The wannabe
Even with the loud music, and the crowd, the hall still felt wrong. People just sat and discussed in hushed tones; it felt like they were waiting for the party to begin despite the songs and the cheering from the guy holding the mic.
"What's up, people!!!" Alex screamed with the mic in his hands. The hall became silent for a second, and a loud hiss was heard.
"Drop that mic dude!" A voice yelled.
"Get down from there!" Another yelled, and shouts and curses followed.
Alex, with his shoulder down, came down from the podium and dropped the mic. He was so embarrassed that he had to leave through a backdoor so people wouldn't say more hurtful words to him.
It didn't take long, a long scream filled with excitement erupted in the hall. Alex took a peek from his hideout and saw the guy whom he could never beat no matter how hard he tried. It was Johnson; the guy that people would address as the life of the party. He was tall, and a bit muscular, and his handsome face contributed to the love he got from the girls at their college. Johnson didn't need to try so hard before the crowd can be excited and ready to party till the cock crows.
"Are you ready to party!!!" Johnson called out, and the crowd screamed with excitement.
Alex looked at the crowd with disdain, and it made him hate Johnson the more. He silently wished that Johnson would disappear, so people could notice him as well.
Johnson had no idea that Alex held a grudge over him, instead, he saw him as a friend. He was well aware that Alex always received cold shoulders whenever he tried to socialize with people, and Johnson had always been there to save him from humiliation, but he never thought that his friendly gestures would stir up more of the hatred that Alex had for him.
One day when Alex and Johnson hung out and Johnson tried to be the hero and save the day, Alex snapped at him.
"I don't need you to fight for me. Who do you think you are to always interfere in my business?" Alex blurted out.
"What are you saying? I'm just trying to stop them from treating you badly. How is that a wrong thing to do?" Johnson asked, surprised at Alex's outburst.
"I didn't ask for it. People only react that way towards me because you're always there. I wish you'd disappear for once. You are the one stealing my shine." Alex responded in the most vulgar way, and the words hurt Johnson so badly.
"I'm sorry if that's how you feel; all I've ever done is to be nice to you. It's not my fault that people like me. I'll disappear like you wish." Johnson said and left the bar where they had been drinking.
Hours turned into days, and days turned into months, but nobody heard from Johnson. The school planned a social gathering for both students and their parents too. Alex thought it was a good time to make new friends.
As the day for the party drew neigh, Alex practiced the things he could say to entice people and get them to notice him. But on the day of the party, he got the biggest shock of his life.
With his suit and tuxedo, he walked up to his classmates who at the time were laughing and conversing.
" What are you ladies laughing about?" He asked them with a huge smile spread on his face.
"Did you miss your way? Please run along and stop embarrassing yourself." One of the girls said to him. Alex looked around him, and when he felt that no one had noticed the issue, he left their side, but the girl called out something that made him angry.
"Johnson wannabe!!!" The girl yelled.
Alex couldn't let it go; he turned back and walked back to the ladies, visibly angry.
"What did you call me?" He asked the girl.
"Can't you see that no one wants you around? You do this all the time, and you have no idea how irritating it is. You can never be Johnson." The girl said to him sternly.
Alex fumed with anger. He was angry that even when Johnson wasn't around, people still acknowledged him
"How is Johnson any better than I am? Alex asked the girl.
"Well if you must know, Johnson is the life of the party, and we love him. You on the other hand, you're just a wannabe, and that doesn't suit you." The girl said and walked past him. Alex felt so sad that after everything, Johnson was always considered the life of the party while he was being seen as his wanna-be.
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I feel for Alex, I understand how it feels not to be seen especially for someone who seeks attention.
However, I guess people don't like him because they noticed that Alex wasn't real, his actions speak louder as someone trying to imitate someone else. And this has made them detest him.
I also have noticed that people, ladies specifically get attracted to guys that really don't stress it trying to be seen. Guys that do their thing their way whenever people are around to watch or not. So I guess Alex should take a break, step back and just do his thing, focus on himself... If possible, avoid parties for the main time and gradually, people will start getting along.
Thank you for sharing.... You can check my entry here
You're right... and I agree with you that ladies are more attracted to guys who doesn't stress themselves to be seen.
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Alex let his feelings get the better of him. For Johnson, things just came to him naturally. Alex probably didn't have that advantage. He could have looked for something else he was good at.
It's a pity let his feelings get the better part of him
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Oof, that one hit deep. You can actually feel Alex frustration and insecurities building up, and it's kinda tragic how it all spiraled. I actually felt bad for both of them - Johnson was just trying to help, and Alex couldn't see past his own shadow. That ending though? Brutal. Even in his absence, Johnson still outshone him. Solid storytelling
It's indeed a brutal ending for Alex.
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Instead of finding his own niche, Alex coveted the life of his good friend, Johnson. He sacrifices friendship in an effort to experience the adulation that his friend receives from the crowds but, in the end, realises that he can't fill Johnson's shoes, and ends up feeling more rejected than ever. This had potential, but sadly, we don't see any growth in this character. It would have lifted your story if this had included moments of reflection and insight on Alex' behalf. What does Alex choose to do in the final pivotal moment? Be sad? That seems like a fairly passive response after being fuming and confrontational. It would have elevated your story if we could have seen and felt more of Alex' emotions in the defining moments and seen a character shift - we long for him to take action to change his attitude and standing in life, and find his own way to feel valued and appreciated by his peers.
Thanks for the observations, I'll try to implement it in my subsequent stories