Chapter 20: Dealing with Bullying

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon that Monday morning when Finn left his home with his trusty green backpack slung over his shoulder after saying goodbye to his mother, promising to see her later and with Jake trotting happily by his side. The yellow-orange dog wagged his tail excitedly, as if sensing that his friend was in a better mood that morning, that made him believe that maybe after school, there would be time to play in the park or in the backyard.

"Take it easy, Jake. Don't get too excited" Finn said, petting the dog behind the ears "but who knows, maybe we'll have time to play later"

Luckily the trip to school was quiet at that time of the morning, there was not much traffic, just a few hurried students and neighbors starting their routine. As he turned a corner, the teenager ran into Fern who had just left the apartment building where he was living along with Bonnibel and other professors.

"Hey, Finn" Fern greeted him, tucking a scarf of two different shades of green around his neck.

"Fern! How are you?" asked Finn, slowing his pace to approach him, holding back a laugh at the sight of him wearing a scarf "what's with the scarf?"

"Ugh, this? Bonnie made it for me" the blond boy with green dyed tips answered rolling his eyes "I saw that this morning it would be very cold and what better opportunity to wear it than today, what do you think? do I look bad?"

"No, no. Not at all" Finn replied with a smile, glancing at the scarf "in fact, it looks good on you. Bonnie seems to be good at this sort of thing"

"Yeah, I guess she is" Fern snorted with amusement, feeling a sudden blush appear on his face "although I'm not sure if she does it because she likes to knit or because she doesn't want me to freeze to death"

The boy chuckled adjusting the strap of his backpack as they continued walking together, the cold morning air bringing a slight blush to both of their cheeks.

"Luckily the path is quiet at this hour" Finn commented, looking around "it always gets chaotic up ahead"

Fern nodded putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Yeah, I guess that's the one good thing about getting up early. By the way, how are you? you look... different."

"Different?" Finn cocked his head to one side in surprise.

"Yes, like... more relaxed, I don't know. You've been so tense lately" the boy answered, looking at him sideways. Finn shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I'm a little better. Friday was... weird, but also good."

"Because of the surprise slumber party?" Fern asked with a half-smile.

"Yeah, something like that" Finn said smiling away, feeling the blush on his face increase "but" he added with a more serious tone in his voice "I also have to work something out today, my mom wants to talk to the principal about the boys that have been bullying me"

"Really?" Fern asked with an arched eyebrow "and you're okay with that? don't you think you're old enough to fix your problems by yourself?"

"In this case it seems I'm not old enough" Finn answered giving a sigh "it's a hard thing, I want things to change, but I also know that these guys are not going to stand still"

"Well, at least you're not alone in this. Your mom seems to be one of those people who don't give up easy, that's something" the blond boy with green eyes said with a tone that tried to be encouraging.

Finn nodded but Fern's comment made him think, then, after a brief silence, he decided to change the topic.

"Hey, Fern, did you ever think about going back to school?"

"W-what?" Fern looked at him, surprised "where did that come from?"

"I don't know, I was just thinking about it. I know you got expelled, but that doesn't mean you can't try again at some point, right? you could get your high school diploma and... I don't know, have more options in the future."

Fern frowned and looked at the ground as he walked.

"It's a complicated thing, Finn. I doubt anyone would want me at their school after all I've done" the boy replied "besides one of the reasons I got expelled was because I disrespected my teachers..."

"You don't know until you try" interrupted Finn with a firm but understanding tone, "besides, what's wrong with that? we've all had our tensions with teachers."

"Yeah, but... the thing is that I also insulted them."

*Flashback*

It was a long, boring and lonely school day for Fern. He missed his friends and by the last lesson he was already feeling it, it was history and he just was not interested in it. He looked out the classroom window, staring at the airplanes and birds flying through the sky and waiting for the lesson to end. Simon Petrikov, the history professor, caught him staring out the window instead of focusing on the class.

"So, Mr. Hawthorn, I take you know everything there is to know about the Roman Empire?" he asked, arching an eyebrow, catching the boy's attention.

