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The Quiet Kid

The Scene – School

The Target : Quiet shy girl

The Reason : Bored

Why her? Why not her?


This was the directive given to a group of girls who were feeling the pressure at school with low grades, acne, peer pressure, dieting, problems at home, boyfriend problems, hormones, etc. They wanted to shift their attention to something interesting that was out of their routine.

“Look over there at Sally she looks really weird today doesn’t she?” said Martha.

“Why she looks rather radiant and I don’t like that. What could be the reason I wonder?” exclaimed Maryann angrily. She thought she was the pretty one and Sally was looking way too good for comfort.

“What say we go there and annoy her a bit,” said Cynthia.

“Yeah lets. It is getting way too boring here and with the tests around the corner. She is always so with it - her high scores and all” said Tina. So they walked across to Sally and questioned her about what she was reading.

“Whatcha reading Sally?” asked the girls. But instead of waiting for her response they pulled her bag, ate her lunch, roughed her up a bit and at the end of the day went home happy. This went on for months until the end of the school year. Sally never breathed a word to anyone. Until one day when she couldn’t take it any longer; she retorted asking them to leave her alone. Instead of stopping they increased their bullying. They even tried to bring on more members but not many took the bait.

“Hey Sally, why don’t you join us,” echoed the rest of her classmates one afternoon. “We have had it with these four who think they rule the world. Let us show them a thing or two shall we?”

Unsure about what to do Sally walked over and enjoyed her lunch peacefully after many months. Apparently the rest of her classmates had watched her being singled out and wanted to teach the four a lesson. She listened to them mock Cynthia, Tina, Maryann and Martha but she kept quiet. When they urged her to get back at them she declined saying

“Let us just forget about it.”

“Aw Sally, you are way too good for this. We will help you get even”, chorused her new found friends.

“But when I was going through this for the past months why didn’t you speak out?” she asked them bitterly. “It was so painful and no one even spoke to me at all.”

“We wanted to see what they would do. But don’t you think for one moment that we didn’t have your back girl” they said.

“What is the point in keeping score? They have had their fun and I need to move on,” she said.

“Ok then. Let us stand by her,” said the class leader. “She has a point. If we bend over this way they will hit us where it hurts. Good going Sal!”

“No that’s not…” but her words were drowned with the laughter and incessant talking. Realizing that both the groups had some score to settle, she walked away. No one even noticed her leave. Seeing her mother waiting for her in the parking lot, Sally walked over.

“Hi, darling. How was your day?” asked her mother.

“Not good at all Mum,” she replied.

“Why what happened?”

“Just the same old story mom. Bullying, fighting, dividing, ruling – all plans to endorse peace” mumbled Sally.

“What … Sally where did you learn all this?” laughed her mom.

“Just kidding” said Sally changing the topic.

They drove on home with merry banter. On reaching they heard the phone ring. Sally ran to answer it and heard a rather familiar voice saying

“You better watch your step otherwise…”

“I know that’s you Cynthia,” said Sally. But there was no one at the other end.

“What was that all about?” asked her mother.

“Just someone blowing off steam Mom” said Sally putting down the phone. “Can I get online? I have homework to complete.”

“Yes Sal. Dinner at 7,” replied her mother.

“Sure Mom.”

When Sally opened her email account she saw a list of mails from everyone in her class. Opening each letter she read the contents

Sally is yuck, ugly and fake. Her mother is a moron and her father … where is he? Sally sucks. If you are ever seen talking to her you will be banned from anything and everything. Do you know why her grades are so high? She uses her assets to get special favors.

“Sally, come down for dinner. You have been a while on the computer,” called her mother. No reply.

“Sally. Sally. Sally.”

“Sally please come down for dinner immediately,” said Trish (Sally’s mother) worriedly.

This was not like her daughter to ignore her. Worriedly Trish walked up to her room and saw her daughter lying on the bed sobbing.

“Why honey what is the matter?” she asked extremely concerned. Cuddling and kissing her daughter Trish told her that she loved her immensely. When Sally heard this she looked up at her mother and asked her sadly - “Why me mom, why me?”


....To be Continued

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