Jerks of Springville High

t w e l v e

Chapter 12: With a Passion

Kylie's POV

After driving an hour out of town we finally pulled up besides a diner. I had never been outside of town before now. I'd spent the whole drive pestering Ryan about why we had to drive so far. When he said he'd buy me food and pay for gas I shut up, but I was still curious.

During the car ride, I asked Ryan what he had meant by Hulk -I didn't know his actual name so that's what I'm calling him- helping him and Kyle. It turns out there are many secrets that are held between friends and family. Kyle and Ryan had been bullied just like I was. Kyle was bullied throughout high school until the summer before his senior year when he thought enough was enough and he needed help. Apparently that help was Hulk. He was popular for helping "losers" change their ways and become something that they never expected to become. Kyle sought out to find Hulk and once he found him Kyle's whole life changed. He became popular, made a ton of friends, started playing sports, became president of the Student Body Council, met his girlfriend Celina, etc. He started a whole bunch of things that I thought had already started. Then he met Ryan- who was also bullied- this puny helpless freshman. Kyle introduced him to Hulk and then the transformation was made. Except instead of being popular Ryan decided on taking the path of "badassery".

"Being popular is cool and everything, but when people are scared of you- not really, really scared but maybe..."

"Intimidated?"

"Yes, intimidated!" He grinned. "When people are intimidated by you it helps a lot. People know not to mess with me or else I'll pummel them. And even though my life has become a tad bit dangerous, the thrill and excitement will never compare to anything in my life." He smiled while driving. Can being a bad boy really make someone happy? "Oh, and you you can't forget the chicks. The ladies dig the leather jacket and the car."

I shook my head at him, laughing. Ryan

I wasn't upset that my brother kept such a big thing from me. I just didn't understand why. We were close, went together like PB&J. But he didn't want to tell me he was bullied. Maybe it was because he thought that if I saw how happy his life was I would still have hope that one day all my misery would end. But it hasn't and it's still going on. Sure, I'm no longer physically bullied, but I'd prefer if all the bullying just stopped altogether. Words and looks affect a person far more than a few bruises. I'm still a nobody and that affects me mentally. Will I ever be good enough to be a somebody? I wish that my brother had told me about Hulk sooner. It would have made me a lot happier sooner.

Getting out of the jeep, I examined the area. There were tons of cars parked, but he road we came from seemed to go on and on. The diner was probably the only building you could see for miles. There was nothing appealing about this place. The restaurant looked like it needed to be water blasted from top to bottom because of all the dirt. You could literally see handprints all over the windows and red liquid seemed to be dripping from the top edges of the frame. The sign at the top which read Haunted Burgers looked like it was ready to fall down and break someone. Ryan ensured that I had nothing to worry about, but the diner looked like it belonged in a very scary movie and I wondered why anyone would even choose this area to locate a diner. I would totally understand if they were I don't know... Killing people?

Kylie obviously they're not killing people! I scolded myself. It's a diner. I had to stop myself from thinking about cannibals.

"Why are we at a diner that looks like it could belong in a horror film?"

"First off, that's the theme of the restaurant. Look at the name and then look at the design." Okay that explains a whole lot. "Second the guy we're meeting with works here."