Why Billy Had to Pay
"Oh Tom, I know you took it!"
Two boys where sitting at a table in the middle of a crowded eating area, where a group of children where having lunch. both boys had angry looks on their faces.
"No I didn't Billy, you can't prove anything!" Tom said as he stood up, and started to walk out.
"Your not going anywhere!" Billy yelled as he jumped up.
All the other children had stopped eating and where interested in the fight. One young boy got up and turned to a small girl next to him.
"I'm going to get Mrs. Cole. You know how Tom gets, I don't want Billy to get hurt." "Alright Dennis," the little girl said, "but be quick about it."
The little girl turned back to the fight. Billy had grabbed Tom's gray tunic and was pulling him back.
"Get your hands off of me!" Tom screamed as he turned about to face the other boy. "I didn't take your stupid harmonica, why would I want something like that?"
"Because you always take everyone else's stuff!" shouted Billy. "Your just mean!"
"And your an idiot. Just get out of my face." Tom tried to walk away, but Billy just gripped on to his tunic again, and pulled him back.
"I told you to keep your hands off of me!" Tom yelled.
"I will once you admit you have my harmonica!"
"Now what is all this shouting about?" a harassed looking woman said as she entered the room and walked toward the boys.
"Tom stole my harmonica!"
"I did not!"
"Yes, you did!"
"Then prove it."
"I know you did it, I left in on the table then got up to get my food, and when I came back it was gone. You were the only one around!"
"Did you take it, Tom?" The woman asked the young dark-headed boy.
He just glared at her and shook his head. "No, I already said I didn't. If you don't believe me then you can go to hell!"
Mrs. Cole gave the boy a menacing look. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, do not use that dirty language with me! You are in serious trouble. Go scrub the bathroom floor as punishment. You better not misbehave anymore young man!"
Tom looked at her as if he were going to slap her, but instead and turned around to leave.
"Also Tom, if you did steal that harmonica it had better get returned. If I find out you stole it, you'll be scrubbing every inch of this orphanage with a toothbrush!"
Tom just kept walking, and ignored Mrs. Cole's shouting. He was used to getting in trouble. He often got yelled at for bullying the other children. Tom said they annoyed him and he just wanted to be left alone. Strange things also happened when he was around. Tom always claimed he wasn't involved, but the other children and Mrs. Cole knew better.
As Tom walked up the stairs toward the bathroom, he walked past Billy's room. He stopped to look in and saw Billy's rabbit, Ben. Tom walked over to its cage. Billy had won Ben when they went on the summer outing to the fair. Billy was always bragging about how he got it and that he was the only kid in the orphanage with a pet.
Then Tom got an idea. "I know how to get Billy back." he said to himself. He leaned down to the rabbit. "Your owner is going to be very sorry he ever accused me of talking his stupid harmonica." Then Tom left the room, looking very pleased. "Tomorrow Billy will pay."
The next day Tom woke up before the other children. He slipped out of bed and went towards his wardrobe, opening it. It was full of old worn clothes and a few random items he had collected over his years of being at the orphanage. On the top shelf was a tattered cardboard box and a long white rope. Tom stretched his arm up to retrieve the rope, but he wasn't quite tall enough to reach. He concentrated on the rope, thinking of having it in his hands. Suddenly the rope flew down into his outstretched hand. He smiled satisfactorily and pocketed the rope. Then he crept down the stone stairs to Billy's room. He carefully turned the doorknob and pushed open the door, slowly so he wouldn't make any noise. Billy was not at all disturbed, still sound asleep, loudly snoring.
Tom crept in the room toward Ben's cage. He opened the little metal door and stuck his hand in to grab the rabbit. It squealed a little. Tom looked at Billy nervously. He was still sound asleep. Tom took the rabbit and went back into the stairwell. He went downstairs into the empty eating area. He placed the rabbit on the nearby table, then took a long piece of rope out of his pocket and tied a noose around one end. He tied the other end onto the leg of the table, to anchor it. Smiling to himself, he picked up the rabbit. "Now Billy will be sorry."
He put the noose around the rabbit's neck, then placed the rabbit on the table. He took a few steps back, concentrating on the rabbit. He stood for a moment, staring at it. Then the rabbit started to float up towards the rafters. Once it got to the top, it moved sideways, dragging the rope across the rafters.
"Bye bye Ben" Tom said, still concentrating on the rabbit. Then it suddenly dropped. When the rope was fully extended, a sickening snap was heard. The rabbit hung limp and lifeless on the rope. Tom admired the rabbit for a moment, watching it swing back and forth.
Tom walked toward the exit. Before he got to the doorway he turned around to give his work one final look. He laughed coldly.
" Maybe now Billy will learn his lesson. No one gets me in trouble without paying." then turned, walked up the stairs and returned to his room. He laid back in his bed and thought, Today is a good day.