The Boy Who Couldn't Cry

Chapter 4- The Cost

A few weeks later, I was walking through the hallway at school. I had been minding my own business, just reading our school newspaper when Eddie Bryan ran into me.

Eddie Bryan was the tormentor of our high school. Otherwise known as, the bully. He was big, and stupid, and the most athletic person in our school. He kind of came from a broken home (frankly I didn't care), and tended to take it out on others. Today, I happened to be one of those others.

"What're you doing you little punk?!" He towered over me and snarled. "Watch where you're goin'! There better not be a next time!"

I looked up at him calmly, showing no signs of fear. Fear after all, was an emotion. I looked back at the school newspaper and walked around Eddie without so much as a word.

"Where you think you're going, Nerd?! To scared to face me like a man?!"

I kept walking and kept my eyes on the paper, but answered him all the same. "No. I'm not scared, I just don't care."

Eddie laughed. "Maybe I should make you care."

Like an idiot, I stopped and turned around to look him in the eye.

Eddie grinned evilly. "Now that I think about it..." He started. "You never really have any fun do you?"

He looked around at his entourage of goons. "What'd you say fella's? Want to show this dweeb some fun?"

Next thing I know, Eddie and his friends picked me up and slammed me against the lockers. One of them tried to punch me directly in the face. I moved out of the way, but I wasn't fast enough. He hit the side of my cheek with all his might and I was positive it left a mark.

They all laughed as they kept landing blows on me. "Aren't we having fun, guys?" Eddie asked. His goons all nodded in agreement.

Eddie landed a punch right on my stomach as he asked quietly, "Are you having fun, Zachy?"

The thing about my walls, they might have blocked me from emotional pain and scarring, but not physical. I was in so much pain, and there was nothing I could do. I didn't cry though. At this point, I couldn't cry.

"Aww, why don't you go snivel to your mommy?" Asked Justin Clark as he spat on my face.

"You're such a freak!" Yelled another one of Eddie's pals.

I don't know how long they kept this up. But I had too much pride to beg them to stop. I'm not saying that it was a good thing, but I took their punches all the same.

But eventually, I felt like I was about to give up, and I almost cried out before I heard a voice.

"Leave him alone you jerks!"

I looked for the source of the voice through my black eye though most of it was blurred, and saw a girl standing there. From what I could tell, she had long red hair, and was pretty tall.

Eddie and his gang dropped me. I was in too much pain to move, so I just laid there like a rag doll. They closed in on the girl. I tried to call out to her to run, but all I did was spit out some blood.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Asked Eddie. "Do you think you have the guts to take us on?"

The girl looked up at the bullies and said without so much as a waver in her voice. "Sorry, I didn't catch that. I don't speak idiot. Maybe one of your friends could translate?"

"Oh, this chick's got some spunk." Said Brick Peters sounding amused.

"Well, I can easily knock it out of her." Replied Eddie arrogantly.

"With what? Your bad breath?" Asked the girl.

Eddie scowled as he raised his fist. "Why you little–"

"Wait, Ed!" One of his friends grabbed Eddie's arm.

Eddie ripped his hand out of Keith Miller's grasp. "What?!" He snarled.

"This chick is the new girl." Keith explained. "If we sent her home with a black eye we'll get in big trouble. You know we'll end up getting caught if we hurt one of the new kids."

Eddie's face contorted in rage. Then he pushed Keith down, and yelled, "Fine!"

He turned toward the girl, got right next to her face, and whispered, "Consider this a warning, Red."

Then they all walked away.

The girl sighed angrily, shook her head, and then walked toward me. She held out her hand and I took it as she helped me stand up. Without a single word, she walked me toward the nurse's office, told the nurse what happened, and turned to leave. I was surprised at her kindness and almost forgot to thank her.

As she started to walk out the door, I called out, "Uh, Thanks."

She turned around, smiled and nodded, then walked away.