"Uh... no" Fern replied quietly.

"Well, pay attention and you might learn" Fern downplayed it and continued looking out the window "are you even listening to me?"

"No, I'm not" the blond boy answered.

"All right, I've an idea" Simon said without stopping walking "why don't you stop looking out the window, turn your face to the front of the class, turn your brain on and try to listen? At least you might learn something"

The man was now standing next to Fern. Fern looked up at him, not intimidated by the professor's words.

"Well, I've a better idea" Fern said "why don't you shut the fuck up?"

The class suddenly became suddenly quiet and then noisy, the students had heard similar exchanges of words before, but somehow they were still stunned by Fern's words. Others simply laughed and Simon turned to the class.

"All right, lot of you, quiet!" his normally tanned face flushed with fury. The class waited for him to burst out "there's no reason for you to talk to me like that, Fern. All I'm asking is that you pay attention"

Fern just rolled her eyes and continued to stare out the window.

"And all I ask is that you leave me alone."

"All right, Fern. Turn around and look to the front" Simon asked raising his voice "I don't know what your problem is, but I can't have you disrupting the rest of the class like thi."

"Well, if you'd leave me alone you could get on with your stupid class, couldn't you?" Fern said still looking out the window.

"How dare you talk to me like that?! GET OUT NOW!" Simon started to shout. Fern stood up abruptly.

"Fine! it doesn't matter. Because I'll talk to you any way I want and you can't do anything, and if you think you can, come, see if I don't box you!"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Call it a threat, but I'm telling the things the way they are. All I'm saying is that you can't do anything."

The man sighed and pointed to the classroom door.

"We'll see about that. Get out of here now" the blond boy pushed his desk and chair aside with his feet, grabbed his backpack and walked out of the classroom, pushing Simon, who followed him into the hallway, leaving the rest of the students chatting among themselves. Once outside in the hallway, both Fern and Simon stood in the middle facing each other. Well, the teacher stood watching Fern as he looked everywhere but the man's face "Fern, look. I don't know what's wrong with you today but... you can't talk to me like that" he said with a tone of voice and a look of concern "I'm your teacher whether you like it to or not and... I need you to understand that"

"Oh, yeah. Sure, I understand perfectly" Fern replied sarcastically "and I'll understand better when you understand that we both have the same level of authority in this school. You know what? I think the real problem here is you, Simon. You always pick on me, so if you pick on me I'll talk to you however I want"

"Fern" Simon lowered his voice and tried to sound as reasonable as he could "listen, I'm not picking on you and let's not make this a personality issue. You're in a lesson right now, a history lesson, and all I'm asking you to do is participate in that lesson"

"No" Fern finally turned his face towards him "you go on with your boring lesson, who cares about history anyway?"

"Okay, that's it" Simon walked away "follow me"

Fern followed him to the principal's office where Simon explained the reason for Fern's behavior to the principal, who was sitting in his big leather chair. Fern just stood in front of the desk and Simon stood next to him with his arms crossed.

Once Simon finished his explanation, the director got straight to the point.

He knew that Fern had a record of conflict and that lately his attitude had worsened. After several warnings and reports of misconduct, he decided that expulsion was the only option. Fern did not argue or attempt to justify himself. He simply walked out of the office with the same anger he had come in with, but deep down feeling an emptiness that he could not ignore.

*Flashback end*

The teenager looked at him slightly surprised, but did not lose his encouraging tone.

"Well, that was in the past, wasn't it? I'm not saying it doesn't count, but we all make mistakes. If you really wanted to try again, you could prove that you're different now."

Fern let out a snort that was half laughter, half disbelief.

"Do you really think anyone would give me that chance?"

"Why not?" Finn smiled "everyone can change, Fern. Besides, Bonnibel is on your side, isn't she? maybe she can give you a hand with that too, and she's good at convincing people. I'm telling you from experience."

Fern let out a small sigh and then looked at Finn with a shy smile.

"Yeah, well, Bonnie's persuasive, that's true. I'll think about it, I guess. I don't know, though, Finn... I'm not sure it's the time for something like that."

