I, Bully

by Roy Dimond

I, Bully addresses the serious issue of cyber bullying. What makes this story unique is that it is told from the perspective of both the bully and the victim.

The two main characters, the victim, Hannah and the bully, Eric, learn from each other in ways they could never have imagined.

Hannah is a typical young girl in grade 8. She's completely focused on friends and feels her family doesn't understand. Hannah also feels invisible and her perception is that her older sister gets all the attention. It’s a good, middle class family, but struggling. Eric is also in grade 8, but his family is dysfunctional. Dad drinks and mom is barely keeping it together. Eric is filled with rage and takes it out on everyone.

Eventually, spirit quests and restorative justice help build relationships that lead to enlightenment and reconciliation.

Roy Dimond's exciting new novel I, Bully will empower and touch all who read it.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Eric, an eighth grader, stormed through the halls of the overcrowded middle school. Anonymity, he thought. I like that word. Anonymity. He wasn’t sure how to spell it, or exactly what it meant, but when his teachers used that word they were upset. Eric liked seeing his teachers upset.

As he passed a classroom, he overheard a teacher complaining, “I don’t have enough time to learn all their names.”

So what? Eric thought. I don’t know the names of my teachers either. Who cares! The other kids know who I am, and they are the only ones that matter.

Teachers were always hassling him in the halls. Apparently, they didn’t like how he expected everyone to move just for him. Teachers were such idiots.If a student didn’t jump fast enough they got a good, hard shove and an icy glare. Eric always felt lucky when another student challenged him. It meant a fight, and that always meant his reputation grew.

Eric had learned that in a school of 1,200, if he was caught intimidating another student, teachers would just drone on until he muttered an insincere, “sorry.” Eventually, those same teachers would leave him alone never even knowing his name. Then to take out his frustration, he could go on a hunt for another victim. Today, Eric was looking for one specific grade eight student. Anonymity! Yeah, that must be an important word.

During his search-and-destroy mission in the hallways of hisschool, Eric pulled into the library. Only geeks used this area of the building. Nerds, every one of them! He recognized one of the girls from his class, Hannah, and sat across the table from her. Without asking, he reached over and took her laptop. She began to protest.

“Hey!”

But one glare shut her mouth. Smart girl, Eric thought. He didn’t care that she was working on her English assignment. He needed to look up something.

The librarian watched carefully, but probably thought, no blood, no foul. Besides, she was busy reading a newspaper article about the government bullying the teachers into taking contract rollbacks. Why should she interfere when the government was doing to her what Eric had just done to that girl? No blood, no foul.

Eric flipped the computer around to face him and punched in the word he had been hearing from the teachers. Anonymity. He used the computer’s spell check, then its dictionary. Anonymity…the state of not being known or identified by name.

Without so much as a glance at the girl, Eric shoved the computer across the table. He walked past the librarian and snickered. They don’t even know who I am. His snicker turned into a sneer as he strutted toward his English teacher, Mr. Clevenger, who was standing in the library’s doorway.

“Just one moment, Eric.”

Barely controlling his contempt, Eric stopped and rolled his eyes. Another adult on a power trip. Eric fumed. How dare he stand in my way. I’ve got places to go, people to see. This is my school, not Clevenger’s.

“Is everything okay in here?” Mr. Clevenger asked while glancing at the librarian.

The librarian looked up from her newspaper and eyed the girl at the table. She glared at Eric and shrugged. “Yes. Yes. Everything’s fine.” Her eyes returned to the headline, “Government Cutbacks vs. Overcrowded Schools,” and her brow furrowed as she refocused on the article.

Mr. Clevenger saw the anger in Eric’s eyes. “Remember what we’ve talked about?”

From between clenched teeth Eric muttered, “Yeah, Mr. C, I do.” He then said the magical word, “sorry,” squeezed between Mr. Clevenger and the doorframe, and sauntered down the hall.

Mr. Clevenger watched him walk directly at another student knowing that the classmate would step aside. Shaking his head, Mr. C understood that Eric might be one of the brightest students he had ever taught, but his behavior would always be what teachers dealt with, not his intelligence. He wanted to build a relationship with Eric so that he could influence his behavior, but like the incident that had just occurred, Eric always forced him to deal with his poor behavior.

Frustrated, Mr. Clevenger watched Eric disappear into the throng of students as the bell signaled the change of classes. The girl with the computer passed and he asked, “Hannah, are you okay?”

Her shrug spoke volumes.

In the meantime, Eric had already forgotten the incident and was looking for his next prey. It was a student from his class, who two days earlier had simply looked at him the wrong way. Finally, Eric had time to deal with him, and now that he knew what anonymity meant, he was emboldened.

Eric found his victim, and in the crowded hallway he walked just far enough behind not to be noticed. They were on the second floor and a crush of students went through the double doors leading down the stairs. As the throng descended, Eric nudged his way closer to his prey knowing that in this corner of the school there were never any teachers. Eric snuck closer and closer as they shuffled down the steps to the first floor. He got right up behind his intended target and stuck his foot out, tripping the unsuspecting student, who then toppled headfirst down the last dozen steps. His textbooks and papers scattered everywhere while his computer shattered as it tumbled over and down the concrete stairs.

At first, a few students laughed—until Eric pounced. He was on the defenseless classmate in a second and began pummeling him with his fists until the student’s face was covered with blood. The other students tiptoed nervously around them while Eric unleashed all his rage. He had visions of Mr. Clevenger stopping him in the library. How dare a teacher, an adult, do that!Soon Eric’s fists were swollen and cut from the punches and the other student lay nearly unconscious. Eric finally got off him and looked around. They were the only two people left on the stairs.

Eric towered over the now sobbing student who was still unaware of who had attacked him from behind. Eric knelt close and whispered, “Don’t you ever look at me like you think you’re better than me, ever!”

Now curled into the fetal position, the terrified student had no idea what Eric was talking about, but he nodded and between tears pleaded with his attacker not to hit him anymore. Eric’s eyes went cold, and he fiercely slapped his classmate’s face. He then simply stood and left the sobbing, terrified victim.

Walking down the now empty hall, late for class, Eric’s face broke into a wide grin. Thanks to anonymity, he owned this school. It was the first time all day that Eric had smiled. No reason to ruin my good mood. Might as well skip last period and go out and enjoy the day. Besides, he needed to get some ice on his knuckles.

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