My Bully Next Door

ck

ning should

lf as I walk through th

s one weird

argu

mo

t's

shouldn't still be sitting in the ba

e first thing I think about w

t person I notic

the combination lock. Nothing about her looks different. The same oversized sweater hangs past her w

ke she did

ke she has

eason, I can't

Y

mps my

u g

ttention aw

ea

k that says he do

ly, he's pr

ool is waking up. Lockers slam. Someone shouts from across the hall. A couple f

rm

ng looks

keeps drifting b

looked standin

she didn'

isappointed when I stoo

ers me more th

she wasn

t do an

eve

ed myself that's differ

hrow the

art most o

my way to make h

here while eve

exactly inn

ow t

like thinki

Ella closes

r backpack and

ll br

e wouldn't

erstand what felt

her app

t her c

even her

's expecting

ng fo

waiting for the fir

realization settles

, Ja

se my

e

cou

nd us laugh a

e the joke

s routine i

knows th

somethin

ts emba

le l

y cont

it's alwa

I've allowe

tops w

think she's goin

me hopes

ause it

e it's

e turns

ow

bera

ks righ

t the

the l

u

h

m

s ag

ce isn'

makes it i

unds a

red of the conversati

niencing her instead

nts nearby

n g

he tal

uld've gotten a

it d

are w

it

ure out what

your thing?

owns sl

ha

sh

ree jokes over and ove

h comes from som

grin

or a s

I se

sees

rest

e's been the

making h

says. "You're startin

ilts h

N

her mouth li

ing to sou

he laughter

om eve

from mo

en

hat Sean

that I

ly the dyn

a l

y expected Ella to

uiet

asy t

o never pu

she re

nows what to

udin

es a ste

hreat

exac

test

control of t

eems to tight

ts slo

etending they

loves a

involves someone

g brave now

tion han

it

d stop

t hits me

sent

ll it wo

t alone

o

v

, I sta

ere I've a

help

rticip

toppi

fe pos

ard's p

eyes fi

or a s

t's e

see recogn

surp

ho

sappoi

gnit

ws exactly what choi

expected anyt

uldn't b

d

lo

e asks, lookin

ice is

a

ly under

need anot

people

re definitely l

ession t

all morning, he l

o

s so fast it cat

o

wd isn't completely on his side any

ate

a hand di

worth

ike that,

matic

hout

sce

esn't c

n't

ven look

rns around an

a

urr

matter enough

ch he

ould

I

thing keeps

Ella was quiet becaus

she was quiet because nobody e

Y

ges my s

e weirdl

my ga

were

sco

let her h

ost l

ause it

's complet

nows

now

ed off wasn't beca

use she d

those aren't

rings o

begins mov

ations

tinue with

sappears for

ot fo

follows me all the

've sto

ust t

y

t w

t y

other times

ve said

somet

tter th

I di

long time, I don't like

's w

ured that out lo