I Just Want to Stay Out of It

The afternoon sun filtered through the curtains in the room, casting long shadows on the desk of my advisor, Professor Martínez.

She looked at me with her arms crossed, her posture stiff, and an expression that made it clear she wasn't impressed with my presence.

"So... again, huh?" she finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had hung in the air since I arrived.

I swallowed, trying to keep a neutral expression. It wasn't the first time I had ended up in this situation; after all, I always had to meet with her during recess. However, that didn't mean it was any easier to face her.

"I just couldn't meet the expectations," I replied with a nonchalant tone. "Same old story, it's no big deal."

Professor Martínez raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me for a second.

"No big deal?" she repeated, leaning forward with an ironic smile. "This is the fourth club you've been kicked out of, young man."

She paused dramatically before opening my file, as if she were preparing to savor every moment of my discomfort.

"First it was the chess club because 'you don't know how to play.' Then the drama club because 'you can't memorize lines.' After that, the photography club because 'you don't have an artistic eye,'" she continued. "And now the literature club because 'you can't write.' Do you know what all those reasons have in common?"

I shook my head, even though I knew where she was going with this.

"That none of them are true," she declared, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You simply don't try to put effort into anything."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she raised a hand to stop me.

"Don't try to make excuses. I've known you since the beginning of the year, and I know how your mind works," she added firmly. "You prefer to stay on the sidelines, avoiding anything you consider a bother."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. It was irritating how well she knew me.

"That's not true," I lied, trying to sound casual. "It's just that... I prefer to focus on my studies."

Professor Martínez let out a dry laugh.

"Oh, yeah, right," she exclaimed in a mocking tone. "That's why your grades are below average."

Touché.

"Listen to me carefully, Daniel," she continued, adopting a more serious tone. "I'm not asking you to participate in every school event. But at least join one small club."

I frowned, annoyed by her insistence. My quiet and monotonous routine was perfect just the way it was. But of course, I couldn't tell her that, unless I wanted to face a severe punishment.

"I don't expect you to see this as a lecture," she continued, "I just want you to think: is being alone really the best way to spend your time?"

I was silent for a moment, unable to answer. Her words resonated in my head, but I preferred to push them aside, as I was already used to doing.

"I'm not sure," I replied with the same old indifference.

Upon hearing my answer, she couldn't help but let out a long, deep sigh.

"Heavens... you really are a pain in the neck," she muttered. "Fine, I suppose you can go back to class now."

"I understand, with your permission I..."

Before I could finish, the professor interrupted me, raising an authoritative hand.

"But before you do..." she said as she began to shuffle through the papers scattered on her desk. "There's something you need to take with you."

She handed me a black and white document. I took it cautiously and quickly examined it.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what was coming next.

It wasn't hard to recognize: it was a sign-up sheet for an extracurricular club.

The professor narrowed her eyes without losing her composure.

"Fill out that form by tomorrow," she declared in a firm tone. "That's an order. I won't take no for an answer."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, knowing she wasn't kidding.

"What club are you planning to put me in?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

"Let's just say it involves a lot of social interaction and pretty intense group activities," she replied vaguely, with a mischievous and viperous smile. "So I suggest you find a club that actually interests you before you end up there."

I was silent for a few seconds, analyzing my situation. It was clear I had no escape. Professor Martínez wasn't going to give in so easily this time.

"I understand..." I finally said with a resigned sigh. "I'll see what I can do."

She nodded, visibly satisfied.

"Good. Now you can go," she added, gesturing towards the door. "I expect some positive results."

I quickly left the room, feeling a slight but lingering sense of heaviness in my body. I walked through the uncrowded high school hallways with the form still in my hand, heading back to my classroom.

The conversation with Professor Martínez kept echoing in my head, like an uncomfortable echo. "Is being alone really the best way to spend your time?"

I scoffed under my breath, annoyed. Of course, I believed it. My quiet and predictable lifestyle was perfect just the way it was. Why couldn't she just leave me alone?

As I walked, my thoughts drifted to how I ended up in this place. This high school, considered one of the most prestigious in the country, was basically an exclusive place for the children of influential businesspeople and politicians. My family, however, didn't belong to that world. They paid the expensive tuition and monthly fees with great sacrifices, all because of their insistence that I would receive a "quality education" here.

I never asked for this. In fact, I would have felt just as comfortable in a regular, ordinary high school.

I lowered my head, subconsciously clenching the form between my fingers. "What am I trapped in?" I thought, lowering my head as I walked.

Suddenly, as I crossed the intersection of two hallways, something caught my attention. A girl came running down one of them, carrying a large stack of papers that looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.

