Elliott stood outside of his small group of friends, swirling his shoe around in the dirty ground, and not listening to a word his classmates were saying. Elliott, bigger than his other pre-pubescent friends, stood out. Not only did his significant height difference make him extremely noticeable, but his eyes were easy to get lost in. He typically looked down at his dirty, old shoes, constantly distracted with his thoughts, but when he looked up, at a bird flying by or at someone eye-catching, his piercing blue eyes were like the sky on a bright summer’s day.

“Ell,” A short boy said. He pushed his large Harry Potter glasses up his nose. “Sophie wants to talk to you.”

“What?” Elliott replied. Once again, he was lost in his own thoughts; he processed what his friend, Liam, had just said. He didn’t want to talk to Sophie and her squeaky friends; all they did was ask him mocking questions, such as ‘Why don’t you buy new shoes?’ or ‘Why do you leave lunch early?’ that Elliott chose not to answer.

“Just go talk to them, you never know what they’ll ask you.” Liam, the short boy, assured him.

Elliott grunted in response, and shuffled over to Sophie, Anne and Kayla. They were a deadly trio; the popular girls of the eighth grade. They wore Hollister jeans, and the coolest name brand t-shirts and hoodies. Sophie was the leader of their group, and her family was the richest -- she made this fact very clear. Anne was constantly trying to be like Sophie, and she was the type of girl that was afraid of dust and hated running. Kayla was different though, and Elliott didn’t mind her presence. She was athletic and nice, and the only reason she was friends with Sophie was because they had known each other since birth.

“Elliott, why don’t you ever talk to anyone at lunch?” Sophie’s high pitch voiced squeaked at him, oozing with fake sincerity.

“Yeah, Elliott, why?” repeated Anne, before Elliott could even take a breath. Sophie and Anne had a hand on their hips, a sparkle in their eyes, and an evil smirk spread across their faces.

Elliott knew it was best to keep quiet, that way they wouldn’t be able to verbally attack him anymore.

“Guys, stop being so nosy. Elliott will be Elliott.” Kayla intervened, her voice clearly not as irritating as Anne and Sophie’s; it was relaxed and gentle.

The two girls grunted, disapproving of Kayla’s kindness. Elliott squinted up at the sky, then walked away and sat on a picnic table beside Liam. He looked at his tattered Adidas shoes, wishing that Sophie would just stop talking to him altogether. The problem with middle school, Elliott thought, was that he didn’t fit in with anyone. He preferred to stare at his shoes and keep quiet.

“Elliott, I know you’re, well, you. But you should talk to more people.” Liam said.

“I know I should, but everyone here makes fun of me. It’s better if it’s just me and you.” Elliott confided, his curly hair falling over his sad eyes.

He checked his watch, gave a nod to Liam, and walked back inside the school before the bell rang, and before the overwhelming crowds of sweaty girls and boys burst through the doors.

As soon as he hit the last number on his locker combination, the clangy bell rang, and the masses flooded the halls shortly after. Before Elliott closed his locker, something caught his eye on the miniature locker calendar inside the door. It was the twenty-fifth of April and there was a presentation today in about twenty-five minutes, for a program called “Live Different.” It was only for high school students, but Elliott wanted to see if he could possibly get in or his brother, in tenth grade, could tell him about it. Live Different was for people who went to third world countries and built schools for children. It intrigued Elliott; he’s always wanted to help people in a big way, and this was certainly it.

Before it actually started, Elliott sat down in his computer class, at the front right next to his teacher, Mr. Skinner.

“Hey, Elliott. Early as usual.” Mr. Skinner smiled. Elliott enjoyed this class and the teacher; despite Mr. Skinner being in his thirties and technologically advanced, he was the only teacher that actually understood Elliott.

“Did you hear about the Live Different presentation today?” Elliott began.

“Yes, why do you ask?” Mr. Skinner replied.

“Well, it really interests me. I think it’s what I want to do with my life.”

“You are mature beyond your years, Elliot. What are you implying?”

“Can I go to it please?” Elliott tried to do his best Puss in Boots impression by making his eyes big.

“Go ahead; you’re a couple lessons ahead anyways.” Mr. Skinner wrote him a note and Elliott was on his way.

“Thanks, Mr. Skinner!” Elliott smiled brightly at the red headed teacher.

“Where is that weirdo going?” Sophie asked, her nose wrinkled, as she walked in the class as soon as Elliott walked out. She was clearly expecting an answer from the teacher, but Mr. Skinner ignored her snide remark.

Elliott’s usual shuffle turned into an eager bounce as he went down the hall and towards the gymnasium. He was excited that he found something cool and unique, something just for him. Live Different was for people who wanted to help; for the ones who wanted to make a change. Elliott knew, even at fourteen, that he wanted to make a change. He wasn’t sure why, exactly, but he just knew that other children should be able to have the education he does. Elliott was very keen on education; he had plans to go to university and study architecture, but he knew that doing Live Different was a better path to go down.

His tall, six-foot-one, one-hundred-sixty-pound frame stood out, even among high schoolers. He noticed a couple girls giving him funny looks, who Elliott assumed were in grade nine. The bleachers weren’t full of students yet, so he sat front and centre by himself. Unlike most people his age, Elliott was independent. He sat alone so he could soak in every word the presenters would say.

The lights dimmed, and a screen placed in the middle of the gym came on with the “Live Different” logo in neon letters. Elliott knew he was smiling from ear to ear.

“Do you want to live different?” A male voice boomed in the microphone.

“Yes.” Elliott whispered to himself, despite the fact that he was getting odd looks from the strangers beside him. For once, Elliott didn’t care what others thought of him. Elliott was going to live different.
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Five years later, Elliott emerged from his last exam of his freshman year at university, looking up at the bright May sky. After months of studying the foundations of architecture, he went into the exam with confidence and a feeling of giddiness. He now gave Liam a high-five, who was waiting outside the building. The two friends had survived high school -- barely -- and ended up being accepted into the same university.

Elliott had started to be more outgoing in the past year because he finally found people he fit in with. Liam had stuck with Elliott ever since middle school, and he often invited him to Harry Potter movie marathons with a group of friends, or the two friends would go out to bars and feel incredibly awkward.

“Are you all packed?” Liam asked, pushing his black framed glasses up his nose.

“I’ve been packed for the past couple days.” Elliott chuckled, running his fingers through his curly hair.

“Well, you better get going. The Dominican is anxious for your arrival, and the schools won’t build themselves.” Liam smiled. “Live different, Ell. Remember to talk to people.”

“I’ll send you a picture, don’t worry about me. Thanks for everything, Liam.” Elliott smiled. The two nodded at each other, and went their separate ways for the summer.

Elliott strode confidently towards his dorm to collect his things, not once looking at his feet. He waved at a couple people and smiled at other girls, feeling excited and completely satisfied. Elliott was happy that before he made a difference for others, he made a a difference for himself.