The teenage years of a loser called Rimmer
Rimmer's footsteps echoed down the well-lit corridors, he raced past displays of work hardly giving them a glance, they were catching up on him, straight ahead of him lay safety, an open classroom, he jumped in and slammed the door shut, he leant against the wall, breathing heavily in a mixture of breathlessness and fear. Shouts of "bonehead bonehead bonehead" got louder and louder, outside footsteps of the bullies made the glass in the door rattle, Rimmer sat praying that they wouldn't find him, the corridor went quiet, he peeked out of the window and slowly slid the door open, he cautiously stuck his head out, and glanced up and down the corridor, they'd gone. He went back into the classroom and began to survey the damage, this time it wasn't too bad, his face stung a bit, he had a cut knee and a rip in his trousers. He opened the door and began to walk slowly down the corridor, slow, menacing thuds behind him signalled he was being followed, he didn't look back, he just ran, as did the follower. The person grabbed the back of his blazer and forced him against the wall,
"Where you going 'Bonehead'?" It was Peter Butch, who was nicknamed 'Butcher', he grinned at Rimmer nastily, Rimmer began shaking,
"Nowhere" he said curling up, Peters right hand turned into a fist, Rimmer gasped and closed his eyes,
"Too right" said Butcher, he punched Rimmer hard in the stomach, making him double up. Butcher then grabbed Rimmer's hair, yanked back his neck and punched him in the middle of his face, pleased with his work Butcher walked down the corridor, hands in his pockets, laughing. Inside his head Rimmer was screaming in pain, but outside, he didn't shed a tear.
Rimmer stood outside his dormitory, staring at the window, he wasn't looking out of it, and he was trying to see if his face was bruised. He turned round and faced the door; he dreaded evening more then any other time of day, being in a room with 15 other boys, all of whom hated the sight of him. He placed his hands on the doorknob and took a deep breath. The door creaked as Rimmer opened it, everyone's attention was drawn to the door, Rimmer froze, he wanted desperately to run away, but they'd chase him and then beat him up. Butcher walked over, and stood towering over him, he grinned again,
"just tellin' the lads what a little baby you were in our fight bonehead!" Rimmer attempted to ignore him, and walked past Butcher, he began to undress, all he wanted to do was go to bed and be alone, he pulled the covers over his head, Butcher insisted on telling everyone how Rimmer 'cried like a baby', he always added in extra details, to make his victims look even more pathetic or to make him look even more fierce. Rimmer cheeks were wet with tears, and he swore that he'd have one day of his life where no one would bully him. He'd play truant the next day.
Rimmer walked down the steps that lead down the dining room and the entrance hall, he made sure that he was last out of the dorm room that way he'd get no bother off anyone, he reached he bottom step, he was supposed to be doing extra rugby practise, the teacher said it was to make him more of a man, he was lying, it was because he thought Rimmer was weak. Rimmer glanced uneasily at the rugby pitches, then at the open gate that lay at the end of the driveway, adrenaline raced through Rimmer blood stream, he began to race down the gravel path faster then he'd ever run before, he kept loosing his footing, his heart was nearly bursting out of his chest, but he didn't stop running. He made sure he was far away from school before stopping; he began to stroll towards the city centre, that was when it dawned on Rimmer, he was free, free for a whole day, no bullying, no teasing, no being beat up, FREE! He had to stop himself jumping up and down and singing with joy. He walked around the city grinning from ear to ear, he found himself walking in the park, he normally hated the park, whenever he came with school, he always ended up in the pond or tied to a tree, but it was empty and quiet. He sat down on a bench and gazed round the park, there was a women walking a dog, two elderly men deep in discussion a few benches down, and a girl about his age sat on the grass reading, he tried to read the title of the book, but suddenly the girl lowered it, and met Rimmer eyes, she waved. Rimmer looked behind him, expecting to see someone who the girl was waving to, no one was there. Confused Rimmer looked at the girl, she gave Rimmer a kind smile, Rimmer began to sweat, bullies scared him, but girls scared him even more, he quickly looked down at the floor, he was busy staring at his shoes when a shadow fell on the floor in front of him, he slowly looked up, it was the girl, she smiled, showing a set of pink and purple braces, Rimmer felt his heart flutter,
"Hi" said the girl, dumping her bag on the floor, and sitting beside Rimmer, "I'm Elizabeth, and you are?" Rimmer stared at her,
"I'm bone...Arnold, Arnold Rimmer" he groaned, he's just made a complete and utter prat of himself. "Bone Arnold?" said Elizabeth "that's a unique name" it wasn't an insult, she said it nicely, adding a little giggle on the end. "Can I call you Arn?" she asked blushing, 'You can call me anything you like' thought Rimmer, he nodded,
"Bunking off?," asked Elizabeth, Rimmer was about to say no, but he then realised he was sat in a park in his school uniform,
"Yeah" he said, hoping Elizabeth wouldn't notice his ripped blazer or bruised nose. "Me too" she said sighing, "well sort of, were on a geography trip, meant to be making notes on the city, but I came here instead get some peace and quiet, so come on" she said facing Rimmer and giving him a smile, "why you bunking off?" Rimmer puffed out his chest,
"No reason" he said, trying to sound hard, "just can't be bothered with school or teachers and" he noticed Elizabeth's face "what's the matter?" he asked her, no longer trying to sound hard. He followed Elizabeth's eyes, a tall, scrawny women was marching across the park, behind her stood a pack of girls, all of whom were wearing the same uniform as Elizabeth, they seemed to be laughing at something, "Elizabeth Evens, you disgraceful girl," the teacher barked "come here right now!" "uh ho" she said, she jumped up grabbed her bag, and raced off,
"Bye Arn" she said waving. As Rimmer watched her leave, he felt his heart sink to his shoes. He lifted his feet and lay on the bench, something dug into his neck, he sat up, it was Elizabeth's book, "Elizabeth" he yelled, holding the book up, he read the title, and looked at Elizabeth's who was being dragged away from the park by her teacher, then at the book, "no" he said in disbelief. He re-read the books title, trying to understand, He read it again to be sure.
