Watching from the window I see the moving colors dance in front of my eyes, blending and blurring into a mass of one. Focusing my eyesight the once colorful mass became a cheering crowd that’s filled with my fellow students. I turn my head to see my accomplices and I smirk.

Everything is going according to plan. Now for the grand finale.

Let me tell you my story, that's filled with triumph and sorrow, temptation and discouragement, truth and lies

“Come along then, young man. If you want to be a bully, have a go at me. Come on. I’m here.”

Playground fights were one thing. It seemed like I couldn’t avoid them. But boxing a priest? What the heck did these people expect from me anyway? It’s not as if I fit in with them — or even figured I wanted to. It was hard enough to find myself dragged away from the only life
I knew for more than half of my life that I would find myself in a Catholic school getting taught by priests and nuns who figured if you could intimidate a boy by whipping him with a ruler you could surely break him down by whipping him with a yardstick.

The boys in the school only made it worse with their taunts and name-calling. What did they expect me to do? Ignore them? I’d had to stand up for myself. Too bad these priests didnt seem to like a fair street fight anymore than the boys did. “Come on,” Father James said, holding up a pair of boxing gloves, “put them on. If you want to fight then we’ll fight. But we’ll fight according to the rules. In the ring…”Oh yes, Father James was good at “the rules” — so long as they suited him. And they always seemed to suit him. After all, he was the one making them up and then enforcing them. Seeing no other choice, I nodded my head and stuck out my hands, indicating that he could go ahead and tie the gloves on me.

Just me and Father James in the old gym. The smell reminded me of the tenant houses where I’d been brought up. It was one of the few places at the school I liked. I didn't like it that day though.

Father James carefully unfastened his collar and then led the way to the ring. He turned to me and held the ropes wide for me to slip through. He wasn't a big man by any stretch but he was still bigger than me.

Heck, I was just a good-sized sixteen-year old. Awkward and maybe strong for my age. I wasn't a man yet. Father James faced me in the middle of the ring. He grinned. “Come on, take the first swing,” he said, beckoning me toward him with his gloved hand. “No? What? Afraid?” He gave me a gentle jab on the shoulder. More of a shove than a jab really. “Come on. You’re good at bullying the others…”

“They bully me…”

“Oh now, let’s have none of that,” he admonished me with a chuckle. “A little late in the game for whining, don’t you think? Besides, whining is for little girls.” He stepped forward and boxed me on the ears. Not too hard. Just enough to rock me to the left and the right.

“You’re not a little girl, are you?” He seemed more intent on toying with me than hurting me. “What’s the matter, lad? Lost your fight? This is the ring not the playground where you can scratch and bite like a girl.” His grin widened. “What’s the matter? Don’t like having to face someone more than your match?”

He took another jab at me. I danced back beyond the reach of his glove. He laughed. “You've got reflexes. Good.” Then he stepped toward me.

I continued to dance away from him, ducking and dodging as many of his hits as I could. In the process, I took a couple of half-hearted jabs at him. I connected with one, causing him to rock on his feet.
He laughed again. “That’s it?” he asked. “That’s the best a big bully like you can do?”

He faked with his left. A good fake. I went for it and met his right square in my face. I staggered back, almost falling to the canvas. My nose and lips felt numbed. Father James continued to come at me, boxing me left and right. Sending me against the ropes.

“Not such a big man now, are you?”

Father James landed one more good jab, popping my head back. My eyes were filled with tears. I could taste the blood on my tongue. My arms were sore and his laughter filled my ears.

This is unfair. I never wanted this. My life was somewhat good before I moved to this supposed ‘safe haven’.

I want to go back. Back home.
Home.

The notion of home sounded wonderful, but I knew that wasn’t it. Maybe I should've just invented some type of time machine to go back to the better, happier times.

I wanted to go back to that one place where everything that I knew was all too familiar. Back to when name-calling was just teasing and saying “I like you”. Back to where my opinions were made known. Back to where I could believe in multiple things and not be judged.

I want my old life back.

This whole mess started when my parents got divorced. Thinking back on it, I can see the red face of my father and the tears in my mother's eyes. I hear the shouting, the yelling, and disgusting dialect that they call English. I remember the sound of the judge's gavel hitting wood, and the uproar of many.
I remember the hurt from when my father didn't even put up a fight for me. The pain of being passed on so readily and easily.

That's how I got here. At Saint Jude Catholic School Co-Ed for grades kindergarten through twelve.

To be honest I'm already sick of people here. I mean the old architect and history of this place is cool but seeing the pity and resentment in the eyes of others is overwhelming.

Call me a girl or whatever but at least a girl gets the right to look weak. Can't say the same for a boy. If you’re born a boy you're expected to do certain things.

My dad expected a lot out of me...

To be honest everybody did...even if I wasn’t the best boy out there.

I was that one kid who is smart enough to have straight A's, but still considered an outcast.

I have always been alone.

But that changed.

When I went to the Catholic school I found out I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I ended up finding three other people.


The first one that I met was sixteen year old, Brendon Kirkland. He save me from some upperclassmen one day. Swooping in like a hero in a lame comic book, his red jacket tied around his neck like a cape and his dirty blond hair messy and his heterochromatic hazel-brown eyes gleamed with bravery. The second was Elliot Jones, and it turns out that he's the Student Council President. Apparently the only reason that he's in the group is because he's ‘keeping an eye out’. And the third person we meet...well he comes in the story a little later.

And together we made a pack of delinquents, outcasts and social freaks that helped each other rule that school.

It worked. For a while.

We were bold enough to taunt the older kids, and smart enough to fool the teachers.

