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Everyone always laughed when I walked down the hall. They called me names, they insulted me, ridiculed me and mocked me in every way.
"Hey stunt!"
That was a popular one—I'm short—the shortest boy in school by far, so "stunted growth," I guess.
"Ducky!"
That was another popular one, because of the way my limp made me walk.
"Learn how to dress!"
That's because I don't have that many clothes and so I wear pretty much the same three ripped shirts. I'll tell you why later.
"See any dogs today?"
That's a total made up thing about me molesting dogs. A complete and total lie, just in case I need to tell you.
"Hold your nose."
I actually liked that one, and you wouldn't blame me, I don't think. I never take baths. I don't want people near me, and when you stink they stay away. I know you probably think it's gross, and you'll probably stop reading.
But it works.
Or it did, until the first day back after the winter break.
I hardly knew Darryl Harden. I'd seen him school, but he wasn't one of the name-callers. He didn't really look at me at all. he wasn't a bully, as far as I knew, and he sort of blended in with every other kid that hated me (or hated me without saying it, which included just about every kid in school).
I usually took a shortcut in the alley behind the gas station, rather than walk all the way around the block to get to our apartment. It actually saved about ten minutes, and that meant I would have ten more minutes alone at home before my aunt would come home (but that's another story).
This time, halfway through the alley, Darryl stepped out from behind a large trash bin.
"Hello, Patrick."
He wasn't being friendly, even though he was just about the only person who had called me by my name in months.
"Hello," I muttered, looking over my shoulder for an escape route.
He stepped closer. I backed up a step.490Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKm5mFuW6d
He kept walking, and I kept backing up.
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not," I said, and let him get closer. I knew it was a threat, but I thought that maybe if I didn't act scared he would leave me alone.
"Everyone hates you, you know."
"I know."
I was starting to get very nervous. This was getting really weird. He was just a couple of feet away now. I looked up at him. He was at least a foot taller than me.
"But you know what's funny?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
"No one has fun."
I tried to work out what he meant. it didn't make sense.
"I mean, no one does anything to you. No one pushes you around and things. You know, bullies you."
My mind was reeling. What was I supposed to say? I kept hoping he would suddenly say I smelled like shit and run away, like other kids did.
But he didn't.
Instead, in one fast move, he stepped forward, put me in a headlock and whispered in my my ear, "You're like the broken toy that nobody plays with.
He twisted my arm behind my back.
"Starting now, that's going to change."
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