"You don't have to decide now" the teenager said calmly "just think about it, I think you could do it if you wanted to"

Little by little, both boys' presence was becoming more noticeable until they reached the school entrance where Finn was attending. There were already some students hanging around nearby, some gathered in groups chatting happily, others just playing with their phones waiting for the bell to ring.

"Well, here we are" Fern commented, looking at the front of the building and then looking back at the boy next to him "take care Finn, and... good luck with the principal, okay?"

"Thank you, Fern. And remember what I told you, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah" Fern replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand as he walked away "see you later, Finn"

Finn looked at his friend walking away, but at that moment, he had an idea, he almost ran to the green eyed boy and grabbed him by the wrist, preventing him from leaving.

"Wait, Fern, why are you leaving so soon? there's still a while before the bell rings" Finn said "why don't you stay a little longer? come on, I want you to get to know my school and show you as much as I can!"

"Uh..." Fern was silent for a few seconds and finally spoke "I don't think that's a good idea, Finn. Besides, just being out here already brings back bad memories of my days here"

"Oh, come on, it's just a little tour, even if it's only through the corridors! And then you can find out how much everything has changed in your absence."

Fern was silent, weighing Finn's words. He looked back at the school and then at the excitement on his friend's face. He gave a long sigh before replying.

"All right, but just for a little while. Don't make me regret this."

"Promise!" Finn smiled broadly and nodded "come on, you'll like it"

They both headed towards the entrance, while Jake, sitting next to the white fence, looked at them, wagging his tail excitedly as if he also approved the idea. Without stopping to think about it, Finn dared to take Fern by the hand and dragged him into the school where several students were beginning to enter their respective classrooms or waiting in the lockers before classes began.

"FINN!" the teen quickly released his hand from Fern's as he saw a girl with a stocky body and long curly hair come running up to where he was standing "I need your help! Part of the final project for history class is due today and you know how demanding Professor Petrikov is, can you make sure everything is in order before class starts?"

"Does it have to be now?" Finn asked the girl "I brought a friend and..."

"OH MY GLOB! Who is that guy with Finn?" a girl from another class exclaimed with astonishment, she made a sign for other girls who were with her to come closer to get a better look at Fern, who could not help but feel a little uncomfortable by the presence of so much female audience. One of the girls in the group pulled Finn aside and positioned herself in his place, taking Fern by the arm as she looked at him seductively "how are you, cutie? my name is Hazel, are you new here?"

Fern at first did not answer, he looked at Finn with his eyes as if waiting for him to say something but when he did not find him, he decided to adopt a more flirtatious pose that had helped him on more than one occasion to deal with annoying fans when he was just starting to play in Marceline's band.

"But what a beauty we have here? nice to meet you, Hazel! My name is Fern" the blond boy with green-dyed tips introduced himself confidently, shaking hands with the girl who seemed to be hypnotized by his charms.

Finn, who was only a couple of meters away from that scene, watched everything with a dull face and serious eyes, he did not know how to explain that feeling that his heart made him feel but without a doubt he did not like at all that those girls were getting so close to Fern or how Hazel was smiling seductively at him.

"Well, it seems that Fern can manage on his own, he doesn't need me anymore" Finn thought, although he could not deny that the thought hurt him a little. He looked away again at the girl next to him "do you want me to help you correct that homework? we'd better do it now!"

"Yeah, of course! Let's go!" Finn stepped forward, forcing a smile to hide his discomfort as the girl took him by the arm and dragged him back to the classroom "thank you, Finn. I knew I could count on you"

"Yeah, sure..." Finn replied distractedly, taking one last look at Fern who was still surrounded by the girls and seemed to be enjoying the attention. Although he tried not to make a big deal of it, he could not help but feel a pang of jealousy mixed with frustration.

As they moved through the halls, Finn tried to focus on the task ahead of them; however, the words of the girl next to him were mixed with thoughts that brought him back to the scene with Fern.

