The Bully. Chapter 3.

 I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Once again it isn't super long but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway.

 Chapter 3.

 ***

 Joining the Math club ended up being less of a big deal than I had thought it would be. None of my henchmen noticed that I was spending an extra hour at the school on Tuesdays and Friday and as far as the club went, it made space for a great nap at the end of the school day. Andrew and Taylor’s demands were met and everyone was happy.

At least until after the first ‘scrimmage’ between schools, following with the whole Mathletes theme our neighboring school Riverwood's High hosted a completion between our school and theirs. We lost and the next day I was ambushed by Taylor at my locker.

“So how did the scrimmage go?” Her tone was sugary sweet and she held her history book to her chest like a breastplate, ready for battle.

“Good,” I replied, taking my backpack out and shutting the locker door.

“Really is that is what how you’d say it went?” If her eyebrows were raised any higher they might just bounce up and hit the ceiling. “Because what I heard was that you guys did pretty badly.”

“Not my fault.” I shrugged on my backpack.

“Yeah, only since you didn’t even try to answer one problem.” Taylor jaw jutted out and her eyes blazed.

“Tell me Taylor, what did you and Drewie think would happen when you blackmailed me into being part of his dumb little club? You got me to join. Participating in lame activities was never part of the deal. If you wanted me to have more team spirit, you should have bullied me into it when you still had those pictures.”

I patted her on the shoulder. “If you wanted Andrew’s team to win so badly, maybe you should join it, oh wait, that’s right, I’ve seen your math grade. You wouldn’t be any help at all.”

I was about to go on when I saw Rachel, my second in command was walking by so I stopped her. I draped an arm over her shoulder casually which when a girl is 5 11’ isn’t as easy to do as you might suppose. “What do you think Rachel? Just how good are someone’s math skills that got a D on their report card?” Rachel took one look at me and then replied with perfectly straight faced. “Pretty sucky, I’d say.” And with those words she shrugged off my arm and smacked me up the side of the head. “Keep your hands to yourself, Flex.” By the time the spots had cleared from my vision Rachel had already moved down the hall.

“And that’s why I love you, Gray.” I called after her while rubbing the side of my head.

“How do you know what I am making in Math?” Taylor hadn’t left yet and was still blocking my way, arms crossed over her textbook. “Great friend you have there, by the way”

“Maybe, I stalk you to your house and tricked your mom into letting me poke through all your private stuff.” I said, sarcasm thick in my tone. “And I don’t have friends MacMan.”

Taylor rolled her eyes at my sarcasm. “Whatever. So you guys aren’t friends?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh we’re about as good as friends as sharks are. You have to watch your back is all ‘cause the moment the other sharks smell your blood in the water you’re just like any other fish, fresh meat.”

Taylor wore the same expression that Andrew had given me the other day at lunch but before I could figure out what it meant my phone chirped with a text. A quick glance at the screen showed a message from my mother and by the time I had finished replying, the look was gone from Taylor’s face. It was time to end the conversation.

“Well, my ride is here and while this has been a lovely conversation, let’s not do it again.” As I spoke I removed the gum I had been chewing since lunch and plucked the school book from her arms. Flipping it open, I stuck the gum between page 137 and 138. A redundant passage on the Cold War that Mr. Rowlen has a habit of skipping over completely. Not that Taylor knew that. I closed the book and handed it back to her. “Have a great day and thanks.” I smiled and walked on, relishing her stunned silence. Sometimes being bad felt so good.

***

My ride was Mom in the minivan. Being the leading agriculture scientist for her company it wasn’t often that we got to have one on one time so she liked to pick me up from school occasionally when she got off work early. We never talked much though. Just sharing the same space was enough most of the time. That’s why I was surprised when she spoke.

“So how are things going with Andrew and Taylor?”

My mind scrambled with panic at her words, making the automatic leap that she had somehow found out about my deal with them.

“W-what are you talking about?” I stammered.

“Andrew and Taylor, I’ve noticed you haven’t gotten close to anyone since we moved here. I know that’s hard. I am really happy you’ve finally made some friends.”

I just kind of grunted a reply, relief washing over me while guilt nibbling at the back of my mind.

“You know you can tell me anything right, Felix?” She gave me with such a knowing look that my guard shot right back up and I shifted in my seat.

“Sure Mom, I know that.” I didn’t look at her, instead focusing on a small hole in the knee of my jeans.

“You know, both Brian and Gary were bullied in high school, Felix.” At her words my stomach dropped and I was opening my mouth to try and explain myself she continued, “There is no shame admitting you are being bullied, Honey.”

At her words I am so shocked that I could have been hit by lightning and I wouldn’t have noticed. She took my silence as confirmation.

“I’m proud of you for being so strong. I know it’s not easy dealing with that day after day, it will be better now that you have friends though, Sweetie. There is safety in numbers and if you want we can talk to your principal.”

“No, it’s okay.” I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was to have the principal  mixed up in this mess.

“That’s my boy,” She reached over and ruffled my hair, “Taking the high road. You know what? That bully is the one we should feel sorry for; I bet he doesn’t have even one friend.”

***

I thought about my mom’s words a lot over the next few days. I was so off my game that even Rachel noticed something was up. 

 We were giving Big Mac, one of our own, who used to just be call Mac before he ate one to many of his namesakes, a swirlie for not being discreet enough with his tactics. Long story short, he got caught planting a dog turd in another student’s lunch bag in place of their hot dog. Big Mac had imagination but stealth, not so much. So Rachel and I had snagged him after detention to have a little chat with him in the boys’ bathroom.

Since Rachel was a women of few words and in all honesty I didn’t think talking was going to get the point across clear enough for Big Mac, we had settled on the ‘actions speak louder than words’ teaching method, only I wasn’t really all that into it this time and Rachel wasn’t appreciating my lack of attention.

“Collins, if you don’t hold down your half of his head, you’re going in the toilet next.” She snarled around the jawbreaker in the side of her cheek, while struggling to keep the teen’s head over the bowl. I did my part after that but when Big Mac finally staggered out of the bathrooms she looked at me hard.

“You better get your head in your armpit, Flex.” And with those profound words she stuck her head into the hallway, checked both ways and slipped out, leaving me standing alone in a puddle of toilet water, which pretty much summed up my life.

 ***

 Thanks for reading. :)

 -DG