By
Laurence Lam
In the dark and narrow, but lively hallway, minority groups
huddled together to talk about their latest gossip. Here and there, people said, “Did you hear about the latest…?” The school seemed to be made of endless sporadic gossip. Anthony, a thirteen-year-old boy, had nowhere to go; a helpless wanderer lost in the forest. The local Chinese boy came to New Jersey to start a new life and attend an American public school. His dark brown hair and squinty eyes clearly expressed his Chinese ethnicity along with his slight chubbiness. Coming in at just sixty kilograms and five feet two inches, he looked like a fat dwarf compared to other students at his grade level.
Walking through the crowded hallways of Central New Jersey High School, Anthony Lee seemed like an object instead of a person. All the kids looked awkwardly at Anthony as though anticipating something. Anthony always acted shy and he didn’t fit into the school environment. He just didn’t fit.
When arriving at his first class, eighth grade science, Anthony placed his textbooks on the cold wooden desk. The dim lights flickered overhead. The overly decorated room had posters and science projects taped to the wall. Model airplanes hung from the wooden ceiling on short pieces of string. Anthony propped the chair against his sore back and took a deep breath, thinking, how am I going to get through the day.
When Mr. Sandberg, the science teacher, walked in, it relieved Anthony. Many of the kids threw paper planes through the air and sending curses across the room. The instant Mr. Sandberg stepped in, all the students rushed to their seats and just smiled. In Anthony’s culture, disobedient behavior deserved punishment, but, here, the teacher sat down and smiled.
Mr. Sandberg pronounced, “Today we have a new student here with us. Anthony Lee joins our class, and I’d like all of you to welcome him.”
At the back of the room, a few students snickered and made snorting noises, but the teacher rambled on. “Our class today will be focused on atoms and how they bond with other atoms…”
The discussion continued without any climax, and after two hours, snack time arrived.
The playground overflowed with happiness. Kids played on the swing-sets, and kids ran around on the pavement. Anthony found the new environment almost alien. How could all these kids be having so much fun? He thought to himself. Back in China, teachers did not like the idea of fun, and only enforced strict studying. In New Jersey, fun seemed to be the main learning experience for students. The new world truly baffled Anthony.
Unlike all the other kids, Anthony stayed by himself. No group accepted him. Constant doubts swirled around his head, and his vulnerability stood out. The bullies of the playground roamed around like lions. Each one carried a huge wad of money in their pockets, stealing from kids one by one until satisfied. The leader of the pack was Carter Benjani; a huge buff student who thought he controlled the school. Carter had light brown hair and a slight tan from his recent Hawaii holiday. Two of his recruits stood by his side, snickering and agreeing with Benjani every time he made a statement. They picked out vulnerable victims in the crowd and took lunch money for themselves.
Anthony, alone and susceptible to attack, walked around like a loner. As the bullies slowly advanced toward Anthony, sweat trickled down his white, plain school uniform. His hands clenched up in fright, and his eyes opened wide at the sight. The six-foot tall Carter towered over Anthony like David and Goliath.
Carter chuckled sinisterly, “Hey young boy. How’s your first day at Central New Jersey High School. I hear you’ve made many new friends.”
Tears filled Anthony’s eyes.
Carter’s companions started chortling in the background and gave each other high-fives. Carter then spoke, “Well, I’ll give you a chance. Hand over your lunch money and we can be friends! Then things will be alright.”
Anthony didn’t know what to say. His poor English prevented a sophisticated answer, so he complied. Hands wobbling, he reached into his deep-blue trouser pockets and took out a five-dollar bill. Instantly, the smiles on the bullies’ faces lit up, and they thanked Anthony for his kindness. Anthony knew that the gang lied about their promise, but didn’t want to frustrate the gang more than he needed. No one back in China had ever committed robbery against him, and he started to doubt his life in America.
Anthony’s unpleasant recess ended after twenty minutes, and he returned to the boring classroom. He didn’t want any more hooligans messing around in the class again. The memories of the recess dilemma still lingered in his mind as he cautiously took a seat.
The social studies teacher Mrs. Crane walked into the room with a glum expression. As her feet hastily crossed the room, Anthony sensed another boring class.
