The crowd booed at the bully's cowardly act. Andrea knew she couldn't back down now, as much as she hated the thought of fighting her former friend. As Andie watched Betty approach, however, she realized all was not as it seemed. Andrea knew Betty well, and her face, her walk, the way she held her body... none of it indicated that the taller girl was about to fight. Andrea held up her right hand and gave a quick wave. The students behind her stopped their jeering.
"I sure hope you're ready to fight, two against one," Betty yelled as she reached Andrea. The tall girl was standing to Andie's right when she spun around to face Derek Stiles. "You hear me, crybaby? You lift a finger against Andrea and you'll answer to ME!"
Derek looked at Betty, in shock that his partner was switching sides. Recovering, he yelled, "Suits me fine, you traitor! I'll take you on and make you sorry you turned on me!"
"Suits me fine right back!" Andrea retorted. "You try anything against Betty, and I'll kick you all the way back to your nursery!" Andie realized that this was too good an opportunity to pass up. She turned to Natalie and motioned for her to join them. Natalie looked confused, so Andie nodded her head in confirmation.
"Who cares, shr-shrimp girl?" Derek shot back. As Andrea turned back to him, she could tell he was losing his nerve. "I'll - I'll put both of you six feet under!"
Betty gasped and put the back of her right hand on her forehead. "Oh, no, Andie!" she shrieked. "He's gonna drown us in six feet of tears! We'd better learn to swim!" The former victims of the bully broke out in laughter at the tall girl's jest.
"Give it up, Stiles," Andrea repeated. "You can't beat either of us alone! You take us both on, YOU'LL be the one they pick up off the sidewalk!"
"And if you do luck out and beat both of them, you'll answer to ME!" Andrea and Betty turned to see that Natalie had joined them in standing up to Derek Stiles.
The three girls walked towards the bully, who was slowly retreating from them. The trio had only gone a few steps when the rest of the students ran up to join them. Led by Andrea, the group started to overtake Derek. The tall boy turned and ran, to the taunts and jeers of his former victims.
"Way to go, Andie!" Natalie cried, patting her friend on the back.
"'Way to go, all of us', you mean!" Andie corrected her. "We won because we all banded together against that creep!"
"There's just one more thing we have to take care of," Betty spoke up.
"And what would that be?" Andrea asked (although she knew what Betty was about to say.)
Betty Harper began, "Well, I did something really stupid awhile ago. I got really big last summer, and I, uh, kind of turned my back on my friends and hung around with this real idiot, just because we were both real big. And I," she looked guiltily at the boys and girls she'd bullied, and continued, "I said and did a lot of things that hurt a lot of people. Anyway, then one of my best friends, who was really small, and who got even smaller recently, showed me what a jerk I'd turned into."
The tall girl looked at Andrea and said, "I guess what I want to say is, I'm really sorry about how I've been acting this whole year, and I was wondering if maybe we could, you know... be friends again?"
Andie looked up at Betty for a moment. Then she said, "Well, I'm gonna have to think this over. Can I let you know in a day or two?" The tall girl looked sad for a moment... until Andrea smiled warmly at her and threw her arms around her in a hug. Betty returned her friend's embrace as the boys and girls around them gathered to welcome their new friend.
"I sure hope you're ready to fight, two against one," Betty yelled as she reached Andrea. The tall girl was standing to Andie's right when she spun around to face Derek Stiles. "You hear me, crybaby? You lift a finger against Andrea and you'll answer to ME!"
Derek looked at Betty, in shock that his partner was switching sides. Recovering, he yelled, "Suits me fine, you traitor! I'll take you on and make you sorry you turned on me!"
"Suits me fine right back!" Andrea retorted. "You try anything against Betty, and I'll kick you all the way back to your nursery!" Andie realized that this was too good an opportunity to pass up. She turned to Natalie and motioned for her to join them. Natalie looked confused, so Andie nodded her head in confirmation.
"Who cares, shr-shrimp girl?" Derek shot back. As Andrea turned back to him, she could tell he was losing his nerve. "I'll - I'll put both of you six feet under!"
Betty gasped and put the back of her right hand on her forehead. "Oh, no, Andie!" she shrieked. "He's gonna drown us in six feet of tears! We'd better learn to swim!" The former victims of the bully broke out in laughter at the tall girl's jest.
"Give it up, Stiles," Andrea repeated. "You can't beat either of us alone! You take us both on, YOU'LL be the one they pick up off the sidewalk!"
"And if you do luck out and beat both of them, you'll answer to ME!" Andrea and Betty turned to see that Natalie had joined them in standing up to Derek Stiles.
The three girls walked towards the bully, who was slowly retreating from them. The trio had only gone a few steps when the rest of the students ran up to join them. Led by Andrea, the group started to overtake Derek. The tall boy turned and ran, to the taunts and jeers of his former victims.
"Way to go, Andie!" Natalie cried, patting her friend on the back.
"'Way to go, all of us', you mean!" Andie corrected her. "We won because we all banded together against that creep!"
"There's just one more thing we have to take care of," Betty spoke up.
"And what would that be?" Andrea asked (although she knew what Betty was about to say.)
Betty Harper began, "Well, I did something really stupid awhile ago. I got really big last summer, and I, uh, kind of turned my back on my friends and hung around with this real idiot, just because we were both real big. And I," she looked guiltily at the boys and girls she'd bullied, and continued, "I said and did a lot of things that hurt a lot of people. Anyway, then one of my best friends, who was really small, and who got even smaller recently, showed me what a jerk I'd turned into."
The tall girl looked at Andrea and said, "I guess what I want to say is, I'm really sorry about how I've been acting this whole year, and I was wondering if maybe we could, you know... be friends again?"
Andie looked up at Betty for a moment. Then she said, "Well, I'm gonna have to think this over. Can I let you know in a day or two?" The tall girl looked sad for a moment... until Andrea smiled warmly at her and threw her arms around her in a hug. Betty returned her friend's embrace as the boys and girls around them gathered to welcome their new friend.