Why do I feel this way? It's ludicrous, Fern is my friend, it shouldn't bother me.

He took a deep breath and tried to convince himself that he was just tired from the stress of the morning.

"Here we are!" the girl announced as she reached the classroom, interrupting his thoughts. Finn shook his head to clear his mind and gave her a more sincere smile.

"Okay, show me what you've got. Let's make sure everything is perfect" he said, figuratively rolling up his sleeves to get down to business.

Although the moment with Fern still lingered in the back of his mind, Finn decided to focus on what he could do now, hoping the rest of the day would be less confusing.

On the other hand, Fern had managed to escape from the group of girls who had cornered him. Now, he was sitting at a picnic table near the high school gym, looking up at the sky with a distracted air but in reality his mind was full of conflicting thoughts. Finn had mentioned that he might consider going back to school, but the thought of facing again a system that he felt had let him down filled him with dread.

"Coming back here would only relive things I'd rather forget" he muttered to himself, pressing his hands against his thighs. But then his mind flashed back to Finn's enthusiastic expression when he talked about his experience at school, that spark of passion was something Fern had not felt in a long time.

Fern sighed deeply with his green gaze fixed on the slowly passing clouds, despite his apparent calmness, his insides were a whirlwind of emotions. Finn had managed to plant a small seed of doubt in his refusal but the memories of the difficult years at his old school were still weighing on him. A noise brought him out of his thoughts, he turned his head and saw Bonnie approaching from across the courtyard, she was wearing her trademark lab coat over her usual clothes and a notebook in her hands. "Oh, there you are" the pink-haired woman said in a calm tone as she stood in front of him "I saw you leaving the building and thought you might need a moment alone"

Fern tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace than a sincere gesture.

"Yes, I needed to get out and get some fresh air" the blond boy with the green-dyed tips answered as he covered half of his face with his scarf "coming back here... I don't know if it was a good idea"

Bonnibel watched him for a moment, studying his expression, then sat down next to him, leaving the notebook on the picnic table.

"It's normal to feel that way. But if Finn brought you here, surely it was for a good reason."

"What if that reason is just that he has too much optimism?" Fern asked with a slightly bitter laugh.

The pink-haired woman shook her head, folding her hands over her notebook.

"Finn has his mistakes, but he's not naïve. Maybe he saw something in you that you can't yet see."

"Maybe" Fern looked down, focusing his thoughts again on Finn's words. The idea of a different future still seemed far off, but not as impossible as before "but I'm not sure I can fit in here... or anywhere else for that matter"

Bonnibel smiled softly and patted him on the shoulder before rising.

"That's something you won't know until you try. And when you do decide to try, Finn and I will be here to help you."

As she walked away, Fern stared at the notebook she had left behind. Without much thought, he opened it and saw a set of notes about school projects. Behind the sheet, he saw a printed message similar to those on motivational cards or phrases that come in a calendar, it read as follows:

"Everyone deserves a second chance, even you. Don't forget that."

Fern closed the notebook and left it on the table, feeling a slight warmth in his chest. Somehow he felt that message was addressed to him and maybe, just maybe, he might consider that possibility after all.

Although Finn tried to keep his attention on the homework, every now and then his attention would slip to Fern. He had seen him perform so well with the girls that now he could not help but wonder if his friend really needed his help. From a distance, he could see how his friend was still surrounded by the girls, laughing and casually chatting with them, as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

Finn lowered his blue gaze back down to the open book in front of him, but the words seemed to swirl on the page until they turned to mush. He felt a pressure in his chest that he could not quite identify.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Finn? Focus" he whispered to himself, gently tapping the edge of the book with his fingers.

"Hey, is everything all right?" his classmate asked, looking up from the text she was reviewing.

"Ah? Yes, of course. All good, I guess" he answered quickly, forcing a smile "it's just... it's strange having Fern here"

"Fern?" she arched an eyebrow and dropped a pen on the table "the new guy who was with you? why would that be strange, according to you?"

Finn hesitated, tapping his fingers on the table.