The teacher started by placing her coffee mug on the hard metal table. She then picked up the humongous textbook lying on the table and told the class to flip to page 287. Anthony realized that many of the students at the back of the room, the troublemakers, started to stir up plans of disrupting class. Anthony didn’t like this environment and decided to tell the teacher.
“Mrs. Crane,” Anthony shouted, “the kids in the back of the room are annoying me.”
The teacher quickly noticed the problem. Slamming her books on the table, she advanced toward the troublemakers. Glaring at Anthony, Carter and his gang pretended that nothing had happened and returned to their studies. The teacher saw that they acted their innocence and took quick note of it. She then turned around and walked back to her large metal desk. The teacher returned to her lecture about the effects of World War II.
The rest of the school day passed without incident, and once again, the hallways bustled with students chatting about their first day of school. Some had enjoyed their days more than others, but Anthony had the worst day of them all. Without saying a word, he carefully placed each school supply in his Winnie the Pooh backpack and headed back home. The urban setting bustled with businessman outside the school gates. After proceeding through the gates of Central New Jersey High School, Anthony hopped into his black Audi A6. An old Chinese man greeted him.
“How was your first day at school? How were the teachers? What was the school lunch like?” Anthony’s father hastily asked.
Anthony didn’t want to answer but remembered to be respectful. “My first day at school was great,” he lied. “The teachers were amazing and I learned new things about atoms and their bonds. All the kids are very hard working and I fit in just right. The school lunch tasted amazing. I got a hot dog with potato salad.” Anthony tried to pull out the widest grin possible.
Anthony’s father responded pleasantly, “Well I hope you aren’t having too much fun in school. Remember that learning is the most important aspect of school and ask questions if you don’t understand.”
The view of the Hudson River rushed past in the car windows as Anthony looked out. Massive buildings towered over the pier, each representing a part of New Jersey, each with a different personality. The sun began to set under the high-rise buildings. Although the view baffled Anthony, his current life reflected the exact opposite. In his life, many clouds covered the sun, and the water turned a murky grey. The seagulls that had swiftly tapped the water became ravens that cocked ferociously, searching for food to eat. The flowers wilted, and the tree’s leaves began to crumble into ashes.
* * *
“Anthony, we’re home.” The mysterious voice woke Anthony up from his deep dream. Rubbing his eyes, Anthony looked up to see his home. The tall mansion rose above him and he hurriedly stepped out of the car.
The enormous mansion measured twice the size of the house he had in China. The stylish curves and details on the support pillars suggested a more classic style of housing. Inside, the ceiling rose high above Anthony’s head and the chandelier dangled gracefully beneath. Anthony headed up the carpeted stairs to his massive room and slammed down his book bag. He then turned off the already lit lava lamp and jumped onto his bed. “I hate this stupid school,” he screamed to the pillow. “All I’m ever going to be is a loner without a life.”
Tears began to stream down his face and he clenched his teeth together. He released all his anger that he had previously kept in from his family. Using the brown school jacked he had bought at school, he wiped the tears off his eyes and blew his nose. Suddenly, sleep rolled in on him, and he closed his eyes. Almost instantly, Anthony’s world became peaceful once again.
* * *
Anthony didn’t know the time when his alarm rang. Outside his window, the sun rose over his neighbor’s house. Chirping birds filled the oak tree in the front yard, and the sky the color of the ocean water. Immediately, one of his maids knocked on his door and entered. “Anthony! It’s time to get up. It’s already seven.
It took fifteen minutes to go from Anthony’s house to school, but he had to prepare. Jumping out of bed, he felt the cold New Jersey wind surround him. After throwing on his white uniform and khakis, he proceeded out of his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Five loaves of bread lay on the table and he took two. Rushing into his study-room, he shoved his school notebooks into a bag and set off in a sprint. On the way, Anthony took a glance at the clock and it read 7:30 AM. Happy with his late morning wake-up, Anthony steadily walked to the door and walked into the morning sunshine.
