...
[[I knew you'd be here. I saw you walk in. I need to talk to you.->How long is this going to take? More importantly, does this have anything to do with me?]]How long is this going to take? More importantly, does this have anything to do with me?
[[We just need to talk.->Fine, go for it.]]Fine, go for it.
[[I can't sleep.->Wow.]]
[[I haven't slept for like a month.->Wow.]]Wow. So you're having trouble sleeping?
Wait, what's that got to do with me?
[[It's because of you guys.->What do you mean by you guys?]]What do you mean by you guys?
[[You know, you guys.->Okay, let's pretend I know who you're talking about. What did we supposedly do?]]Okay, let's pretend I know who you're talking about. What did we supposedly do?
Come on, spit it out.
[[You guys are hurting me. Like, all the time.->Hurting you?]]Hurting you?
[[Like when you make me do things, and kick me or punch me. You hurt me because of my eye.->And you want it to stop? That's what you're telling me?]]And you want it to stop? That's what you're telling me?
[[Maybe->I didn't do anything to deserve this.]]
What the hell is maybe?
[[Why do you do it? No one else has the right to hurt anybody else. No one.->I didn't do anything to deserve this.]][[I didn't do anything to deserve this.->I don't care if you think I look weird. This is how I am. I'm not asking you to think I'm normal.]][[I don't care if you think I look weird. This is how I am. I'm not asking you to think I'm normal.->I don't follow]]
[[They either look at me like I'm a freak or turn away. I'm used to that. And you guys can think whatever you want, but I just wish you would leave me alone... it's not like I chose to be born this way. You didn't choose to be born with normal eyes, either. In that way, we're the same, you and me. I can't help it that you think I'm disgusting. And that's fine. Still, that doesn't mean you have a right to hurt me, or anybody else.->I don't follow]]I don't follow. I don't get it.
[[Which part?->Well, first off]]Well, first off, when you said that we're the same, you were way off. See for yourself. I'm not cross-eyed, and I'm not you. You are cross-eyed, and you're not me.
We couldn't be more different. Second, that thing you just said, about how no one else has the right to hurt anybody else. How should we leave you alone because you didn't do anything? I don't understand that.
[[What's so hard to understand?->Nobody does anything because they have the right. They do it because they want to.]]Nobody does anything because they have the right. They do it because they want to.
[[...->No reason]]What was that other thing you said? You said we do it for no reason, right? I agree with that, but so what? What's wrong with that? I mean, if you want us to leave you alone, you're totally free to want that. But I'm totally free to ignore what you want. That's where things don't add up. You're mad that the world doesn't treat you like you want to be treated, right? Like, right now is a good example. You can walk up to me and say you want to talk, but that doesn't mean I have to listen. Know what I mean?
[[...->More than that]]More than that, though. I got to tell you. This whole thing about you looking the way you look. You make it sound like that's why we act the way we do, but that's got nothing to do with it.
[[What's that supposed to mean?->It means you got it wrong]]It means you got it wrong. I know you get bullied at school. It's not like I live for it, or even enjoy it. Who cares? Like, I know everyone laughs at you, kicks you, punches you, and I know it happens every day. You're not wrong about that part. And your eyes are messed up, so everyone calls you Eyes. That's true. But it's just a coincidence. Your eyes have nothing to do with what happens at school. That's not why you get bullied.
[[I don't know what you mean...->You guys are always...]][[You guys are always... making fun of my eyes, saying stupid things about them. Calling me Eyes and beating me up. Now you're saying that's not why?->Listen, listen]]Listen, listen.
There's no reason it has to be you. It could have been anyone. But you happened to be there, and we happened to all be in a certain mood, so things went the way they did.
[[I don't know what you mean.->What part don't you understand?]]What part don't you understand?
No one's picking on you because of your eyes. That's all I'm saying.
[[Then why is it me, out of everyone in class?->Think about it, though]]Think about it, though. Coincidence is all there is. That's how the world works. I'm not talking about you getting bullied. Does anything in the world ever happen for a reason? Pretty sure the answer's no. Yeah, once it's happened, you can come up with all kinds of explanations that look like they make perfect sense. But everything starts from nothing. Always. You were born for no reason, and the same thing for me. There's no reason for us to be here. But there are these, I don't know, tendencies. Sometimes you just want to do something. You get these, like, urges. Like you want to punch someone, or kick someone, whoever happens to be there. The only reason those things happened to you is that you were around when someone was looking for someone to punch. That's all.
[[That's all?->Yeah, that's all]]Yeah, that's all. I don't give a crap about you. I couldn't care less what the others do to you. I might be there, but I'm not thinking about it. I have no opinion on the matter. It doesn't do anything for me. So, for me, yeah, that's all.
[[That's all..?->Hear me out]]Hear me out, though. There's no beautiful world where everyone thinks the same way and they all understand each other perfectly. It doesn't exist. You think it does, but it's not real. When you really look at what's going on, everyone's living in their own world. When our worlds come into contact, it might look like they're connected, but they're not. It's like you said before. You thought you get bullied because of your eyes. To me, though, that doesn't make any sense. I don't care if things are so bad that you can't sleep. That's got nothing to do with me. It doesn't make me feel anything. Nothing. Your problems have never crossed my mind. It's not even bullying to me. And I'm not just talking about the two of us. It's like this for everyone. Things never go the way we want them to. But your desires have no effect on what happens out there in the world. We're all caught up in our own personal values, trying to get whatever we want.
[[...->Isn't it pretty obvious]]Isn't it pretty obvious that no one else is going to look after your emotions? Don't try to tell me something stupid like it's my responsibility to think about your feelings. Who does that? It's all the same. Art, war, whatever. This tastes good, that thing's beautiful. This is real, that's a lie. It's all people ever talk about. There's no end to it. It just keeps going. People can't shut up, though, because that's what life is about. It doesn't matter if it's making them angry or happy, people enjoy that crap. Sometimes, though, those urges scare the hell out of me, and no one's around to protect me from myself.
Hey, how long are we going to talk?
I think I gave you a pretty decent explanation.
[[...->What would you do]][[What would you do if I killed myself?->What if I left a note]][[What if I left a note, saying everything you did? Every single thing.->Well]]Well, I guess that'd be annoying, but why should it bother me any? We're just kids. Nothing's a crime at this age. It'd blow over in no time. Bullying isn't black and white. Things like that are all about interpretation.
[[...->If you don't like it]]If you don't like it, stopping it is up to you and no one else. It's that simple. You should know that this rule about treating others the way you want to be treated is bullshit. Total bullshit. It's just this thing that people with no power and no talent tell themselves. Wake the hell up.
For people to actually live by some golden rule, we'd have to be living in a world with no contradictions. But we don't live in a world like that. No one does. People do what works for them, whatever makes them feel good. But because nobody likes getting stepped on, people start spouting crap about being good to others, being considerate, whatever. Tell me I'm wrong. Everyone does things they don't want people doing back. Predators eat prey, and school serves no real purpose other than separating the kids who have what it takes from the ones who don't. That's the whole point. Everywhere you look, the strong walk all over the weak. Even fools who think they've found the answers by coming up with perfect little sayings about how the world ought to be can't escape it. Because the real world is everywhere.
[[So it makes no difference?->We should go through life]][[We should go through life doing whatever we want?->Doing whatever we want]][[We should go through life doing whatever we want?->We should go through life]]