The Other Side

4. Punched

Brett walked into the teachers' lounge and saw Eddy with his head face down on the desk.

Now what.

Brett sat in front of Eddy across the table.

"..Sooooo, what have you done now, Eddy?"

Eddy slowly raised his head. He didn't even have the strength to object to the way Brett started the conversation with their signature line.

"Brett... Brad... I mean, Bradleigh got into a fight with 3 boys."

"Oh."

Brett furrowed his brows. Eddy face palmed himself as he further explained.

"She single handily sent 3 boys to sickbay with bleeding noses... he.. I mean she is lucky she didn't break any."

"OMG, how did this happen?"

"The 3 boys went stupid and tried to feel her up."

"Oh f*ck."

Brett was so shocked he forgot he was in the teachers' lounge.

"The boys obviously didn't realise how serious this is. Their parents have been called in. I've just sat in with them as an extra witness.. one parent said his son must have just done it as a joke."

"OMFG"

"I know.... How would he feel if it was his own daughter, sister or wife !?!?!? Would he just say oh sweetheart those boys were just joking??? I'd make sure their noses were smashed to smithereens."

"They must have thought Bradleigh was still a boy and that they could fool around with him."

"He.. I mean she was in a girl's uniform... And they tried to stick their hands in and up her blouse and skirt... I felt like puking hearing this."

"How is.. Bradleigh?"

"He.. she sounded okay but I think she's hiding her feelings."

Edwin barged into the deputy's office without even knocking. Bradleigh stood in the middle of the room and turned around. She was alone in the room.

"Bradleigh.. the deputy said you were here alone. ...Are you okay ??"

Edwin closed the door behind him and quickly stepped into the office then stopped.

"Bradleigh... can I give you a hug?"

Bradleigh stood still with her deadpan expression. She quietly nodded.

Edwin put his arms around Bradleigh and slowly moved closer to her for a hug.

Bradleigh gently hugged Edwin back and quietly mumbled.

"...I'm okay Edwin."

"F*ck. I almost wished you broke their noses."

"I can't. I'd get suspended for causing serious injury. If they had half a brain, they would've remembered I knew how to throw a punch."

"Obviously they didn't. Oh, Bradleigh.. I'm so sorry this has happened to you."

Bradleigh shrugged.

"It's okay... the horny f*ckers..."

"Bradleigh..."

It took Edwin a while to realise tears were streaming down Bradleigh's cheeks.

Edwin tightened his hug around his girlfriend. Bradleigh shook her head.

"F*ck, Edwin, I'm okay... I said I'm f*cking okay..."

Edwin kept petting Bradleigh's back.

"Bradleigh... I will make sure you will be okay... but it's an invasion of personal space you didn't consent to. It sucks and it's natural to feel upset about it."

"...But f*ck, Edwin...why am I crying like a girl!?!?!?"

Edwin held Bradleigh's face with his hands and looked into her eyes full of sadness and fear. He tried to wipe away some of her tears with his thumb.

"Um, maybe because you are a girl ? But I think that statement is kinda sexist.. it doesn't matter whether you're a boy or a girl, we can all get upset and cry sometimes."

"But my body is still that of a dude..."

"But your brain is wired as a girl, it's been like that for years right ? But that's irrelevant. What happened is terrible and anyone would get upset."

"...it's just that I would've never imagined to pull this sort of sh*t on any girl. What made these f*ckers think it's ok to do this sort of sh*t to me ??? Is it because.. they think.. I'm ..some kind of ...freak that deserves it..??"

Edwin replied sternly.

"F*ck no, Bradleigh. No one deserves this, including you. There is a very small proportion of guys.. the really sh*tty ones that are not worth even spitting at, okay? You are no freak. I love you. You are the best of what any boy could wish for."

Bradleigh hugged Edwin back as she fought back her tears and sobs.

"Edwin...It's like we're on two opposite islands... you and I... and we're trying to swap positions by swimming across to the other side, you know. And things were going ok till...it felt like someone just tried to prank me by pulling my leg and made me go under the water. It.. scared the sh*t out of me."

"Oh, Bradleigh... I'm so, sorry that this has happened to you. It sucks so bad..."

The next day after roll call

"Brett."

"G'mornin' Eddy. Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just checked the morning roll call... Bradleigh is absent today."