The Journal - A Short Story Collection

Life Below

That foolish kid Devin was at it again, bullying Jack for his amusement. A persistent problem for the past year after Jack's family moved states, and he had to start at a new middle school. Sometimes it would be about lunch money, other times it was homework. But most of the time Devin did it for amusement.

Sadly, Jack did little to stop Devin. He lacked the confidence to stand up for himself when the time came, as much as he might want to. Jack told his father before about the harassment, and his father tried to teach him the best way to dealing with the situation. Jack even did well when they practiced and genuinely showed he understood. Though, when the time came, he froze and submitted to whatever Devin had in store for him.

Jack wouldn't resort to violence to solve the problem, and he wouldn't go to the teachers for fear of making the bullying worse. His solution was to simply let it be and hope that ignoring Devin would eventually bore him. While that could be a commendable option, it seldom worked. And in this case, Jack had to deal with a lot more from Devin.

That was until Jack's older sister Christine, who at the time was just starting high school, showed up to scare Devin away. Her menacing tone followed by giving Devin a wedgie made both the siblings laugh and cause Devin to run away crying. While it was important for Jack to learn to stand up for himself, he learned that day just how human Devin was. Bullies were created.

That night the two told their father, Ryan, about their ordeal with Devin, to which he awarded them with pizza. They gathered around the television in the family room, watching various movies to poke fun at. It was a rarity for such nights to occur because of the father's job. Constantly being in the office and away on trips meant the kids had to fend for themselves often. It was the same reason they moved. In the beginning, life was hard, but Jack and Christine learned to adapt to the situation, taking care of each other while their father worked hard for their food.

There was once a time when things were easier, but since the crash, everything changed. His responsibility was his kids, and he had to whatever it took to take care of them. Even if it meant finding a new job, one he loathed, but one that fortunately paid a bit more than his previous. A trade-off he will take any day if it meant an easier life for his kids.

However, that night while movies and pizza were entertaining, the kids didn't take accountability for their homework, neither did the father remind them of their responsibilities. He was always like that, a child at heart. Even if it was more amusing for the kids, a better way to bond, it still didn't prepare them properly. Life required responsibility, and the father needed to teach that one day.

But maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe they still had time to just be kids. All three of them. They were all going through more than enough right now. The stress couldn't be easy to handle. They all have shown it in their own way. Ryan was more reserved around his kids. Instead, he cried at night. Christine wept for hours in the beginning, but now she acted more numb to everything, a sign that spelled trouble if not taken care of. Perhaps that's why she helped Jack with his bully problem, one less thing for any of them to deal with. Jack was the only one who hadn't cried. Instead, he prayed.

And I hear him. Every night. He talked of emptiness. He talked of happiness. He understood, and he wanted to move on so long as I let him. He told me about his day, about both the good and the bad, as if I was right there with him. Because for Jack, I never left.

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