"It's complicated. I've known him for a few months but... it's like I already know everything about him, and now seeing him here, so comfortable with everyone, makes me think that maybe he doesn't need my help at all."

"And that's a bad thing" his partner asked, cocking her head to one side.

"I don't know" Finn said quietly "maybe I'm just used to feeling like I have to take care of him..."

"What if instead of taking care of him, you're just there for him" the girl suggested with a sympathetic smile.

Finn was silent for a moment, letting her words sink in.

Maybe she's right, but I can't shake the feeling that something else is making me uncomfortable. A nagging thought that I can't quite figure out.

He shook his head, refocusing on the book.

"I guess so. Well, let's get back to this, shall we?"

"Yeah, sure" she replied, though she shot a curious glance at Finn before resuming the project.

Meanwhile, Fern arrived to the industrial area, a part of the city where the steel and concrete structures stood silently as witnesses to the dreams and efforts of those who passed by, and made his way to the cellar where Marceline and her band were gathered. The atmosphere was tense; although the date for recording the album had not yet been set, there was a lot of work to be done, a lot of preparations ahead and everyone seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

A poorly executed note sparked an argument among the members, and Marceline, frustrated, slammed her bass against the floor.

"You can't keep coming late on the beat! This isn't just any improvisation, Georgy!" Marceline shouted, pointing her finger at him as the young man tried to justify himself.

"Well, maybe if you would concentrate on the high notes, we wouldn't have to redo this part over and over again" the drummer replied with his arms crossed, which provoked an uncomfortable murmur among the members.

Wendy, sitting on an old couch with her keyboard on her lap, sighed in frustration.

"Can we focus, please? This is no time to argue, we have a tentative recording date, and we're still stuck at the same point."

Marceline pursed her lips and took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but a mistake in the next practice ended up breaking her patience. A poorly executed note resounded loudly, like an echo of collective frustration.

"My Glob" the long dark-haired young woman exclaimed, dropping her bass with a thud to the floor "if we're going to go on like this, we'd better cancel everything!"

Marceline put her hands to her head in an attempt to massage her temples and relieve some of the tension she was feeling at that moment. Fern, who had been watching from the doorframe, stepped forward.

"Everything all right here?" he asked in a calm tone of voice, although it was evident that the situation was far from calm.

Marceline looked up at him, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"What are you doing here, Fern? This is a disaster!"

"Disaster? Nah, I've seen worse. Although I have to admit that this looks more like an argument than a rehearsal" Fern commented with a light smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"And who do you think you are to come here and give your opinion?" Georgy asked suspiciously.

"Relax, apparently I've to be here to save the band every time they come into conflict. Besides, someone has to intervene before more than just a bass guitar is destroyed" Fern said with a shrug as he pointed to the instrument lying on the floor.

"A simple bass? Ha, for your information this bass was passed down to me from my father for generations" Marceline replied who immediately hurried to pick up the mentioned instrument to put it back around her shoulders "besides how do you plan to save the band, oh great advisor?" she added with a touch of sarcasm.

Fern folded his arms and looked at Marceline with a calm smile, ignoring the sarcastic tone of her comment.

"I'm not planning to do magic or anything like that, I'm just saying you guys need to give yourselves a break. Go out, clear your head and come back with renewed energy, sometimes all it takes is not to practice anymore. But to remember why you are doing this in the first place."

Wendy looked up from her keyboard, staring at Fern with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.

"And how is that going to help us improve our results?" She asked from her place in the sofa "this isn't group therapy, it's music"

"Yes, but music isn't just technique" Fern said, pointing to the bass that Marceline was now holding carefully "music is also emotion, connection. If you're not in tune, no matter how in tune you are, it's not going to sound good"

Marceline looked at him with a hint of interest, though she tried to hide it behind an exasperated sigh.

"All right, five minutes. But if this doesn't work, Fern, you'd better have a better solution or I'll have you load the amps at the end of the training, is that clear?"

The blond haired, green-eyed boy raised his hands in surrender with a confident smile.

"Deal, boss."

