Let's Talk

Hope 'N' Speak

Heh, here's another one of those song-stories! X3

"So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent,
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top,
Don't hold back,
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check"

They pushed and they shoved, they nagged and they yelled, they spat and they snarled, and yet he was left unaffected. Because while they bullied, he laughed. While they punched, he smiled. He endured like a hopeful soldier.

"I don't ever want to let you down,
I don't ever want to leave this town,
'Cause after all,
This city never sleeps at night"

He never tattled, he never "broke". He only ever hoped, because he knew after every dark, rainy day came the shining sun. These dark days would stretch for many months, but his head would stay high.

And he would smile.

"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?"

People whispered. In the hallways, in the classrooms, in the cafeteria, in the locker rooms, on the stairs - everywhere. And sometimes, they whispered about him. They shared their thoughts, they spread rumors.

Why does he smile? Is he hiding his sadness by laughing? Why is he so happy about being bullied?

He laughed at every single person that he heard whispering about him.

After all, he was only being himself.

"So this is where you fell,
And I am left to sell,
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top,
Don't look back,
Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain check"

Every time they caused him to fall, he would pick himself up despite his injuries. Then, he would head to the nurse's office, either limping or cradling himself. Their laughs taunted him, nagged him to look back.

But they were never worthy of looking back at, so he never bothered to look.

"I don't ever want to let you down,
I don't ever want to leave this town,
'Cause after all,
This city never sleeps at night"

He wasn't perfect. Goodness no! Anything but, really.

But that meant that they weren't perfect either. And yet, they thought they were flawless. He felt sorry for them. Some of them would be in a pickle in the future once they realized that they are anything but perfect. That would be their fault, however, so he didn't dwell on the thought for much longer.

"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was,
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?"

He has been thinking lately. Should he tell the principal about their bullying? Well, of course, but he doesn't want them to get suspended, or worse; expelled. All they have are bad behaviors.

Then he remembers why he is wearing a cast on his arm.

Okay, so they have horrible behaviors.

Dang it.

"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was,
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?"

They are saying something to him - something mean, something hurtful, something really lame - but he can't be bothered. He ignores them completely as he walks to his next class. One of them knock his books out of his hands. Silently and impassively, he picks his books up as they laugh.

This is becoming annoying.

"This road never looked so lonely,
This house doesn't burn down slowly
To ashes,
To ashes"

The other bullied teens have finally gathered enough courage to speak to him. All day, they have been going up to him and asking questions. They asked how he bears the bullying, how he remains happy after every kick or punch, how to ignore them.

He tells all of them that he hopes.

"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was,
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?"

He has begun to bring hope on the bullied. They are following his example, trying their best to ignore, to laugh instead of cry out in pain, to smile at everything they say, to not say anything at all. Every morning and every night and any time in between, they hope.

"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was,
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?"

He grins as he walks. They follow him, throwing insults and the like, oblivious to where he is walking. They are focused on him and only him, not some silly plaque on the wall next to a door saying "Principal Felce".

Without any hesitation, he throws the principal's door open. The bullies' words fade, and their mouths become dry. There, sitting in all his surprised glory behind his spruce wood desk, is Principal George Felce.

"Dicken! It's a pleasure to see you here," says Mr. Felce, smiling warmly at him. He, Dicken, smiles back. Mr. Felce's attention turns to the teenagers standing beside Dicken. His smile loses its warmness. "These boys giving you trouble, Dicken?"

He shakes his head. "It's not just me they're giving trouble to, Mr. Felce." And so, with a solemn gaze and unhappy, pursed lips, Dicken tells the principal about the bullies and how they have been bullying people. All Mr. Felce says is that he has it covered and not to worry about it.

A few days later, the bullied don't have to hope anymore. All because of a few sentences from a bullied himself. It's hard to speak up, knowing that the bullying might get worse. But everyone forgets that the bullying might stop too if you speak up.

You can hope forever, but you can only take so much. Speak up.