“Honestly, Andrew. If this happens again, you’ll be going to the headmaster.”
Andrew flinched as the words were thrown at him. It wasn’t fair, he thought. It wasn’t his fault that he got bullied incessantly. It wasn’t his fault that he kept failing in everything.
The other boys snickered quietly as he received his punishment. Great, he thought bitterly, another beating at interval.
Andrew’s nerves jangled in time as the sharp clear bell clanged over the courtyard, settling into the room quietly. Still, the class burst into a hive of activity as expectant, awaiting ears picked up that sound. Miss James did her her best to contain the chaos, to no avail. Sighing deeply, she settled lower into her chair, her sharp eyes looking for any sign of stupidity that would be instantly squashed by her authority.
As Miss James’s eagle eyes scanned her domain, she saw Andrew sitting there at his desk. Then he rose quietly, without any of the usual excitement expressed in the other pupils. Rather, it seemed that there was a sense of dread settling on him like a blanket, disconnecting himself from his surroundings.
Andrew dragged each foot as he walked, trying to make the inevitable not happen. Without realising it, Andrew had to come to the courtyard. A small group of boys on the other side of the court beckoned him over. When Andrew hesitated, they started to come forward. Andrew, dreading what was about to happen, started to walk the distance between them, shortening it until the gap was only five metres. How he wished it was the Grand Canyon. From what he heard about it, the vast chasm was more than adequate for separating them.
A harsh sneer cut through his fog of dreaming like a scythe cutting grass.
“Lost our brains then, have we, you little shrimp?” the other boys laughed awfully as the words were delivered to Andrew. Knowing what he would get if he looked up, the smaller boy kept his eyes down. Dimly, he heard another big lump of a child saying, “Like brother, like brother.” Suddenly a huge flash of anger erupted in Andrew’s bosom, flaring up into his head until it exploded, propelling his fists forward, swinging them wildly at the closest boy available. He got one flush on his nose, spurting blood and bringing tears to the boys eyes. Then he got grabbed from behind.
*****
The soft sound of the door shutting alerted Maria from her baking, causing her to peer around the doorway. These days, suspicions were at their very peak. when she was satisfied that she knew who it was, she added a few more ingredients to her bread, then started kneading furiously.
Andrew braced himself for the fit of coughing that would fill the house. When he didn’t hear any, he looked curiously at his mother.
“Where’s Jack?” Maria looked down, not willing to meet his son’s eyes.“He’s gone,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
A surge of emotions flowed through Andrew as he heard those words. The first one that he felt was relief. now that Jack was gone he wouldn’t get bullied by the older boys.
Then Andrew felt a pang of worry. What if Jack was killed? They would never be able to survive. Even when jack was here he had been able to help the family income. Andrew felt a scream rising up in his body, until it burst from his mouth like a train funnel. He ran to his room and sobbed on the floor, where he could think in peace.
Michael Crosson
Andrew flinched as the words were thrown at him. It wasn’t fair, he thought. It wasn’t his fault that he got bullied incessantly. It wasn’t his fault that he kept failing in everything.
The other boys snickered quietly as he received his punishment. Great, he thought bitterly, another beating at interval.
Andrew’s nerves jangled in time as the sharp clear bell clanged over the courtyard, settling into the room quietly. Still, the class burst into a hive of activity as expectant, awaiting ears picked up that sound. Miss James did her her best to contain the chaos, to no avail. Sighing deeply, she settled lower into her chair, her sharp eyes looking for any sign of stupidity that would be instantly squashed by her authority.
As Miss James’s eagle eyes scanned her domain, she saw Andrew sitting there at his desk. Then he rose quietly, without any of the usual excitement expressed in the other pupils. Rather, it seemed that there was a sense of dread settling on him like a blanket, disconnecting himself from his surroundings.
Andrew dragged each foot as he walked, trying to make the inevitable not happen. Without realising it, Andrew had to come to the courtyard. A small group of boys on the other side of the court beckoned him over. When Andrew hesitated, they started to come forward. Andrew, dreading what was about to happen, started to walk the distance between them, shortening it until the gap was only five metres. How he wished it was the Grand Canyon. From what he heard about it, the vast chasm was more than adequate for separating them.
A harsh sneer cut through his fog of dreaming like a scythe cutting grass.
“Lost our brains then, have we, you little shrimp?” the other boys laughed awfully as the words were delivered to Andrew. Knowing what he would get if he looked up, the smaller boy kept his eyes down. Dimly, he heard another big lump of a child saying, “Like brother, like brother.” Suddenly a huge flash of anger erupted in Andrew’s bosom, flaring up into his head until it exploded, propelling his fists forward, swinging them wildly at the closest boy available. He got one flush on his nose, spurting blood and bringing tears to the boys eyes. Then he got grabbed from behind.
*****
The soft sound of the door shutting alerted Maria from her baking, causing her to peer around the doorway. These days, suspicions were at their very peak. when she was satisfied that she knew who it was, she added a few more ingredients to her bread, then started kneading furiously.
Andrew braced himself for the fit of coughing that would fill the house. When he didn’t hear any, he looked curiously at his mother.
“Where’s Jack?” Maria looked down, not willing to meet his son’s eyes.“He’s gone,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
A surge of emotions flowed through Andrew as he heard those words. The first one that he felt was relief. now that Jack was gone he wouldn’t get bullied by the older boys.
Then Andrew felt a pang of worry. What if Jack was killed? They would never be able to survive. Even when jack was here he had been able to help the family income. Andrew felt a scream rising up in his body, until it burst from his mouth like a train funnel. He ran to his room and sobbed on the floor, where he could think in peace.
Michael Crosson