Lily sat quietly under the large oak tree in the schoolyard, her notebook open on her lap, lost in her drawings and sketches. Her notebook was filled with childlike sketches of unicorns and rainbows within imaginary landscapes. So absorbed and engrossed was she, that she didn't notice the three older girls approaching until they were right in front of her.
One girl whispered to her companions with a smirk, 'Watch this—she’s gonna freak out!' She then turned to Lily, her expression shifting to a haughty disdain as she snatched the notebook from Lily's hands. 'Hey, what’s this?'
Startled, Lily’s eyes widened in fear. 'Hey! My drawings! Give them back!' she pleaded beseechingly.
The girls exchanged glances, their laughter devoid of warmth as they flipped through the notebook. 'These are so lame,' one remarked, pulling out a page and crumpling it. 'Oh, does the little baby not like it when we ruin her drawings?' another taunted, as tears welled up in Lily’s eyes and spilled over. 'No, my drawings!' Lily wailed.
Emily, hearing Lily’s distressed voice and spotting the unfolding commotion from across the yard, felt a surge of anger and protectiveness deep within her. She sprinted over to the tree, her heart thundering in her little frame - simultaneously feeling both furious and uncertain. "Leave her alone!" she shouted as she approached, realizing how childlike and unintimidating her high-pitched seven-year-old voice was. She couldn’t help but think that Daniel’s loud bellow would have been more appropriate at that moment.
The group of bullies paused and turned to face Emily, their expressions morphing from amusement to annoyance. "Huh? Who do you think you are?" one of them, apparently the leader, commented with a scoff, shoving Emily back deftly and with a surprising amount of force. “Get lost, kid” she added with a sneer, returning to torment Lily dismissing Emily as no threat.
Reeling from the shove but managing to stay on her feet, Emily felt a familiar wave of helplessness wash over her. Memories of being bullied—both as Daniel hiding in his car outside work fighting a nervous breakdown after enduring hours of degradation by a toxic manager or coworker’ flashed through her mind. She felt his helplessness, his self-loathing at his inability to defend himself. 'Never again—not me, not Lily, not anyone I care about,' she resolved bitterly, her fear of confrontation evaporating. Straightening up, her eyes shining with with determination, she shouted again, 'I said, leave her alone!' Her voice grew louder, her initial helplessness now transforming into a protective fury.
The lead bully turned to glare at Emily again, clearly not expecting to be challenged so quickly in succession. Her face contorted with a mix of confusion and irritation as her usual dominance was challenged. 'Why you little…' the bully started, stepping forward to push Emily again, this time with more force. Emily, driven by sheer instinct, blocked the attempt. She saw Daniel once again - crying crying alone in his car. She saw him in Lily, sobbing just like Daniel had. A dam within Emily finally burst—two lifetimes’ worth of anger boiled over. With a loud scream, she unleashed all her fury in one focused gut punch.
The bully’s eyes went wide with shock, and she doubled over, gasping for breath as she dropped Lily’s sketchbook, which Lily promptly scooped up. The bully’s co-conspirators stared in shock, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, uncertain how to proceed. Emily, breathing heavily, remarked with a dark grin - ‘Not so tough now, are you?’ - adrenaline surging through her veins, the intimidated aggressors backing away slightly. In that moment, Emily realized the blow she had delivered wasn’t just for Lily’s sake but also for Daniel and herself. ‘Bullies… you’re all the same, in every universe… God, that felt good,’ she muttered under her breath, her breathing still heavy.
A teacher, alerted by Emily’s loud challenge, swiftly approached the scene to break up the fight. She surveyed the scene—a seven-year-old defiant with her fist clenched, an older girl bent over in near tears, and another young girl clutching a torn sketchbook. The teacher’s eyes narrowed as she pieced together the scenario. 'What is going on here?' she demanded simultaneously stern and concerned.
