"It would probably make things worse," Jake said, "and I’d be the school snitch."
"Aren’t you class president this year?" Cole asked.
"Yeah."
"That means it's your job to act. It's on you and the rest of the school council to stop this kind of nonsense," Cole said.
"I know," Jake said, "that's why I'm stressed out. I don't know what to do. Telling teachers will cause more problems, but I have to do something to help those kids."
"I have an idea," Cole said. "There is power in numbers. Your school council needs to start an anti-bullying program like the one we are doing at my school. I’ll get you the materials we are using and ask our student adviser if she will help."
"Okay,” Jake sounded doubtful. "You think that will work?"
"You know a lot of kids don’t realize they are engaging in bullying. They believe that what they are doing is just joking around, but joking or not; bullying occurs when the joke goes too far."
"That sounds a lot like Chad although sometimes I think he is just plain mean," Jake said. "I don't know what happened to him, but he is always angry these days."
"There are probably more kids than you think that don't like what is going on, but they are afraid to say so. They are afraid the bully will turn on them. You need to gather up your friends," Cole said, "then as a group, you can put a stop to this bullying."
"I could count on the kids in last year's boy's and girl's basketball team and some of the other kids too," Jake said.
"Don’t try, do," Cole stated in a solemn voice quoting Yoda from "Star Wars." He added, "Jake, you have to be the one to stand up to Chad and his friends for all the other kids. He may try to make life miserable for you, but you can handle it better than the younger kids."
"It’s not like I’m Mr. Confident," Jake said.
"We are all insecure, Runt. Look, I’ll be standing behind you all the way," Cole said patting Jake on the back.
"Okay."
"No Jake, seriously, I’ve got your back."
"Seriously, thanks, Bro," Jake said.
"You're welcome. Now, for Pete's sake, go to sleep!" Cole licked his finger and stuck it into Jake’s ear.
"Eww! Jerk!" Jake yelped pushing Jake away.
"You boys need to stop horsing around up there! Go to sleep!" Dad hollered from downstairs.
Chapter Seven
Arthur dreaded the coming day. He wanted to fake being sick and stay home, but he already knew his mom would make him go to school. In her book, only death or hospitalization was an excuse to stay home from school.
He couldn’t argue with her when sick or well she worked three jobs each week to keep a roof over their heads. Things had been tough since his dad died in Iraq two years ago, especially for his mom. Arthur tried not to ask for extras or let his mom know how rough things were going at school.
He sighed, got up, got dressed and pulled his keepsake shoebox out from under the bed. Inside the shoe box was all the money he had saved from birthdays and Christmas. There was no money in the family budget for an allowance. There was no money for much of anything except the rent and food.
Arthur wanted to get a job mowing lawns or doing yard work, but his mom wouldn't let him work until he turned sixteen. Arthur pulled out a five dollar bill and shoved it into his pocket. He let Ragmop out into the back yard, locked up the house, and started the six block walk to school. Maybe he'd see Jake after school at the park today. That at least was something he could look forward to.
Chad was waiting for him a block from the school. "Got my Fiver?" he asked.
"Here. It's the last of my money," Arthur said. "I don’t have anymore."
"There had better be a five dollar bill in your pocket tomorrow Freak, or else," Chad said stuffing the money that Arthur had given him in his pocket. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go on! I got a lot of business to do this morning. I don't have time to listen to your lame excuses," Chad said.
Across the street, Jake and his best friend Charlie hid behind a row of bushes watching Arthur pay Chad.
"See? I told you!" Charlie whispered to Jake.
Arthur left Chad and a few minutes later two fourth-graders showed up. The boys watched Chad take a dollar bill from each of them.
"Hey!" Charlie hissed, "That’s my cousin. I’m gonna bust him in the nose."
"No, you’ll get in trouble," Jake said trying to hold Charlie back, but Charlie broke free, crossing the street to confront Chad.
"Hey, give them their money back!" Charlie yelled leaving the bushes.
"Oh yeah!" Chad said. "Says who and what army?"
"Says me! That is my cousin, Jerk!!" Charlie walked across the street and plucked the dollar bills the girls had given Chad away from him. "Here's your money back, Emily. Let me know if this guy gives you any more trouble."
"Thanks," Emily said and grabbed her friend's arm, they ran down the street towards the school.
"That's what cousins are for," Charlie said turning back to Chad. "Emily's my cousin. If I hear that, you have taken any more money from her, or her friends, you won’t like it."
"I can do whatever I want," Chad said arrogantly. "Like it or lump it."
"I'll lump you!" Charlie said raising a fist.
Chad defiantly raised his fists but looked a little scared. "Give me what you got!"
"Is there a problem here?" Jake asked joining them on the street.
"I see you brought your back-up," Chad said.
"You need to stop picking on people," Jake said. "You are bullying kids, and that is not right."
"Mind your own business," Chad said.
"Maybe you are my business," Jake countered as the start-of-school warning bell rang.
"We’ll continue this later," Chad said.
"There is nothing we need to talk about later. You and your buddies need to stop terrorizing other kids," Jake said.
"Think you can make me?" Chad snarled at Jake and Charlie, but they didn’t answer because they were already crossing the street to make it to class before the final bell rang.
Chapter Eight
"Are you going to fight Chad?" Lisa asked Jake during homeroom.
"Of course not, where did you hear that?" Jake asked.
"Alexia told me that Nancy said that you and Charlie were going to fight Chad and Wyatt."
"Well, Nancy is totally wrong. I can’t fight Chad; I have a black belt in Karate. I could seriously hurt him. Besides that, fighting is wrong."
"He’s going to call you a chicken," Lisa said.
"So what, it’s only a name, and it's not true. I can defend myself if necessary, and I don't need to hit Chad to prove I'm not a chicken. Chad likes to call people names. He's called people much worse than chicken. Look what he's called Arthur for instance, or for that matter, what he's called you, Alexia, and Betsy. If he’s picking on me, maybe he’ll leave the rest of you alone."
"Fat chance that will happen," Lisa said.
"We’ll see," Jake said, "besides, I have an idea on how to handle Chad and some of the other bullies around here."
"What are you going to do?" Lisa asked.
"I want to start an anti-bullying club," Jake said.
"I'll join," Lisa said.
"I'm