Episode 1

Mark's fist connected with my abdomen.

This hurts like hell

I keeled over, struggling to breathe as he and Thomas laughed at me. Another guy pushed me from behind, making me land into another punch.

How will I explain the bruises to my mother?

Such an unimportant thought, but my brain was grasping for something to take my mind off the beating and think about why. Why I couldn't stand up for myself and why I was so paralyzed.

When will it end?

I wanted to yell and shout for help, but I knew that they would just come at me harder.

Mark grabbed me by my dreads and slammed my head against the locker. My legs were unable to support me anymore. My body started speeding towards the ground.

I woke up in a cold sweat.

2:04 AM

The numbers on my smartphone said jarringly. Cold sweat stuck to my pajamas like honey. And my mind was racing like an athlete.

It was just a dream; it was simply a dream.

I quickly lifted my shirt to expose my lower stomach. I checked for bruises and scars. Thankfully, none were present. The only pain that I could feel was mental.

See, just a dream.

I tried to shut my eyes and return to my slumber, but nothing was working. Thoughts of the dream had already overtaken my mind. I tried to ignore them, but it was to no avail.

Shut up!

But my brain wouldn't; it wanted me to remember all my pain and suffering from last year.

8th Grade. About a year ago.

Another memory bubbled up from the abyss, one of the more tame incidents, but it was still bad enough for me to think about. It took place during my 3rd-period class, science.

“Hey, loser boy,” said the girl sitting across from me.

I focused on my worksheet, attempting to ignore her.

“Where's that freak friend of yours?” said the boy to the right of her.

My science class was laid out in tables. So typical, you 4 people sat at one. The teacher had generated a seating chart about a month into the school year. My friend Kevin and I were able to sit together.

But this situation had a catch. As it just so happened, he and I were also paired with our bully, Mark, and his equally jerky girlfriend, Laura.

“Aww, did the other little weirdo not come out to school today?” said Lara tauntingly.

“Well, Thomas and I did give him a pretty rough beating on Tuesday,” replied Mark.

I tried to ignore them. Thinking of Kevin instead and how much pain he endured yesterday. Wishing I were there to protect him or, at the very least, divert their attention and take the beating for him.

Why can't they just leave us alone?

“Shut up,” I told them flatly.

“What did you just say?” Mark retorted.

“Do you need a repeat of last week?” he asked menacingly.

“N-no,” I said as I shifted in fear.

My alarm went off at 7:15 AM. I woke up, skipped breakfast, and hopped in the shower. Upon getting out, I turned on my tablet to watch a show as I got ready.

Can't wait to see what happens in this episode.

It was my favorite show, Masked Racer; they always knew how to beat the bad guys and show up for people. I wish I could do the same.

I finished getting ready, packed my book bag, and grabbed my jacket, Chapstick, gum, and my trusty PSP, my tool of choice for getting rid of morning-time boredom.

“Jack, are you almost ready?” my mother called out from downstairs.

“Yeah!” I replied.

I hope I was loud enough for my voice to travel down there

We left the house, said bye to my dad, hopped in the car, and drove to the bus stop. On the way there, my mother was giving me another one of her morning-time talks.

“So, how are things coming along at your new school?"

"Fine."

“Did you make any new friends, or any girls you like?"

“I have a couple of friends that I sit with, but no girls, Mom; it's a bit too early in the year for crushes.”

I lied straight to her face. I didn't have any friends, let alone talk to other students. The only friend I knew was the wood-grain bench out in front of the school where I ate lunch.

I'm such a loser

I watched the bus pull up to the stop, got out of the car, gathered my things, and said bye to my mother. When I hopped on the bus, I was able to get an empty seat, a rarity in the morning.

Score, an empty seat.

I sat down and pulled out my PSP, slapped in my Masked Heroes video game, and went to town. Often, I ended up losing myself in games; I could play them for hours and hours without stopping, constantly losing track of time.

The bus ride came to an end just as soon as it started. I took out my earbuds and packed up my PSP. I stood up as I stumbled to get off the bus.

"Watch it," said the boy I bumped into.

"My apologies."

Jerk

Although I went to a new school with all new people, some things just remained the same. Mean people still existed, and bullies were a mainstay. But I have changed; now I keep my head down and don't talk too much. I learned my lesson from trying to stand up for others, and it was one full of beatings and ridicule.

I headed to first period, my heels dragging down the hall. I hated that class because it reminded me of just how little dynamics changed between middle school and high school.

I sat down at my desk and got out my laptop to start on the previously assigned paper. I couldn't focus, though. Sitting beside me was Gracie Choi, one of the best-looking girls in the world. She was so beautiful that she eclipsed every other girl. But she wasn't just pretty; she was so smart and kind.

Too bad almost every other guy felt the same.

I fixed my gaze back toward the screen of my laptop and tried to get some work done. My teacher, Mr. Powers, was asleep at his desk, so the class was quite noisy.

"Hey, stop doing that," cried the boy sitting to the right of me

"Oh come on, quit being such a baby," his aggressors retorted.

They mess with this kid every day; can't they just quit?

I wanted to jump in and defend him, but I knew better than to do that.

Better him than me.

That's what I would always tell myself when I saw other students getting picked on. I know it's a bad way to think, but after all I went through last year, I learned my lesson about poking around in others' situations.

The rest of the day was a blur. I'd been so stuck in my own head that I hadn't realized the day had already ended, and I was on the way home.

Upon getting through the front door, I rushed upstairs, locked my bedroom door, and started finishing up my homework.

Why do we students have so much work to do after school

Nevertheless, I finished it, but by the time I was done, I decided to go to bed. Upon attempting to shut my eyes and sleep, the memories of 8th grade came flooding back.

Why does this have to happen at nighttime?

Alone with my thoughts, my mind began to race with horrible memories. I had had enough of these thoughts; I wanted to scream and shout. I wanted to go back and change everything, fix my life, and no longer be a quiet social reject.

"I—I JUST WISH I COULD GO BACK!"

And just as I said that, a girl bathed in light, draped in long, silky robes, and with long, flowing hair materialized from the darkness of my bedroom.

I wasn't aware of this yet, but this meeting of fate would change my very world forever.