Episode 1: The Bully

It’s now lunchtime and the school counsellor goes looking for Jacob. He finds him in the cafeteria, eating alone.

“Jacob, there you are. I need to have a chat with you about what happened earlier today by the lockers. Would you like to come to my office once you’re finished your lunch? Or is there somewhere else you’d feel more comfortable?”

Jacob is taken by surprise. “I usually go to the gymnasium in my lunch breaks and watch the school basketball team practice,” he says not wanting to be spotted by Terry and his gang going to the ‘authorities’.

“OK, that’s fine. I’ll see you there,” says the counsellor.

In the gymnasium, the counsellor looks him in the eye. “Now, I know what happened this morning Jacob, and I’m guessing it wasn’t an isolated incident.”

Jacob looks down, his shoulders slump.

The counsellor continues. “You’re very lucky that your friends cared enough to video the whole sorry episode and send the link to all the staff. Otherwise we would be none the wiser.”

“Huh? Link? Which friends?” Jacob is confused now.

“I don’t know. It was anonymous,” replies the counsellor. He pauses. “You need to tell us immediately if you’re having trouble with someone so it doesn’t get out of hand. Bullies don’t let up. They have problems in their own lives and take their frustrations out on those they believe are weaker than themselves. Their power is in your silence. By telling someone, you get your power back, and they lose their hold over you. Does this make sense Jacob?” says the counsellor.

“Yes,” Jacob mumbles.

“So do we have an understanding? You’ll inform somebody who can help you the moment an incident like this occurs again?”.

Jacob hesitates as he takes it all in, then let’s out a relieved and convincing, “Yes.”

It’s just after 4.30pm when Janice enters through the front door with Mikey in tow, heading straight for her tablet to play his favourite game.

Shortly after, Becky and Jacob arrive home.

“There it is,” says Becky, as she grabs her phone off the kitchen counter and immediately checks her messages. “I was positive I put this in my bag this morning,” she mutters.

But it’s a calmer Jacob that returns home that evening, with a bounce in his step as he hums to himself.