Emily, still catching her breath, struggled to articulate what had happened, her hand throbbing. "These—these FREAKING JACKASSES were bullying Lily!" she burst out. "It was three against one—they started it - damn cowards, picking on a kid.” Her heightened emotions enabled Daniel’s vocabulary to overflow and overwhelm her linguistic skills, and for good measure she added ‘NOT SO BIG ARE YOU NOW YOU….KNUCKLE DRAGGING TROGLODYTES?’ as she started down three aggressors.
The teacher's gaze hardened as she surveyed the group. "Stop it - that’s enough," she commanded sharply. "All of you, come with me. Now." Her tone left no room for discussion as she marched them toward the principal's office, flashing daggers their way.
Lucy and Nate, who had observed the fight, approached the teacher hesitatingly, casting wary , sidelong glances at the bullies. "Miss," Lucy began, her voice atypically subdued than usual, "we saw everything. Emily was just defending Lily. They were really mean to her," she explained, pointing accusingly at the bullies.
Nate nodded in support. "Yeah, they were tearing up her drawings and everything."
The teacher's expression softened slightly. "Thank you both for telling me. I had a feeling something was off. I'll make sure the principal is fully informed."
Inside the office, the principal addressed the older girls first, sternly warning them about the consequences of bullying. “I will be meeting with your parents, girls…this was cowardly and unacceptable…’ he glowered as he dismissed the bullies. Turning to Emily he sighed and continued "While I'm glad you stood up for your friend, we don't condone physical violence. Do you understand? I’ll be talking to your parents too…."
Inside the office, the principal chastised the older girls sternly, his disapproval beyond evident. "I will be meeting with your parents," he ended. "Picking on a girl so much younger than you - cowardly and completely unacceptable behavior." After dismissing the bullies with a stern warning, he turned to Emily with a sigh. "While I'm glad you stood up for your friend, we can't condone physical violence. Do you understand? I'll be discussing this with your parents as well."
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Emily nodded, her anger simmering down yet still very much present. She bit her lips to prevent her from screaming. Why had no one intervened before her? Why hadn't anyone helped Lily before things escalated so much? But she remained silent, holding back her frustrations, her hands clenched.
Lily, please wait outside. I need a word with Emily—in private," the principal indicated with a nod. A hesitant Lily exited, glancing nervously at both individuals on the way out. The principal dismissed the teacher as well. Once they were alone, the principal leaned forward slightly and whispered softly so that only Emily could hear, "Emily, I know I have to say we can't fight, but..." he added with a wink, "I want you to know that standing up for a friend is important. You did a brave thing today. Just...try to find a teacher next time, okay?"
Taken aback by this unexpected understanding and empathy, Emily instinctively nodded—confused but feeling a faint glow of pride and affirmation. The principal offered a small, understanding smile—a gesture Emily remembered well; it was the kind of smile Daniel would share with others when they acknowledged a tough situation handled with unexpected maturity.
"Go on now, your friend is waiting," he added, leaning back with a small smile, "And remember, sometimes courage is just as important as following the rules.
Outside, Lily stood alone, awaiting her friend, her gaze fixed on the ground. The day's events had left her feeling worn, uneasy, yet grateful. "Thanks for defending me, Em. No one ever did that for me before," she murmured, her voice tinged with a mix of relief, embarrassment and vulnerability.
Emily recognized the familiar pain in Lily's eyes - the same Daniel had known, and realized that Lily needed more than a ‘you’re welcome’—she needed reassurance. Suddenly pulling Lily into a tight, comforting embrace, Emily said softly, "You don’t need to thank me, Lily. We're friends, and friends look out for each other."
As they hugged, Lily's eyes brimmed with tears, which soon spilled over. The girls held each other tightly, and for a few precious moments, all the fear and anger dissolved into the warmth of their friendship.
—
After school, Emily returned home with Sarah and Thomas, who had already been informed about the incident. They settled into the living room as Sarah and Thomas exchanged a look, equal parts concern and pride, as they navigated the delicate balance between disciplinarians and encouragers.
