The Bathroom Bully

Spencer is a bully. He is in the seventh grade of Center Public School for the third time! All of the kids are afraid of him and so are some of the teachers. Spencer’s locker is in the hallway right between the gym and the bathrooms. Everyone used to pass by his locker every day, until last semester when Spencer started keeping count. In October, one of the fourth grade boys passed Spencer’s locker eight times in one lunch period, so he beat him up and stole his pizza money. Since that day, everyone took the long way around to the bathrooms. Well, almost everybody.

Adam was the new kid. It was his third day in Mrs. Menno’s gym class and they were playing a big game against their rival school, the Toronto Tyrants. Right in the middle of the game, Adam had to pee; so, he got up, got a hall pass from his teacher, pushed open the big double doors to the gym and turned left, walking down the hall to the bathroom. He only got about five steps before he noticed that he was not alone.

Spencer was skipping his math test and leaning against his locker, shuffling through a deck of playing cards. Adam walked down the hall cautiously... slower and slower and slower... until he was right across from the bully. Spencer stared at Adam. Adam stared back. Spencer took a step out into the hallway and blocked the bathroom door.

“The bathroom is closed, new kid.” Spencer smiled a mean smile. “But while you’re here, I’m going to need your pizza money. And maybe the hat you’re wearing. Nice shoes! You’d better gimme those too.” Adam really had to pee. He didn’t empty his pockets or hand over his cap. Instead he said, “Please move! I’m in a bit of a hurry here!”

Spencer was not impressed. He hated it when any kid didn’t do what he told them to, but he really hated it when that person was a new kid. Spencer took Adam by the shoulders and pushed him into the lockers, then he grabbed Adam’s hat and put it on his own head. When Adam tried to fight back, Spencer kicked his really hard, right in the stomach! Adam couldn’t breathe! Then he realized the worst thing of all. He didn’t have to pee anymore.

Spencer laughed a mean laugh that matched his mean smile. Suddenly someone came around the corner and into their long hallway. In a flash Spencer was gone and Adam was left alone, beaten up and with wet pants.

The kid walking up the hall was Emily Morton, one of the girls he had eaten lunch with earlier that day. Emily had shared her Dunkaroos so Adam was sure that this new friend would help him out. Emily had been singing but when she saw Adam lying on the floor her singing turned to humming and then her humming stopped too. Worry and fear took over her face. She paused about ten feet away from him and turned sharply down another hallway on her right, without saying a word.

Adam was hurt, not only from his bruising ribs and splitting headache, but also because Emily had completely avoided him... not very friendly after all.

A minute later, one of the kids from his gym class came out and headed towards the bathroom. As soon as he saw Adam crumpled against the wall he turned around and took the long way. Three minutes later the boy snuck around and dashed into the bathroom from the other direction.

Adam, holding his stomach and trying so hard not to cry struggled to stand up. He tried breathing deeply and taking a few steps but he collapsed onto the floor once again. It was hopeless.

The door to the gym opened. It was Tyrant Number 14, a member of the rival volleyball team he was supposed to be playing right now. “Oh man,” Adam thought. “Here it comes again.” But Number 14 did something completely unexpected. As soon as he saw Adam sprawled out on the floor he ran over, bent down and spoke gently.

“Hey, are you okay? Man! What happened to you? Here, let me give you a hand up. Actually, wait a minute... I have an idea, I’ll be right back.” The boy jogged down the hall and into a nearby classroom. He came out pushing a large rolling computer chair. Number 14 helped Adam into the seat and pushed him all the way to the principal’s office. There he gave the secretary two quarters so that Adam could call his mom. The secretary cleaned up his cuts and gave Adam a superman Band-Aid.

When Number 14 returned to the game and his team in the gym, he traded e-mails with his new friend and they have remained friends ever since.

(Spencer kept bullying kids until he finally graduated and went to a high school where the teachers didn’t let him get away with being cruel and mean to anyone. In fact, he had to do extra homework for four months!)