THE STIGMA (BOYS DON'T CRY.)

. D A Y F O U R .

The classroom slowly began to fill up with the tired and sore boys, limping as their whole bodies ached, dark circles and bags formed underneath their eyes. Sir stood at the front of the classroom, glaring at every single one of them as they pulled up a seat and sat down. When Patty and Ben entered the classroom, he gave Patty a nod and Ben a death stare. And Ben being Ben, he glared right back at him. He wasn't afraid of him. Who would be scared of an old man whose face is completely covered in wrinkles? Ben sat in front of Patty, glaring at Sir as he slammed the door shut and stomped over to the front of the classroom.

"Today, you are going to write another essay about what's it like to be a man, and how to act like one," Sir started, writing the word ESSAY in all capitals on the chalkboard. "And I expect four pages, too. And I expect full details from every single one of you. And you all should know, because you all are here because you showed an emotion only girls are allowed to have; sadness. Don't think that you've gotten away with crying. THAT SHIT IS NOT MANLY, YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?!" The whole class flinching, everybody nodded in unison. Scanning the whole room, he glared at Ben, shaking in anger. Ben looked dead into Sir's eyes. What Ben did next shocked everybody. Everybody there feared him, but Ben just had nothing but hatred pumping through his body right now.

The whole class gasped at the sudden move Ben had did. Ben sure did have balls of steel to do that, balls-of-fucking-steel. Patty's jaw dropped to the dusty, stained floor of the classroom; everybody's did. His piercing, ocean coloured eyes went wide. By now, everybody knew that Ben hated the old man's guts, but nobody expected him to snap like that. Everybody was frozen from shock. But Patty knew he had to do something before Ben kills Sir; or worse, Sir kills Ben.