Chapter 4 

"I told you before that I hated bullies and those who hurt the weak." "Leave;" "he won't be out for long, and if you are around, I may take things too far to try to protect you again." 

He couldn’t bear to look directly at me as he spoke, but I could feel his rage.

I rushed out just as the gym teacher came from around the corner to save D. The Gym teacher and D had been friends since last year, he told me once. 

If it had been, another teacher would have found out what happened. He would have been expelled or gotten a lot worse punishment than just what he got.

The next day, Becky told me about this boy knocking the big metal doors to the gym off their hinges. She said it looked like "him." 

I hadn’t told her that "him" was D, nor did I tell her I finally knew who he was; I just talked about him occasionally since summer school ended.

"Beck, there’s no way," I said with uncertainty. 

I knew he was strong and grew some. But he was still small for most guys our age. Even after all that I witnessed, could he have been the one strong enough to do such a thing?

I was told the door had a slit in it and was broken. They had to replace the whole door. In the meantime, we have to go in the side door of the gymnasium for a while till they get a new one. Unfortunately, they had to order it so it would take a while.

I was tempted, but I had to see this for myself. So, after lunch, I decided to stop by there.

By lunchtime, kids were buzzing about rumors about this guy. Some even claimed they knew who it was.

I was in deep thought, overthinking and analyzing the force needed to do all this, staring at the devastation of the door on the ground. 

"Hey", "D exclaimed." He had snuck up behind me unnoticed and nearly made me jump from my skin.

"Jesus," "I said, You gave me a heart attack!" 

"Are you scared of me now?" he said, with a lowered head with sad eyes.

"No," "I am amazed you could have done all this for such a little guy." "I let out a small, awkward chuckle with a half-hearted smile. I was trying to lighten the mood.

"You know what they say," "Big things come in little packages, he joked.” 

"That is very true," I said as we laughed together. 

"I never thought this heavy metal door would look like this," "demolished." "I, myself, am lucky to open it with all my weight pushing into it half the time." "And you - could so quickly destroy it. Just looking at it, wow, I am astonished!" 

"Did you beat the door repeatedly to break it like this?" looking down at the significant split in the door.

"No, it was just one good hit to open it when I walked out. He laughed." "I didn’t mean to; I just wanted to open the door." "After Brent tried to hurt you, I guess I don't know my strength. I didn’t think about it." 

"Wow, that’s a strength that needs to be contained or restrained." "You must join a dojo and have a master help train you." "By the way, thank you for helping me again." "Are you okay? I changed the subject; I could see the tiny red marks on his knuckles." 

"Show me," I demanded; the blood on his hand showed me he was human, at the least." "His hit was not left without any marks or at least some damage." 

"Haha, yeah, you should have seen that other guy." He said sarcastically and in a funny voice as if quoting some cheap movie line.

"You're a dork with a capital D, I laughed." "Remember, just next time, be careful." I scolded him. I pulled out some bandages from my backpack. I carried them because my legs were weak. "So I fell a lot, and they came in handy," I said as I began to wrap his hand.

I always get pretty banged up, so I wore these long socks. I finished wrapping his hand. He flexed his hand, looking at me with approval of my work.

Then, with a crooked smile, he said, "Next time, it won't hurt so bad when I hit a fool." 

"No… I said, laughing out loud", "D, it is for healing, not a cushion for hitting someone." I scolded him once more with a smile. 

"Sorry, I had to lighten things up again; it was getting too serious ." 

"I am sorry you had to see me like that, " he said as he lowered his eyes, his voice more serious. I didn't mean for you to let you see the monster inside." "But before I could think, I looked into your eyes." "Seeing the fear in your eyes made me even more mad."

"When your gaze shifted, your look made it look like you were just ready to take the hit." "But why? 

He looked at me with such concern. "This was another side of him." I had not seen this soft side of him before.

"Because I am used to being bullied a lot and being the black sheep everywhere I go. I figured it would happen one day to reply to him." 

"I knew I would likely get a straight-out hit and was prepared." I knew it wouldn't always be just teasing and taunting." "And I know I cannot fight anyone, so why try to get and hurt more?"

"I am sorry you have had to live that way." "You're pretty cool and beautiful, and I don’t say that to everyone." He said, with an awkward smile on his face. "Just because you are tiny does not mean you should lie down and let people walk all over you." "For once, stand up for yourself and prove something to someone." 

"I am petite for a guy, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall." "Never will I not stand up for those I see in need." "Just be on your guard next time and try to stop it before it happens." "I don't want to see you hurt."

"What do you mean," "stop it before it happens?"

"You’re small, which makes you a walking target, so make yourself seem bigger than you are, and you may notice they may back off."

I went home that day thinking of all my bullies. What they said about me and how I was a so-called "walking target." 

D’s words resonated in my head as I walked down the street. 

When I got home, I looked at myself in the mirror. I removed my glasses and placed them on the table by my side.

The following day, I woke up and took a long, hot bath. After that, I cut my hair and put it up. I matched my clothes and put on some earrings with loops. 

I looked like a bit of a gangster, tough. That was what I was trying to go for. 

I went to school after some make-up and a double-check in the mirror.

People sure were looking at me differently.

"Good morning, Beck", I said. 

"Wow," what happened to you, she said as she looked me up and down.

"I am trying something new, an experiment, you could say." "Or rather, I took someone's advice from a friend, is what I should say." "I hoped I could eliminate my old bullies if this paid off."

I told her what happened and with Brent. Her jaw dropped, not just because of what Brent had done. But now, Knowing all that D did to the gym door.

"No fair, you never told me any of this before," she said, scolding me in concern.

"Well, I wanted you to know officially." "So," "it was he.- who did all that damage to the door. Does that sound wild?"

"Girl, he's like some masked hero."  She said in this girly school voice, as she was all happy for me. 

"Yes, I laughed." She sounded as happy as I was. Before, I had been shocked by everything. I think I just mentally came to the complete perspective of everything that happened to me.  Before, I was stuck in such a rush, and I haven’t given it enough chance to let things sink in yet.

I looked at each other and squealed with delight at the realization of sharing this moment.

I was probably feeding off her energy. But it was cool to finally let her know who he was. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her sooner.

Then I straightened up my shirt as I cleared my throat. "Now," "I have gotten that out of my system," I said, trying to be serious and get back to reality. 

"So, what will you do next," Beck asked me.

I looked at her, lost and dumbfounded. "What do you mean," I said, puzzled. 

"Did you not know," she asked sarcastically. "You wanted to thank him and ask him out last year, remember?" 

"I did thank him, but about the other part? Well....Humm…"

I blushed and looked away from her. My face beat red this time, thinking about D and me together. 

I did not think, at first, I would ever see him again because months had passed before I had seen him last. I thought maybe he may have moved. 

That's also why I was okay with going out with that jerk, Brent. I mostly thought of getting him off my back. 

I tried to change the subject, avoiding Beck's question.

"I was so caught up in the moment the last time we met that I never tried asking him out."

" Also, I don’t know where to start or what to say," I said, looking puzzled at her.

"So then, let's devise a plan Beck said with glee!"