Georgy snorted but got up from his seat next to the drum did the same by carefully closing the lid of her portable keyboard.

Slowly, the band members filed out of the basement, some muttering under their breath, others simply silent. When the door closed, Marceline plopped down in an old metal chair, this time setting the bass carefully on the floor.

"Do you think this is going to work?" she asked without looking directly at Fern.

"The break isn't always to improve the music, sometimes it's to improve its members" Fern answered sitting down next to the double door now wide open, from there they could see the others dispersing under the lavender evening sky. Marceline looked at him for a moment, her gaze softening slightly.

"Thank you for coming. I guess sometimes I need reassurance."

"That's what friends are for, isn't it?" Fern shrugged with a smile.

At that moment, the phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out and saw the police number on the screen. His expression hardened for a moment, but he got up and moved to a more secluded corner to answer it "hello?"

"Fern Hawthorn, right? We're calling to let you know that there are still no new developments in the search for your parents. We're still working on the case, but..."

The boy barely heard the rest of the officer's words. He put the phone to his ear and felt a cold weight on his chest.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, thanks for the information" he said in a firmer voice than he usually used before hanging up.

He put the phone away just as the rest of the band came back, though there was still tension in the air, he took a moment to compose himself but as he turned around he bumped into Marceline who was looking at him a few inches away with the bass slung over her shoulder.

"Who was that?" she asked with a suspicious look.

"Nobody important" Fern replied, avoiding answering her question.

"Fern" Marceline folded her arms in annoyance "I'm not stupid, something's going on"

"I told you it's nothing" he said in a more curt tone than he intended.

"Nothing? then why do you look like a specter every time you get a call?" Marceline pressed, advancing a few steps towards him. Before Fern could respond, the other members of the band approached, bringing with them the tension that had just begun to dissipate.

"What's going on now?" Wendy asked looking between them.

"Nothi..." Fern said quickly, but Marceline interrupted him before he could respond.

"Of course it's nothing!" she said turning to the others "Fern is acting weird and he's not coming out of here until he tells us what the hell is going on!"

Georgy laughed sarcastically.

"And why should we care about Fern's personal dramas? We've enough of our own."

Marceline glared at him.

"Because this isn't just a band. If we're going to work together, we need trust."

Fern sighed, looked down, clenching his fists.

I felt I had no escape, sooner or later this would have to come out. I couldn't be avoiding the topic forever.

"Fine! you want to know what's going on? I'll tell ya, my parents have been missing for weeks. The police don't know anything, and to top it off, I lost my home. Now I'm living in a small apartment thanks to someone who helped me, but basically I'm by myself and..." his voice cracked and he ran a hand through his hair "that's it. Are you happy now?"

Silence fell over the place. Wendy looked at the floor uncomfortably as Georgy muttered something unintelligible. Marceline was the first to react, approaching Fern.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" she asked softly, her tone of voice now devoid of sarcasm or anger.

"I didn't want to burden you with my problems" Fern said with a shrug "you had enough on your plate with the festival, the disco and everything else"

"Fern Hawthorn" the long dark-haired young woman took a breath and pointed her finger at him accusingly "if you ever hold anything that important back again, I swear I'll... well, I'll do something, okay? You're not alone, you idiot. If you need help, ask for it"

Fern let out a dry laugh.

"Yeah, sure. But thank you."

The tension between them eased slightly, though the atmosphere was still charged with it. Marceline turned to the others again.

"Any objections if we take a longer break? I think we need to recalibrate" she said in a firm tone that invited no argument.

Wendy shook her head as Georgy mumbled something about going to get coffee. Fern, on the other hand, let out a sigh, feeling a little lighter for having spoken up, though a shadow still lingered in his mind.

The atmosphere in the principal's office was heavy, Minerva was sitting next to Finn, who kept his gaze fixed on his hands. In front of them was the headmaster, a man with gray hair and beard, piercing green eyes and an authoritative voice, reviewing some files on his desk. Next to him, the boys who had been bullying Finn (Mark, Jamaica, Blombo and Toughy) were sitting with expressions that bordered between discomfort and indifference. Bonnibel stood by the door, as did Simon and several other teachers, watching intently.

