As Tolly walked down the hallway, a pack of snickering teenagers trailed behind him, their crude taunts ringing in his ears like an incessant buzz.

"Golden or yellow, shower or sugar, all go into a magical bucket.”, they jeered,

“Who in the world turns himself into this bucket? Definitely Tolly Toilet! Remember to pee and poo in the Tolly Toilet! "

They erupted into peals of laughter, with their mirthful faces twisted with derision. Tolly felt his face flush with shame and anger.

Among them stood the hulking figure of Sam Hofmann. He was big and beefy, his thick lips curled in a sneer that revealed a row of discolored teeth, his crooked incisors jutting out like fangs, which could arouse anyone’s desire to hammer them back into his mouth.

This was not the first time Tolly had endured such torment. The relentless bullying had already become a daily ordeal. And Tolly was losing his patience.

Normally, whenever taunted in the past, Tolly's cheeks would burn with embarrassment. And if he would, he could sink into the ground. The shame he felt was usually enough to make him want to flee the scene.

In the classroom, he often slumped in his seat and felt like a fish out of water among his classmates. He harbored a deep-seated sense of inferiority that made him introverted and unwilling to socialize, and of course, the other kids also avoided him as though he was a leper.

‘What a lonely and dismal existence I was!’ he often thought.

However, there was one bright spot in his life: Jenny. She was a breath of fresh air, a ray of sunshine in the darkness, always ready with a kind word or a gentle touch.

Tolly had no idea why she bothered with him, and why she didn’t treat him like everyone else did, but he was grateful for her presence in his wretched life. Perhaps it was karma and who would know?

He had used to ask his parents why they had given him such a strange name, a name like a target on his back, like an invitation for ridicule and mockery. After all, his name ‘Tolly’ and the word ‘toilet’ were alliterated and could be easily confused when not heard clearly.

Yet, his father would always give him a faint, mysterious smile, as if he knew something Tolly didn’t, some secret that held the key to unlocking his full potential.

“All the rivers run into the sea, my son,” he would say, “And a great man embraces all. Your name is the best training you could ask for, to enlarge your capacity and become the best version of yourself. Always keep in your mind that greatness lies in the capacity!”

Every time his father said so, Tolly would nod, pretending to understand his words, but in truth, he was still struggling with the weight of his name. It was truly hard to keep his head up every time people made fun of him.

Yet, this time, Tolly was itching for a fight because he wanted his immediate retaliation. His blood was now boiling with the intensity of a raging bull.

‘If the tiger didn’t show its strength, you would think it was a sick cat!’ Tolly thought to himself, bristling with adrenaline.

Standing face-to-face with the towering, hulky figure of the big, beef boy accompanied with his gang of goons, Tolly knew it was unwise to slap the brute straight in the face unless he wanted to get into trouble big time.

Clearly outmatched by Sam, he knew that resorting to violence was not a good option. He needed to handle this situation with tact and cunning. And he also knew he couldn't simply hide away from the problem, he had to confront it head-on, for if he didn’t take a stand now, he’d take a beating a hundred times over.

‘I’m not an uncultured swine. As a civilized man, how can I resort to violence?’ he pondered, a sly glint in his eyes,

‘If I couldn’t land a physical blow, I’d strike with my words. Let me beat him verbally and I’ll feel better psychologically. Tolly, you’re a prodigy!’

Without newfound confidence, Tolly lifted his noble head high and slowly extended his middle finger toward Sam and his cronies.

Before the group could catch on to his intended gesture, he subtly pushed his tawny glasses back up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger.

Unfortunately, his clever ploy was quickly discovered, and the boys in front of him were incensed. Their faces twisted with anger, and their fists clenched tightly.

"Look at his finger!" one of them sneered, "The pathetic boy is apparently laughing at you, Sam! Do you want me to teach him a lesson for you? I promise I'll beat him black and blue!"

"Let me do it, bro! The guy is just cruising for a bruising! I'll beat him up until he cries for his mama!" Another chimed in, eager to join in on the impending violence.

"Make him lick your shoes every time he sees you from now on, Sam!" a third added.

 The situation was escalating quickly, and apparently, Tolly knew he was in deep trouble now.

Sam, the ringleader, gnashed his teeth and bit his lower lip with such force that his incisors jutted out like fangs. His face contorted into a furious scowl, reminiscent of an enraged squirrel ready to pounce.

Just as he was about to lunge forward, Tolly, completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation, began making a series of mocking gestures.

