Bully's Best Friend

  Matt and Nate gather their plates and head straight towards the table of girls and Mitchell. Austin concludes he has no choice but to follow. Just like at school the other day, everyone's attention is fixed intently on Mitchell, and Austin stays quietly at the back of the group, pretending to text.

  After a few minutes of standing around looking like a spare part, Austin notices the 'dork' kids approaching. They are trying to get to the trash can which is on the other side of the table and are precariously balancing their cups and plates on top of each other.

  Mitchell spots them immediately and drawls, "Oh, look guys - here come the cool kids!" Everyone snickers and the three boys look like they desperately want the floor to swallow them up.

  Ian is first and he has to step over Mitchell's feet, which he has purposely stretched out in front of him. As Ian lifts his skinny leg to step over, Mitchell casually lifts his foot and as if in slow motion, Ian flies forward, his whole body leaving the ground and the remains of his milkshake spewing up into his face. He lands in a crumpled pile and everyone immediately bursts out laughing - everyone except Austin.

  Austin looks around for Matt and Nate and to his disappointment, sees they are laughing just as hard as everyone else. So, he looks for Ian's friends, but they are just staring at him in stunned disbelief. Without a second thought, Austin walks over to Ian, who is still sprawled on the floor, and extends his hand. Ian grabs it gratefully and struggles to his feet, chocolate milkshake dripping from his chin. Mumbling a quiet, "Thanks," he quickly walks away.

  Austin's heart is pounding in his ears and before he can think he turns to look directly at Mitchell and scowls, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size - you stupid idiot." Then he turns and strides away, trying to look as tall and confident as possible, but in reality his legs feel like they're made of Jello.

  He still doesn't hesitate or look back when he hears Mitchell yell, "What did you just say to me? I hope you know you're gonna pay for that, jerk!"

  The boys drive home later in silence. That night Austin texts Matt and Nate the same message...'that was totally not cool.' But neither of them replies.

  Chapter 6

  Austin is woken before dawn on Sunday by his dad's firm grip shaking his shoulder. He jumps out of bed and hurriedly dresses in his fishing clothes, wondering why it's so much easier to wake up to go fishing day than to go to school.

  A faint glow is just starting to appear as father and son launch the boat and the shadows slowly start to retreat. It's a beautiful, calm morning - the only ripples on the water from their wake as they chug slowly towards the inlet. They are fishing in the ocean today as Austin's dad says the conditions are perfect out there.

  A graceful pelican follows them before gliding away with a slight tilt of his huge wings. Seconds later he plummets like a rock into the water to retrieve his breakfast.

  Austin loves being out on the boat with his dad. It's the only place where he feels totally relaxed. Whatever problems and dilemmas he may have in his life seem to fade away when he's on the water.

  They are still chugging along when Austin notices they're leaving the 'no wake zone' and he knows they're about to pick up speed. He grabs the back of the seat as his dad pushes down on the throttle and the boat roars into life. The wind is forced into his face making his eyes water slightly and pushing his hair flat against his head. He feels totally exhilarated and free, like a bird soaring through the sky.

  They exit the inlet and the vast ocean is before them. The sun is just starting to appear through the haze on the horizon and Austin can tell it's going to be a hot day. The ocean is an enormous lake with just a few swells, shimmering and sparkling in the light.

  Shortly his dad slows the boat down, shuts off the engine and throws the anchor, and Austin watches it slowly sink out of sight. After his hook is baited he casts it as far as he can. The water is so clear and calm that he can see a few feet down before it becomes murky. There are bits of yellow seaweed floating by in the undercurrent and he notices his line is sliding the same way. He reels it in and recasts and his dad does the same. So, now they wait. Reel and wait. Reel and wait.

  Austin sits on the cooler and starts thinking about what happened at the mall. He knows he calls those kids 'dorks' but he would never call them that to their faces or purposely hurt someone like that. He thought his two best friends felt the same way, but obviously Mitchell's influences are overpowering them.