"Well, Mrs. Campbell" the principal finally said "we're here to clarify the recent incidents that, as you have told me, have been going on for months now"

"But I want to make it clear that I'm here because I'm tired of my son being harassed without anyone doing anything about it."

The boys in the background exchanged nervous glances. The principal cleared his throat.

"Of course, Mrs. Campbell. Now then, we've the others involved here so they can give their side of the story."

Mark was the first to speak, adopting a victimized tone in order to get out of what he considered to be a big misunderstanding.

"With all due respect, Mr. Principal. I think you're exaggerating the situation a bit, Finn is always looking for us, he always wants to get into trouble with us or provoke a fight."

"What?!" Finn exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in disbelief "mom, don't listen to him, that's not true!"

"Of course it is!" Jamaica interrupted, adopting a defensive tone "every time we're calm and not doing anything to anyone, he comes up with some excuse to provoke us"

Minerva turned her gaze away from her son for a moment and turned to them with an icy expression.

"Do you seriously expect me to believe that my son, who has never had any behavioral problems, is the one who provokes them?"

"Mrs. Campbell" the principal interjected, raising a hand to calm her "the stories of these boys suggest that your son bears some responsibility for what has happened. Perhaps if he apologizes for his actions, we can find a more peaceful solution" Finn tensed in his place, feeling the injustice burn within him. Minerva, on her side, opened her mouth to object but the principal continued "Mr. Mertens, if you would kneel down and apologize to your classmates, we can end this misunderstanding and move on" the silence that followed was dense, Finn clenched his fists, wrinkling the fabric of his pants, feeling the anger and frustration rising in his chest. His mother looked at him in concern, and Bonnibel, from her place, stepped forward but did not intervene "Mr. Mertens" Finn looked up at the director, without articulating a word "we're waiting for you to do what is asked of you, get down on your knees and apologize"

"Finn" Bonnie spoke this time getting the teenager's attention "come on, it's not that hard, just say 'I'm sorry' and we'll fix this misunderstanding"

Finn remained silent, still debating whether to follow what the school authorities were saying or to reveal himself, but before he could react, he saw how the principal stood up from his seat, walked around his desk and felt how he grabbed him by the back of the neck to take him straight to his tormentors, the teenager could feel the mocking looks of Mark and his "friends" on him. The atmosphere in the office became tenser than ever, Finn felt the cold touch of the director's hand on the back of his neck as if all the weight of the injustice he was carrying dragged him even further to the ground. Minerva rose from her place visibly indignant.

"What do you think you are doing?!" she exclaimed, hurrying toward the principal "you have no right to treat my son that way!"

Finn looked up, his eyes filled with pent-up fury. He noticed how Mark and the others held back laughter, enjoying the sight. He could hear the mocking murmurs all around him, and that was the last straw.

"ENOUGH!" Finn screamed abruptly pulling away from the principal's grip. The whole room fell silent, everyone watched him stunned, Minerva, Simon, Bonnibel, the other students, professors and even the principal were speechless as Finn straightened his back and spoke with a strength in his voice he had never shown before "I'm not going to apologize" he added with his jaw clenched "I'm not going to kneel for something I didn't do. Mark and his friends started this" he added pointing at them "they've been bullying me for months now and now you want me to apologize? No, I'm tired of no one doing anything"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Mark yelled "did you see how he accuses us? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!

Even after everything I just said, are you still going to keep denying it, Mark?

"YOU'RE LYING" Finn replied the same way "you're lying and you know it, but I'm not going to let you accuse me of your nonsense any longer."

Minerva, who had been in a state of shock, quickly reached over and placed a hand on her son's shoulder. Her expression was a mixture of concern and pride.

"It's over" she said, looking at the principal coldly "I will not allow my son to continue to be the scapegoat of this school. If you don't take action against those responsible, I will see to it that someone else does"

The principal tried to protest, but Bonnibel intervened.