We were noticed for the dumb jokes and the oddness of our group, and for the unwanted attention that it attracted. Like the attention from the Father James. We saw sticking together was a way to keep the individual taunting minimal.

But in the end.....it apparently wasn't enough, because by the time we thought to retaliate and actually have a foolproof plan, Father James always caught us in the act.

Walking down to the old abandoned conference room, Brendon asked “Well now that our ‘Most Evil Plan Ever’ is busted what do we do, Boss Man?” as he sat in a chair leaning back in it, with his feet propped up on the table in front of him. “They’re satisfied and distracted for now, we can move further down the line to initiate the first step to our plan.” stated Elliot from across the table, his grey eyes lighting up with glee. “I agree with Elliot, we need to move forward and gather more ‘troops’.” I said, from the head of the table. Moving to face Elliot I asked, “Think you can get a blueprint of the school?” “Do you really doubt me that much?” he questioned back while a mischievous smirk formed on his face as he got up to walk out of the room. “Let’s call it a night and we’ll meet up tomorrow.” he called back.

“Well then. Why don’t we start planning and then head home?” I suggested. Brendon nodded his head vigorously in agreement as he grabbed a piece of computer paper from the printer and a pen from the adjacent desk.




Step One: Get an Army
Step Two: Get a Spy
Step Three: Gather All the Evidence
Step Four: Put the Plan Into Action
Step Five: We Win

Step One
“I wonder who we can convert into our ’cult’?” I inquired. “Well why don’t we start with the people we know that we can persuade easily, like for instance Elliot can persuade the whole student body for us because he’s the student council president!” Brendon exclaimed with excitement. Shaking my dark brown head at him I asked, “I think that that could actually work, but it seems to easy, do you honestly think it would work?” He opened his mouth to speak, closed it and shook his head, and gave me a look that spoke volumes on his face.

Sighing out in dissatisfaction,” Why don’t we start with his persuasive speech that can convince people to join us?” I recommended. “Why not make a list of all the bad things that have been happening to not only us, but also others”, he offered. Nodding in approval “Let’s also start with the crowd(s) that we want to approach.” I stated. “For instance, the Yearbook Committee.”

While Brendon and I were thinking of ideas, Elliot was grinning happily at the remaining teachers and students that stayed after school as he walked towards the principal’s office. Reaching the office he looked left and right to make sure that no one was near him as he got a ‘borrowed’ bobby pen from a random girl he started to pick the lock. “Yes.”, he whispered, unaware of the eyes watching him from the back that widened in surprise. Opening the door slightly, just enough to squeeze by, and snuck in, and closed the door behind him. Using the assistive light from his cell phone he began to walk near the principal’s desk in the center of the room.

“Now if I were the blueprint of a school, where would I be?” he pondered. “How about in the actual desk that you're near?” a deep voice bluntly suggested. Elliot started and spun around to see Mr.Sirpprizingly, the Head Counselor of the school, leaning against the door frame. Opening his mouth, ready to lie his butt off Elliot took in a deep breath only to see that Mr.Sirpprizingly had held up his hand his face set with seriousness.


“Before you start giving me your excuses, and I start accusing you, why don’t we go for a walk and you tell me your story. If I like it then we’ll come back to get the blueprints, if I don’t then I’ll find a suitable punishment for your…intrusion per say. Does that sound like a plan?” he asked. Nodding his head Elliot began to walk towards the door with slight fright noticeably in his eyes. “Great!” he exclaimed cheerfully while putting his arm around Elliot’s shoulders.

Step Two
“Hey you guys!” shouted Elliot excitingly while running into the conference room the next evening after school. Seeing as we all ignore each other to not arouse suspicions. “I’ve found something better than the blueprints!” Brendon and I looked at each other in complete confusion. “Weren't you suppose to...you know actually get them?” I asked. “Well l got caught by the Head Counselor and long story cut short we now have an ally because I accidentally spilled the beans.” Elliot said as he crossed his wrung his hands with nervousness.

“Okay.”“I’m pretty cool with this.” Brendon and I same simultaneously. Blinking in shock Elliot shook his head in wonderment. My eyes lit up with enthusiasm and excitement, turning to Brendon, I exclaimed “I think we just completed Step Two without even trying!” His eyes widened and he grinned happily.”Steps?” questioned Elliot. Sliding the piece of paper with our writings on it towards him; I watched as his face showed that his understanding with our plans. “I feel proud for helping accidentally.” Elliot said as he smirked.

Step Three
“So I figured you guys would need some evidence if you wanted to take down Father James so I decided to ‘persuade’ the Yearbook Committee into being our extra eyes.” Elliot told us as he paced back and forth in front of us.”And how did that go?” we asked.”I think it went smoother because of Mr.Sirpprizingly had helped us out by being a strong figurehead in that confrontation.” Elliot stated. “Well at least we got them to understand the importance of this.” I said. “Did they get any pictures?” Brendon asked. Elliot gave us a look while rolling his eyes, “like Father James is shy with his discipline, and I do use that word lightly.” “So we have the evidence now what?” asked Brendon.


“We plan.” I said simply



Step Four
Fast forwarding this to the end of the school year. At the end of school year we have a prep rally to show our ‘immense joy and happiness to be at this school’. Everybody is required to go, even the school board because at these rallies we also get to see the new and old staff of the school leave and enter, and sense all the attention is focused on this event ,why not sabotage it with a few placed pictures, tapes and testimonies? That was our plan and, in fact we had everything down. So what was left?

Step Five
Watching from the window I see the moving colors dance in front of my eyes, blending and blurring into a mass of one. Focusing my eyesight the once colorful mass became a cheering crowd that’s filled with my fellow students. I turn my head to see my accomplices and I smirk.


To Be Continued