On My Own

Chapter 1: 1st Day of Middle School

"Man Man! Wake up it's time for school, you're going to be late! Im not going to tell you again." Damien's grandma shouted. Damien woke up for school around the same time his little brothers and sisters did, he didn't think that was fair. He was the oldest out of five kids and his school started about a hour later than his siblings. He hated to wake up early and when he did wake up it would take him twice as long to get ready.

Damien woke up early without the constant reminder from his grandma to wake up. Strangely he woke up joyful that morning. He was humming, dancing, twisting, and turning mainly because he was starting middle school. He was also nervous because he would be new to a bigger school with bigger people and he didn't know how to handle this change. Damien was different. People thought he was weird because he didn't act like the people in his neighborhood.

He lived in an Atlanta public housing project called "Bowen Homes". Although he dressed like the people he grew up with, his personality was extremely different. He knew he didn't act like his peers and that was one of the main reasons why he was nervous to start middle school.

After breakfast Damien walked nervously into the bathroom to insure that he looked his best before he approached any girls. After he snapped out of his narcissistic ways he walked out of the bathroom, hugged and kissed his grandma on the cheek, and proceeded outside to the bus stop. When the bus arrived all of the kids including Damien ran up to an open door. There was pushing and shoving but he thought nothing of it that day. He sat alone on the bus acting as "normal" as possible but got strange looks when he pulled out one of his favorite books and started reading.

''Aye boy!" an 8th grade bully named Jason shouted.

Damien continued to read and ignored him like his dad had tought him when he was younger.

"Boy I know you heard me call your name..." Jason screamed as he stood up on a moving bus.

"What do you want?" replied Damien aggravatedly.

"I want them new shoes you have on..." Jason concluded.

"I want you to go to footlocker and get them yourself." Damien declared

That was the end of that conversation until they arrived at school. Once they arrived at school everyone was getting off of the bus, Jason and Damien were the last two. Jason got off of the bus, waited until Damien got off and he pushed him. Damien didn't want to seem like a punk so he pushed back.

"I will get you... " whispered Jason

"I will like to see you try." Damien Shouted

The day continued and as they were walking from their 4th period class to the cafeteria Jason looked at Damien and said

"I got something for you now."

After getting his lunch Damien sat down and began reading again. Boom! A banana flew across the cafeteria and landed right next to him. He knew it was Jason but he didn't want to cause a scene so he continued reading.

Later on Damien knew he was becoming more mature when he ignored all the horrible things Jason did to him that day, until they were on the bus... Jason approached Damien on the bus and said,

"I don't have to get you , my dad will"
It took a moment but Damien replied with,

"I'll get my dad too. I'm not afraid of you"

Damien was sure he would get to see his dad because it was the first day of school and he dad always came to see him on special occasions unlike his mom. They all got off of the bus normally and went in their seperate directions as they should. When Damien arrived home, he ran into his room slammed and locked the door. He lifted his mattress and reached and got his journal. He began writing this journal the summer before 6th grade. He felt that writing was his only outlet and only way to release his true feelings. His dad wasn't always in his life because he apparently has "better things to do." His mom wasn't there because she's a dysfunctional drug addict that can't get along with any of the family. He was the oldest sibling so he felt alone.

After he calmed down he heard a knock at the door, it was his grandma. She was checking in on them before going to her second job.

"Your dad should be by here soon, he said he misses you and wants to see you."

He hasn't been here when we needed him why should he come now damien thought in his head.

"Thank you grandma" he replied so he wouldn't work her nerves.

When his grandma left the room he started thinking,

"This would be the perfect time. Should I tell him or should I let Jason make the first move?"

About 15 minutes later they heard a loud knock and all the kids ran out of their respective areas to the door and yelled "daddyyyy!" They were all excited to see him regardless of if they brought them something or not.

"Dad? Can I talk to you about something?"

Damien trusted and believed his dad about everything. He never doubted anything he said or did.

"Sure son... What is it?"

"Someone is bullying me. They said they were going to get their dad to handle me.?

"Who is he? Where is he? I will handle this."

"His name is Jason and he's an 8th grader. He lives in 5A with his dad"

Damien knew when his dad said "I will handle this." He would handle it. It was approximately 5:30, my dad and I went over to Jasons house and as we were approaching his apartment we heard screaming. We didn't stop, we kept going and my dad knocked on the door.

*Boom Boom Boom*

"Who is it?" Jasons' dad said suspiciously

"Its Damien..."

Damien was a Jr. But he didn't call himself Damien jr. because he didn't want people to ask where his dad was after all his dad was barely around