Bully

           The bus was transportation, a means to an end and in sixth grade it was the only thing that changed about school. I could not walk to school. I had to catch the bus. I woke up late, just like every other morning. Got dressed and laid back in bed until my mother yelled from downstairs that it was time for me and my sister to leave. We walked outside and I smelled the morning dew in the air. Backpack straps on tight, my sister and I walked fast knowing that our bus driver wasn’t going to wait for us. We arrived only a few minutes early, talking to friends we created a small circle only broken up by the noise of the bus coming down the street. We entered the bus heading for our seats, the same seats every day. The unspoken rules stated that you should not take someone else’s seat, especially not someone older. The ride to school was uneventful, filled with conversations I don’t quite remember and lots of horse play that my bus driver hated. She would always threaten us. She said “If you guys don’t stop playing around I am going to stop this bus and take names.” All of us were used to empty threats so they did not even faze us. Later that day, we found out how empty her threats really were.

            The last class of the day had ended and I walked through the maze of students and buses to find mine. I was usually early, only a few other people sat on the bus as I turned up my music and stared out the window. The maze began to clear and all the kids in my neighborhood had packed inside the bus. The ride was filled with just as much horse play as this morning, but a bit more dramatic because everyone was hyper from being confined to classrooms all day. We almost made it to the bus stop when our bus driver pulled over just a few feet from the corner. She stood up and began to lecture us. She spoke for what felt like forever and I can honestly say I did not even take off my headphones. I did not expect what happened next though. The kids sitting a few seats behind me were in the seats with the fire escape door. They pulled it open as she continued to talk. A few people flew out of there running in opposite directions. I knew all of them. I sat there frozen deciding what to do. “Someone close that” She yelled to the back after the whole back was almost emptied. Too scared to even move I just sat there. She walked to the back and closed the fire escape. We all just sat there looking at her. I had finally taken my ear phones out and had no idea what she was going to do. She told us we were all going back to school. We all sat there in shock, wishing we would have escaped when we had the chance. Once we got back to school both of our assistant principals came on the bus and talked to us. Explaining that each of us would be called into the office tomorrow and asked what happened. We were all scared. I had never been to the office before and just like he told us during class I was called into the office and had to endure the immature mutterings of “Ohhh…” from all of my class mates after my name was announced on the intercom. I entered the office, nervous at what was to come. I saw one of my friends Jess from the neighborhood waiting in a chair next to the office; I took a seat next to her. My assistant principal poked his bald head out of the door and said my name. I approached the door cautiously and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He told me “ I just have a incident report I need you to fill out and I need you to include the names of any of the people involved” He said it like it was so easy. Stop snitching did not become a social movement for no good reason. I looked at the paper as he told me to go outside and fill it out, leave it in his box when I was done and then go back to class after that. I named names and told the truth, I never knew I would be ashamed to tell the truth, but I was. The bus ride was brutal that day. An older girl Jasmine started picking on my friend Sam that day. She told her that she knew she told on them, she saw her in the office. I could see how visibly upset Sam was getting so I tried to deflect attention from her. “I told too” I said almost proudly, but still regretting it as soon as I said it. “You guys are a bunch of snitches and you will get what comes to you” I was partly scared, but partly glad I could stand up to her. “I don’t care what she says” I told Sam as Jasmine continued to make smart remarks at the both of us. “When this bus stops you’re gonna get it” She said. I exited out the bus and waited with my sister for my mom to pick us up like she usually did. The bus flew away and Jasmine approached me yelling in my face and I looked up and her yelling back at her. My mom came just in time. Tears started welling in my eyes. Sam, my sister and I all got into the car. My mom looked at me and asked what was wrong as the whole story left my mouth in between tears and gasps of air like word vomit. We dropped Sam off on the way home and pulled into my drive way. I had wiped away all my tears by now.

            The next few days were better. My brother it turned out was friends with Jasmine. They were all nicer to me after that. It was “fake” I knew of course. To this day my brother won’t tell me what he told her that day. He just took care of it. I could have handled it myself I always wanted to tell him, but thank you was all that ever came out.