Karen McCormick sat alone on the school's swing set. Caressing the blonde hair on her new doll with her eyes glued to the snow on the ground. She's out here because she's scared to go back to her first-grade class. A week earlier, her impecunious parents had just enrolled her in public school and she just hates it! Before, she was the only child of the McCormicks that was home-schooled. The constant bickering of her parents didn't help her at all.

"Karen?"

The brunette girl looks up to see the five years old Canadian, Ike Broflovski. "Hey Ike, what are you doing here?"

"I came here to get my jacket from yesterday, what are you doing here?" The two aren't exactly friends per se, more like acquaintances. Sure their older brothers were close friends but that doesn't necessarily mean they are.

"Ike, if a girl doesn't want to go to school anymore…"

Ike put his hands up. "Whoa whoa, what do you mean you don't want to go to school?"

Karen blush. "I didn't say…"

"Quit play games, McCormick! Tell me the truth."

"Tricia's bullying me."

Ike bursts out laughing, "Tricia? As in Tricia Tucker? Shut up!"

"I'm not kidding!" She gets off the swing and walks closer to him. "Ever since my first day, she's been nothing but mean to me! She's pulled my hair, spilled paint on me, called me poor and stupid. And she got everyone in my class to call me McWhoreDick! I don't even know what the words mean!"

"I'll tell you when you're older. Does your brother know?"

"No, because she has an older brother too, and if I tell Kenny, she'll tell her brother and I'll be in even more trouble!"

Ike sighs, what is he gonna do with this chick? "Ok, Tricia is bluffing. That's what bullies do; they bluff. All bark and no bite. But you can't let her know you're scared, and yes you are scared, of her. Bullies feed off of intimidation because they love being mean. Tricia is just a bitchy-kinda cute-girl." He said "kinda cute" under his breath.

"Ike, you don't know this girl like I do.. Or me for that matter. She's evil! How do you know how to handle this kind of people?"

"I may be younger than you, but I'm not an idiot. I know what I'm talking about!" Ike smirks.

Karen sniffs and she smiles a little. "Okay.."

"And her brother Craig? He's got nothing on you." Karen nods, but when did she start taking advice from a kindergartener? She doesn't have a clue. "Let's get you to class." Ike pulls Karen along and walks her to class; the trip was silent.

When they arrived, she was greeted by paper balls are thrown at her. "My bad!" a six-year-old girl with orange pigtails and a blue dress sarcastically says. She snickers along with her classmates. Her name is Tricia Tucker; the meanest girl Karen knew in her short time attending public school. "Hey! McWhoredick is back!" The first-grade class points at Karen and laughs at the nickname she was shamefully given. "Children, enough!" The teacher said.

"I'm so glad I'm not you right now." Ike pats her back and returns to his own classroom. Karen slumps, she walks with her head down to her seat. Under her, she hears a squishing sound but chooses to ignore it. Big mistake.

"Karen, do you have your homework?"

"Yes, teacher." She answers and gets up to hand it in but stops in the middle of the room when the class laughs and points for the second time. "What's so funny?" She asks innocently facing the class.

Tricia rises and walks up to her. "You dipshit!" She turns her back around and by using her phone, takes a picture of her from the behind. "Look and weep, McWhoreDick!" In the picture, there's a brown spot on Karen's pants. Karen's jaw drops. It looks like she crapped herself!

"I can't believe you didn't see the chocolate pudding on your chair! Look before you sit dumbass!"

Karen let a whimper out. She felt like she was going to cry, but refuses to give the other girl the satisfaction. Tricia put her hands up in defense.

"Relax girl, we'll just wash it off."

She went over to her desk and her friend gives her a water bottle. Tricia gulps it down then spits out the water all over the poor girl's face. Dumping the remainder of the water on her head.

"Good enough." She crosses her arms in a snarky matter as the class laughs harder and even applaud Tricia. "It wasn't like she was gonna take a bath at home, her family too poor to pay the water bill," says Tricia.

Karen is beyond embarrassed. She even let some tears escape unnoticed. Luckily no one noticed because of the water dripping on her face. "Tricia! Enough! Apologize!" The teacher demands.

"For what? My actions or her messed up family?"

The class could not shut up, it makes Karen feel even worse. She did the first thing that came to mind and runs out of there, just runs. She pushes herself inside the girl's bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she breaks down and cries on the bathroom floor.

I hate her! She says in her mind. I hate her so much! She's so mean and she's never gonna stop! Why can't she leave me alone?!

But what can I do about it?