Taking Back My Life

Chapter 2: School + Bully = Awkward Encounter

School started early this September, but the weather was still hot. Hot weather leads to meeting lots of hot heads with a burning temper. It was my first day at school as a Junior and Emily's first day at Oak Lake High all together. Mr. Page drove us to school early in the morning and we arrived a little before 6:45 A.M. We first got our schedules and already there was a long line waiting. After we got our new ID's and schedules, we compared them and were surprised that our schedules were identical.

We headed off to our first period which was Calculus, it was Emily's first time here so I lead her. It was quite an easy day, all we did for first to four period was pick up a syllabus and got our textbooks. In some classes, we got to listen to a presentation and other classes, we played games to get to know each other. I found my friends in a few of those classes, but all of us had the same homeroom, fourth period, which was awesome because I got to sit next to my boyfriend, who sat on my right, and my sister who sat on my left.

Everything was going well until lunch time. Emily left my side for the first time today to get a locker. While she was gone, I headed to my locker and I saw two big bulky football players bullying a small skinny boy, who looks like a Freshman, in the hallways while everyone was heading off to lunch. A crowd of curious students soon forming around the three boys. As I approached the large crowd of spectators, who were causing traffic to the other students who were more interested in going to lunch, I discovered that the two bullies were people I knew personally. Their names were John Kay and Bryan Thang, some of Oak Lake High's best football players. They were extremely muscular in comparison to the scrawny boy. Standing besides John and Bryan was Julia, she was John's girlfriend and a very beautiful cheerleader. The other cheerleaders were taking the front seats to this show watching as John and Bryan threaten and prepare to give the Freshman a beating. I stepped forward through the crowd and shouted, "Stop!"

The boys looked at me and John politely said, "Hi, Sarah. What's up?"

"What's up? Guy why were you about to punch that poor Freshman?" I asked sternly.

"He was looking at my girlfriend." John replied trying to get me to side with him.

"I'm sure that's just a misunderstanding, and even if he did that doesn't give you the right to beat him. Are you going to give anyone who looks at Julia a beating? If you are, can you beat everyone who is looking now?" I reasoned.

"I guess not." John said but he angrily added, "But this punk was staring at her in a different way. He's just asking to get his pervy butt kicked."

"Julia. Did you feel he was acting inappropriately around you? Did he may you uncomfortable?" I asked although I knew John had quite a temper, he can get angry like a  bull for the smallest things, and this poor boy's eyes looked at the wrong girl at the wrong time.

Julia shook her head quietly.

"Then John, just let it go. If not I'll call school campus security."  I said in the most serious tone I could muster up.

"Fine. You're lucky Sarah saved you today." John said to the Freshman as he left along with Bryan, Julia, and the other cheerleaders.

The other students left after the show was disbursed. Many left to find their friends or went to the cafeteria, feeling disappointed that nothing really happened. I was about to go to Emily when I realized the scrawny Freshman boy was not a Freshman. In fact, he was in my English class last year. We never spoke before, but he was the quiet boy that sat in the corner of the classroom. If I remembered correctly his name is Robin Anderson.

Although we never spoke before, it's never too late to start now, "Hey, Robin. I know we never talk to each other before, but if those football players ever bother you again, feel free to ask me for help. Okay?" I said.

"No, thank you." Robin said coldly before he left.

    "Umm. Okay." I said awkwardly after being rejected.

Well, that was kind of awkward. No matter, I then started searching for Emily. My little display of playing the hero took quite a bit of time and, I went back to the office and Emily was gone. I started frantically looking for Emily, first day of school and I already lost her. I hope she doesn't get lost, it is a big school. Oh wait, she's as big as me, I don't need to treat her like a kid. I'm sure she'll find her way. But then my new sisterly instinct kicked in and thoughts started coming in like waves on a beach during a storm. "What if she gets bullied? What if she's late to her next class all because I left her? Worse! What if she gets so lost that she misses her last two classes?"

I started dashing through the hall. She probably left to go to lunch. I headed to the cafeteria looking for a pale skinny girl with long black hair. She wasn't in there so I left and looked through all the tables and finally I found her. She was sitting with Ai, Alli, Robert, and Tyler. I walked up to their table, which was under an umbrella, heavily breathing from running so much.

"There you are, Emily." I said tiredly as I sat down next to her, "I was afraid that you would get lost."

My friends laughed at how I was being overprotected with Emily. Emily then explained that after she got her locker, she found it easily. After she put her books away, she encountered Tyler, who took her here to wait for me. I then told them about my encounter with Jay, Bryan and Robin. It was all awkward and we got a laugh out of it.

Next thing you know I found out that Robin was in my fifth and sixth periods which made things even more awkward. Eventually the school day ended, and Emily and I went home to have a delicious afternoon snack with our mom. My dad came home a little later and we had dinner as a family. It felt nice eating dinner with a bigger family, there was definitely more laughter.