  His mind is back at the mall, reliving what happened, when a large shape drifting towards the boat catches his eye. As it gets closer he sees it's a huge sea turtle. It's only a couple of feet below the surface and he can see it so clearly he can make out the green mossy stuff stuck to its shell. Suddenly it starts to go deeper and disappears into the depths. Maybe it has a family down there - and friends - and enemies. Do sea turtles have bullies and social issues just like we do? Or is it just the human race that is so complicated? Austin thinks it's the latter and he's jealous for a moment of the turtle's simple life.

  He's suddenly brought back to reality by a sharp tug on his line. Instantly he jumps up and sets the hook. His pole starts to bend sharply and there's a familiar buzzing sound as the line is pulled away from the boat.

  "You got it Austin - nice and easy now. You got a big one on!" says his dad as he jumps towards the wheel to help chase the monster Austin has on the end of his line.

  Adrenaline is pumping through him, giving him a strength he didn't know he had. Pull and reel......pull and reel. The fish is fighting hard and he thinks he's going to give up, when he sees a large point break through the surface. A beautiful blue marlin arches and curls before splashing back into the water.

  "WOOHOO - your first marlin!" his dad yells excitedly. After a few more minutes of fighting the enormous animal, Austin is holding the marlins tail and bill and grinning from ear to ear as his dad takes a picture. They soon put the majestic creature back into the water and watch happily as it reclaims its freedom.

  "Wow, I need a break," says his dad, diving off the side of the boat with barely a splash. The water looks extremely inviting and Austin is sweating after his fight with the fish. But his dad gave up trying to persuade him to go in the water a long time ago. He is totally relaxed and at ease on the boat, but get in the water....forget it!

  When he was seven, they were out fishing on a day very similar to this. Mom and Anna were there too. They would often jump into the water to cool off and he never thought twice about it. He never stayed in long and was about to swim to the back to grab the ladder when he felt something hard and rough, like sandpaper, graze his leg. It was the sheer terror in his mom's voice that still sends shivers up his spine. He can still hear her screaming, "SHARK! SHARK! Quick Austin....swim....swim!!"

  For a few seconds he was so scared he felt numb and didn't move. He remembers glancing over his shoulder and seeing a large, shiny fin break the surface. That's when panic set in and he splashed frantically to the ladder which seemed to take an eternity.

  His family's horrified faces were etched into his mind for a long time after that and he realized he would not be going into the water again - EVER! His dad tried for a few years afterwards to persuade him to get over it, but with no success. Finally he gave up trying.

  A few hours later they have successfully caught two, large cobia and a mahi-mahi. Austin always feels slightly guilty about keeping the fish when he hears them thrashing around in the cooler. But then he thinks he should be a vegetarian and he's not so he talks himself out of being so sensitive.

  Father and son head inland, tired but happy, and Austin realizes how much he relishes this one on one time with his dad as his social life becomes increasingly complicated.

  Chapter 7

  Monday morning arrives far too quickly and Austin wakes to the sound of a steady rain splattering his bedroom window. He hopes this isn't a bad omen and things will be better between Matt, Nate and him. Even though he was disappointed with them, he still values their friendship
and wants things to be like they were.

  He is pleasantly surprised though, when he gets on the bus and walks past their seat. Matt immediately turns to him in the seat behind and grins, "So, who you gonna take to the dance?" Austin smiles in relief. Things are back to normal - for now at least.

  The dance....he'd totally forgotten about it. It's a once a year event and quite a big deal. Of course, because it's a school dance the teachers have to make it educational. So this year, as they have been learning about cultures of the world in social studies, they have to come dressed to represent a country of their choice. The food and music will also be from a variety of different countries.

  They don't have to go with a date, but it's pretty much expected if they don't want to look like losers.

  "Man - is that this weekend?" Austin asks.

  "Yep.....and guess what? I asked the new girl and she said yes!"

  "No way - are you for real?" Austin grins, genuinely surprised.

  "I told you she would be mine," Matt grins back even wider.

