The following was written by Daily Headline writer Carla Grace. It’s based on a true story.
Read it below.
A little boy wearing a furrowed brow sat in Mr. Wilson’s office. He nervously wiggled his legs. They didn’t quite reach the floor.
“So Billy,” Mr. Wilson, the school guidance counselor, inquired, “What happened? Have you been fighting again? ” Billy was silent. “I want to tell you a story.” Billy perked his head in sudden interest. “I think you might like this one.”
Mr. Wilson turned to face the window looking over the playground. “Once there was a little boy named Jack. Little Jack, in fact, was just around your age. It was Jack’s first day at his new school. The school was big and different. The kids were different too. When Teacher introduced him, a boy whispered the word ‘weirdo.’ That stung him to his very core.
At Recess, Jack sat on a lonely curb with his brown paper sack lunch. Mommy slipped in a note that read, ‘You get ‘em Jack Attack.’ With a shaky hand, Jack unwrapped a bologna sandwich. Before he could take a bite, he watched his lunch fly from his hands and flop onto the pavement.
Jack spun around to face a boy who towered over him. ‘What are YOU lookin at?’ muttered the behemoth boy. Jack sheepishly said, ‘I didn’t do nothin.’ ‘What was that, you little twerp?’ The bully persisted. With two massive hands, the boy pushed little Jack. He hit the pavement face first and tasted dirt.
Jack’s first day of school set the tone for the rest of the semester. Never fitting in, Jack resorted to keeping his head low.
One afternoon, Jack was skipping home from school. His happy trot came to a halt when he heard screams. Jack darted in the direction of the commotion.
The noise led him to a part of the woods he’d never dared to visit. Only the tough kids went there, and there was usually trouble afoot. But someone in there needed him.
