Life in Junior High

The Next Day

Keeping Becky's wise words in mind, D.J. held her head high the next day at school. Her opportunity came after second period; Colleen and her gang were teasing her. She felt a surge of fresh courage as she walked up to Colleen and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Sorry you're having a bad day," she remarked to Colleen with a smile of sympathy, causing a look of confusion to cross the faces of Colleen and her gang. D.J. then turned and headed off down the hallway to her third period English class. She felt like that all day — elated and just full of happiness and courage, as though she could take on anything bad and anyone who was mean to others.

Then a voice called to her. She recognized it instantly; it was one of the two guys from the day before.

"Hey, freak, what are you up to? Sitting alone with no friends as usual? If so, you're not very pretty."

Two can play at that game, D.J. thought as she walked up to them.

"What are you boys up to? Picking on the ladies as usual? If so, you're more uncool than I thought you'd be," she replied to the guy who'd knocked her books out of her hands the previous day and those two boys who'd shoved her up against the lockers. 

Her words caught them off guard. All they were able to do was look after her in surprise as she tossed a cool smile their way and then headed off. They began to wonder — what was going on? Either this girl had adopted a new attitude overnight, or it was her evil twin in her shoes.

D.J. was feeling so good, she even felt like telling the jock what she really thought of him. And she did.

"Hey, Blondie! We hear you're going to mess up again. It sounds cool!" he grinned, and then laughed along with two of his buddies.

"I guess you're just not the bigger man, aren't you?" she replied, smiling. Hearing her words, the jock's cronies suddenly looked as though they'd been stopped short, while their leader just blinked a few times in confusion. For once in his life, he was unable to think of an insult to throw back at her in reply.

Finally, when she stepped off the bus and went into the house, D.J. felt as though she had survived another battle. And from her perspective, it sure felt good!