Song-Inspired Stories

Crybaby by Melanie Martinez/Cover by AfterOurJuliet

  I was always teased for having heightened emotions. Most people took note that I'm not a fighter and bullied me because of it all. They knew I wouldn't fight back.

  I had been dealing with this for years. Since 3rd grade when crying was no longer acceptable if you got upset. I'm a freshman now. First day and I'm already terrified.

   I walked into the main lunch area, sitting down at a table alone as I waited for the bell to ring. I heard the slam of a food tray beside me, shaking the table and echoing through the area. No one turned to see what was happening though.

  "So you're the little crybaby freshman everyone is talking about." Someone hissed in my ear. I didn't move, barely even flinched.

  They scoffed, pushing me a bit to get a reaction. I didn't give them one. I acted like a statue, trying to ignore the  rage that had been bubbling up inside for years.

   I soon got up and walked to the bathroom, washing my face to try and relax. I got pushed into the wall.

   These bullies were new. They didn't know how soft I was so they wanted to test it. They'd heard stories about the kid who always cries, no matter the circumstances.

  I was bruised and weak by the time they got bored. They left the bathroom, leaving me to sit there and sulk in my own hatred.

  I pulled my knees to my chest, ignoring all sounds as best I could. I didn't notice the plumbing around me start to rumble. I heard a shriek from outside, followed by yelling. I noticed the bathroom was starting to fill with water and I quickly ran out of the area.

  I made it a safe distance away, panicking even more as the water grew faster. I tried to calm down, but thoughts of what happened prior to the water incident took over.

  Anger tried to take over. But I wouldn't let it.

  It's been almost four months since the first day of school. I was still bullied and hurt every day.

  A few seniors took to caring for me, thinking I had been a sheltered kid who didn't know much about the world.

  I let them baby me, since I had lost a lot of my proper emotions years ago. Anger and sadness were the only things I felt.

  One of them would always pep talk me. Getting me hyped up for school and dealing with the assholes who hurt me.

  It never worked.

  There was a pep rally coming soon. Every grade was invited. I didn't want to go, but my senior friends convinced me by letting me sit with them instead of the freshmen group.

  I sat with my friends, headphones in as I tried to drown out the deafening roars of hyped up students. I was playing a game on my phone, music blasting in my ears.

  I felt a pang of regret. Regret for letting them do this without them knowing the truth. I realized I had to use the bathroom and excused myself.

  I made my way down the bleachers, not able to hear my friends over the music and roaring of kids. They were trying to warn me about the bullies who were following me into the bathroom.

  I just walked obliviously, head down as I made my way to the room off to the side.

   I looked in the mirror, blinking a bit as I noticed three figures appear behind me. My head was pushed into the mirror, cracking the glass as the small splinters began to draw blood from my forehead.

  I was scared. For the first time in a long time. But that fear was quickly overcome by a mix of sadness and anger.

  I swung a left hook, striking one bully in the jaw and knocking him away. I kicked another back into the wall, leaving the third to stand in surprise.

  "Freaks's got some moves. Let's dance." He said, looking like he was gonna kill me.

  His fists were held up as he began to throw punch after punch at me. I dodged a few, blocked a few. But when they hit, it hurt like hell.

  He was strong, I wasn't. My nose was bleeding, my eye was bruising over, my lip was even busted open from a solid punch.

  I let anger control me. But anger didn't only control me. It controlled the water around me.

  The sink faucet began screech, dials turning as the water poured out and filled the basin all too quickly.

  Water began to cover the floor. The toilets were also overflowing. The sprinkler system was going off. The two bullies I had discombobulated had gotten up and pinned me to the wall, arms held tight.

  The third bully walked up to me, raising my limp head with his hand.

  "What a weakling. Has to hang with seniors to be safe!" He scoffed, dropping my head a bit roughly.

  I bit my lip, tasting the blood that came from it. My eyes closed, tears started to stream from them.

  "Aw, is the baby gonna cry! Fucking useless crybaby." I got a punch in the ribs, earning more tears.

  "Freak." One of the two who held me back twisted my arm, causing me to yelp in pain. 

  The water was at our ankles now. The trio didn't seem to care, more focused on making me feel worthless.

  They should've focused on the water.

  Suddenly a huge splash of water came down on the main bully, soaking him with salty water.

  "Ew! The hell! This is salt water!" He yelped, quickly trying to shake off the bitter liquid.

  I only cracked a smile. The two holding me let go as soon as they saw it.

  "He's a fucking monster, let's go." They began to run towards the door. A wall of water covered it.

  They tried to get through the water, but the amount of salt in it burned them when they did an attempt.

  I stood there, still bleeding as I gripped fists.

  "I have been dealing with this shit for years. And I think you three are the best subjects to test this on." I said, not sounding like my normal timid self.

  The room began to flood with water. I didn't move. The other three began to freak out and yell for help. Soon the water was above our heads, I didn't hold my breath.

  The trio did, and they were struggling to keep calm and hold their breath in this situation. One of them let go a bit too early, starting to choke on the water. There was no longer airspace in the room.

  "I'm the crybaby, huh?! Look who's crying now!" I screamed, bubbles coming from my mouth but they could still hear me as clear as day.

  Soon the one who lost his breath went unconscious, he stopped moving entirely. Then the second did the same. Leaving the main bully left as his friends slowly drowned beside him.

  "Are you happy with the consequences? Did you enjoy making another person's life hell for something they can't control?" I hissed, the water pressure around his chest and neck getting stronger.

   His eyes went dull as he lost his breath, water filling his lungs. As soon as he passed out, the water drained.

  None of them were dead. Close to it, but not dead. I made the water exit their lungs, saving them from an early grave.

  I smiled with my work and dried my clothes. I then walked back to my friends.

  The trio were discovered after the rally, still passed out and half dried off. No one knew what happened. But I was left alone for the rest of my school years.