  Wow - he'd better get his act together. Nate has been seeing Vanessa for a couple of months so will obviously be taking her - but he still has no-one. He decides he will definitely pluck up the courage to ask Mia today. After all, what has he got to lose?

  The classes tick by agonizingly slowly until finally the last period bell rings and everyone rushes out to the bus loop. Austin still hasn't found the right moment to ask her and time is rapidly running out. Everyone is outside, in their designated areas, waiting for the buses to arrive. Mia doesn't ride the same bus as Austin, but he sees her, a couple of rows down, sitting on the guard rail with some other girls.

  "Be right back," he mumbles to the guys, "don't let the bus leave without me." He takes a deep breath, holds his head high and heads straight over to her. Quick...keep going before you change your mind, he tells himself. He's right in front of her now but she's with all the other girls and they're all staring at him, wondering what he's going to say.

  "Errrr, Mia, can I talk to you for a second?" he stammers.

  "Sure Austin," she says, jumping down from the rail. He heads to the back of the crowd and she follows. When he thinks they're out of earshot of any eavesdroppers, he takes a deep breath and blurts out, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me?"

  Her gorgeous smile immediately falters and she looks genuinely sad. "Oh, Austin....I'm really sorry but someone's already asked me."

  Austin glances over to the bus loop to avoid looking at her and mumbles, "Oh, okay. No big deal. There's my bus. See you later."

  As he starts to walk away he hears a low chuckle and Mitchell materializes from behind a pillar close to where he and Mia were standing. To Austin's immense horror, he realizes Mitchell just heard the whole thing. He practically runs back to his area, cursing himself for not making sure they were alone before he asked her. How totally embarrassing! Of all the people to have overheard, it has to be his worst enemy.

  Austin sits on the bus in silence and curses Mitchell once again. He wonders who asked Mia to the dance but knows he'll find out soon enough. Now he still has the problem of who to take. He really doesn't want to be dateless, but the choices are getting pretty slim. He glances behind him to see if there are any options back there.

  Melissa, also known as 'Missy' is sitting directly behind him. She has always been known as 'Missy the Mouse' because she's very petite, with straight, mousy brown hair and a slightly pointy nose. Her character matches this profile as she's quite shy and has a high-pitched voice. But, she's pleasant enough and without thinking about it further, Austin sticks his head over the top of the seat and says, "Hey Missy - wanna go to the dance with me?"

  She immediately blushes slightly and then breaks out in a big smile and says, "Sure Austin - thanks for asking."

  Chapter 8

  Austin's sixteen year old sister is a fashion goddess. Even his mom and dad go to her for advice. So of course, with the dance coming up, she's going to be his savior. First of all, they have to decide on a country.

  "Well, I like hats, so let's start there," Austin suggests.

  As they don't have a whole lot of money to spend on an extravagant costume, Anna proposes that they make one. After a lot of arguing and Anna saying, "Forget it - you can make your own darn costume," they finally agree on Australia. She has an old cowboy hat that she wants to hang corks from and she says he needs to wear tan cargo pants, a loose white shirt and flip-flops. That sounds fine to him. He doesn't want anything bright that stands out too much and he already has all the clothes. The pants are a little big but they'll have to do.

  Finally, Friday arrives and all day everyone is trying to guess what costumes others will be wearing. Austin has arranged to meet Melissa outside the cafeteria, where the dance will be held, at seven o'clock. His mom insists on driving right up to the door and even wants to come inside to see what everyone's wearing! He protests loudly enough that she eventually gets the message, but she yells, "Have fun, honey!" out the window before thankfully driving away.

  Groups of kids are huddled around, laughing and checking out each other's outfits. Austin spots Missy standing with another girl by the entrance. She actually looks quite good and is obviously representing Hawaii (he guesses she doesn't realize it's not a different country) as she's wearing a grass skirt and a luau. The bright colors of her top make her look less mousy and Austin smiles as he walks towards her.

  She grins back and says, "Let me guess....Australia, right?"

