How I got to Defeat a Bully

Nothing but Smile

"Melody, come on! Don't come to me feeling depressed! I told you to retort back to her," My mother lectured me.

I winced. It wasn't easy! It was as if my brain became white as snow and I couldn't remember anything to say to Emma except for saying "okay" or "fine" or "Sure".

"Listen, Melody. I want you to say something strong whatever it is. Swearing, kicking whatever," Mom continued. "Even if you are kicked out of school, that's okay. Just do something to Emma that's gonna cool her down."

I nodded recurrently. I hoped eventually I would even have the courage to do that.

---Time Skip... to tomorrow morning at school!---

Today we had a color group meeting so I didn't have to deal with Emma and Jennifer at Advisory. Cima and Anne was waiting for me. They often lectured me to say "Shut up," or "Mind your own business," to Emma.

"Hi guys!" I went over to them cheerfully.

"Hi," Anne said, obviously distracted.

"You seem distracted. What's wrong?" I asked.

"Emma annoyed me yesterday. A lot."

"What happened?"

"Well, I was walking towards home with Cima, but then, we heard Emma. She's like: "Anne's so FAT! How can anyone be friends with her?"

Anne huffed with annoyance again.

"She's always like that, and everybody talks behind somebody's back, right?" Cima tried to comfort her.

"Yeah, everybody talks behind somebody's back," I put in.

Just then, Emma came in the room. With Jennifer, of course. She smirked at everybody. But then she tripped over a pen that was rolling on the ground causing her to splay out her hands and fall down.

"Serves you right," I thought.

--------Time Skip to Social Studies class------

Mr.Hills clapped his hands as he announced it was "Silent ball" time. Silent ball was a game where basically we threw balls at each other. If you speak, you are out. If you drop the ball, you are out. 

We all frantically got out of our seats and positioned ourselves around the room. 

"Ready, set, go!"

James, one of the students in our class threw the ball. Another boy caught it. Then another. And nobody got out until Ella threw the ball to Emma. Emma, who apparently wasn't paying attention and was talking to Jennifer, got hit by the ball in the eye. She screamed. She covered her eyes and sat down. 

I forced myself not to burst out and laugh. Lots of our classmates giggled.

After a few minutes later, I peeked over to Emma and saw that she had her hands covering both of her eyes. But her second and third finger was parted open, and her "got hit" eye was peeking out. She had her eyes directed toward me.

I snorted. Why was she pretending to be hurt when she was just gonna peek and spy on me? I checked on the ball so that it wasn't coming towards me, and made up my mind. For the first time, I stared at her.

I stared right at her parted fingers and into her eye. Emma seemed startled for a bit, but then she tilted her head so that she was staring at Anne instead. Anne stared at Emma also, holding her gaze. Then Emma directed her head towards Cima.

I rolled my eyes. Why does Emma even bother to do anything? I expected Cima to glare at her also, but instead she shifted her gaze somewhere else. I could see that Anne was distracted by that also, since she nudged Cima and forced her to look at Emma.

WHAM! The rubber ball hit my cheek, and everybody started giggling. I felt my cheeks grow red, but I wasn't that embarrassed. After all, I was the one who didn't pay attention. But then Emma started laughing hysterically.

"Too bad you didn't pay attention!" Emma nudged Jennifer, and Jennifer started giggling also. 

Right then and there, I felt pure anger at Emma and Jennifer. I did nothing to make Emma humiliate me. But right now all I could do was...

Smile.