The bullies

Peter runs as fast as he can while checking the time on his watch; he must not be late.

He tightly holds the cigarette pack in his hand.

He arrives back at school, jumps through the fences, and peeks to avoid being seen by teachers and other students.

He dashes straight to the rooftop, and there they are.

"You are one minute late, Peter," Derek says, stepping on his school uniform, which they had taken when he was about to buy cigarettes from them.

Peter breathes hard, "There are too many people, so I had to wait."

Owen walks closer to him and gives him a hard knock. "What does that concern us? We warned you not to be late, and you were. You have to be punished for it."

Peter goes down on his knees, "I am sorry, I'll be faster next time. I'll steal it if I have to."

Raymond, the leader of the bullies, stands up from the boy he was sitting on, using him as a chair. He walks closer to Peter, who trembles as Raymond approaches and takes the cigarettes.

"Go," Raymond says.

Peter stares at him; Raymond is not someone to let him off the hook so easily.

"It's okay, go," he says. Peter trembles.

"I said go!" he shouts, and Peter turns and walks away.

"Hey, come back here," Derek calls him back.

Fragile and small, with his glasses on, he walks back.

"Take it, wear it," Derek gives him back the uniform.

He can't wear such a dirty uniform around the school. Unless he wants to get in trouble, he has to do it.

He collects it slowly and puts it on.

"Wow, it fits you," Raymond says.

He quickly dashes away from the rooftop.

"Why did you just let him go?" Mike says.

Raymond smirks and brings out his phone, showing them the footage of Peter climbing the fences.

"I am sick of seeing him; let's get him out of the school," he says.

The others laugh.

He goes back to the student he used as a seat and sits on him again.

"You have something to do," he says.

The student nods repeatedly.

"I will send this to your phone, and you have to report and show the video to the teacher," he says.

The student, named Jack, is Peter's best friend; he couldn't do that.

"Do you understand?" Raymond asks.

Jack stays mute; he can't do that.

Jack mumbles, "No, I can't do that to my friend".

Raymond hysterically laughs as others follow. "Really, you can do that, huh? You can't," he kicks him hard to the ground as others follow suit in kicking him. They keep kicking him until blood gushes out from his mouth.

"Okay...okay, I will do it," Jack finally breaks.

"That's good of you, but you have to make things complicated, and you have to say more to the teacher. Tell them that Peter did this to you, he beat you up when you witnessed him buying cigarettes," Jack cried; the thought of doing that to him makes him weep even more.

Peter walks to his class; they are on break time, and others watch him as he walks with dirty clothes.

"Uh, what happened to you? Why is your school uniform dirty?''.

Lydia, his girlfriend, asks.

He sniffs, "Nothing."

Lydia already knows who did this.

"Peter, I told you to report it to the teacher".

He nearly screams at her, "I have done that many times, but they always get away with it."

Lydia breathes hard, "Let me go meet him."

"No, don't go, Lydia, no... don't go", he stops her, knowing that will cause more problems.

"Just shut up", she screams at him and goes on her way. The other students watch; no one ever dares interfere with Raymond. They are the gods in the school.

Then, the class captain enters, "Peter, our homeroom teacher is calling you."

He looks at his school uniform; he can't go like this.

"Take this, wear this", Scott says and stretches it at him.

Scott is the only one who can stand against Raymond, but due to his father's position and warning, he wants to stay out of trouble.

"Thanks", he takes it and rushes to the office.

The teacher looks him up and down and asks, "Where is it?".

He looks dumbfounded, not understanding what he's saying.

"Stop looking clueless, tell me, where is the cigarette?". The other teachers avert their attention to him.

"Tell me now, and don't bother lying", Mr. Davis says and shows him the footage.

He shakes and immediately understands what is going on; they are trying to frame him. "No...no, it's not like that...I...I", he stammers.

"Stop lying! You are the one in the footage. I was bullied; they set me up, Raymond and others, they are bullying me", he protests.

Mr. Davis grabs his ear, "Enough of your bullying talk; you are the one bullying your fellow students," he hauls.

Just then, Jack enters.

"Yes, yes, Jack, we have to talk now, we have to tell them how Raymond and his gang are bullying us", he says, holding his hand.

Jack looks into his eyes, then pushes him away. "Stop lying; you are the one bullying people. You beat me to a pulp for witnessing you buying a cigarette", Jack says.

"Jack", he mumbles.

Just then, the principal bursts into the office. "Who the hell is Peter?" he yells.

As he spots him, he gives him a resounding slap.

" How dare you molest Sandra", he says. Sandra is his classmate and the principal's daughter.

"What...I didn't do it", he stammers.

"Stop lying; in fact, you are leaving this school. You, you lowlife, got into this school thanks to free admission, and all you can do is bully and molest!" The principal shouts.

He looks at Jack, who mutters, "Sorry."

"Get out of this school, and if you like, call your parents, so we can make it official, rag boy,".

the principal storms out of the office.