Book of Short Stories

Teen Story

Based on prompt: Bullying

I knew these words would hurt, but I couldn't control myself. I kind of felt sorry for her. She already had tears streaming down her face, that was quicker than normal. It didn't help that the whole hallway had stopped to watch the commotion and was now laughing at my cruel jeers.

"Hey Felicity, where are your friends? Oh wait... You don't have any," everybody around let out a loud 'Oooh'. I glanced behind me and smirked, so this is what the people want to hear. I turned toward, ready to throw out another jab, but the look on her face made me hesitate. She sniffled and held her books tighter to her chest as I opened my mouth to make another comment but the bell stopped any words coming from my mouth. Hurriedly, she rushed off to class, away from me and the guilt that always washed over me whenever I left her in tears.

Why was I always compelled to throw insults around like they weren't impacting anyone? It's true what they say about bullies, it's always something at home making them the way they are. I was no different.

Home wasn't the best place for me, it's not like I was being abused, but the constant arguing from my parents seemed to influence my actions greater than I had ever realized. They weren't arguing about me but about my brother, Albert. The main thing was that they couldn't keep paying for my brother's therapy. It was too expensive but he needed it, desperately. Albert had Dissociative Identity Disorder which had no permanent cure, all the doctors we went to only ever suggested therapy. It help that therapy didn't really help, his different personalities still came out randomly and sporadically. One of his persona's was very violent, they tried to suppress it with hypnotherapy but a few days after the doctor did it, it came back. Nothing we tried ever had permanent effects on his personalities. Albert doesn't want to hurt me, he can't help it; in reality, he's actually a really nice person.

Guilt weighed heavy in my bones for the rest of the day, a feeling of regret that I couldn't shake. During lunch I saw Felicity run to the bathroom, I'm guessing she noticed I was walking in her general direction and didn't want another confrontation. As she was running towards the bathroom I saw a hint of tears in the corner of her eyes, I guess my little put-down really hit the mark. Moment's after she left, I saw another girl get up from her table and follow Felicity in. After a few minutes of just the two of them, they emerged with Felicity's arm linked through the other girl's as she lead her back to her lunch table.

I had only been joking when I commented on her lack of friends but it seems that I over stepped the boundaries. Looking at her now, sitting with the group of girls with her arms crossed in a closed off manner, I heard the little voice in my head curse at me for doing this to an innocent girl. She shouldn't be my punching bag, something to release all this stress that I have.

Another glance at her showed me that she had sat forward and was actively engaging in their conversation now. A small smile graced her face and I felt a little better knowing that she would have some real friends to sit with now.