Bully
Connor's pov
After a particularly terrible day of 8th grade, all I wanted was to be with my brother. So I ran there, tears still streaming down my face. Pop and Grandpa knew that if I was not at the Bay Ridge house, I was with one of our family members. And my brother was the first option to be checked. Occam's Razor, the simplest or easiest answer is usually the correct one. By now, I was knocking on his door, which he quickly opened, facial expression turning to shock and concern
"Connor?! C'mere!"
I eagerly complied, crying again in his embrace once he closed the door. He shushed me for a good bit, until he was finally able to ask what had happened. Gulping for air, I managed to speak
"The bullies just won't stop. I tried to resolve this by myself, I really did. But they keep saying that it's good my Mom and our Dad aren't here, because they... they'd hate me and be ashamed of me."
That set me off again, and, though he was nothing but gentle but me, I could feel the anger towards the bullies bubbling inside my big brother. Especially once I heard him mutter some sort of mantra-like phrase about the bullies being minors and him being an adult, therefore not being able to deal with them. He stroked my hair and got us ice cream, then spoke
"I'm so sorry, Con. They're absolutely wrong. 100% completely wrong. I know I never met your mom or our Dad, but if the rest of our family is any indication, they loved you with everything they had and then some."
A small smile gracing my face, I spoke
"Thanks. Help me tell Grandpa and Pop so they can talk to the school about it?"
He gave me a hug and nodded
"Anything you need, I'm there."
Not long later, we made our way back to the Bay Ridge house, both of us gladly welcomed in. It did not take long for my guardians to notice I had been crying, and Grandpa beat Pop to the punch and asked what had happened. My brother gently and reassuringly squeezed my shoulder in support as I came clean. I was not given any details, but by the next day, the bullies had switched schools. I was just so lucky and thankful my family always had my back.