Empire High School

Students Dealing with Bullies

Monday, Simon got Kirby awake to get to the fifth floor ten minutes before class as Felice joined them.

"I didn't go too crazy, did I?"

Simon scratched his head. "Not too much."

"Anyway, Simon, I wanted to say-"

"Why are you upset?"

The three turned to Mince and Edith.

"You were talking to Felice behind my back?"

"Hey, I needed her help to have the party."

"Urgh," walking in the classroom, glaring at Felice.

Simon found himself lifted up in the air by Bennett.

"Thought you could get away with that bus trick, huh. Your friend's not here to save you"

"Get off him," Kirby yelled.

A hand gripped on Bennett's hand. "Chill, let him down," Monte said. "Just talk to Sharell later."

He dropped Simon and headed inside much to their dismay.

He blinked at his savior, thanking him.

"No problem."

Kirby sighed. "Something tells me today is not going to be a good day.

During class, Simon noticed seats shifting to pairings: Haejin-Nikia, Kirby-Monte, Sharell-Bennett, Edith-Mince, Arlene-Jarrod, Jenzie-Elize, even Mary Kane and Devlin. Len was all on his own. Kirby had to fill him in.

"Poor guy," as Mr. Daksh had to get him napkins to pick up.

During volleyball at gym, Len attempted to contact Arlene only to get ignored as Jarrod grinned, smacking the ball into the net for it to rebound off the net and into his face. Edith laughed.

"Why is it funny," Felice asked, helping him up.

She sucked her teeth back. When their team went to hit the ball, Edith smacked it low enough to fly at Felice and knock her head down.

Simon gritted his teeth on purpose. "What's wrong with you?"

"It was just an accident," Edith sneered, leading him to help them up.

At lunch, Simon got his lunch and was checking his homework assignments when Monte asked him to sit with Kirby, talking about the soccer team.

Devlin sat with a still sobbing Len, raising his eyebrow. "You're eating the school food, something's not right."

"I just want to make things right."

"With Arlene? Just move on, if she really wanted you, she wouldn't have believed them. Tell her what's up."

"Right!"

He got up to get to Arlene's seat at the lunch table, where Jarrod was sitting with Haejin, Nikia, Sharell, Bennett and others.

"Arlene, we need to talk!"

"Go speak to your new girlfriend instead!"

"But I want that to be you-she."

Jarrod stood up. "She said she's not interested."

"Can I continue?"

"No," shoving him aside and sending him crashing towards the garbage can. Livid, he pulled out a thrown out table plate at Jarrod. Most people around grew shocked seeing the thrown out food and milk ooze down his face with the sinister smirk of a demon.

"Rough him up!" Haejin and Bennett took turns throwing their own lunch back at him.

As Arlene watched his torture with glee, Kirby nudged her, rightfully disturbed.

"Don't give me that look, he cheated on me!"

"Oh please, you dated for ten seconds! Jarrod told that smashed girl something and she got so weird and clingy."

"Don't try to gaslight me, they were about to kiss!"

"I saw him trying to pull away. You really think Len," pointing to him getting bombarded, "is some rizz king playboy? Ask Jarrod yourself."

"Why do you care?"

"Hey I like chaos, not drama."

Monte smiled as Simon went over to help, reaching near his bag.

The latter grabbed a nearby tray and swung an apple back at the bros. Haejin fired back, leading to a tennis match to see who could knock the other out with eaten fruit. They kept going round after round until Jarrod thrusted his bag into Sehki's chest.

He almost fell into the garbage can when a pair of hands saved him from a trashy fate.

"Anthony!"

"Gotchu bro," pulling out two trays and dual wielding them to blast food at Haejin and Bennett. Jarrod attempted to swing at them only to be distracted by Devlin running towards everyone. However, he tripped on a banana peel and rode the garbage can straight in Jarrod, causing him to fall inside.

The others laughed while they picked Devlin up.

"No one hurts my man and gets away with it," playfully slapping Len's back up. However, Kirby noticed the principal approaching.

"Come on, we gotta go," taking Devlin and Len's hands, running out the other side with Anthony as the principal yelled and told everyone to clean up immediately.

"That was close."

"Wait, why did we run?"

"Cuz everyone else will have to clean it up."

Later, as everyone returned to the classroom, they were greeted by Ms. Ngyuen, a brown-brunette haired woman with a striking demeanor.

"Alright, everyone, hand out your homework! No excuses."

Simon, Devlin, and Len searched their bags, but couldn't find it, while Monte, Haejin, and Jarrod brought their sheets up. Just as he was about to hand them to her, he gasped.

"Wait, this is my handwriting! Which one of you stole my homework?"

Light commotion commenced as everyone got confused, the actual culprits attempted to stay neutral, and Mary Kane grew amused at the arguing between the smart squad and the bros when Ms. Ngyuen's scream shut everything down.

"I will contact Mr. Daksh, and we will discuss this," using the house phone.

Felice had a first hand witness to his anger as Monte nodded at his friends.

"You should've done it."

"You don't believe me? It took me two hours! You don't trust your own friend?"

Felice shook her head. "But you didn't care as much as me."

"This isn't about you!"

Edith started recording their argument, as Simon grew more irate.

"Fine, you never saw me as a friend anyway," leaving out to go to Principal Hill while Felice whimpered without the right words to convey the weight in his words.