Chapter 88

"So, what did you find out, MJ?" Louise said as he stood at the terrace, smoking a cigarette. He had a 'All German You Can Learn- Grammar' book in his hand.

"…Yeah...." MJ said as he looked at a bundle of papers.

"MJ? What happened?" Louise said.

"Louise, I can't read this anymore. What the hell is this?" MJ said.

"What? Getting emotional? This is what our club does, dude. We have dealt with many bullying cases. You can't possibly become attached to all of them." Louise said as he looked into his book.

"....Ryan Nolan was an Irish boy whose family shifted to California when he was 15, about 7 years from now.

He had a younger sister and a well to do family. Kerlin County High, at that time, had a fee much higher than what we have today.

But Ryan's family could not afford such an expensive institution. So, Ryan came here as a scholarship student.

He was different from others. He had an Irish accent and a completely pale skin with pale blonde hair."

"Typical Irish, huh?" Louise said as he flipped the page of the book.

"Yes, because he was different, people started making fun of him and he was constantly bullied.

He was beaten up everyday and was called names. He endured this for his entire first year. But, the following year, he made a friend.

His name was Hudson Tucker. Hudson was a popular guy who, himself, approached Ryan."

"Now this just became cliché" Louise said "Then, he betrayed him?"

"No, rather he helped him. He stood between him and those bullies." MJ said.

"That's good. Then, what was the problem? Why did he commit suicide?" Louise said.

"Apparently, Hudson fell in love with Ryan and confessed to him." MJ said.

"And a happy ending- Happily ever after." Louise said.

"No, Ryan considered Hudson as a 'friend' only. He didn't want to change their relationship. So, he rejected Hudson politely and told him that he just wanted to be with him, as a friend." MJ said.

"And he agreed?" Louise said.

"Yes but what happened after that was heartbreaking. The next day when Ryan went to school, rumors had spread."

"Rumors?" Louise said.

"The rumor was 'Ryan Nolan confessed to Hudson Tucker. He's gay!'"

"....Then?" Louise said.

"Then the bullying started again. But this time, it was much more intense and full fletched. He was given names and forced to wear vulgar clothes.

One day, he finally asked Hudson that why he had spread that rumor. He told Hudson that he was being bullied."

"And, what did that jerk say?" Louise said.

"I couldn't care less. It's your fault, you rejected me first. Now, suffer for the rest of your school life." Hudson said.

"How could you?...I thought we were friends." Ryan said.

"Yeah right. We were and we could have been more but you ruined it. Now that I think about it, I think...I was such a waste to even ask for your permission." Hudson said as he grabbed Ryan's shoulders.

"What are you doing?! LEAVE ME!!" Ryan shouted as he pushed him away but Hudson was stronger and pushed him down.

"LEAVE- OW- SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" Ryan shouted.

"You guys are recording it, right?" Hudson said as his friends stood in front of them.

"Don't worry. We've got it all." They said as they held a camera in their hands.

"Not yet." Hudson said as he licked his finger.

"Strip him."

"The clip landed on the Internet. Everyone saw it. His parents went against him and everyone around him was disgusted. Nobody supported him, nobody believed him, breathing began hurting, life became hell, so the only option he was left with was...

...To die.

In his third year, on November 12th, he jumped down from a bridge into the water. His body is still missing."

"....I've heard many bullying stories but this one is just..." Louise said as he rubbed his eyes.

"His sister is also in Kerlin County High now. She's a first year and her name is Nova Nolan" MJ said as he folded the bundle of papers.

Louise cleared his throat and said "MJ, get me the address of each and every person who ever bullied him. I want to greet them personally." Louise said.

"Cool. I'll get those by tomorrow." MJ said and Louise left the terrace.

"Ah....Nova is also being bullied. I couldn't say that to Louise..." MJ said as he looked at the sky.

"Lemme just go and see Harry. My mood will surely be good after that." MJ said as he jumped down from the terrace.

'I'll never be weak like my brother. I can handle it. I can!' Nova thought as she opened her locker.

Her locker was covered with words like emo, slut, ugly.

She looked shocked when she looked at it.

'WHY?'

"Gay brother and lesbian sissy. What a combo. It's in family, you know." Felini Carter said as she stood behind her.

"What's your problem? Just leave me alone!" Nova said as she shouted at a group of girls.

"Hey hey, now chill down." One of them said.

"Oh! What are your parents by the way, bisexuals?" Felini said.

"DAMN YOU-" Nova shouted as she grabbed her collar and slammed her on the locker.

"Oh my God. Somebody save me, I'm being rapped." Felini said.

"HEY! LEAVE HER YOU LESBIAN B*TCH!"

"I'M NOT A LESBIAN!" Nova said.

"YEAH, GET AWAY! YOU ARE INFECTING EVERYONE HERE!" A guy said.

"Why don't you just leave this school. You're so ugly, your face makes me puke-"

*SLAM*

Suddenly, someone slammed the locker's door, hard enough to overpower any other sound.

Everyone looked at him. It was MJ.

"Who is he?" One of the guys said.

"A third year"

"What? What is a third year doing here?"

"W- WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO ARE YOU?!" Felini said.