A white Lexus sat in front of the mansion, waiting for Anthony to enter the car. Anthony knew in all truth that he didn’t want to go to school but his parents forced him. Learning is essential to life, echoed in his ears. As Anthony approached the car, a man with a white beard came out. He radiated happiness with sunglasses and a pair of white gloves, resembling a movie star. “Good morning Mr. Lee. I have prepared a cup of tea in the back seat. Please let me know if you need any more assistance.”
“Thank you, Arnold but I’ll be alright for now,” Anthony said.
Anthony had always liked his driver. Upon entering the car, Anthony drifted off into a deep sleep.
“Anthony, we’re here.”
The words rang in Anthony’s ears and he groaned as he exited the car. The familiar odor of fresh cut grass and the leaves of fall surrounded him. Kids wore jackets of numerous colors, which made the campus a lively array of taste. Only, Anthony wore a grey sweater, blue school pants, and a dull pair of Nike’s. He looked like a black stone in the midst of flowers, a total misfit. As Anthony made his way through the school gates, he noticed a boy staring at him. Anthony had noticed him in class and he recalled his name to be Jarred.
“Hey Anthony! You’re in my science class right? I thought I remembered you,” exclaimed Jarred. “You want to hang out afterschool today. I can introduce you to my friends!”
Anthony, quite taken away by his friendliness, just smiled. “I’ll try my best,” he said in his best possible English.
The school day continued with no special circumstance. Just like the day before, Carter came by during recess to snatch money. Anthony had no choice but to go outside because the teachers encouraged exercise. No matter how angry he felt with Carter, he had no way out. Anthony didn’t even consider standing up to Carter, so day after day, Carter robbed him.
The day he got back from school after being invited by Jarred, Anthony decided to give it a shot. He had never played much in China, let alone gone to a friend’s house. Though not confident on the final outcome, Anthony trudged confidently into battle. When Anthony got back from school, he confronted his mother, Rachel, personally.
“Mom. I would really like to have some time with my friends after school. I know I haven’t had this much in my life but I hope that this can change. I need to make some new friends.”
Starting back from her newspaper, Anthony’s mom replied, “You know the rule in this house! There is no playing but studying! Playing won’t get you anywhere in life. How many times have we had this conversation? Go to your room and finish your homework. I still have ten worksheets for you in the living room.”
Anthony had much to think about but stomped into his room obediently. First of all, his parents put a ban on playing in the house, but rather her mother had created the rule out of nowhere. Anthony had never bothered to ask his parents about playing because of an almost imminent turndown.
Why did I have to be born into this family? Anthony thought to himself.
He quickly changed into a blue sweater and jumped onto his comfy white chair. Not only did he need time to think, but his whole life had gone haywire. Anthony’s attempt to make a living for himself had failed. I guess I’ll just have to tell Jarred tomorrow.
* * *
The next morning, Anthony woke up to the buzz of his alarm clock. Anthony wiped his eyes and stood up. Last night, Anthony had formulated a plan to rebel against his parents and go on with his invitation.
Unlike the day before, rain poured down and the birds had disappeared from the oak tree. The Greek statues in the front yard looked darker from the rain, the pavement had turned an awful gray.
Well it seems even the weather has caught on with my attitude Anthony thought to himself. After racing down the stairs for a quick breakfast of tea and peanut butter, Anthony met his driver at the door. “Hello Mr. Lee. How are you today.”
“I’m a bit tired, but I guess I’m OK,” Anthony replied. “There’s been a bit going on at school and home, so I’m quite busy now.”
“Well that’s OK. Everyone has to go through this teenage stage of life.” Arnold gave Anthony at slight wink at the end of his sentence. Anthony worked so hard that he had no time to reflect on the past few days. All his planning had clouded his mind with ideas, but no results. Maybe I should just keep it simple and give up on the plans a voice rang out. However in the back of Anthony’s mind, he still wanted to hang out with Jarred.
With his mind still running, Anthony entered the leather coated Lexus and traveled to the Central New Jersey High School. Upon arrival, he noticed a few students pointing at him awkwardly. Anthony barely made out the words; “He’s…yeah…never talks…loser.”
Although the last word stung the hardest, Anthony knew that he had to do something about the “never talks” portion. If he wanted friends, he needed to make an effort. Unloading his backpack onto his desk, Anthony cautiously approached a group of friendly students sitting at one of the desks. He heard Jarred conversing with his friends.
