Scariest Day of My Life

By: Kate, 6th grade

                It was after school at Gibbs Elementary in Little Rock, Arkansas.  I walked home every day, enjoying the cool breeze and the hot sun in the summer.  While I was walking I thought about my day.  A hero in dodge ball, for I had caught the winning ball. 

                A rough push from behind broke me of my dreaming and sent me sprawling.  Almost as soon as I was pushed I was up on my feet, instinct overcoming surprise.  I turned to face them, not quite sure what to expect, fear creeping up on me. 

                “Well what have we here?” I should have known it would be John Brown.  He was the school bully, being the biggest and strongest.  He pushed kids around, took lunch money, and threatened the kids not to tell.  He was a basic story book bully. 

                Fear was the main thing coursing through my body.  I knew what happened to kids if they talked to the teachers about him.  He’d catch you after school and rough you up, giving you a black eye and a couple bruises.  I shuddered, only to see him advancing on me.

                I don’t know why he was going to beat me up, and I didn’t want to stick around and find out.  Adrenaline pulsed through my body, and I took off.  I was flying, my feet barely hitting the ground.  I looked back to see John falling behind, panting.  I was glad at that moment that he was overweight.  I   ran around to the back of my house and threw open the door.  I rushed into the office and stopped, breathless and jittery. 

That was one of the scariest moments of my life, thinking about what John could’ve done to me if I had stuck around.  I thought about why he had tried to beat me up, and came to the conclusion it was because that very day I had embarrassed him in front of the whole class.  He might be tough, but that didn’t mean he could get the answer right to what the square root of 144 was.

The next day I was the picture of stealth, expecting him to be even angrier.  I made it to my friends, only to see him walk through the gate.  He laid eyes on me and grimaced, but didn’t advance.  I spent the whole day on my guard, expecting him to pop up out of nowhere.

After school he did pop out.  I almost screamed, but I bit my tongue.  “If you never mention about out running me and embarrassing me, I will stay out of your way,” I was surprised I must admit.

“Sure, I guess,” I was cautious, and quietly back away. 

“Ok,” he ran away.  The exchange was so sudden I just stood there. 

I shook my head and ran away.  After that we kept our distance, and life was back to normal, or as normal as it could get.