Sounds

Why does he sound happy?

He sounds like he's delighted to be here, when I know he's not. When I know he was focused here but the bullies. By the rulers of the hallway, he follows them like a loyal subject. Not for any reason I can think of. And I want to ask him to justify his actions, but I'm afraid I'm reading the situation wrong. I'm afraid that I'm making a mistake, and that he really wants to be here. But I also know I wasn't hallucinating when I observed the scene from yesterday. I know I saw a look of desperation.

As my friends walk towards me, I tear my attention away from boy before me and turn around to laugh at some lame jokes I don't really understand. My head is pre-occupied by what I witnessed yesterday and I'm still hung up about it. I can't shake the thought and I can't hear clearly the words being spoken around me.

Only the words he said are running through my mind at an infinite speed per hour and I see the fear in his eyes. There's no doubt what I heard was right.

"Please. Stop. I can't take it anymore," he sobbed.

But I'm still afraid to speak up. I'm still afraid to do something. It's wrong, it's twisted. It's just... not right.

Luckily, I have a little bit of courage in reserve, somewhere buried deep inside my conscience. Maybe the guilt brought it out or maybe the regret from not doing something at the first moment I watched the event brought on this newly produced bravery. I find myself walking into the office and writing an incident report, not quite sure what to describe. So I stop. I grab the first teacher I see in the office and I talk to do her. I tell her honestly what I heard, what I saw, and even what I felt.

Feeling a little lighter as a walked out of the office, I set out to make a new friend.