“Did you hear about Manchester United beating Man. City last week? Carling Cup Final baby!”
Anthony saw Jarred glance up. “Hey it’s the new kid. Let him in the group and let’s make new friends. We need reinforcements to counter those bullies. Anthony, how’s it going?”
Anthony replied, “It’s OK. Kind of tired.” Anthony didn’t look up from the table because everyone stared at him. After speaking, Anthony felt great. His previous nervousness during speaking turned into a happiness for being important.
“Well, all new students are like you, shy, tired, and most of the time quite kind.” Jarred gave Anthony a quick smile and headed back to his seat. Class had just started.
Anthony entered his history class to find a packed room. He picked a seat next to Jarred and evenly spaced all his work on the desk. Carter and his gang of bullies took the back of the row, formulating plans for disrupting class once more. The danger of bullying lingered, especially following the past few days’ events.
“HEY NEW KID!” A voice rang from the back of the classroom. “Maybe you should get yourself some protection because a storm’s coming your way!”
Anthony nervously took in the words but kept quiet. His flabbergasted expression showed not only misery, but also a form of hatred toward Carter. Anthony never intended to disrupt their daily schedule; he intended to make the classroom a more peaceful place. Jarred and his friends had to be his way out. He just needed a solution to his parent’s isolation problem.
* * *
Anthony knew that he had solidified his place in Jarred’s friend’s gatherings. During their common discussions about sports, Anthony had no input because of his lack of sporting knowledge. Other than a few games of volleyball back in China, he had never played a sport. Therefore, when Jarred and his friends started talking about Kobe Bryant, he became completely silent. He needed to talk to Jarred more about sports to gain some knowledge. Unfortunately, the “parent obstacle” constantly blocked his way.
After the morning class finished, Anthony went outside to the playground for break. He searched for bullies so in order to avoid them. He feared an attack from the gang. Something more serious than stealing money. His thoughts came true.
Jarred and his friends played basketball so he had no protection from the bullies. He had never played basketball and had suggested he not mess up one team’s strategy. At the edge of his eyesight, he saw numerous large figures approaching him. Anthony tried to run, scream, and fight but nothing prevented the capturing.
“Hello little boy. It’s good to see you again. I was just talking to my friends about…the incident during class a few days ago. I’d just like you to know that we don’t receive that kind of behavior here.” Carter reached into his pocket and took out a fragment of paper. He then started to pronounce the letter. “Dear Mr. Stevens (Carter’s last name). I’d just like to inform you on your inappropriate behavior both in school and out of school. Your actions have bestowed many problems upon this prided school. For example, a student,” Carter looked directly at Anthony and continued, “reported you stirring up the class.”
At this, Carter folded the paper and gave Anthony a “you get the point?” look and stepped forward. All this time, Anthony cowered away and looked at the ground. He noticed that Carter and his friends had started to surround his exit pathways.
Once again, Anthony’s teeth clenched and he tried to scrunch up his arms. Anthony always had nervous spurts when confronted by a danger. This time, however, the potential hazard rose. Carter’s second man, Brant, picked up Anthony by his legs and dragged him to the garbage dumper. Anthony’s cries of “Help! Help,” faded and he cried softly under his breath.
The sky had turned a deathly brown and storm clouds boomed in the distance. A slight shower of rain fell upon event like background music. How can I be going through this? This isn’t what my life was supposed to be. Carter continued to tow Anthony towards the huge green bin near the basketball courts. Amazingly, none of the other students even glimpsed at Anthony being abused. The teachers sat on a yellow bench scanning the playground but they didn’t seem to care.
Anthony’s world had turned silent and his sight had turned black and white. His nervous spout triggered his eyes to start swaying from side to side. His powerless arms and legs did nothing to stop the imminent. The grey pavement constantly lifted Anthony’s uniform and scratched his back. Splinters of concrete poked into his skin, sending a sharp pain through his body. His arms felt like two worthless limbs, moving around on other’s commands. The blood flow drained from his palms and a deathly white color followed.
