Battles and Bruises (TW)

Chapter 2- 8th grade sucks (Hayden)

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of suicide

Hayden was done with people.
Hayden didn't ask for the world to be so cruel.
'Why do teenagers have to be so evil?!'
Hayden thought those words with bitterness to them. He had just finished his first class and already gotten bullied. A few huge boys, who he decided to call the "Benches", had bombarded him with spit balls and taunts. He didn't understand why they did it, probably because they felt dead inside and the only way to restore their puny lives were to bring him down. God he hated this world.
He walked down the hallways to his locker with his shoulders hunched. He suddenly realized if the Benches saw him like that they would give him some random and stupid nickname like "Hunchback Hayden", and straightened up. He opened his locker and took out his math textbook. He hated math. It was his absolute worst subject, and he hated disappointing teachers. He hated disappointing anyone for that matter.
As he turned to go to class he saw a boy about his age standing at his locker, tears steaming down his face. Hayden felt a pang of sympathy for him, and glanced around to see if anyone was looking at him. When he realized nobody was paying attention he strode over to the boy and tapped him on bthe shoulder.

"Hey, are you ok?"

The boy looked up at Hayden, startled at the sound of his voice. The boy had slightly tan skin, startling hazel eyes, and ruffled dark hair. His face was sprinkled with freckles, and his face was stained with tears.

"Why do you care?"

Hayden met the boy's eyes for a moment, wondering what to say. He felt bad for the kid but then again didn't know him either, and he wouldn't want a random kid asking him about his personal problems. But then again..

"I dunno man. You don't have to tell me."

The boy wiped away a few tears and looked away. He choked back a few sobs and shut his eyes for a second before taking a few deep breaths.

"I-I just received word my best friend committed suicide last night..."

Hayden thought his heart had stopped for a moment. He was not expecting to hear those words. He felt a large pang of sympathy for the boy; his cousin committed suicide when he was about 7. Hayden blinked back tears at the thought, and made sure his voice wouldn't crack when he responded.

"I'm so sorry, man.. my cousin did the same thing.."

The boy wiped away a few tears and shut his locker. "It's awful... I never thought someone could feel so alone and so depressed that they would decide to-" The boy broke off, on the verge of tears again. Hayden put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok man. You don't have to say anything else. Again, I'm really sorry.."

The boy nodded and wiped away a few more tears and looking at Hayden. "Thanks man.. I-I should get to class.." The boy turned to go.

"I'm Hayden, by the way.

"J-Jackson. But my friends call me jack."

Hayden watched Jackson leave. He felt so bad for the kid. If he had a best friend, he couldn't imagine losing him. He sighed and tried to push away his thoughts and reached inside his locker for a pencil, and the bell rang. He shut and locked it, and started towards his class reluctantly.

. . .

"Take five!"

Hayden wiped away sweat from his forehead, and jogged towards the benches. He popped open his water bottle and gulped down a few drinks. He was in PE, his favorite class. He hoped to be a police officer one day, and he loved training his body to be the best it could be. It filled him with strength and energy to propel himself down the gym court during laps and doing push ups.

"Shut up will you?!"

Hayden turned his head to see none other than the Benches ganging up on Jackson. Hayden watched for a moment as they spat taunts at him.

"Wow. You're such a crybaby!! You've just been whining like a little girl all day."

"Shut up!!! I told you it's because-"

"Because what? Your mommy didn't give you enough lunch money? Pay up!"

"Listen, I need this money!! This is the only-"

"Shut up and give me the money!"

Hayden had had enough. He got up and faced the guy taunting Jackson.

"Oh my god, just shut up and leave him alone!!!"

The huge 14 year old stared at Hayden. Hayden was a fairly tall 8th grader; he was 5'6 and the guy he was facing up to was about 5'8.

"Or what, tough guy?"

"I'll punch you in the gut, that's what I'll do!"

"Oh im so scared!" The guy turned back to Jackson. "Money. NOW." He held out his hand and made a motion with his hand for him to give up the money. Hayden wouldn't have it, and he wasn't a liar either. He whammed the kid right in the gut, and as he stumbled back in shock, one of his buddies whammed Hayden in the nose. Hayden clutched it, staggering back as well, and kicked the guy. Soon he found himself in a full on fight with 5 kids bigger and stronger than him. The PE teacher, Mr Mason, ran over and broke them up.

"Boys!!!!! That's quite enough!!!! What's going on?!"

Jackson and one of the Benches explained what had happened, of course in different views with a few exaggerations. Mr Mason ended up sending Hayden and the guy he had fought, Michael, to the principle's office. Hayden was still gripping his nose by the time he sat down in the office in front of their principal, Mr Dickens.

"Well boys, got in a little fight now, did we?"

"Yes sir."

The story was told by Michael, who obviously threw a few things in there to make Hayden look like the bad guy, and when it came hayden's turn, it wasn't even worth saying what happened. He ended up getting detention for 2 weeks, and he had to shake hands with Michael. 'God this day couldn't get wo- you know what i shouldn't jinx it..'

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Yeah it's a little shorter than I hoped but i didn't have many ideas for what else to put. Sorry about the trigger stuff. Next part should be out soon!