Unusual Bonds 1 – The Jock and The Nerd
The Jock
I first really noticed him today sitting in the playground, in the shadows, by himself again. I had never really taken much notice of him before but I knew he was a new student, just transferred in to our school a few months ago. He had never stood out with anything physical so I hadn't noticed him through the sports I loved playing. But it in class was where he really shined. He was in all my classes and he was quickly at the top of them in everything. The teacher's had been giving him harder and harder work, but unfortunately it had made him a target for the bullies.
So I had been playing in the playground, playing basketball with Zack when he really came to my attention. He was sitting in that corner of his, where he sat day after day once I came to think about it, quietly reading a book when Bulk and Skull came along. I frowned, stopping what I was doing, holding the basketball. The quiet kid had done nothing to me and I had probably only spoken two or three words to him and he had answered me in a quiet and very polite way. He struck me as someone that needed looking after and suddenly I knew where that feeling had come from as Bulk and Skull neared him. I couldn't abide bullies and these two were fast becoming bad ones.
They were standing over him, threatening him and I couldn't stand for that. No one deserved to be bullied like that. Handing Zack the ball I started to walk over. The poor kid was looking so scared, like he wanted to run and hide but Bulk and Skull wasn't letting him. No way was I letting that poor kid suffer.
"Leave him alone guys." Bulk and Skull turned to me and they took a step backwards. I crossed my arms and moments later Bulk growled and pushed his way past me, Skull following moments later. I looked down at the poor kid, who was busily putting his glasses back on his face and picking up his book. I sat down next to him and gave a warm smile. Poor kid looked like he was ready to bolt. "It'll be okay now, they won't bother you again. My name is Jason, what's yours?" He looked up at me and my eyes met mine and I was stunned at the sheer relief and warmth in them. I had held out my hand for him to shake and he looked down at it and then back up at me. There was something in his eyes that made me realise then and there that this boy was special, and I could tell that my seeming simple offer of friendship was something that hadn't happened to him before. He took my hand and I could feel the gentleness in his gripe. I just knew then and there, this kid before me would be in my life a very long time, and somehow I knew that I would really be better off for that. He gave him a shy smile and it seemed to light up his face, his entire being actually.
"My name is Billy. It's nice to meet you."
The Nerd
I was enjoying the work that my teachers set me at my new school. I wasn't much into sports like a lot of my class mates but that will come in time I guess. I don't know any one really well in my new school yet. I've always had trouble making friends I guess. Things hadn't been going well for us, me and my Dad I mean, for a long time. When my Mum died recently my Dad decided we needed a complete change of scenery and pace. His company transferred him out here and I ended up in a new school. The teachers are nice and what little interaction I've had with the other students has been okay.
I saw the tallish boy that I took to be the resident athlete in our class playing basketball with another boy. They seemed to be great friends, always laughing and playing and having fun. I envied them sometimes. I had seen him around before in class and on the playground. He struck me as a little intimidating but the couple of times I had spoken with him he was always polite and friendly. But I was still a bit afraid of him, he was way bigger than me.
But on this day, if my Dad had said it would change my life, I probably would have scoffed at him. Today had started out like every other. School work that I found interesting and it was a nice feeling to have the teacher give me some extra work. I then went to the library and Miss Spencer had a book for me that I had been waiting for. I had recently become interested in classic literature and I was currently reading through the works of Shakespeare.
Shadows suddenly came over me and I looked up with no amount of trepidation. Bulk and Skull, the resident bullies that had begun to make my life miserable during lunch hours where standing before me and I felt my stomach clench in fear. These encounters were getting more and more troublesome and made me fear lunch more and more.
"What you doing brain box." I took a deep breath and answered as best I could, hoping that my voice didn't betray the fear I was feeling.
"Reading a book. The combined works of William Shakespeare, it's a classic." Bulk knocked the book out of my hands and then when I bent down to pick it up he knocked my glasses off. I couldn't help flinching as I waited for the beating to start, but it didn't. A strong voice suddenly sounded.
"Leave him alone guys." I looked up and saw the tall boy standing there, behind them. Bulk and Skull took a step back and then they left me alone. I wasn't relieved though, I was frightened that one bully had been replaced by another. He sat down next to me and smiled at me as I put my glasses back on. I bent down to pick up my book and he spoke again. "It'll be okay now, they won't bother you again. My name is Jason, what's yours?" He held out his hand for me to take and I stared at him, amazed. Why wasn't he beating up on me? He was a jock wasn't he? Isn't that what they did to kids like me? I looked down at his hand and then back up and my eyes met his. I saw nothing but kindness, friendship and strength in them. His eyes were warm and for once I felt safe in someone's presence. And somehow I knew that I had made a friend and that he would always be there for him. Somehow I just knew that his strength would be there for me if I ever needed. So I reached out and I took his hand, shaking it, amazed at the gentle strength I felt in it and his grip.
"My name is Billy. It's nice to meet you."