"How to cope with bullies"
Rimmer tried to put off going back into school for as long as he could, but by 9 O Clock he was tired and very hungry. The moment he went through the doors, he was grabbed by the ear and dragged into the head masters office where he received a lecture, he said "yes sir, no sir, sorry sir" in all the right places, but he wasn't really listening, he kept thinking of Elizabeth, and the book.
"A months detention Rimmer" shouted the headmaster, "and if you ever pull a silly little stunt like this ever again, it will be longer, now get out of my sight!" Rimmer grabbed his bag, and hurried out of the room, he began to walk as slow as he could back to the dorm room. He entered the room, and the boys began laughing, "Who knew it eh?" laughed Butcher "Bonehead waggin' it, you couldn't have been any good, you got caught!" Rimmer didn't hear them; he was lost in his own world. That night, Rimmer lay waiting for the rest of the boys to go to sleep, "why" he thought to himself "why does such a nice, kind girl get bullied" but then Rimmer wondered why anyone got bullied. He made sure that everyone was asleep, before creeping out of bed, sneaking the book out of his bag, and found a torch, he pulled the covers over his head, and began to read
"Chapter 1: you are not alone"
Rimmer's footsteps echoed down the well-lit corridors, he raced past displays of work hardly giving them a glance, they were catching up on him, straight ahead of him lay safety, an open classroom, he jumped in and slammed the door shut, he leant against the wall, breathing heavily in a mixture of breathlessness and fear. Shouts of "bonehead bonehead bonehead" got louder and louder, outside footsteps of the bullies made the glass in the door rattle, Rimmer sat praying that they wouldn't find him, the corridor went quiet, he peeked out of the window and slowly slid the door open, he cautiously stuck his head out, and glanced up and down the corridor, they'd gone. He went back into the classroom and began to survey the damage, this time it wasn't too bad, his face stung a bit, he had a cut knee and a rip in his trousers. He opened the door and began to walk slowly down the corridor, slow, menacing thuds behind him signalled he was being followed, he didn't look back, he just ran, as did the follower. The person grabbed the back of his blazer and forced him against the wall,
"Where you going 'Bonehead'?" It was Peter Butch, who was nicknamed 'Butcher', he grinned at Rimmer nastily, Rimmer began shaking,
"Nowhere" he said curling up, Peters right hand turned into a fist, Rimmer gasped and closed his eyes,
"Too right" said Butcher, he punched Rimmer hard in the stomach, making him double up. Butcher then grabbed Rimmer's hair, yanked back his neck and punched him in the middle of his face, pleased with his work Butcher walked down the corridor, hands in his pockets, laughing. Inside his head Rimmer was screaming in pain, but outside, he didn't shed a tear.
Rimmer stood outside his dormitory, staring at the window, he wasn't looking out of it, and he was trying to see if his face was bruised. He turned round and faced the door; he dreaded evening more then any other time of day, being in a room with 15 other boys, all of whom hated the sight of him. He placed his hands on the doorknob and took a deep breath. The door creaked as Rimmer opened it, everyone's attention was drawn to the door, Rimmer froze, he wanted desperately to run away, but they'd chase him and then beat him up. Butcher walked over, and stood towering over him, he grinned again,
"just tellin' the lads what a little baby you were in our fight bonehead!" Rimmer attempted to ignore him, and walked past Butcher, he began to undress, all he wanted to do was go to bed and be alone, he pulled the covers over his head, Butcher insisted on telling everyone how Rimmer 'cried like a baby', he always added in extra details, to make his victims look even more pathetic or to make him look even more fierce. Rimmer cheeks were wet with tears, and he swore that he'd have one day of his life where no one would bully him. He'd play truant the next day.
