A Few Days Earlier
Walking home from school to have a fall break was the amazing time to appreciate the sights. I grab my camera from my chest and crouch to take a picture of the vibrant autumn tree leaves spreading across the sidewalk. As soon as I take a look at what I got, an unexpected whisper says, "Whatcha doing, squirrel boy?" I jump from my stature then fall back on the sidewalk with a stinging pain coming from my knee.
"Are you okay, Stan?", says a familiar voice different from the voice I just heard coming from the sidewalk. The whisper came from the meanest girl in school, Joan. Joan was laughing at my reaction while Henry, a friend of mine, was worried. I was in pain when Henry helped me up to stand while Joan just kept laughing away. She stopped all of a sudden to say, "Squirrel boy, you are so pitiful that it is hilarious. How about climbing a tree next time and eating a few nuts while you are at it."
I shrugged off her insults because I was too much in pain to speak. Henry looked glaringly at her and was about to say something, but Joan interrupted, "Well, do you have anything to say about it, baby? Or should I just beat you up in front of your already pitiful squirrel friend?"
Henry's face suddenly got red, but when he began to open his mouth, no words came out. I think he was scared to talk back because Joan's reputation as a bully was frightening. Fortunately, she was an eighth grader and this was her last year at the Greenbarks Middle School. I could actually live for the next two years without having to be called an awful nickname like "squirrel boy". Also, why give me that nickname in the first place? First off, I am allergic to any type of nuts. Next, I have a fear of climbing trees because I could possibly fall off and get injured. Lastly, I may be afraid of everything, including dogs, but that's just a normal human reaction. Well, just forget I said the last part because that's what all animals have. Maybe she does have a point though…
Henry soon sat down on the sidewalk and gestured me to sit next to him. I wanted to object since I had to go home soon, but I was too much in pain so I did sit. Henry broke the silence once Joan was out of hearing range, "I can't stand that girl, Stan!" Looking at me with his green eyes, he was so filled with anger, "How can you be able to take it with her calling you that stupid name?"
"I don't know," I said in a painful voice.
"Stan," says Henry. "You do realize that the whole school has found out what she's been calling you, right?"
"Um…." I said shocked and somewhat disappointed right now.
"Knew it!" Henry claps his hands. He laughs and shakes his head to say, "Man, Stan, you really do need to know this because your reputation as a great photographer might go down someday."
"H-how come?" I stammer. I just couldn't believe that my two years without the nickname would suddenly rush down the toilet. I need to be known as Stan Milford, not "squirrel boy" for the rest of my life! I clasp my head with tight hands in disbelief because I so hope it wasn't true. Please let it not be true, please let it not be true!
Henry takes one of my hands of my head tightly and says, "Stan, you need to hold yourself together. It's not the most horrible thing Joan could do to you. It could have been much worse!"
"No, it is bad because there could be pranks going on when we come back from fall break." I said miserably afraid, "It could involve nuts and you know how I have the worst case of allergies toward them."
"Take it easy, man," Henry says reassuringly, "You just have to pull through it once school starts in two weeks to the end of next semester."
I so felt like crying, but I knew that men should not cry in public so I did my best to hold it in. I just smile and say, "Girls like Joan are so weird and crazy sometimes."
"You are so speaking my language right know, Stan the Man!" says Henry as soon as we both jump up to stand. We both walked side by side talking about plans for the science fair and looking at the photo I took with my camera until we both got to my house.