Time seemed to stop for a moment as I observed her features: silver-gray, messy hair, large and expressive green eyes, and a thin, small frame that suggested fragility.

Our eyes met briefly, surprised by the unexpected presence of the other. However, that look of surprise quickly changed to one of shock as we both realized we were about to collide.

But it was already too late. Neither of us reacted in time.

The girl crashed into me forcefully, causing both of us to fall to the ground amidst a crash of papers flying everywhere.

"Oof!" she exclaimed, startled, as she tried to get up clumsily.

I lay there for a moment, stunned, with some of the papers scattered on my chest and legs. I looked up, where the ceiling seemed to spin slowly due to a slight dizziness I felt, before turning my attention to the girl who was now looking at me with a mixture of apology and panic.

I frowned, still processing what had just happened.

"Hey! What's your—" I started to complain, but I stopped when I saw her embarrassed expression.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her hands trembled slightly as she tried to quickly stack the papers. There was something strangely endearing about her clumsiness.

"I'm so sorry!" she said quickly, starting to gather the scattered papers. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going... and then I saw you! And it was too late!"

"It's okay," I said as I stood up, brushing the dust off my clothes.

As I did, I noticed the sign-up sheet had disappeared from my hands.

"What a mess..." I muttered, slightly annoyed. "The collision caused me to drop an important document; I think it's somewhere among all these scattered papers."

"R-really?" the girl stammered, looking at me with a guilty expression. "I'm so sorry about that, let me look for it for you."

As she did, I could see the papers she had already picked up starting to slip from her hands. If she continued like that, the form would most likely end up even more lost than it already was; I had no choice but to intervene.

"I guess I have to help you."

The girl looked at me in surprise, as if she didn't expect someone like me to do something like that.

"You're going to help me?" she asked with genuine disbelief.

At that question, I couldn't help but react in confusion. "Did I say something weird?"

She quickly shook her head, visibly embarrassed. "It's just that... people don't usually bother to help me," she explained, looking down as she continued to gather the documents.

Intrigued, I was about to ask her more about that, but I decided not to get any more involved than necessary. After all, I already had enough of my own problems.

We finally finished picking up all the papers, but for some reason there was no sign of what I was looking for. Just as I was thinking about where it could be, the girl caught my attention with a light tap on my shoulder.

"Is this yours?" she asked, showing me the form.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Thanks, I guess."

She looked at me with expectant eyes, as if she had just discovered something exciting. "So... you're looking for a club?" she asked, leaning forward eagerly. Apparently, she had glanced at it before handing it back to me.

"Looks like it," I replied, trying to sound indifferent. "Although I'm more like fulfilling an obligation."

At my answer, she quickly approached me with enthusiasm. "That's perfect! I'm actually looking for members for a newly formed club," she said excitedly. "One where you can make great friends, and also do activities together. Sounds great, right?"

Not in the slightest; it sounded more like a little girl's dream. I thought to myself.

"Sounds interesting," I commented, clearly ironic.

She, however, interpreted my comment as genuine interest. "Right?!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I was sure you'd love it."

I was about to tell her that I had no intention of joining, but before I could say anything, the bell signaling the end of recess echoed throughout the building.

The girl stood up quickly, visibly flustered. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed, hurriedly shuffling her papers.

Before she could leave, she handed me what looked like a handmade flyer. "Here you go," she said, handing it to me. "If you want more information, read it later. See you at dismissal, okay?"

Before I could answer, she ran off, wobbling slightly as she awkwardly held her papers.

I stood there for a few seconds, looking at the flyer in my hand. I carefully unfolded it and read its contents:

"Want a place to belong? Come and join our club!"

There was a hand-drawn map and a brief description of group activities and shared moments.

"How absurd," I thought, shaking my head.

For a few seconds, I considered discarding the idea completely. But then I remembered Professor Martínez's threat, specifically the part about sending me to a club where I couldn't be alone.

With a resigned sigh, I put the flyer in my pocket. "I guess I have no other choice," I said to myself. "At least this is better than what she had in mind."

As I walked to my next class, I couldn't help but reflect on what had just happened. That girl seemed so enthusiastic it was almost scary. Did she really expect someone to join a club based on a handmade flyer and such a childish goal?

But for some reason, I couldn't shake the hopeful expression on her face when she told me about the club. There was something about her that made me question if it was really so bad to look for something more... something different.

"This is ridiculous," I thought, trying to push those thoughts away. "I'm only going because I have no other choice. Nothing more."

With that resignation, I continued walking to my next class, wondering if this was really a good idea.