Chapter 2

Bobby sat in his dimly lit bedroom, staring aimlessly at the pages of a book that had been open for over an hour. His mind wandered, unable to focus on the words in front of him. Bobby’s thoughts were anything but calm. He was lost in a world of his own, disconnected from reality as he tried to understand not only what had happened, but why. He was well aware of his nerdy persona, and he had come to terms with it. He held onto the belief that his time would come in college or afterwards, so he was willing to endure the constant teasing and mocking. However, there were moments when he wished he could just fit in with the cool kids instead of being seen just as a dork by his classmates. Since he tutored some of the jocks, he was relatively protected against bullying, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t a target.

He was filled with a mix of rage and confusion. How could they do this to him? The pain he felt from April’s cruelty was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. And Mary, his own flesh and blood, had not only not defended him but she had been an active part of his humiliation. They used to be so close when they were kids, but now she only cared about being part of the popular crowd. He tried to understand the politics of high school, but this level of betrayal was beyond anything he could have imagined from his own sister.

Suddenly the sound of his mother’s voice pierced through his thoughts. It was time for dinner and he reluctantly pulled himself back to reality. With a resigned sigh, he rose from his seat and made his way to the dining room.

Samantha Mercer was confused. Just two days ago, her son had been bouncing on one foot with excitement, proudly gushing about his relationship with April. But tonight, at the dinner table, he barely touched his food and didn’t utter a single word. Samantha’s eyes shifted to her daughter, who sat silent and unmoving in her seat. A thick tension hung in the air, stifling any attempt at conversation. It was as if a dark cloud had descended upon their household, casting a heavy shadow over what had once been a happy family dynamic. Samantha couldn’t help but wonder what could have possibly happened in just 24 hours to cause such a drastic change in her children’s behavior. Her mind raced with questions and concerns, leaving her feeling lost and bewildered in this sudden shift of mood and atmosphere.

“Now, kids, what’s wrong?” Samantha asked, noticing the tension in her children’s faces.

“Nothing,” both Bobby and Mary replied hastily, avoiding eye contact.

“Bullshit!” Samantha exclaimed, not fooled by their dismissive response. “Something has happened, and you’re going to tell me what!” she insisted firmly.

Mary’s hands were trembling, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that when Bobby told their mom what she had done, there would be serious consequences. She was sure she would be grounded for weeks, maybe even the rest of the school year.

“April dumped me,” Bobby finally admitted, his voice strained with hurt.

“Oh,” Samantha said softly, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Honey. What happened?”

Mary braced herself for the inevitable explosion from her mother. But instead, to her surprise and relief, Bobby simply shrugged and said, “I don’t know. She just broke up with me.”

Mary couldn’t believe it. Her brother was showing a lot more loyalty to her than she had shown him. Despite everything, he was still showing loyalty to her. The weight of her shame only grew heavier.

Her gaze shifted to Mary. “So that’s why you were so gloomy,” she said, her voice laced with concern. Then she turned towards Mary. “You were worried about your brother,” she said. Mary simply shrugged. “Worried about my brother,” she thought, the irony was not lost on her, since she was one of those who had wronged him.

It was Mary’s turn to do the dishes, so after dinner she stayed in the kitchen while the others left for their respective bedrooms.

With a sigh, Mary finished washing the dishes and dried her hands on a towel. She made her way to her brother’s bedroom and rapped lightly on the door. No response. She tried the handle and found it unlocked, so she slowly pushed the door open. The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn shut. As she stepped inside, she saw Bobby propped up on his bed, engrossed in a thick novel. She closed the door softly behind her.

She hesitated before approaching Bobby, unsure if she should even bother. But her guilt consumed her and she couldn’t keep it inside any longer. “Bobby, can we talk?” His eyes stayed glued to the pages of his book. She knew he heard her, but he didn’t want to acknowledge her presence. “Bobby,” she pleaded.

Finally, he looked up at her with a cold expression. “What do you want?”

Tears welled up in Mary’s eyes as she tried to find the right words. “I ... I want to apologize for what we did. It was just a stupid prank.”

Silence hung between them as Mary waited for a response. But there was none. Bobby’s face remained blank, giving away nothing.

