This is the first story arc. It likely won't last very long, probably a few chapters. With that said, let's continue onwards.

Keep in wind, this chapter is focused on Sam's POV.

Bully

I, Samson Crystal Barret, or Sam as I liked to be known, had been happier now that me and my sister lived with the Barrets. My adoptive parents, Felix and Agatha, truly treated me and Isabella like their real children. Sure, they weren't too bright, but they were real parents.

On another hand, I finally got to go to school for the first time. I was nervous, at first, but David and Janet, and even Isabella and Brenda, had all reassured me that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. And, for the most part, they were right. The teachers were nice, the other kids were nice, and the school janitor, Mr. Harley, soon became my favorite school official.

And words couldn't describe how excited the whole family was when I revealed that in a week, I'd be turning nine. The preparations were all being set early to prepare me for a great day.

But, something was bugging me. Or should I say someone.

Her name was Alyssa Geraldine. She had shiny blonde hair and green eyes, and a bit of an overbite. Every class has that kid who's scrawnier than everyone else, and Alyssa was just that. She was about three inches shorter than me and Janet, and she was rather skinny, too. However, that was because she wasn't quite in the same age group as us.

The kids in my class were all eight, some turning nine, including me. Alyssa was seven. Why she was in the same class as us, then, I'm not sure.

I hate Alyssa. There, I said it. I hate that shrimp. Why? She has a cute smile, sparkly eyes, and is surprisingly good at math and equations. So, why do I despise her so much.

"Ow!"

Alyssa stuck her foot behind my chair leg and tripped it over, causing me to fall on the floor. I'd been painting a portrait of me and my family, but because of Alyssa, I'd totally smeared the whole thing.

"It was only an accident," Alyssa excused.

Yeah, that's why I hate Alyssa. She's a bully.

Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but I'd like to think she is. I honestly hadn't been told what a bully was until recently, by David. He says a bully is someone who makes other people miserable. If that's the case, then Alyssa is a bully.

Alyssa's a peculiar person. I've watched high school movies, and whenever they have a girl bully, she's some rich blonde bimbo who calls people names, acts so smug, and yet is popular. Let me tell you, Alyssa isn't like that.

Alyssa isn't popular. She has no friends in the school. She lounges about in the back of the class, and nobody pays her any attention, not even Janet, who sits next to her. During recess, she's a loner, spending the whole time skipping on giant rocks and somehow not tripping and falling.

It's only during times when the teacher isn't around, that she'll bully me. In this instance, the teacher had left the room, and she tripped me, causing the aforementioned incident. Other times, she'll drop my bag off of the hanger and even remove its contents. She purposely bumps into me, especially when I'm carrying something. Other times, she'll jab a finger into my back or ear. But then there are times when she'll strike me with a ruler or kick me in the shin.

If this were before my adoption, she wouldn't of been a problem. Back then, I get back at anyone who annoyed me somehow, usually with use of my powers. I'd do it in a way that they wouldn't suspect me, though. But, now that I'm a schoolboy, and adopted, I don't have that option. I can't just beat her up. She's younger and smaller than me.

I pretend she doesn't bother me. But, recently, I've started asking the people I'm close to how to properly deal with her.

David said, "Life's a (unsuitable word) and then you die." Considering how he reacts to someone who annoys him, I thank that's incredibly hypocritical.

Brenda told me, "Tough." I didn't quite get it, though. Tough as in take Alyssa's behavior and do nothing, or tough as in do something and stop her? She should've been more specific.

Janet's advice was the only thing that actually sounded like it could work. She told me, "Sometimes, people do things and don't understand the consequences for it, or how it makes someone feel. Maybe, if you let that girl know that you don't like what she's doing, she'll stop."

Yeah, maybe I should do that. In fact, I will do it. I'm going to walk right up to Alyssa, and tell her that what she's doing is wrong, and that she should STOP.

I came out with a black eye. Of course I didn't fight back, for fear of seriously harming her. She didn't listen to what I said, of course, and seemed quite offended, really.

I didn't know what else to do. There were few other people I could talk to.

I sat down on my tree stump in the forest to ponder things. As I did, Mirror Samson's pet cat, Ballard, slunk up to me and lay down in my lap. I stroked his back.

"What am I going to do, Ballard?" I asked him. "This blonde girl is a pain in my neck, and it's almost my birthday. What do you suggest?"

Ballard softly meowed.

"No, I am not going to beat her up!" I said firmly. "Otherwise, I would've done it by now."

Ballard meowed again, but longer, this time. This time, he actually had a point, but I couldn't take that option, either.

"No, I can't talk to Isabella, either," I said, as ridiculous as that sounded. It did seem weird that of all people, my biological sister was the one person I was keeping the bullying situation a secret from. But, here's the thing: every time Isabella gives me advice, I come to regret it later on. Maybe immediately, or some time may pass, but I always end up feeling guilty when I take her advice.

So, I don't know what to do. It's like I'm stuck in a pickle jar; there's no way out unless someone else opens the lid.

So, the big question was, who'd get me out of this one?