Jason's Revelation

Minutes later, everyone, myself included, was seated at our bar area in the kitchen.

"Jason," Mom said, "your father and I are very disappointed in you."

I sighed. "What is it this time?"

"I know that keeping your insults bottled up inside is very hard to do, Jason," Dad told me. "But bullying? That's unacceptable! Bullying is where we draw the line in our house!"

"And if you didn't know, Jason," Mom broke in, "we have rules here. And 'no bullying' is one of those rules!"

"If this were another family, we would've taken turns kicking your ass!" Jacqueline told me, shaking her fist.

"Anyways, your dad and I have come to an agreement with the Washington family."

"And what exactly did you guys say?" I asked sarcastically. "I can't see her anymore and she's getting transferred to another college? Because I'd be pleased if you said that."

"Actually, Jason...no," she answered. "She won't be transferring to another University. And you WILL still be seeing her, but in a different way."

"What do you mean, 'a different way?'" I asked her.

"You see, Jason, yesterday over the phone, Ms. Washington said that she was sick and tired of you bullying her daughter."

I got a bit nervous. "Mom, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked. "I don't like where this is going..." A knot began to form in my stomach.

"So, Jason," my mom said, "what we've done first is talk to your girlfriend Julie and told her about everything you had done to Rina."

Suddenly, my phone began to ring and vibrate in my back pocket.

"Speak of the devil, that must be her right now," Dad told me. "Go ahead, take the call."

I pushed the answer button on the Bluetooth I had in my ear and answered the call.

"Hello?" I nervously answered.

"JASON!" came the voice of Julie in an enraged tone.

"Hey, Jules, what's with the tone of voice you're giving me? That is not a good sign."

"Why did you do it?" she asked. "Why did you have to bully Rina?"

"Because anime and manga SUCK, Julie!" I snapped coldly. "I hate Japanese shit!"

Unexpectedly, she was taken aback by what I had just said. She began to silently cry.

"Hey, babe," I said, "what's the matter?"

"I don't know why I even bothered to be with you," Julie said sadly. "We could've been a great couple. We could've leveled up to something special... But you're one mean ass bully! A nobody! A fucking pussy! I-I'm breaking up with you!"

"WHAT?!?!" I shouted with a tear rolling down my face.

"If you can't accept others because of what they like, I don't wanna be with you! You and me are OVER!"

I sat there and just listened to her rambling on. My waterworks was broken by this time. My mom couldn't stand to watch me cry and weep like this, so she got up and left the room.

"If that was how you felt, then why wait for tonight to tell me?" I asked, choked up.

"Because she's my best friend, Jason. My BEST FUCKING FRIEND!" Julie screamed.

I thought.

"We're over, Jason! Don't ever talk to me, visit me, or Skype me ever again!"

She hung up.

I turned off the Bluetooth in complete disbelief and sadness.

"Damn..." I said as I wept. "Damn! DAMN!!"

Afterwards, Mom came back from the master bedroom, fuming. "Why'd you have to do this to yourself, Jason?" Mom asked.

"IDK, Mom," I answered. "Maybe I just like making people feel small."

"Anyway," a straightened up Mom said, "we and Ms. Washington's parents are in agreement with each other, and have decided that, since you want to bully people because of what they like to do, you are going to actually date Rina.

"WHAT?!?!" I shouted.

"That's right!" Dad said with a sinister smile. "A date with your victim!"

"NO FUCKING WAY!" I yelled. "I'm not dating that damn nerd!"

"Oh, yes, you are!" Mom said sternly with a dark glare. "You WILL date this young lady, Jason Herrington, Jr!"

"And if I don't?"

What Dad had said next scared me to death.

"Then you'll want no more video games, no more sports, and no more TV for the rest of your life," he answered, pretending to care.

I thought.

Soon after she and Dad shook me up with the news, Mom dialed the phone number of Rina's house: (785) 641-5071.

I got very, very, very nervous as Mom handed me the phone. "I'll have you know, Jason, that Rina's mom is one of my best friends."

I thought.

Meanwhile, at the Washington family residence, Rina and her dad, Chris, were eagerly waiting for the call to come.

Seconds later, the phone began to ring, and Chris said, "I got it!"

He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

I nervously said: "So this is Rina's dad, Mr. Washington?"

"Yes, this is he speaking. So you're Jason, the dude who's been bullying my daughter since high school."

"Yes, I am."

"Why, Jason?" he asked. "Why did you have to do this to her?"

"This is going to upset you, Mr. Washington, but I actually like making people feel smaller than me. I once told Rina that anime and manga sucked, and I didn't want anything to do with anime and manga. So I just kept shoving her into the lockers (not locking them of course), calling her out on being weird, and spitting in her anime backpack. That's what's been going on between us all these years, Mr. Washington."

"My GOD, Jason, THAT'S not good!" Mr. Washington said in disbelief. "You really need to learn to appreciate modern culture!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Anyways, both my wife and your mom have come to terms," Chris continued, "and I heard that you were going to date my daughter as punishment."

"Yeah, Mr. Washington," I said sadly and coldly. "I got word of it tonight. Kinda strange to make a punishment like that."

"Quite an unusual punishment indeed," Chris replied. "Normally, I wouldn't let that happen because of the fear that she might get hurt again."

"Valid point, Mr, Washington," I replied. "If it were MY daughter, I wouldn't let her date him."

"And, speaking of getting hurt again," he continued, "my daughter had better not speak of you hurting her again, got it?"

"Okay, okay! I got it!" I said in a smart-alecked tone.

Chris covered the mic on the phone and said: "Hey, Rina, phone for you! It's Jason!"

Seconds later...

"Umm, i-is this Jason?" came the soft, quiet voice of Rina.

I thought. "Yes, Rina, this is he speaking," I answered. "And by the way, your voice is really pretty."

"Thank you, Jason," she said.

"Anyway," I said, "I thought I was only going to talk to your dad. I never thought I'd actually talk to the girl I bullied."

"I know," Rina replied. "It's pretty embarrassing, isn't it?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Listen, Rina," I said, "This is gonna sound weird coming from your bully, but I know what I did to you all these years was wrong, and I'd like to say that I'm so sorry for the disrespectful stuff I pulled."

"It's fine," Rina said. "I got bullied for the same thing back in elementary."

"You did?" I asked.

"Jason, I think that you should arrange the day, time and place for our first date," Rina said.

"Okay," I said. Then I began to think for a moment about it.

"Rina, is your schedule open for Thur-" I started to say. But Dad stopped me.

"No, Jason," he said. "It has to be tomorrow!"

"Is your schedule open for Longhorn Steakhouse tomorrow night at seven o'clock?"

"Longhorn Steakhouse?!" she repeated. "I love that place!"

"You do?"

"Totally!" she answered.

"I knew that would strike a chord with you, Rina!" I said excitedly. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow night, then."

"See you tomorrow night, senpai!" she replied before hanging up on her end of the line.

I hung up the phone and mouthed to Dad: "What the fuck does 'senpai' mean?"

Later that night, I took a shower and got into my nice, clean jammies. Then I laid down, back first, in my bed and stared up at the ceiling of my room.

"What have I done? Why did this have to happen to me?" I mumbled. "Well, karma's a real bitch..."

And I slipped away into a deep sleep, worried about her and what her family might say.