  He tries to answer in an Australian accent, "That's right, mate." She laughs and they walk together into the cafeteria.

  Chairs are set up along the edge of the room, and they find some in the back and sit down to watch everyone arrive. Austin spots the red haired boy from the mall, who must have more guts than he thought as he's wearing a Scottish kilt! Missy and Austin decide because of his red hair, it makes sense that his ancestors probably came from Scotland.

  Matt arrives, half hidden by a huge sombrero hat from Mexico, followed by Nate, who is all in red with an enormous black, furry thing on his head which at first Austin thinks is a dead cat. "What the heck?" Austin stammers, before realizing he's supposed to be one of the queen's guards and is representing England. They notice Austin and come over to sit with him, their dates, Ashley and Vanessa, following.

  They're having fun - giggling and trying to guess which country everyone's from, when another couple enters and at first Austin doesn't recognize who they are. The boy is obviously representing Jamaica as he's wearing a Rastafarian wig and the girl, whose hand he is clutching, looks absolutely stunning in a beautiful, silk Japanese dress. Then, with a flash of anger it sinks in. It's Mitchell and that's Mia's hand he's holding.

  Austin's grandma always said 'hate' is a very strong word and should never be used. But right now, he hates Mitchell with every ounce of his body. He wonders if Mitchell asked Mia to the dance solely because he knew Austin liked her, and decides that is definitely something he would do.

  The music is getting louder, a few kids are dancing, and the food is being served. Austin's friends suggest they get something to eat before all the good stuff disappears. There are a variety of dishes from all over the world; spaghetti from Italy, spring rolls from China, baklava pastries from Greece, paella from Spain, and this dish that looks like hot dogs in batter which is labeled 'toad in the hole' from England.

  Austin keeps seeing Mitchell holding Mia's hand out of the corner of his eye, and it's spoiling his appetite, but he tells himself Mitchell is not going to ruin his night and forces himself to get over it. He decides to try a bit of everything and piles one plate with savory samples and another with desserts. He's the last in line and now he has to make his way back across the cafeteria to where everyone else is, balancing the plates as he goes.

  When he's about half-way across he sees Mitchell, his dreadlocks swaying, walking in his direction. He tries to walk around him but now Mitchell is directly in front of him.
Before Austin knows what's happening, Mitchell starts to stumble and trip, obviously faking. He sticks his hand out in a mock attempt to steady himself and grabs hold of Austin's pant leg, pulling down hard as he pretends to fall. The pants are loose on him and fall easily, bringing his boxers with them.

  As he stands there, all he can wonder is why, when bad things happen, they always seem to be in slow motion - like in a movie. His brain seems to be stuck in sludge as he struggles to comprehend the situation. The music, voices and laughter are distant and muffled, as though his mind is attempting to protect him from reality.

  Gradually, his circumstances become agonizingly clear and he comes to the horrendous realization that he's standing in the middle of the cafeteria, displaying everything he has for all to see. Everyone is keeled over, laughing at his expense, and to Austin's total dismay he notices even Matt and Nate are doubled over in hysterics. They try to cover their mouths with their hands when they see Austin looking at them, but the damage has been done.

  Austin is still standing there like a total idiot holding the plates, so he has no free hands to pull his pants up and end this absurd situation. Just as he's about to throw the plates down and run, he becomes aware that someone is taking them from him.

  As quick as a flash, his pants are up and he's sprinting for the open door, which seems a mile away. He vaguely hears Mr. Thomas, his science teacher, running after him and calling his name, but he ignores him. It isn't until he's safely outside, relishing the darkness, that he glances behind him. Ian, the boy he rescued at the mall, is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room holding his plates.

  Chapter 9

  Austin is absolutely determined that he's going to become a hermit and stay hidden in his room for the rest of his life. The only alternative is to move to a different country. His mom and dad have insisted neither of these are an option and promise things will get better with time. They go on and on trying to reassure him and boost his confidence.....blah, blah, blah.....Austin isn't even pretending to listen.