The bell rings. The backpack zips. The bully shoves. The bell rings. The backpack zips. The bully shoves. Ring, Zip, Shove. Ring, Zip, Shove.

Rrrring! “Have a good weekend class! See you all bright and early on Monday morning!” Actually, I would have liked to enjoy my weekend, but for me, that was nearly impossible! I am neighbors with the worst bully in Colly Middle School and she and her  friends always seem to want to get at me.

I’m Dylan Shafer and I’m a #1 victim of the Razzles. April, Courtney, Nicole, and saving the worst for the very last, Amy, my neighbor. Before middle school, we were best friends and then everything just tore apart. She became practically perfect! And I…well I guess I stayed the same- focused on my grades and music while she focused on boys and ripped jeans. Eventually she stopped hanging out with me, being seen with me, doing anything at all with me. She didn’t even talk to me unless it was asking for help on a math problem. And eventually that stopped too. April, Courtney, and Nicole used to be my friends too. I guess none of them think that I’m good enough anymore. After I was left on that side of the ditch, I ended up with no friends at all. Now you might think my story is horrible…and it is! But there are plenty of ‘ok’ things in my life! My parents are always at work but they love me unconditionally. Or at least I think they love me. I have a dog. Well, not anymore now that I think of it. It died last year. Ok so it hasn’t been absolutely amazing for me but somehow I’m ok. I get good grades, I had an opening for a music gig and…well that’s about it. Mom says that eventually her and dad will make enough money to spend more time with me and I believe her. But me and my little sister are still struggling with the truth of that statement. 

My dad was in the military so we moved a lot. Then my dad hurt his back in training and they didn’t have a backup job for him. At the time he was in the military, my mom didn’t work much so she could stay with me and my sister Carla. While my dad was in rehab, my mom had to work double shifts and by the time my dad got home, he did too. Amy’s family did a lot to help my family until one day they stopped and my family and I were left alone. 

My mom is always working and we barely spend any time together because she is always exhausted. She leaves before I wake up in the morning and is sleeping before I get home from school. After school, if she isn’t sleeping, she is making dinner or cleaning up the house. Since my dad is in a wheelchair, Carla and I are always helping him around. It has been rough and all we need is a little spark of hope and a little extra help to get our help and solve my family problems and most of my problems.

“Carla! Dylan!” Mom yelled one morning. “We did it!” My sister and I ran down the wonky stairs to greet my dad and mom sitting by the computer. “What did you do?” I was really confused. My mom looked at me with her warm smile that I hadn’t seen for a while. “We got the money. Gracie reached out to me the other day and gave me the number of a bank attorney and he said that we had enough to buy the house back!” Gracie is Amy’s mom and I was shocked to hear her name out of my mother’s mouth. We had been renting a small apartment since we couldn’t afford our old house and now we had enough money to get my dad retired and buy the house back! “ Sissy! Do I get my dolls back too?” Carla looked up at me with her toothless smile. “Yes. You absolutely will!” Carla started jumping up and down, squealing and screaming with joy. That’s when I decided that I was going to talk to Amy tomorrow. Unless she talks to me first.

The next day as I walked into school the thoughts of what I was going to say ran through my brain and out my ears. I couldn’t think of anything! Eventually, 3rd period came around, the only class I have with Amy. I decided to make my move then until I completely chickened out and walked away from the situation. At long last, lunch turned the corner and I could relax at my usual “Nobody Talk to Me” table. A few minutes had passed when I felt a small tap on my shoulder.

 “Um. Dylan?” I looked up and to my extreme surprise it was Amy. “Can I maybe sit with you?” I nodded my head unsurely and she sat down next to me. “ I just wanted to say that…” She paused and looked deep into my eyes. “…that I’m really sorry for everything I’ve ever done to you. It was wrong and I know that now but…” Tears swelled into her brown eyes. Her hands trembled. “…I miss you!” She swerved in to embrace me and if I’m being honest, I was glad she did. I missed her too and it felt good, like really good, to know that she cares. She lifted her head up, stained from her tears. She wiped her face with her hands and stood up. “ You probably don’t want to and will hate me forever but can we… be friends again?” She stook out her hand and I paused and stared at it. I thought about what I was going to do. I didn’t take her hand. Instead, I jumped in for another hug and buried my face in her shoulder. “ I missed you Amy!” I mumbled still in the tight embrace.“I missed you too, Dylan!”

Weeks passed and things with me and Amy weren’t exactly the same as they were before but it was nice that I knew I had her. I started putting myself out there a little more and it turns out, I was making great friends! I started going outside again and getting to know my neighbors some more. It felt great to interact with them again and meet new people. Since we could finally move into our old house, we started hanging out with Amy’s family more and more until it felt normal again. A few days after we bought the house back, Amy’s mom, Gracie, threw a surprise, ‘Welcome Back!’ party. It was great! Amy even introduced me to some of her friends. After the party, I went up to Amy’s family and said, “Thank you for being here for us. Thank you for supporting us when we needed it. We wouldn’t have gotten through those hard times without you. So…” I paused. I looked around at our beautiful house. I looked at my parents and sister who were gleaming with joy. I looked at the people who had cared enough to show up and support us. I looked at Amy. “Thank you.”