Chapter 1. Not fitting in feels horrible
I hate-being Different from The Other kids my age in Bull Worth Academy.
I hate-being-treated unfairly on sports teams because I'm a girl, and 11th I Want To Have true and honest friends, and do what I like the most. Play soccer.
That was what Karen Johnson wrote lately in her diary, after Mr. Burton denied her to be on the Bullhorns small soccer team. That day her dreams fell apart.
But she has decided to not give up - Whatever It Takes.
A typical day in Bullworth Academy. Melody, Pedro and Sheldon are sitting in the middle of the schoolyard with trading cards of various superheroes. Karen sits some distance away on a bench. She has just been rejected by the other kids because she does not have superhero cards, but baseball cards.
Karen looks down on the ground and sighs. She dangles her legs and inspects the gray gravel under her feet. She is quite used to being ditched for her interests by the other children, and she doesn't feel like she's good friends with anyone. The possible exception is Gloria, but even those two are too different.
She is also ashamed of her hopeless infatuation with Ted Thompson, the leader of the jocks clique. He would never even look her in the eyes, she believes, and she doubts that he knows that she exists. If so, she would just be an annoying little kid to him. Plus, he and Mandy are a couple.
A little bird stands on the bench just beside her. It turns its head a little, begging for food.
"I'm sorry birdie, I have no bread for you right now." Karen says, smiling comfortly.
The bird chooses to stay, but flies away quickly when a shadow appears over it and Karen. It is the bully, Tom. He's got a mad look on his face.
"It was you who snitched on me yesterday, eh?" he says with his strong New York accent. "You made me mowe The whole woman 'lawn During ma' lunch break!"
"Don't blame me, throwing firecrackers at people is against the school rules."
"I'll show you what's against the rules!" he yells and rolls his arm sleeves up more than before.
But fortunately a prefect sees Tom's behavior and it's not long before he becomes grabbed by the arm and taken to the headmaster. Karen breaths of relief. It's perhaps not so dangerous to be a girl and 11 years.
School hours end. Karen is forced to go off and shop with her nerdy big brother, Francois "Fatty" Johnson. He buys a lot of chocolate and chips to replenish The Nerd Hideout with, as they are about to organize a movie night there.
After that they carry the stuff to the Dragon's Wing Comic Store. Karen tries to keep up with two heavy bags.
"Oh brother please, how much did you buy?" she asks anxiously as she tries to carry the bags.
"Enough to last for our movie night." he says contentedly.
She shakes her head at his enormous appetite and puts the bags down in front of the door to the basement, which leads to the hideout.
"Since I was nice and helped you with the bargains, may I join in?" she says with her hands clutched together like she's about to pray.
Fatty looks doubtful.
"Nah ... it's nerds only. You're more of a jock to be honest."
"A jock? Just because I like sports and actually exercise, it doesn't mean I'm a jock! "
Fatty unlocks the door to the basement, walks inside and put the bags down on a table. Then he opens the door slightly, just to peek out and glare at his sister..
"Either way, you're not a nerd. Gotta go." is his response, as he closes the door in front of her.