With a sneer etched on his face, Tolly stood ten meters away from Sam, his arms outstretched and his fingers curled into a mocking circle. Then, with lightning speed, he sliced his right hand downwards as if severing an invisible thread. Finally, Tolly's hand balled into a tight fist before he thrust it forward with an insolent flick.

"What's the man up to, Sam? Is he conjuring magic?" asked Leo, perplexed.

"Don't be foolish, Leo. Can't you see the aggression in his stance? He's challenging us, and we'll have to fight back with equal vigor," replied Sam with a scowl. "It's unbearable! We can't let him get away with this."

"But hold on, why do I get the feeling he's offering to lick your shoes?" wondered Sam.

"Impossible! You're talking nonsense, William! That circle he drew in front of his chest is a clear indication that he's targeting Sam's mouth. And that swift palm movement is an indication that he's about to deliver a stinging slap. And that clenched fist? He's going to knock Sam's two protruding teeth in!" declared George.

"Rubbish! When have I ever had protruding teeth?" growled Sam, glaring at his companions with fury.

His eyes widened, almost as if they were turning into darts that would strike them any moment.

"Well, it's just a slip of the tongue, Sam! Don't be mad at me! You're the school hunk - tall, dark, and handsome!" said George, flashing an awkward smile. "Want me to teach him a lesson for you?"

Finishing that, George was itching to give Tolly a punch in the face. As he was about to rush toward him, Sam halted him with a raised hand.

“I’ll take care of this creep,” Sam sneered.

With purposeful strides, Sam closed in on Tolly, his right hand poised for a fierce attack to his chest. But just as he was about to unleash his fury, Jenny Smith, the ravishing belle of the school, sauntered up to them.

Jenny was a vision of loveliness with her flawless, creamy complexion, an oval-shaped face that could make men launch a thousand ships, and a pair of never-ending legs that made her look tall and lissome. She was a drop-dead gorgeous creature, and the mere sight of her was enough to make any man lose his composure.

As the only son of the school president, Sam was no saint. But even the most villainous of men would hesitate to resort to violence in front of the woman they adored.

Instantly, Sam's fist unclenched, and he softly patted Tolly's shoulder. "Are you bullying Tolly again, Sam?" Jenny glared at him with her big, round eyes, her anger palpable.

“You get me wrong, Jenny! You know, I saw what looked like a bug on Tolly’s shoulder from afar just now, so I’ve come to dust it off for him!” He patted Tolly’s shoulder again, and then pretended a smile, looking at the beautiful girl before him, hardly able to take his eyes off her.

“Yeah, Sam is telling the truth, Jenny. You see, he’s such a real helper!” someone behind Sam said smilingly.

“But I don’t see any little bugs here,” Jenny said, taking their words with a grain of salt, “are they telling the truth, Tolly?”

Tolly looked at the gorgeous girl with an embarrassed smile, but he did not say anything. Jenny smiled back at him, showing her bright teeth. His silence had already given her the answer.

When Sam caught the sight of their subtle smiling at each other, a thousand waves of anger surged up inside him. He thought to himself,

‘How dare you smile at my goddess? She’s mine! No one is allowed to defile her even with a smile! I’ll let you know what I’ll do to you when Jenny goes away, little bastard!’

However, Tolly suddenly gave Sam a firm pat on both of his shoulders and said to him with a wry smile,

“I have to say you’re a good actor, Sam. I think you can win the Best Actor Award if you go into the entertainment industry. Anyway, according to you, I should say thank you! Now, be all ears, Sam, THANK YOU! You ARE such a nice guy!”

“You’re welcome!” Sam replied smugly.

Tolly patted his shoulders again, and then continued,

“Well, Sam, you are nice, but it seems you are not nice with your hair. A piece of advice for you. Always remember to wash your hair every day! Look, you’ve got dandruff all over your shoulders. Let me give you another pat!”

Before Tolly could put his hand on his shoulder, Sam threw himself back instinctively. Sam’s face was burning in a flash. At that moment, he wished to shrink himself to the ground and vanish. Yet, he couldn’t. Instead, He gritted his teeth with a furious look.

"What shampoo do you wash your hair with, Sam?" Tolly asked, showing his teeth with a humorless grin.

“With Fairhair! Its special formula effectively fights itchy, oily, and dry scalp to stop dandruff before it even shows, it can be very expensive though. I’m sure you can’t afford it!”

Sam felt like he had finally won a game.

“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing wrong with your shampoo. And you’re absolutely right! I can’t afford it.” Tolly smiled.

