This story is dedicated to all you authors and readers who were or are still being bullied.
It was a warm Tuesday afternoon and Dudley and Kitty had the day off from work. They were both currently in the kitchen at their house, making a snack for their children, Johnny, Autumn and Atticus (A.N. Do you remember them from my first Fanfiction story 'Love and Hurt'? Currently, Atticus is 12, Johnny is 10, and Autumn is 8) since they would be coming home from school soon.
As Kitty was setting the tray of three plates of three cookies (she had finally learned how to make cookies the right way) she heard the front door open. Johnny rushed into the kitchen, followed by his brother, Atticus. They gave their mom and dad a hello and took their cookies into the living room to watch TV. Kitty suddenly grew concerned. Autumn hadn't come into the kitchen for her cookies, and she never forgot her after school snack.
"Johnny? Atticus? Did Autumn come home from school?" Kitty asked. Dudley looked up from making dinner.
"Yeah, she did, but she went straight to her room." Johnny said.
"She didn't talk to us on the bus and she kept a pair of sunglasses on the whole ride home. We asked her if something was wrong, but she never replied." Atticus said.
Kitty was now growing worried. She walked to Autumn's room with the cookies and Dudley close behind. She knocked on the door but no one said 'come in' or even came to the door.
"Autumn? Are you okay, sweetie?" Kitty asked.
"Go away." said Autumn. Her voice sounded like she had been crying.
"Please can we come in?" asked Dudley.
There was silence for a moment and by now Johnny and Atticus had joined their parents at their sister's door. Finally, Autumn quietly said, "Come in."
Dudley opened the door and they all walked in. Autumn was sitting on her bed and she still had the sunglasses on her face. "What's wrong Autumn?" asked Johnny.
"I don't want to talk about it." Autumn replied, hugging her knees.
"Can you take those sunglasses off?" asked Dudley who had a hunch he knew what was going on. Before Autumn could reply, Dudley walked up to her and took them off of her face and gasped at what he saw. Autumn had a black eye. Kitty and the boys gasped too and Autumn began to cry again burying her head in her father's chest.
"A… new girl… in my class… pushed me off… the swing at… at recess… for no reason… I told her… 'get your own swing'… b-but she p-punched me… in the eye... knocking me down… She… grabbed a… fistful of… of dirt and… rubbed it on my face… she said… 'that ought…. to help your face… look better!' After r-recess… I w-washed the dirt off… my face… and school was over… I found some sunglasses in… the lost and found and… put them on… my face… so no one would see… what happened! I showed… a teacher… but… she didn't help me! She said… the girl would… never do something… like that! It turns… turns out that… my teacher is the girl's… the girl's mom!" Autumn stuttered.
Kitty sat down next to her with tears in her eyes. Johnny and Atticus looked at each other and slapped themselves in the face.
"I can't believe we didn't notice! We have the same recess time as Autumn!" Atticus said to his mother.
"Now I wish she had been old enough to come to TUFF camp with us in the summer. She might have been able to defend herself." said Johnny.
"You need to tell another teacher." said Kitty. "No one deserves to treat you that way!"
"What if… what if they don't help?" Autumn asked.
"They will, and if they don't, you need to stand up for yourself, or we could come and help you." said Kitty.
"If you have to stand up to her, we'll be right by your side." Atticus said and sat next to his little sister. Johnny nodded and sat on the other side of his sister. Autumn pulled them both in for a group hug. She then pulled away.
"Chances are, bullies are going to be all over. If they ever pick on you, you'll need to remember that you're going places, and if they keep going down that road, all they'll ever be is mean." said Kitty. Autumn then recalled a song that she had heard when she was a little younger and began to sing.
You with your words like knives
and swords and the weapons
that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like a nothing
You with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man
You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know what you don't know
Someday I'll be living in a big old city
and all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
and all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
You with your switching sides
and your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down trying to block you out
Cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel ok again
I'll bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know what you don't know
Someday I'll be living' in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling all about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean
All you are is mean
And a liar
and pathetic
and alone in life
And mean, and mean
And mean, and mean
But someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Yeah, yeah
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
Someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're every gonna be is mean
Yeah, yeah
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
The others smiled. "You'll be just fine." Dudley said.
Autumn ended up telling the other teachers and the girl was confronted. She immediately confessed and her mother apologized for not believing Autumn. The girl was suspended for a week and her mother kept a close eye on her for a long time.
The End