Unknown by Christopher Smith

others, but you do nothing about it.   Sometimes, I think you’re the worst bullies because you choose to look the other way.   You let it happen.   It’s easier to let it happen.   I’m tired of it and I’m not going to back down from the students who hate me, from you or from any other teacher who doesn’t act on my behalf.   I’m done with it.   And I’m going public with it.”
    “That’s your choice,” Garland said.   “But I wouldn’t recommend it.”
    “I’m sure you wouldn’t.”
    He walked over to his desk and sat down.   “Care to know why?”
    “Shoot.”
    “Because you’ll only make it worse.   We can’t prevent anything that happens off school grounds.   I think you’re setting yourself up for something bad, Seth.   I think if you take this too far, it could blow up in your face.”
    “So, I should just continue to take it?   You should just continue to ignore it?   What kind of bullshit is that?”
    When he didn’t say anything, I left to see the nurse.

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
     
    The rest of the day was a wash.   People were on edge.   The mood was off.   Most were talking.   I was the conversation.
    Jake had been thrown out of school for the rest of the week.   Worse, because he threatened me in front of Mr. Garland, the police were now involved.   They came by and had a little chat with Jake and Principal Roberts, which didn’t go well because Jake’s parents got involved—and Jake’s father is a member of the school board, which complicates things.  
    Then there’s Ginny, who is Jake’s on-and-off girlfriend.   Together, they’re a force and have so many friends, it’s daunting.   Now, I was so officially entrenched on their shit list, it didn’t take a genius to know that Mr. Garland was right.   Maybe this was all going to blow up in my face.
    Of course, what no one knew is what I wore around my neck.   If Jake and Ginny organized against me out of spite, which I felt they would, was the amulet enough to protect me against a group of people?   I didn’t know and it worried me.
    At lunch, I sat with Alex and Jennifer, but there wasn’t much conversation.   Alex mentioned that he was joining the football team.   Jennifer said something about seeing a movie on Friday night with a few of her girlfriends.   As for me?   I’d be stuck in my room as I always was because I had nowhere else to go.   I thought about telling them that today was my birthday, but what was the point?   Just to seek attention?   Not my style.
    When the bell rang, Jennifer suggested we meet at noon on Saturday at Starbucks, Alex and I agreed, and we went our separate ways.
    Outside, in the hall, I felt more alone than I had in awhile.   Glances were shot my way, but nothing more than that, which was a shift from how it usually went down.   Usually, I was knocked up against a locker.   Somebody would spit on me.   Or I’d be punched.
    Now, I was considered a threat.  
    Two days back in school and I had laid waste to a few of the most popular bullies going.   Few knew what to do with it.   If I was willing to take on people like Hastings, Tyler and Gibson, surely I’d take on others.   Maybe even them.   But as I passed them, what I saw on their faces wasn’t what I was expecting.   It wasn’t fear reflected back at me.   It wasn’t hatred or even dismissal.   Instead, it was more focused and intense.
    What I saw was rage.
     
     
    *    *    *
     
     
    Later, at home, I walked around the trailer to make sure that nobody had written anything else on it while I was gone--and it was fine.   The trailer was untouched, which was a relief.
    I went into the house prepared for the usual bullshit and was surprised to find my mother at the stove.   I looked around the place and saw that she had cleaned.   It wasn’t perfect--the air still smelled of cigarette smoke and the trash was overflowing in the corner by the refrigerator, but the floor had