Chapter 3
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new chapter of The Secret Bully. I am glad that so many people are enjoying this. Now, without further ado, our featured fanfic presentation!
This chapter is kinda rushing my original plot a bit, but I honestly couldn't think of anything else for after Rigby went to Skips for help.
I don't own Regular Show.
Rigby darted around, until he finally came to the garage, where Skips was working on the cart. The yeti heard his entrance, and turned around.
"Skips! I have an emergency!" the raccoon wailed, finally coming to a stop in front of Skips. Skips raised an eyebrow, and, sensing the urgency in his friend's voice, placed the wrench on the ground and prepared to listen.
"Tabatha! She's working here!" Rigby shouted, and Skips immediately understood.
Seeing as he knew of Rigby's affections toward his best friend, he also knew that the reason behind Tabatha's bullying in third grade (and now, it seemed) was that she came from a Christian family that loathed homosexuals.
"Calm down, Rigby. I'm sure we can think of something to get rid of her... Why not just tell Benson?" Skips suggested. Rigby shook his head.
"No! First, I don't need him knowing about my sexuality. Second, Tabatha was NICE to me in front of Benson! But when he left..." the raccoon trailed off, though he knew that his larger friend understood. Skips nodded slowly.
"Well, I don't know Rigby... I'll think of something, and when I do I'll be sure to let you know" he said, and then turned back to the cart. Rigby groaned and walked away, having expected an immediate solution.
...
Meanwhile, in an apartment a few blocks down, Tabatha, Karen and Annabelle were chatting in their living room.
"Tabatha? May I ask you something?" Karen asked delicately, as she poured herself a cup of tea.
"Sure, what is it?" the brunnette responded, before taking a bite out of her chocolate chip cookie. Karen shifted uncomfortably before finally stating her question,
"Why do you hate Rigby so much?"
Tabatha nearly choked on her cookie, and Annabelle looked at Karen like she was deranged.
"Because he's gay, Karen. Weren't you paying attention?" Annabelle pointed out. Karen looked into her teacup, before answering.
"Well, yes... But, is there nothing else? Is that the only reason?" Tabatha was silent for a moment.
"I don't hate him..." she finally muttered. When her only replies were stares from her friends, she continued.
"We used to be friends in second grade... Then, right before third grade began, he told me he liked boys. At first I was okay with it. I just hugged him and said I'd always be his friend..." A tear began to make its way down her cheek, and her voice wavered slightly.
"And at dinner I told my family... And they weren't happy that I was friends with a gay. They yelled, they lectured me on right and wrong, and then my dad punched me in the face. Mom did nothing to stop him... So, the message was pretty clear in my mind that I was supposed to hate homosexuals. So, the next day school began..." she took a deep breath before continuing.
"When I saw him, my memories of the previous night came, and I hit him. Over and over again with my textbook, until he was knocked unconscious. When he finally was able to return to school, I guess he had forgotten that we used to be friends, because he was looking at me, scared as can be. And I continued to bully him, though I used less physical violence and more hurtful words. Every day I was meaner and meaner... And then he moved" she wiped away a tear, and choked out a sob.
"I was guilty. I knew that it was my fault that he had left. I was also angry with myself, for letting his sexuality get in the way of our friendship..." she finally finished. Annabelle and Karen just looked at her in shock.
"Then... why did you yell at him today?" Annabelle asked when she found her voice. Tabatha gave a weak smile.
"Well... He doesn't remember. He doesn't know that we were friends. Once, before he left, I asked what he remembered of the second grade... He said it was too fuzzy, since I knocked him out. And I didn't know if he'd believe me, so I... I pretended to hate the fact that he's gay..." she explained. Karen sighed, placing her tea on the coffee table.
"Tabatha, you need to apologize" she said. The brunette shook her head.
"What could I say or do to make up for those five months of pain and torture I put him through?" she said bitterly. Annabelle thought a moment... Then it hit her.
"He likes Mordecai. You could see if he likes Rigby back" she suggested. Tabatha stared at the ground.
"Well, I suppose... But what if he doesn't? Then what do we do?"
"We'll cross that bridge when or if we get there" Karen responded. Tabatha nodded slowly.
"Until then, though, it's best you keep up the whole 'I hate you' act. If you start acting differently he'll get suspicious" Annabelle pointed out. Tabatha just nodded again.