He talks to his friends he’s known for years over Facebook.  All of a sudden, one asks how he’s doing at school.  It seems odd, but the boy tells them that some people are being a little mean, but are just joking.  Then, another friend asks about a picture.  The boy remembers back to earlier that day, to a person joking around, and taking a picture.  The person swore that they had deleted the picture, but they lied.  The picture was put up online, shared to all the person’s friend.  The boy didn’t know, he isn’t on the social network the person put the picture on.

The picture brings to mind all that the boy has been through.  Being attacked on the bus once for no reason, having his friend pull the attacker off, and all three getting in trouble.  Getting teased for watching professional wrestling, because some people don’t appreciate it.  Getting hurt by a “friend” in jest because people were looking at him, not caring that the boy was saying it hurt and was telling him to stop.

Getting called gay and other names because he was best friends with a guy and protected him when he got teased.  These thoughts have brought up every bad memory the boy has ever had.  Every time he was called stupid, dumb, nerd, idiot, and worse because of his intellect, being ridiculed for his interests, being the butt of people’s jokes.  The boy holds it all in, has always held it in.  No place was safe from ridicule.  Even at a camp where everyone was supposed to be a family, he was laughed at for things.  Sure, he had met people with common interests and people who were like him, but he was still called names and made fun of.

He holds it in, because he doesn’t want his family to worry.  He just wants them to think that everything is going alright.  The boy doesn’t want them to have to bear the burden of all the insults, so he carries it all.  He occasionally snaps, but it is over quickly, and the boy is usually alone when it happens.

Aggressive people would have taken their anger out already, usually yelling or getting into a fight, but the boy is not like the others, as he has so often been reminded.  The boy holds it in, but no more.  He has decided to let people know.  After a long time of silence, his small voice will be heard.  But the boy is still afraid, despite his anger.  He has always been told to not stir the pot, to not cause trouble.  He is afraid that the people whom he will inform on will come after him and hurt him.  He breathes in and out deeply.  With each breath in he thinks of the advice his friends told him.  With each exhale, he lets go of his fears.  Hi fear that who he reports will come after him, gone.  His fear that people won’t like him because he’s a “snitch”.   He realizes that he has to do this.  He has taken too much for too long.  It’s time for him to take a stand.  The boy realizes that if he doesn’t stand up for himself, no one will, and this will keep happening.  For the first time since he can remember, he is standing up for himself.  Justice is defined as being fair and reasonable.  The boy smiles to himself.  This will be fair.  He readies himself, then takes the first step.