"What Finn says is true" she stepped forward with a determined look "I've seen how he's been treated, and this isn't an isolated case. It's clear that these boys have been harassing him for a long time" the accused tried to defend themselves, but Bonnibel gave them no chance "it's time for this school to take responsibility and protect its students, instead of ignoring the problem or blaming the victims"

The principal, now visibly nervous, tried to regain control over the meeting but the mood had already changed. Finn, for the first time, felt he was not alone.

At sunset, Finn walked back home. He felt exhausted both physically and emotionally, as he approached the front door, he noticed a soft melody wafting through the air coming from the garden. As he peeked out he saw Fern sitting on the grass with Jake lying next to him, chewing on what seemed to be an old plastic fresbee, the boy was holding his guitar, it was playing a quiet but somewhat melancholy tune. Finn could recognize it, it was the same one he had played that night in his apartment, that sight made the teenager pause for a moment before daring to approach.

"Playing something for Jake?" Finn asked with a slight smile as he approached them.

Fern stopped playing and turned his gaze away, somewhat surprised at first to have an audience present but then replied with a soft smile.

"I thought this big guy needed some music" Finn dropped his green backpack on the grass and sat down next to them, letting out a sigh as he looked up at the sky that was slowly beginning to tinge with orange and purple hues.

"Hard day?" Fern asked, pausing his fingers on the strings.

"You've no idea" Finn answered laughing bitterly "I was at the address with my mom and the principal almost forced me to apologize to those assholes who attacked me" Fern looked at him silently, letting the boy speak "I didn't" he continued "for the first time in my life I decided that they weren't going to let them walk all over me anymore, but it wasn't easy, I felt... alone you know? like the world was against me"

Fern nodded slowly, after a moment he put the guitar away and lay down on the grass looking at the sky.

"I understand you more than you think" he admitted quietly "I spent a long time feeling like that... like I didn't fit in anywhere. When I lost my home, I thought things would get better, but... there are still days when I feel the same way..."

Finn looked at him surprised by his sincerity.

"I'm sorry about this morning. I left you alone with those girls, I didn't mean to."

Fern chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. The important thing is that I survived, right? Besides, your advice was good, I'll think about it more carefully... about going back to school, I mean, maybe I will someday but not now."

Finn smiled slightly and plopped down next to Fern. They both stood in silence for a while, staring at the sky darkening and the stars starting to twinkle. Jake snorted softly, settling in between them. From a distance, Tess watched the scene, her figure barely visible in the shadows of the trees. A small smile crossed her face as she quietly walked away, leaving the two young boys to find comfort in each other until Finn broke the silence.

"Do you think this all makes any sense?" the blond teenager asked in a soft voice.

"I don't know" Fern answered, looking up at the sky thoughtfully "but... at least we're not alone"

Finn turned his head towards him and smiled.

"Yeah, you're right."

And so, under the starry blanket, they closed the day sharing a quietness they had both needed for a long time, a connection that seemed to grow stronger with every conversation and every shared moment. At that, Fern seemed to remember something. He sat up slightly and began to rummage through his jacket pockets. After a moment, he pulled out something small and held it in his closed hand before holding it out to Finn.

"Here" he said, offering a thin, silver bracelet, as if it were a small metal garter.

"What's this?" Finn took it, looking at it curiously. Fern gave a faint smile.

"It's something I've been wearing for years. I don't know why I kept it, but I think it has a purpose now. I want you to wear it."

"What for?" the boy asked even more confused.

Fern looked directly at him, her green eyes shining with a mixture of seriousness and tenderness.

"It's like... a bond that unites us. Whenever you feel lonely or hurt, cover it with one hand and think of me. Imagine I'm there with you, protecting you."

Finn blinked, surprised by the gesture and the words. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. But then, a warm smile appeared on his face as he placed the bracelet on his wrist.

"Thank you, Fern... it really means a lot to me."

The green-eyed blond boy simply nodded and went back to lie down on the grass next to him, looking up at the stars. Finn mimicked him, feeling that, for the first time in a while, things did not seem so bleak.