“That’s for sure! It’s several hundred bucks a bottle. You probably won’t be able to afford it for the rest of your life, you poor guy!” Sam smirked unpleasantly, with a contemptuous look on his face.

"Then there must be something wrong with your scalp, Sam! No wonder you have so much dandruff. Sorry if I’m being blunt, but I guess it won't be long before you're getting bald."

"Y-you ... " Sam was gaping at him, lost for words.

He didn’t expect that he would fall for Tolly’s trap and make a fool of himself in front of Jenny. Hence, at the moment he did want to look for a crack in the ground again and burrow in.

"Sam, it looks like you need to go to the hospital, I'm afraid you probably have alopecia. " Jenny said as she gazed at his hair.

Tolly, standing beside them, put on a stern look on his face, and came closer to Sam, sniffing hard. He suddenly exclaimed,

“Holy shit! You’ve also got bad breath. It really grosses me out!”

Tolly put a hand on his nose and stepped away from Sam.

“And Jenny’s right, Sam. You’re probably suffering from a hair loss disorder. When a man gets old, there’s still snow on the roof. But as for you…” Tolly shook his head and heaved a sigh with feigned concern, adding,

“Even if snow wants to stay on your top, it’ll definitely melt away.”

Tolly could not help laughing.

“Y-you…” Sam was going to hit the roof.

“You know, Sam, with a balding top and your distinctive teeth, you surely look like a little squirrel crazy for nuts. You’re cool, handsome, and cute. “

He turned to Jenny, saying with a wink at her,

“Don’t you think so, Jenny?”

Then he turned to Sam and gradually lifted his middle finger to push his glasses up on his nose, beaming with delight.

Jenny giggled uncontrollably at his words, which made Sam drip blood in his heart. However, he couldn’t snap. He had to bear and grin before the gorgeous girl he had always been admiring.

“That’s nice! Classmates are supposed to be friendly with each other. I’m happy to see you guys talking and joking like this. It makes me feel like the whole world is a better place now. You know, my biggest dream is to have world peace. “

“I couldn’t agree more with you, my dear Jenny!” Sam said as he licked his lips and squeezed out a hint of a smile.

“you’re so kind, Jenny, but over sixteen years of my life experience have told me that you have to possess your own power to achieve world peace.”

Tolly heaved a deep sigh as he looked straight at Jenny in her eyes.

Jenny looked back at Tolly’s handsome young face before her eyes fell on his lean body.

“you’ve got a point there, Tolly. That's why you need to be stronger!”

Jenny walked slowly over to Tolly, leaning closer to his head and whispering,

“Go to No. 1063 at Tinselow Street behind our school. Perhaps someone can help you there.”

With that, she went away gracefully without turning back. Looking at her curvy and elegant figure from behind, everyone was captured, ensuing a long silence.

Finally, the silence was broken by Sam, who asked in a huff,

“What did my dear Jenny say to you? Tell me now!”

“She said she had always been in love with me. Besides that, she also said that I was a lot more good-looking than you squirrel. And…"

Tolly laughed smugly and was about to say something more, but Sam butted in.

“Nonsense! I won’t buy your story, you slick devil! I guess this time you’re just courting death!”

Sam held his fists again, but Tolly was not so stupid as to stay there to get punched. He dodged quickly to the side without hesitation when a fierce punch came to his face.

His punch missed, so Sam got angrier and decided to strike again. Yet, Mr. Peterson appeared.

“What are you doing here? Do you guys want to be expelled from the school? You know, fighting is prohibited here on campus. It’s against school rules. As the son of our school president, please do your dad a favor, Sam!”

Mr. Peterson had always been just and fair. He always thought that every student, no matter whether he was poor or rich, would be treated with respect.

“We’re not fighting, but working out, Mr. Peterson! Wiggle our necks and shake our bodies.”

"Do you take me as a fool, Sam? It looks like I need to report to your father." Mr. Peterson said with a menacing voice.

"No, Mr. Peterson. I’ve always been nice to other students. But anyway, thank you for your reminder, goodbye!"

The mention of his father immediately intimidated Sam. With a wink, he fled hurriedly with his men.

“You can also go now, Tolly. Remember, if anyone dares to bully you, always report it to me!”

Tolly nodded. However, he knew that he was lucky this time and that even if he reported it to the teacher the next time he was bullied, it would not make much difference. On the contrary, he feared that his reporting would simply invite even more frantic retaliation.

He had to solve the problem himself in his own way.  

Then he remembered it—No. 1063 at Tinselow Street. Jenny would not bully him. He knew that quite well.

Why not take a chance there?