Pablo: Standing Up for Justice

At first, the lunchroom seemed normal. The same kids were sitting in their usual spots, laughing about whatever it was that kids laugh about.

I headed for my usual table, a spot in the back corner of the room where I could keep an eye on everyone and no one would notice me watching them.

But then I saw him. It was Nick, one of the biggest bullies at my school. He was walking toward me with two other jocks, football players who’d already thrown me around in previous fights.

I tried to imagine what they wanted this time, but there was only one thing they ever wanted: my money or my lunch. Maybe if I gave them some cash, they’d leave me alone for a while, but I didn’t have any. And even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to them.

I started to turn away from them, hoping to make it out without getting caught, but it was too late. They’d seen me.

“Hey! There he is! The little kung fu master!” shouted Nick. He used to call me that because he thought it was funny when I got beat up by his friends and tried to fight back using my karate moves. But now he used it as an insult because he knew how bad it hurt when they called you that. “Bring back the chicken legs!” he called out as his friends piled onto me and knocked me down to the ground.

One of the guys grabbed me by my backpack and dragged me across the floor while the other guy kicked at my side and stomach and punched me in the face until someone told him to stop or he’d get into trouble with the teacher. Then they tossed me onto an empty table near where they had been sitting and took turns punching and kicking at my stomach while Nick held my arms behind my back so I couldn’t fight back. This went on for what seemed like forever until finally a teacher showed up and said something to them that made them stop pounding on me and get off of me.

The teacher helped me off of the table and sat me down at one of their table before going over to talk with Nick and his friends about what had happened. She never even looked at me once during their conversation but she seemed really upset about what had happened so I guess that was a good thing. After talking with them for what seemed like forever – at least two periods worth - she sent everyone else back to class except Nick and his friends who she told to stay put while she talked with each one individually, one after another until they finally let her see their phones and wallets so she could search them for weapons or whatever else she was looking for before letting them go free again. Most people left right away after seeing all this happen right in front of their eyes but a few remained long enough to hear her say something about being suspended if they ever pulled anything like that again and not letting her catch them doing anything like that again before sending them away too as well as warning them not to bother anyone else or she would call their parents before finally turning back to us five delinquents who had stayed behind to watch all this drama unfold along with her assistant principal who had shown up just after her initial appearance in order to lend her backup support.

She turned first towards Kris who was apparently still nursing his arm which had been broken by the looks of things earlier which certainly explained why he hadn’t fought back much against Nick earlier despite being pretty much as big as him along with another guy who also hadn’t really gotten involved in whatever had happened earlier either although from what others said later on, that guy wasn’t very smart anyway so maybe he just hadn’t understood what was going on within all that chaos anyway since it seemed like most of those who'd been beating on us weren't actually wearing their thinking caps while they were doing so which explained why some of those who'd been standing around watching everything unfold hadn't stepped in sooner than they did if you asked me because you'd have thought someone would have noticed what had happened sooner than they did considering how loud some of those guys were screaming at us though somehow they managed that part well enough considering how loud we screamed too when they were hitting us making it harder for anyone outside our little group to notice anything inside our little group if you asked me because we were buried under all those sounds plus the crowd gathered around us when we fell onto that empty table making it almost impossible for anyone outside our little circle to hear anything going on inside our little circle which is why some people think those people standing around watching everything unfold didn't know what was going on until after things got quiet but why should anyone expect them to put themselves sticking their necks out unnecessarily when no one else seems willing enough to do so either?

It took her quite a bit longer though before she turned towards Nick who stood there staring ahead blankly unable or unwilling enough apparently even to look at her despite having a broken nose which explained why he kept sniffling every now and then or touching his nose or wiping something off his shirt before handing over his wallet after having gone through all its contents including a wad of cash indicating either prior knowledge of today's events or an attempt at bribing her into overlooking his actions if you asked me while she went through all its contents including several items belonging more towards those belonging more towards someone belonging more towards someone belonging more towards those belonging more towards people belonging more towards either men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards men belonging more towards women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than those belonged more towards those belonged more towards women rather than those belonged more towards women rather than women rather than women rather than women rather than or those belonged more towards people belonged more towards people belonged more towards people belonged more toward people belonged more toward people belonged more toward people belonged more toward people belong ... But still none of these items appeared especially damning although there were some things here and there among these items in particular certain items among these items here and there among these items here and there among these items here scattered throughout these items here scattered throughout these items here scattered throughout these items here scattered throughout these items here scattered throughout these items here scattered throughout these items scattered throughout these items scattered throughout these things scattered throughout these things scattered throughout these things scattered throughout these things scattered throughout this wallet suggesting the possibility that this wallet could be from someone else especially considering how few overall items there were compared with those found among last month's person's wallet suggesting this wallet might be from someone else especially since none of those few remaining many remaining few remaining few remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining many remaining many remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining many remaining few remaining many remaining few items appeared particularly damning although there were some things here and there among these last few last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several last several ...