Darcy's Touch

• Abby Salmon, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

My name is Darcy, but don’t get confused I am NOT a girl. I am an overweight, acne covered 12 years old boy with no friends. Well, l do have my lunchbox. I like him because it is Ben 10 themed, full of food and he doesn’t bully me. Right now I am sitting on my own near the staff room. After being bullied for your whole life you learn to sit near the staff room, protected, no matter how cowardly you look.

Being in 8th grade, you get bullied a lot more than you do in any other grade as you are the youngest in high school. The Darcy touch is the newest of my tortures. It all started when one of the boys at my school accidentally knocked me and his mate screamed out, “Ew! He has the Darcy touch!” Here we go again, I had thought to myself. Now the whole school ignores me and I am officially “infected” so no one will touch me in case they “catch” my illness.

On my way home this afternoon I came across a bunch of my regular bullies, I knew what was coming. I walked into the middle of the group. “You know the routine,” said Rory, my most regular bully, and punched me in the nose, causing it to bleed. I was certain that I knew what was going to happen next. I sighed, why was I always right? They kneed me in the back multiple times until I fell to the floor then they all started kicking me in the stomach.

Then, from around the corner Mrs Noble, our librarian appeared. “Boys, boys!” she screamed, “what are you doing to poor Darcy there?” They all looked at each other, laughed and ran away. “Are you alright?” Mrs Noble asked me. I nodded, “I...I…I think so,” I stumbled with my words. She slowly walked me home to make sure that I didn’t have concussion.

When we arrived at my house, Mrs Noble knocked on the door. “Hello” my Mother opened the door. She then looked at me and sighed, “Oh Darcy, not again. I thought you said they had stopped”. Mrs Noble looked from me to my mother and back again. “So you knew?” she asked politely. My Mother nodded her head “Of course we knew,” she said, “He comes home like this every day!” Mrs Noble looked surprised “Why didn’t you do anything then?”
“Darcy told us not to, he said he was afraid that they would hurt him more,” my Mother said as I blushed. “Well then,” said Mrs Noble, “at least we can do something about it now.” She smiled and then walked off.

The next day at school the boys all came up to me first thing to apologise for what they had done, even Rory begged for my forgiveness. I nodded “Just please, don’t do it again.” They all thanked me and walked off as then Rory turned back and smiled.