Sarah cleared her throat, voice gentle but firm as she addressed Emily - “Emily, we're really proud that you stood up for Lily. It's good to help friends when they're in trouble."
Thomas nodded in agreement. "But, sweetheart, fighting isn’t the best way to solve problems, okay? And we need to use nicer words, even when we're really upset.” Stifling a smile had added “And where did you learn a phrase like knuckle dragging troglodyte?’ Sarah sensing his amusement nudged him while suppressing a chuckle of her own.
"It's important to tell a teacher if someone is being mean. Can you try that next time?" Sarah added brushing Emily's hair back from her forehead
Emily, faced with her two concerned parents, felt small and instinctively ashamed. Daniel had struggled to stand up for himself even when doing the right thing, and unsurprisingly Emily found herself grappling with the same issue. 'I’m sorry… I…' she began in a small voice, but a voice seemed to prod her from within, encouraging her to stand up for herself. She paused, working up the courage to say what she actually felt.
Taking a deep breath, Emily looked at her parents, feeling simultaneously meek and emboldened. 'Mom, Dad—I know you have to tell me not to fight, to ask for help. But you didn’t see how those girls were hurting Lily. Sometimes, you have to forget the rules...and just do what’s right,' she said, her voice firm yet wavering. 'I didn’t see any other option. It was the only thing I could do. Who knows what might have happened if I’d gone looking for a teacher?'
With a determined sigh, she added, 'Punish me if you must, but I stand by my actions. This was an emergency, and I won’t let my friends or family get hurt.' Inwardly, she added, 'Not like Daniel...' as remembered his own struggles with bullies young and old alike, bracing for the expected parental reprimand about disobedience. “I’m sorry for calling them those words …even if they were acting like troglodytes” she added with a half smile.
Sarah and Thomas exchanged a stunned look, not expecting such a mature response from their seven-year-old. Sarah sighed softly, the weight of parenting a brave child adding to her mixed emotions. "Emily, you have such a big heart... I…” she paused, struggling to find the right words.
Thomas nodded, stepping in to help his wife. "We understand why you did it, and in many ways, we agree with you. But you have to stay safe too, kiddo," he added, his voice reflecting a mixture of pride and concern.
Emily, sensing the subtle agreement in their tone and stunned at the lack of severe disciplinary consequences, felt a rush of gratitude towards her parents. "I understand," she said quietly, her voice steady yet thoughtful. “I’ll try to balance it better next time,” she added, more to acknowledge their perspective rather than commit to a change. Privately, promised herself 'If someone hurts my friends or family, I’ll still do what it takes to protect them.'
That night, as Emily lay in her bed staring at the ceiling once more, the day's replayed through her mind - Lily's tears and subsequent gratitude, her own surge of courage, the mixed but supportive reactions from her parents, and even the principal's secret commendation—it all swirled together in her mindscape. 'Daniel, we did it,' she whispered into the darkness. Sometimes, doing the right thing means standing alone. But today, in the end, I wasn’t alone.'"
—
The same night, as Sarah and Thomas retreated to their own bedroom, they reflected over the day’s events themselves. Sarah glanced over at Thomas, her expression a blend of admiration. 'She's growing up so fast,' she murmured with a proud smile.
Thomas nodded, his eyes quizzical. 'She really is. I was surprised by how mature she was about the whole thing.' His voice held a note of pride that matched Sarah's.And with a twinkle look akin’s to Emily’s own mischievous expression he added “And I can’t tell her this…but I’m proud she gave those bullies a taste of their own medicine…maybe she has a future as a boxer?”
Both parents broke down laughing - the tension of the day melting away. 'She's going to be just fine, isn’t she? Sarah asked - her question hung in the air, bright and hopeful.
Thomas reached out, taking her hand in his. 'Yes, she is. And we’ll be right here to help her every step of the way.' He squeezed her hand gently, affirming their united front in parenting. 'And who knows,' he mused with a gentle chuckle, 'maybe our brave little girl will end up teaching us a few things, too?'