Rimmer walked down the steps that lead down the dining room and the entrance hall, he made sure that he was last out of the dorm room that way he'd get no bother off anyone, he reached he bottom step, he was supposed to be doing extra rugby practise, the teacher said it was to make him more of a man, he was lying, it was because he thought Rimmer was weak. Rimmer glanced uneasily at the rugby pitches, then at the open gate that lay at the end of the driveway, adrenaline raced through Rimmer blood stream, he began to race down the gravel path faster then he'd ever run before, he kept loosing his footing, his heart was nearly bursting out of his chest, but he didn't stop running. He made sure he was far away from school before stopping; he began to stroll towards the city centre, that was when it dawned on Rimmer, he was free, free for a whole day, no bullying, no teasing, no being beat up, FREE! He had to stop himself jumping up and down and singing with joy. He walked around the city grinning from ear to ear, he found himself walking in the park, he normally hated the park, whenever he came with school, he always ended up in the pond or tied to a tree, but it was empty and quiet. He sat down on a bench and gazed round the park, there was a women walking a dog, two elderly men deep in discussion a few benches down, and a girl about his age sat on the grass reading, he tried to read the title of the book, but suddenly the girl lowered it, and met Rimmer eyes, she waved. Rimmer looked behind him, expecting to see someone who the girl was waving to, no one was there. Confused Rimmer looked at the girl, she gave Rimmer a kind smile, Rimmer began to sweat, bullies scared him, but girls scared him even more, he quickly looked down at the floor, he was busy staring at his shoes when a shadow fell on the floor in front of him, he slowly looked up, it was the girl, she smiled, showing a set of pink and purple braces, Rimmer felt his heart flutter,
"Hi" said the girl, dumping her bag on the floor, and sitting beside Rimmer, "I'm Elizabeth, and you are?" Rimmer stared at her,
"I'm bone...Arnold, Arnold Rimmer" he groaned, he's just made a complete and utter prat of himself. "Bone Arnold?" said Elizabeth "that's a unique name" it wasn't an insult, she said it nicely, adding a little giggle on the end. "Can I call you Arn?" she asked blushing, 'You can call me anything you like' thought Rimmer, he nodded,
"Bunking off?," asked Elizabeth, Rimmer was about to say no, but he then realised he was sat in a park in his school uniform,
"Yeah" he said, hoping Elizabeth wouldn't notice his ripped blazer or bruised nose. "Me too" she said sighing, "well sort of, were on a geography trip, meant to be making notes on the city, but I came here instead get some peace and quiet, so come on" she said facing Rimmer and giving him a smile, "why you bunking off?" Rimmer puffed out his chest,
"No reason" he said, trying to sound hard, "just can't be bothered with school or teachers and" he noticed Elizabeth's face "what's the matter?" he asked her, no longer trying to sound hard. He followed Elizabeth's eyes, a tall, scrawny women was marching across the park, behind her stood a pack of girls, all of whom were wearing the same uniform as Elizabeth, they seemed to be laughing at something, "Elizabeth Evens, you disgraceful girl," the teacher barked "come here right now!" "uh ho" she said, she jumped up grabbed her bag, and raced off,
"Bye Arn" she said waving. As Rimmer watched her leave, he felt his heart sink to his shoes. He lifted his feet and lay on the bench, something dug into his neck, he sat up, it was Elizabeth's book, "Elizabeth" he yelled, holding the book up, he read the title, and looked at Elizabeth's who was being dragged away from the park by her teacher, then at the book, "no" he said in disbelief. He re-read the books title, trying to understand, He read it again to be sure.
"How to cope with bullies"
Rimmer tried to put off going back into school for as long as he could, but by 9 O Clock he was tired and very hungry. The moment he went through the doors, he was grabbed by the ear and dragged into the head masters office where he received a lecture, he said "yes sir, no sir, sorry sir" in all the right places, but he wasn't really listening, he kept thinking of Elizabeth, and the book.
"A months detention Rimmer" shouted the headmaster, "and if you ever pull a silly little stunt like this ever again, it will be longer, now get out of my sight!" Rimmer grabbed his bag, and hurried out of the room, he began to walk as slow as he could back to the dorm room. He entered the room, and the boys began laughing, "Who knew it eh?" laughed Butcher "Bonehead waggin' it, you couldn't have been any good, you got caught!" Rimmer didn't hear them; he was lost in his own world. That night, Rimmer lay waiting for the rest of the boys to go to sleep, "why" he thought to himself "why does such a nice, kind girl get bullied" but then Rimmer wondered why anyone got bullied. He made sure that everyone was asleep, before creeping out of bed, sneaking the book out of his bag, and found a torch, he pulled the covers over his head, and began to read
"Chapter 1: you are not alone"