“Please,” Mary implored, “can’t we just put this behind us?”

“Why?” he asked. It was a simple question, but the answer was everything but. Mary shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to answer. Was it because he was an easy target, a socially awkward dork who wouldn’t fight back? Or was it because he fitted the stereotypical image of the “good guy” who was expected to take everything with a smile? She couldn’t bring herself to admit the truth.

“I ... I don’t know,” she tried.

He gazed up at the roof, his eyes full of anger and hurt. “Liar,” he spat out. “You know exactly why you chose me.” He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of betrayal. “I can almost understand April’s actions. She’s a cheerleader, after all. It’s expected for her to look down on someone like me.” His gaze turned back to his sister; disappointment heavy in his voice. “But you, as my own flesh and blood, should have had my back. That’s a new low, even for you.” The tension between them thickened, each word cutting deeper than the last.

“Why didn’t you tell mom?” Mary asked, her voice low and hesitant.

Her brother’s expression darkened as he replied, “She has enough on her plate already, trying to keep this sinking ship of a home afloat and support us. I couldn’t burden her with my own struggles and break her heart, too.”

A wave of guilt washed over Mary as she faced her own selfishness. She had been so blinded by her loyalty to the squad that she had not only forgotten about her brother, but also about their struggling mother. In that moment, she saw the true maturity in her brother, who had decided to shoulder his burden alone.

“Bobby, I ... I don’t know what to say, besides I’m sorry.” She admitted, looking at the floor.

After a long pause, he spoke with an air of finality. “I’m Robert, not Bobby,” he corrected her. “Never call me Bobby again. Now please leave.” Mary turned and left knowing that the rift between them would remain for a long time.

——————————————— One of the requirements to be a good queen bee is to known when you have gone too far. In the case of the cheerleaders, and judging by the other students’ not too-enthusiastic reaction to their prank, now it was clear for April that they had severely crossed the line. She wasn’t too worried about Bobby, but the damage to her reputation should be nipped in the bud. “Oh, well. Time to eat some crow,” she decided.

“Bobby, can we talk?” Robert turned to see April, her usual confident and flirty demeanor replaced by contrition and shyness. Her eyes avoided his gaze, but he could see she wasn’t happy to talk with him.

“She’s so beautiful,” he thought to himself, admiring the delicate curves of her face. “Like a coral snake, alluring yet venomous.”

“Yes, April. What is it?” he answered, his voice devoid of any feeling.

“I ... I don’t know where to start. I thought it was just a harmless joke, but now I realize how much I hurt you.” Her words were hesitant and filled with regret.

“She’s quite the actress, ” Robert thought bitterly. He forced a smile and replied, “Oh, never mind. It was just a joke after all. You’re forgiven.” But his eyes told a different story.

April seemed satisfied; her reputation was saved. “Oh, okay. Thanks for forgiving me,” she murmured before turning and walking away.

As she left, another girl approached Robert. It was Marla Smith, a member of the female wrestling team who he also tutored in math. “Hi Bobby,” she greeted him cheerfully.

He turned to face her with a strained smile. “Hi Marla. What’s up?”

She glanced around before speaking in a low voice. “Bobby, I heard about what happened. Are you alright?”

His face momentarily darkened before returning to its calm facade. “I’m fine, Marla. It was just a joke and now it’s water under the bridge.”

Marla’s expression softened with understanding. “If you say so ... Are we still on for our tutoring session tomorrow?”

Robert sighed. He had just had talked with Mr. Peters - the math teacher. “I’m sorry, Marla. Mr. Peters has relieved me of all tutoring duties with female students. He’ll have a new tutor for you soon.”

Marla nodded understandingly and patted his arm before walking away, leaving Robert to face the consequences of April’s cruel joke.

——————————————— The next day, April still couldn’t shake off the feeling of restlessness that lingered within her. As she checked her reflection in the locker room mirror, a strong, muscular arm suddenly grabbed her by the neck and forcefully pinned her against the cold, metal lockers. Marla was one of the toughest girls in school and right now she seemed to have it out for April.

“Thank you very much, bitch!” Marla growled; her anger palpable. “Thanks to your idiotic stunt, I’ve lost my math tutor!”

