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I sit back and watch her sprawled out on the ground beneath me. Her face is bright red, and I can’t help but grin. I did it—I took down a bully.
It’s then that the teacher finally turns up.“What’s going on here?”
Daddy does get to walk me today. From the principal's office.
It’s the day I learn that I can't tackle mean people. I need to use my words.
Daddy says, “Every situation has a different way to approach it. Just like football. Different plays end up with different results. You need to use your mind to work out the best move. You have to read the play, baby girl.”
Then he adds, “Good job taking her down, but no more tackles at school.”
Three days passed, and everyone all but forgot what happened on that first day. My hands are almost healed, and my knees scabbed over.
“Let’s play chase,” Hunter suggests while we hang out on the playground.
Jace nods, and I giggle as I say, “I will give you the count of five…run.”
Since I’m a fast runner, I always give them five seconds before starting to make it more of a challenge. I count down then jump up and run. Hunter is faster than Jace, but I want Jace to feel like the winner today, so I sprint as fast as I can after Hunter. He sees me coming, and with that glint in his eye, speeds up. He loves when I chase him.
I’m gaining on him, my chest burning and heart racing. I’m so close, I reach forward to grab him, my fingers still inches away.
Then, Hunter’s whole body stops suddenly as he slams into the chest of a big boy who’d stepped out in front of him. Hunter crumples to the ground, the sad look in his eyes telling me everything I need to know. This boy did it on purpose. He is a bully just like the tall, mean girl.
“Fuck off,” the boy says, and my mouth drops open. He said a bad word. Hunter tries to get up. The mean boy pushes him down again.
“Hey, get off him.” I storm up to the mean boy.
He’s a new boy, and I’ve seen him in my class but don’t know his name. Yesterday, he pushed around kids on the playground and didn’t talk to anyone in class. He’s taller than me and has dirty blond hair and blue eyes. They would be pretty if they weren't on such a mean bully.
“Hey, what did you do to my friend?” Jace says beside me, out of breath.
The big boy shoves Jace’s shoulder, causing him to fall down in the dirt next to Hunter.
“What the hell was that for?” I demand, my hands in fists as I put them on my hips like my mom does when she is telling me off. I want to punch him, but I remember what Daddy said. I have to read the play. No more fighting. Use my words.
Hunter stands and brushes his hands down his dirty tee. I’m reaching out to pluck a leaf from his shoulder when a hand comes out and pushes Hunter back down again.
My whole body is trembling. We’re in a part of the school that doesn’t have many students or teachers around. It’s just the four of us, alone.
“Why did you do that again?” I ask, trying to calm down and not yell.
He shrugs.
Daddy said read the play…read the play.
The boy in front of me is skinny, tall, and he looks like he never brushes his long hair. That's why it looks dirty all over the place. It’s long, down to his chin.
He puts his hands on his hips and glares at me. I narrow my eyes at him. Would he dare push a girl?
I rake my eyes over him again and see a bruise on his arm as he shifts his stance. It isn’t a normal looking one. It almost looks like the shape of a hand. I glance back at his face, and he pulls his arm closer to his body to hide the marks.
Cocking my head to the side, I arch a brow at him. Did someone hurt him? Is that why he hurt Hunter and Jace? Was he hurting my friends because he’s angry at someone?
A lot goes through my mind. Maybe he has a mean mommy like me. My mommy gets mad and hits me sometimes, and daddy gets angry at her. She’s made my skin go red but hasn’t left any bruises.
“Are you okay?” I whisper, low.
I didn't want Hunter and Jace to hear me. I don’t think they would see the same things I did. The boy's face turns down in a frown, and he clenches his fists.
