Tubby's Troubles

• Thomas Garland, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

Everybody has a friend. Everybody besides me, that is. Everybody is colourful but me. Life's purpose is to be colourful, but that only happens when you belong. When you fit in. When you have at least one friend. Hi, I'm Tubby the Troll aka the mean grey one. I tend to put up walls to protect myself from others, because, I’m hurting. Everyday I sit in the shadows. Alone, observing my dream. To have a best friend like everyone else, but most importantly to find my Cadbury or Tuptake.

Cadbury and Tuptake are two best friends everyone aspires to be like. They achieve everything together like their greatest achievement of all, climbing the rainbow. I still remember the shades of indigo and violet shining in the light. Oh, how I wish I could be those colours. I called them Losers, only because I'm suffering. I'm bullied for being different.

I go to Happy Hills High. Everyday I see Cadbury and Tuptake having the time of their lives. My life is being bullied by Larissa. Her golden locks flow as she struts past with the cool group. My stomach churns like butter. I try to escape by blending in. My head stays down but she still notices me. What now?
"Hey, you ugly beast. Why do you even show your face at school? NOBODY LIKES YOU!" snickers Larissa. " I'm talking to you!".
"Go AWAY!" I yell. Tears flood into the back of my eyes like a tsunami. I want to cry, but not at school. I control myself.

I go home to no one, crying, questioning my life’s purpose. The same lines echo in my head. I'm grey, I'm ugly and I'm fat. The sun slowly drifts away as does my hope. The moon emerges. It glistens in my eyes. Everything fades to black. I wish I could be colourful. The vibrant beams of sun stream into my room. I get ready. Eeeeek! I fling my door open, to see Cadbury and Tuptake standing there.
"What are you doing here" I moan.
"We are here to help," they say cheerily.
"With what? With life? With school? Me?" I question.
"All of them!!!!!" Cadbury chirps. We walk to school together as they give me advice on how to stop Larissa. As we walk into school, everyone's mouths drop. I'm with the popular kids!? Larissa struts over and pushes me. It hurts but I get up.
"Why do you hate me! I do nothing wrong! I’m just grey! I can't help it that I am lonely!"
"Ummmmm....." Larissa mumbles as they storm off. Tuptake and Cadbury hug me and I gain colour in my feet. Indigo like the rainbow. It's not much, but enough to know that I now belong.

A weight lifts off my shoulders. Finally..... I have friends. They let me sit and talk to them. I’m having fun. Indigo flows delicately up my body. I'm colourful. I belong!