MJ stayed quiet for sometime as everyone turned silent.

Kate, Brandon, Jaden and Harry entered the hall and looked at MJ.

"Hello Mitch!" Brandon said with a smile.

"....You guys are the worst." MJ mumbled.

"WHAT?" Felini said.

"You said she's emo, right?" MJ said.

"Well, do we have another word for emo now?" Felini said.

Everyone stared laughing.

"She's emo?

You'd cut too if you've gone through what she has." MJ said.

"Huh?" Felini said.

"You just judge anyone, don't you?

She's anorexic?

You would be too if you were called fat everyday.

She's a whore?

She trusted some people and it cost her her reputation.

She's loud?

She's invisible at home and wants to be heard

She's a geek?

She just wants to help her poverty ridden family.

She's ugly?

Tell me, what's the definition of beauty! ANSWER ME!

YOU WOULD KNOW RIGHT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF HELL DO YOU MAKE PEOPLE GO THROUGH?! YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BAD ABOUT THEMSELVES- LET ME ASK THIS NOW- WHY DO YOU DO THIS?! WHAT DOES IT GIVE YOU? DO YOU EARN FROM IT? OR DO YOU GET A MERIT IN YOUR DEGREE?

YOU JUST DO IT FOR FUN!!? YOU TALK ABOUT OTHERS BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD GIVE A DAMN IF YOU TALK ABOUT YOURSELF! IT'S BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT SO MANY TEENAGERS ARE FORCED TO COMMIT SUCIDE! AND YOU FEEL PROUD ABOUT THAT? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" MJ shouted.

Everyone stood quiet for a while. Then Felini said "I- I didn't know her story-"

"You didn't know her story?

THEN DON'T JUDGE HER!!

Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out. Trust me, you never look good trying to make someone else look bad. Because pulling someone down will never help you reach the top."

"I know that."

"Knowing what's right will not do much unless you do what's right.

And you too." MJ said as he turned towards the guys "Never trust what you hear about a woman. Rumors either come from a man that can't have her." Then he turned towards Felini and said "or a woman that can't compete with her."

"But I didn't say anything to her. I was just minding my own business" One of them said.

"If you turn and face the other way when someone is being bullied, you might as well be the bully." MJ said.

Then, he turned towards Felini and said "Respect people's feelings.

Even if they don't mean anything to you, it could mean everything to them."

Felini Carter just stared at MJ and MJ stared back at her.

He grabbed Nova's hand and walked out of there.

"Wow." Kate said.

"Hey! Leave me! And why did you interfere? I could have dealt with those fleas by myself!" Nova said.

"Shut up and let me protect my juniors." MJ said.

"Huh? What is your deal?!" Nova said.

"MJ, who is that?" Louise said as he saw MJ on the way.

Anna and Ralf were standing beside him.

"BROTHER!" Ralf said as he looked at MJ and held MJ'S index finger between his fist.

"Louise" MJ said "This is the girl I talked about-"

"LOUISE? AS IN, LOUISE AVGUSTIN LOUVERNE?!" Nova said as she almost jumped on Louise.

"Yes, I'm that 'person'." Louise said.

"YOU ARE THE REAL DEAL!!! I REALLY ADMIRE YOU, SENIOR!!" Nova said.

"EHHHH? BUT I'M MUCH MORE COOLER!" MJ said.

"So, would you join our club? We need three members. One is Anna, second is Ralf, would you become the third member?" Louise said.

"I WILL! I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU SAY, SENIOR!! I REALLY WISH I COULD BE AS STRONG AS YOU!!!" Nova said as stars covered her pupils.

........

Louise looked at MJ.

"....Don't mind me. I'll just sit in a corner and feel bad about myself" MJ said.

"MJ, do it." Louise said.

"*Sigh* Follow me guys." MJ said.

"You forced me in this sh*t" Anna said as she walked beside Louise.

"It seems to me that you like being forced." Louise said.

"I DON'T!"

"Don't worry. This'll be the last favor I'll ask of you. I'll be gone next week. Then, nobody will force you to do anything." Louise said.

Anna stopped and looked at Louise's back. "Louise," She said.

Louise turned back and said "What is it?"

"..…Nothing" Anna said as she clenched her fist.

Finally they reached a huge room with different weapons like steel rods and sting guns hanging on the wall and cameras kept inside a glass box. There were couches at the centre of the room and magazines were thrown on the floor with a stereo system beside the book shelf.

Jeremy Weaste stood just in front of them.

"Where are we?" Ralf said.

"It's our club room." Louise said.

"YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ONE?" Anna said.

"Excuse me but our club gets the maximum support from the student council and we consume a major part of the school budget." MJ said.

"We need three people minimum to work, one is the adviser who gathers information, second is a strong fighter and the third is a manager to handle the budget and other activities." Jeremy said.

"So, we've decided that Anna will be the adviser, Nova will be the fighter and Ralf will be the manager." Louise said.

"You are the next generation of the Rehabilitation club and we hope you'll keep it at the top." Jeremy said.

"Let's do it, guys." MJ said and all of them stood together. They all said...

"Welcome to the club!"

-To be continued