You Can See Them Too? (Paranorman Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Bullies

Isabelle's P.O.V

We walked inside and past the many students that were either opening their lockers or just chatting with friends. I noticed that a few students were giving us, well more like Norman, weird or disgusted looks or whispering stuff that I couldn't hear. We walked down the hallway before coming up to a locker that had the word 'Freak' scrawled across.

Norman sighed and opened the locker and took out a cloth and spray before wiping off the word. I looked around and saw two students, a girl with dark skin and glasses and a boy on the chubby side with frizzy orange hair, at their lockers and one of them wiping words off too with a handkercheif. I tried to see what the word was but managed to catch a glimpse of the word 'Fatty' scrawled across the same way as what was on Norman's locker.
"I'll show you to class once I get this writing off and my books." Norman told me, making me turn back to him.
"Ok." I replied before seeing a small group of students walking towards us.

"Hey, ghost jerk! You know what?" The boy in the front of the group said to Norman.
I looked up to see a boy, roughly 15 years old, kind of looking out of place in a middle school, with black hair, very pale skin, earrings that stretch the earlobe, with two other boys in shirts that had 'Team Alvin' written across it.
Norman sighed as if it happens everyday. "What do you want Alvin?" He asked.
"Why don't you see some more ghosts, goober?" Alvin asked him as the boys laughed.

I shot a glance towards Norman, what did Alvin mean by 'Why don't you see some more ghosts, goober?'
"Who are you?" Alvin asked, taking notice of me.

"I'm new." I replied, adjusting my satchel.
"Well then, what are you doing hanging around with a freak-that-claims-he-sees-ghosts?"
"What?" I asked, turning to face Norman, who hung his head.
"Hey! Hey! Norman!" Alvin started, gaining Norman's attention, and pointed to a fly that landed on Norman's locker before swatting it with the back of his hand. "Talk to that." Before the boys burst into laughter.
I looked at the poor fly and saw it slowly become a ghost and back to Norman before getting a little angry towards this bully.

"That is so Alvin!" Alvin said, doing a weird pose before starting to walk off.
"Flies don't talk." I said after them and saw them stop and turn around.
"What was that?" Alvin asked, looking directly at me.
"Uh, Izzy, you shouldn't-" Norman started, pulling on my sleeve.
"I said, flies don't talk." I said, looking right back at Alvin, ignoring Norman.

He pulled a face and stomped over towards me. "Hey, just because you're new doesn't make you less of a target. You don't belong here." He said in a low, threatening tone as the hallway became quiet.
"Well, neither do you. Considering you look as though you're supposed to be in high school but clearly you don't have the brains for it as you're busy bullying kids in the 6th grade than your homework and studies." I shot right back at him.
The kids in the hallway started laughing at Alvin, who's face started turning red.
He jabbed my stomach with a finger and stared at me dead in the eye. "I'll leave you alone, but this isn't over." He said before walking away with the group following behind.

Norman and I stood there for a small moment of silence before Norman broke it.
"Thanks." He said, looking at me. "No one really stands up to him."
"Well, it's about time someone did." I said. "Also, what did he mean by 'claims-to-see-ghosts?'" I asked a little confused.
"I, um, can see ghosts, but no one believes me." He said quietly, looking away.
I was silent for awhile, still trying to process what he just said.

"It's ok if you call me a freak and leave me, I'm used to being alone." He said quietly.
"What? No!" I said, snapping out of my thoughts. "Honesty, I think that's pretty cool." I said, giving him a smile.
"You think so?" He asked a little louder with a small smile forming on his face.
"Yeah! It's like some sort of superpower." I said, giving him a smile.
"..........thanks." Norman said, smiling, before the bell went to signal the start of lessons.
"Well, let's go to class." I said. "Where do we have to go?"
"Oh, yeah, come on, this way." Norman said and we walked off to class.