Rena Moon

Do I really smell? I sniffed my arm. I smelled okay. Maybe they were right. I did live in a farm and the smell could have gotten on my uniform. The boys laughed at me after seeing me sniff myself. Mikami asked, “I bet you can’t smell anything. You smell like cow dung. Maybe we should start calling you cow dung. That would be hilarious!”




The other boys agreed with Mikami, “Lets call her cow dung from now on. Hey cow dung, did you forget to feed the cows this morning? I bet they left a huge dump for you to clean up!” One of the boys began slamming his hands down on the desk repeatedly while laughing. The others clenched their stomach from laughing too hard.




I curled up into my arms to avoid looking at them. I was ashamed of myself for coming to school smelling like cow poop. I wished so hard that I could go hide somewhere. I wanted to be anywhere but here, but class was going to start soon. There would be no point in hiding out in the bathroom when class would be starting.




I just had to wait for the teacher to show up so that they would stop bullying me. I covered my face with my arms so that I could hide from their gazes. Unluckily for me, one of them grabbed my ponytail and yanked it upwards so that I was facing them. Mikami grinned at me, “I’m a little disappointed in you, cow dung. I thought you would be smart enough to realize that ignoring us won’t help you. Sadly, no one here cares about you enough to want to help. Poor little Mika.”




Mikami frowned at me as if he truly felt bad for me. It was obvious that he was mocking me. I glared at him with my hands clenched into fists. He watched my reaction and didn’t seem fazed by my glare. He jabbed his finger into my forehead repeatedly and shouted, “Don’t stare at me like that, you st*pid b**ch! Don’t think that I won’t hit you just because you’re a girl.”




He lifted his hand up high into the air and I felt a resounding slap on my cheek. My face burned in pain and my glasses fell to the floor. I quickly covered the place where I was slapped with my hand to soothe the pain. I couldn’t see Mikami’s face anymore with my glasses on the floor. I bent down to pick up my glasses, but I couldn’t find them.




My eyesight was horrible, and I couldn’t find my glasses anywhere. I kept touching the floor to find my glasses, but it wasn’t anywhere near me. I realized too late that everyone was laughing at me while I was searching for the glasses. I probably looked like a cockroach to everybody.




Mikami asked, “Are you looking for these?” He held my glasses in his hands. I tried to reach for the glasses, but he was too tall for me. I couldn’t reach it. I jumped up high to try to get the glasses, but I wasn’t able to reach. He then threw my glasses to the other boys. My vision was blurry, but I could make out the shape of each person. I stumbled over the desks to reach the other boy with the glasses.




All the students started making oinking noises to make fun of me. Someone shouted, “She looks like a pig! OINK OINK OINK!” I ignored their howls of laughter and taunting. I continued to chase after my glasses that was being tossed to everyone in the classroom. I finally reached the boy with my glasses, but I was too late.




He dropped my glasses and said, “Oops.” I heard a crunching noise when the glasses landed on the floor. The boy had stepped on my glasses. I sat on the floor and tried to pick up all the pieces. Shards of glass were found everywhere.




I cut my fingers trying to pick up the glass shards. The handkerchief that was wrapped around my hand was covered in blood and the cuts on my fingers didn’t help either. The students in the room gasped in unison. They saw the blood dripping from my hand. While some of the students felt sorry for me, they still didn’t want to help me in this situation.




Mikami eased the tension in the room by saying, “Stop staring at me like that. I didn’t do anything. She’s the one that decided to pick up glass with her bare hands. It’s not like I used a knife to stab her. Plus, her fingers are so chubby that she probably doesn’t even feel it. Look, she’s not even crying.”




Mikami justified his actions in front of everybody. All of them agreed with him and decided to let me continue picking up the glass. While picking up the pieces, I felt a soft hand stop me from picking up more of them. I heard his clear voice ring out like a song through the classroom. The students were silent.




The mysterious boy said, “I’m so disappointed in all of you. I came to this school thinking that I’d meet some cool people, but it seems that I was wrong. How can you treat your classmate this way?” The girls cried in unison, “We didn’t do anything! It was all Mikami. He was the one that bullied her!”




The boy helped me up and continued to look disappointed, “It doesn’t matter if he was the one bullying her. I expected at least one person to help her, but I didn’t see anybody help her at all. I’m disappointed in all of you.” The girls were crying, but the boys were different. Mikami shouted, “Who are you? Stop acting all high and mighty because you’re good looking. I bet I could smack that smile off your face really quick.”




Before things could escalate any further, the teacher shouted, “What are you all doing? Classes have started already!” Everyone dashed to their respected seats rapidly. The only two that remained in their positions were the mysterious boy and me. He held my wrist lightly. The teacher noticed the blood dripping from her handkerchief.




The teacher knew that I was being bullied on the daily, but she refused to help me out in anyway. She was friends with Mikami’s parents. She had no reason to help me at all. The teacher turned away from us and said, “Get back to your seats. Class will start soon. I also have to introduce him to everyone. Mika, go to your seat.”




The boy spoke loud and clear, “Teacher, I think that she needs to go to the nurse’s office. I can do the introduction later. Could I take her to the nurse’s office?” The teacher nervously stuttered, “I…if that’s what you want.”




Before he could take me to the nurse’s office, I heard Sayuri’s voice, “Um… if it’s okay with you. I can take her to the nurse’s office. You don’t have to personally take her there. It would be bothersome for our teacher if she has to interrupt lessons to introduce you to everybody when you get back. Plus, Mika doesn’t mind me helping her, right Mika?” I quickly nodded my head. The boy let go of my wrist and allowed Sayuri to take me to the nurse’s office.




I wonder what his expression is right now. If only I had my glasses, I would be able to see his expression. Did he think I was disgusting like how everyone else thought? Why did he decide to help me? I hope that he isn’t bullied for helping me. Mikami seemed pretty angry. Hopefully, he doesn’t get bullied because of me.