high school.  2

To make matters worse, Wes’s girlfriend Sarah has left him for Edgar, the captain of the football team.  Wes was also getting written and verbal threats from Brad, a muscular football player.  Brad saw Wes talking to his girlfriend Miranda and threatened to kill him.  Brad was stronger and more muscular than Wes and they both knew it. Wes decided to avoid Brad at all costs.3

With all this happening you would think someone would notice his torment and depression.  Strangely, it seemed that no one noticed at all.4

Wes stared at his lunch, contemplating whether it was food or rat poison the lunch ladies had disguised as food.  Sixth period, lunch, had finally arrived and he could get away from the cold heartless teachers of the 10th grade.  He was thinking about how his life used to be.  Happy times with Sarah, quiet days at home where he could play his guitar and his mother would say he’d be famous someday, they were all gone.5

He was in such deep thought that he hardly noticed his best friend Will Jenreson sit down next to him.6

“Hey, are you alive?” Will asked in his normal chipper mood.7

Will was a short, somewhat scrawny 16-year-old.  He had messy light brown hair and green eyes.  He was only 5’3” and could be immature one minute and serious the next.8

“Wh-what?” Wes muttered coming back into reality.  He looked at Will, “Oh, hi Will.”9

“Are you okay, man?” Will asked with a concerned look on his face, “You’ve barely said anything all day!”10

“ I don’t know.” Wes sighed, “ I’m emotionally empty.”11

Will stared at his once happy friend and then at Wes’s food which didn’t really resemble food with him smashing his fork into it.  Wes was lost in his own mind and Will wasn’t sure if he would ever escape it.  There was an  akward silence for a while that was interrupted by the over-muscular Brad who came storming by.12

“Well if it isn’t Wesley!” Brad fumed.13

“What do you want from me now?” Wes asked annoyed by his presence.14

“I’m going to kill you freak!” Brad growled.15

Wes tuned out Brad’s pointless threats and eventually Brad left.  The rest of the day was a blur.16

Later that day Wes sat in his room tuning his guitar.  He didn’t actually consider this his room.  It was just a spare room in his aunt’s house that he was allowed to sleep in.  Sure he had all of his Nirvana posters taped to his wall and all of his other stuff was there, but it still wasn’t the same as his old room in his old house down the street without the wannabe- rappers that lived on both sides of his aunt’s house.17

Wes began to play a few chords on his guitar when his little sister Dawn walked in.18

“Did you ever hear of knocking or were you raised in a barn?” Wes growled.  He didn’t really want to be so curt to his little sister but that’s how he acted these days.19

“Sorry.” Dawn replied looking down at the floor.20

Dawn had dirty blond hair, apparently from her father, and hazel eyes.21

“No I should be sorry,” Wes sighed, “You can break down any door you want.”22

A slight smile crossed his face for a second before turning back into a frown.23

“Well anyway,” Dawn continued, “Uncle Randy is saying that you shouldn’t be up here in your room all the time.  He says you need to spend more time with him and get over this like a man.”24

Wes was filled with rage towards his uncle.25

“How dare he tell me to get over it!” he thought, “I’ll never get over it!  He doesn’t even know what I’ve been through, that drunk old man!”26

“I see you probably won’t listen to him.” Dawn sighed, “I don’t blame you.  He’s a cold, heartless, old man!”27

Wes looked at Dawn.  She had been so brave through all of this.  She probably wouldn’t fall apart like he was.28

“Yeah,” Wes muttered and looked away from her.29

The weeks that followed weren’t any better.  Wes was even more depressed than before and still almost no one noticed.  He tried to put on a cheerful veneer and apparently everyone bought it.  They didn’t see that his happiness was clearly just an act.30

Brad continued to torment him and he didn’t know why.  Wasn’t this getting old?  Didn’t this guy have other things to do, like football, instead of threatening to put a major dent in Wes’s head?  This guy had serious issues with anger.31

Will continued to hang out with Wes.  He noticed how he seemed to be getting worse.  He was getting to the point where he would only say two words a day or maybe none at all.32

“He needs counseling or something,” Will thought sadly.33

None of the teachers paid much attention to Wes’s sudden change in behavior except Mrs. Anderson.  She called Aunt Matilda and she explained about how his mother had died.  Mrs. Anderson thought of arranging an appointment with the guidance counselor for Wes tomorrow.34

Wes was walking to his car after school when Brad stopped him.35

“Hey freak!” Brad snarled, “Your time is up!  I’m going to beat you so bad you won’t know what hit you!”36

Wes noticed that Brad had brought the football team with him.37

“Darn!” Wes thought as he realized there was no way to escape.38

Brad laughed tauntingly and punched Wes in the face.  Wes staggered back in pain.39

Brad laughed, “Had enough, weaklilng?”40

That was it!  Wes was filled with a burning rage.  He wasn’t going to let that jerk beat him to a pulp!41

Wes lunged at Brad and threw a hard punch at the muscular football player’s nose.  The force of the punch was so powerful Brad fell backwards into the other football players.  Wes, knowing that he couldn’t possibly fend off the others, dashed towards his black 1970 Chevelle, got in, and sped away.42

Wes was freaked-out for the first ten minutes in the car.  He actually punched a football player and survived!  He’d probably get a horrible beating the next day though.43

As he drove he began to forget about the incident and his depression sunk in.  He was weary and it was getting dark but he continued to drive and think.  He came to the realization that his mother was gone forever and his girlfriend hated him.  Also, there was a huge disturbing football player after him and would probably be after him until he graduated.  He was so deep in depressing thoughts that he never saw the minivan crossing the intersection…44

They think about him now.  The cheerleading snobs, their football-playing boyfriends, they teachers - they all think about him now.  They read about the horrible crash in the newspaper and they all know about his depression now.  They think about how he was impailed by some part of his Chevelle and that he might not get better.  They never thought a polite, quiet guy like Wes could have so many inner demons to fight.45

They now know that looks can deceive and a handsome guy like Wes can seem okay on the outside but be screaming for help on the inside.  The all know now.46