Sometimes Being Special Sucks--Jack Doran
Sometimes being special...sucks." (Glee) (Jack Doran, BRRL)
Cry me a river. Sometimes not being special sucks, too.
Maybe you know a little bit what it’s like. You’re the only one in your family who can’t sing. Or draw. Or run fast. But it’s a little bit different when your brothers and sisters are like the freaking Fantastic Four. You think it’s bad not being able to carry a tune: how about having a brother who can walk through walls? No pressure.
My Mom says I’m special, but let’s face it: she’s my Mom. Moms have to say stuff like that. They probably even believe it.
I kind of hoped for a while that there would be something I could be really good at. Maybe I wouldn’t be some kind of hero, but at least I could ---what is that word teachers use? Oh, yeah, excel. I could excel at something. But I don’t. I’m a B student. I can’t stand to let my homework just sit there, but I don’t put my hand up in class because I know I will say something dumb. I’m not good enough at sports, I can’t play a musical instrument, and I sure can’t cook.
It’s like being invisible. Really being invisible would be cool, but it’s not like that. Once in a while a girl walks up to me and she’ll have a really pretty smile, and then I’ll turn around and realize that she’s smiling right through me to the guy standing behind me. You get used to it, only that’s a lie. You never really do.
I tried “scaling back my expectations”-more teacher speak. Poor Miss Legacina. She tried so hard to “bring something out of me,” only the only way anyone’s going to do that is if they stick a finger down my throat. Probably no one’s going to be special to everyone, especially not me, but maybe I could be special to someone, just once. And y’know, for a while there, I really thought I was. How dumb am I?
The next thing I know, my Dad’s down on the ground holding his head and screaming because of the pain, and my brother and sister are all WONDER TWINS ACTIVATE trying to save my whiny, worthless butt, and congratulations, Jack! You just became the only person you know who almost got his entire family killed.
You know what? I take it back.
Sometimes being special really does suck.