April tried to protest, weakly pushing against Marla’s grip. But it was no use. Ever since the prank Bobby had almost completely shut himself off from all female interaction. He avoided talking to not just the cheerleaders but every girl in school.

No one could blame him. Even the most stubborn feminists and jocks understood his actions and stopped bothering him. And now, thanks to April’s foolishness, Marla had lost her key source for tutoring and she was taking it out on April with no mercy.

“Miss Smith!” a stern voice cut through the air, causing Marla’s grip to immediately relax. April gasped and turned to see Mrs. Pollard, the principal of the school. Her sharp features and piercing gaze made it clear that she meant business.

“Is there a problem?” Mrs. Pollard asked in a stern voice, her arms crossed over her chest.

Marla replied calmly, “None at all. I was just about to leave.”

Mrs. Pollard turned her attention to April, who nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Miss Lozano?”

April gulped before answering, “It’s okay, Mrs. Pollard. We were just finishing up our conversation.” The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush, betraying her anxiety.

Mrs. Pollard’s eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced by April’s hasty explanation. She glanced between the two girls, her gaze lingering on the red marks on April’s neck where Marla’s hand had been moments before.

“Very well,” she said, her tone measured. “Miss Lozano, I expect you in my office after school today. We need to have a discussion about appropriate behavior on school grounds.”

As Mrs. Pollard turned to leave, April caught a glimpse of Marla’s face. The other girl’s expression was a mix of fury and menace, her eyes promising retribution.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for April. She found herself constantly looking over her shoulder, expecting Marla to appear at any moment. Even in classes, she couldn’t concentrate, her mind replaying the incident in the locker room over and over.

As the hour bell rang, April gathered her courage and made her way to the principal’s office. She knocked on the door and heard a muffled voice beckoning her inside. Nervously, she pushed open the door to see Mrs. Pollard perched on top of her desk, intently watching her. “Please, take a seat, Miss Lozano,” she said in a stern yet calm tone. April could feel a sense of impending doom as she sat down, bracing herself for what was to come.

As soon as April sat, Mrs. Pollard touched the PA button.

Robert Mercer was in the middle of history class when he heard his name being called over the PA system. He looked up at his teacher, who gave him a nod before he grabbed his books and made his way to the principal’s office.

As he walked down the hallway, Bobby couldn’t help but wonder why he was being summoned. He hadn’t been in any trouble lately and had been keeping up with his schoolwork. But as he entered the office and saw April sitting there with a look of shame on her face, he knew immediately what was this summons about.

“Hello Robert,” Mrs. Pollard greeted him, gesturing for him to take a seat next to April. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you here today.”

Bobby nodded, glancing at April who avoided making eye contact with him.

“Miss Lozano?” Mrs. Pollard looked at April.

April nodded, unable to meet her gaze. “I ... I have an idea,” she murmured.

“Would you care to elaborate?” Mrs. Pollard pressed, her eyes narrowing.

“I made a serious error of judgment and hurt a classmate,” April admitted with a contrite voice. She knew it was useless to deny it.

“A serious error of judgment,” Mrs. Pollard repeated, her tone filled with disappointment.

“You two were involved in an incident during lunch the day before yesterday,” Mrs. Pollard began, her tone serious. “April has already admitted her mistake and will serve detention as punishment.” Then she turned to Bobby. “However, I felt it necessary to also involve you since you were the victim of the cheerleading squad’s plan.”

Bobby’s eyes flashed but then he said, “Well, April has already apologized and I’ve accepted her apologies. As far as I’m concerned, the incident is over.”

Mrs. Pollard raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure?”

Bobby nodded vehemently, “Yes, I’m sure. She apologized and that’s it.”

“I see,” she tapped her pen against the table. “Regarding the rest of the cheerleader squad...”

“They had nothing to do with it!” April blurted. It was a lie, of course, but she wasn’t a telltale and decided to take all the blame for the prank.

“I see Miss Lozano is trying to take all the blame for this incident herself. I was considering to punish the whole squad...”

Bobby’s jaw dropped as he listened to Mrs. Pollard’s talking about punishment. Never in the whole history of the school had anybody talked about punishing the whole cheerleading squad.