I Can Stand Up For Myself

• Jack Larkin, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

Hi, my name is Mike. I’m a normal kid, going to school and playing with my mates, but I don’t run around and play sports like you. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s because I can’t. I’m diagnosed with dyslexia and I am a paraplegic. Having those things is not cool, but not because bullies seem to pick on you more often because you can’t retaliate. The reason I hate being dyslexic and paraplegic is people think that you can’t stand up for yourself so they decide to take on the bully for you, and that is where this story begins.
I was rolling through the playground when an enormous shadow engulfed me. I looked back and saw a massive body. Seth. The worst bully in the school. I looked at his huge, red, shirt printed with a big black skull and his fat ugly face that had an even fatter, uglier, grin on it. Oh dear, I thought.
“Well, well, well, what’s this?” he said, as his grin grew rapidly.
“I don’t know, it doesn’t look much like a person. I think it’s some kind of goo,” I said.
Seth’s grin disappeared. “I’m going to rip your legs off,” he said.
“That wouldn’t do much since I’m a paraplegic,” I said, as I hid my grin.
”Then I’ll rip your head off,” he said.
“That may hurt,” I said just before I bolted.
I raced through the playground, quickly escaping the roar of Seth’s voice. I slowed to a stop, on the field, where a bunch of ‘normal’ kids are kicking the footy around. I wish I could do that, but even if I could, I probably wouldn’t be right now. Considering the fact that I have a roaring maniac chasing me.
I started to pick up speed again, but it’s just my luck that I ran over a bulging tree stump and my chair flew about half a metre in the air! Seth was barely five metres behind me now and before I could start moving again, he grabbed the back of my chair with his fat, meaty hand and turned me around.
One of the ‘normal’ kids saw what was happening and ran over to me. His name was Charlie and he’s a pretty nice kid, but when it comes to me, he is way too nice.
“Charlie, lay off him, I can fight my own battles,” I said.
“No, you can’t fight him on my own,” replied Charlie confidently.
“Please Charlie, the most you should do is get a teacher, but please don’t fight my battles!” I said loudly.
“Fine, but I’m going to get a teacher,” said Charlie.
Seth turned to me with a look of fear on his face. “I can’t believe you sent that punk off to get a teacher!” he said. Then he did something I didn’t expect. He ran.
I may not have fought that one on my own, but it felt good to get revenge on Seth.