![students-702090_1280.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hazmat/242ryUH9LnCXc5xYyJXtAPBcA9e1tzeztKHUBFKsrbhBGaPzsCfm778wcA3wQPQuweL1V.jpg)
[Image Source](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/studenten-multicultureel-taalschool-702090/)
***
As most people lives went in highschool, mine wasn't so unusual. Not unusual in the fact that there were probably lots of students out there that had my type of life and I'd come to accept it as part of how the universe worked.

I was that kid who everyone picked on for the sole reason of being popular for the wrong reasons. Most of them knew I wasn't a troublemaker, but it just made it even easier to pick on me.

I wasn't fashion savvy like most highschool kids and I wasn't in any social group of any kind which totally meant I was never hanging around any of the cool kids.
I was quite good with my academics, which ordinarily should've gotten me a few bookish friends, but only I had the unfortunate luck of being the principal's son.

In my eyes Dad was quite an easy going man, the Principal on the other hand was a different case.
At school he was known as a no nonsense disciplinarian and most students had at one time or the other been in his office for different reasons.

All of this would've been none of my business, except that I had no close friends. This of course made me the perfect candidate for students looking to get some payback on my dad for any punishment given.

The taunts began and whenever I reported them to the principal (my dad), his actions were always misconstrued as him taking my side which went on to make me even more unpopular amongst the students.

***

![school-lunch-6006490_1280.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hazmat/Eoc8Qi3bSAPabo9gddfwF25Gwb3twPWcaAW9HHdjqonFpW2gERVLxN13PWiVHbhtw9R.jpg)
[Image Source](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/school-lunch-buiten-dineren-picknick-6006490/)
***
I was seated and eating my lunch alone as usual when someone sat beside me. I sighed expecting the drama to begin when I looked up and saw it was Tanya.

Tanya was a new student in my class and quite good looking, not that I expected her to want to have anything to do with me.
But still many guys were interested in dating her, which was why this seating arrangement was fast becoming awkward as almost everyone had gone quiet and were watching us.

"Hi Jake, I'm Tanya"

"Umm, I know who you are" I replied almost choking on my food

'Alright then, I guess it'll make this much easier"

"What will it make easier?"

She rummaged in her backpack for a while and brought out what looked like a bunch of flyers, then handed one over to me.

'Everyone in class is invited and so are you" she replied and walked away

It was an invitation to her birthday party taking place at the beach. There must've been a mistake somewhere I thought, because I was never invited to parties.

***

![beach-party-583585_1280.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hazmat/2449x61hudFvmcxhXdeAmi5LjaeVEY8NnN1m4jeqAyyjC6rBkagC69xzRfh5LqvrhDjKi.jpg)
[Image Source](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/strand-partij-krokusvakantie-583585/)
***
It was a dilemma trying to decide whether to honor the invite or not. In the end, I soon found myself in a cab on D-Day headed towards the beach.

It wouldn't be my first time there, but it would be my first without my family around. It was 
afternoon already and it seemed like a lot of students had decided to turn up regardless of whether they were in our class or not.

This crowd wasn't what I signed up for and I was already thinking of leaving when Tanya spotted me standing alone. She waved me over and I didn't have a choice but to join her and her group of friends.

"You made it" 

"Yeah I did" I replied, unsure whether it was a question or a statement.

Everyone around were dancing or simply moving their bodies to the loud music, I wasn't a good dancer and Tanya must've noticed it.

'You look like you don't do much of dancing" she said

"How did you figure that out?"

"Your posture, It's too rigid. Here let me help you out" she proceeded to take my hands and tried to move me in a series of steps.

I didn't know what was awkward, the weird dancing, the amount of attention we were getting from everyone on the beach or the fact that Tanya didn't seem to mind.
I was still trying to stop myself from blushing when I spotted something up ahead, it was a surfboard.

"Are those surfboards?" I pointed

"Oh yeah, I rented a few. I love to surf, but no one here seem to know how to use one"

"Well, now you've got one now"
I was smiling now and all the awkwardness was long gone as I walked towards them, finally this was something I was good at and I could enjoy.

Tanya joined me and we were soon riding the waves as everyone gathered to cheer us on.
For the first time, all my classmates were screaming my name and enjoying the show I was putting on.

By the time the party was ending, I'd gotten more than a few handshakes and pats on the back. Tanya had given me the green light that she might be interested in a date later on.

For the first time in my highschool life, I didn't mind being popular because it was for all the right reasons this time.

***

'.....and that boy was how your grandma and I scheduled our first date."

"Wow, that was an interesting one grandpa. What happened next?" Sam my grandson requested.

"Not so fast Sam, it's time for bed. Tomorrow we'll continue and I'll tell you about what happened on our first date"