The pain Anthony felt burned him physically and mentally. The abuse he faced terrified him. The pain suffered felt worse than his parents beating. At least the pain inflicted by the ruler stung for a while but left. The scratching of his body against the pavement never ended and he screamed in pain. “Stop! Stop! I’m sorry for everything I did! Stop!”
The bullies ignored Anthony and plowed on. The dark green bin came in sight. Anthony experienced weightlessness and the power of gravity when he landed in the bin. The bin sliced flesh off his right arm. The worst part of all came in the form of stench. The horrifying smell of rotten eggs, spoiled spaghetti, and molded broccoli drifted through the air.
When Anthony prepared to jump out, Carter pronounced, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We’re not done yet.”
Instantly, two of his followers threw a metal lid over the bin and darkness fell upon Anthony.
“Hey guys, he’s here.”
A blinding light popped into the bin and Anthony made out Jarred and his friends. “We’ve been looking all over for you. When we heard about the bullies, we thought you’d be here.” A slight grin from Jarred told Anthony that he might make it through.
* * *
After being rescued from the treacherous bin, Anthony called his parents and waited outside on the pavement. Anthony breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the white Lexus role into the empty parking lot. The images of being dragged along the concrete haunted Anthony’s mind but he kept his composure. Anthony had requested both his parents to make the trip to school. He needed to explain a few events.
“Son, I think we need to talk. Get in the car,” said Anthony’s father.
Anthony bundled himself up and slid into the back seat. He didn’t know what to expect from the talk, but he knew the final result. He just needed to try his best.
“So what happened, son?”
“I was just sitting outside when a group of bullies came up to me and grabbed me. I had caught them making plans to mess up class and they went ballistic mad. They dragged me across the concrete to the garbage bin and threw me in. They locked up the bin so I couldn’t get out. I had to wait for someone to rescue me.” Anthony had all intention of making his parents feel sorry for him. Anthony’s only route towards having friends depended on the conversation.
“Well I’m sorry honey. Do you want to switch schools? There’s a preppy high school just around the corner. You can study hard and get into good colleges…” Anthony’s silence broke the happiness.
“Mom. It’s not the school’s problem but my problem.” Anthony had to prove to his parents that friends depicted a real part of life. “I don’t know about your high school life, but things have changed in the world. In order to have a successful school life, one must have friends. You two are restricting my urge to make new friends and that affects my academic life dramatically. I can’t focus in class anymore because I’m scared someone’s going to prank me. I can’t walk outside the classroom knowing I’m safe from harm. All these things are part of my life and I hope you learn from this incident.” Anthony wanted to lie down but the injuries from that day burned. Every time he lied back in his seat, a ferocious sting came spiraling up his back.
“Anthony. You know that we know what is best for you. We’ve made many decisions in our life that have impacted you in a good way, and I hope you realize that. However, this problem has brought a part of life we never experienced to the table. Back in our day, friends were plagues and studying, the cure.”
The voice of Anthony’s mother persuaded Anthony yet touched him but Anthony didn’t show emotion on his face. “I know that things have changed since your father and I were married and I realize that people make friends now. I never knew this until now and I’ll let you hang out once a week. Studies are still the most important part of your school but I’ll allow you to see friends once in a while. I can speak for your father as well.”
Tears of joy sprinkled out of Anthony’s eyes and he knew he had won a hard-fought battle. He had persuaded his parents for once to do something he wanted to do himself. His constant persistence to fight off bullies and make friends had turned out with positive results and he felt great. Snuggling into a comfortable position, Anthony grinned as darkness overcame him once again.
* * *
“Let’s go, go!” shouted Jarred from the stands. Anthony had stayed afterschool to play soccer with Jarred and his friends. The slight autumn breeze swept over him as he raced down the field to pressure the defender. Though a mystical sport to him, he set up for his first hang out experience.
“Pass left. Pass left.” Anthony dribbled up to court with his teammates and coordinated a cross. He juked to the left and passed to the wing. Jarred skillfully put a one touch cross into the box for the header. As the ball swung in, the goalkeeper dove but completely fumbled and the ball bounced in front of goal. Anthony, totally clueless, jumped at the opportunity and slid in for the half volley. Defenders shot out from behind him but Anthony’s quick reaction stunned them and he slid in for the goal. Fellow teammates jumped all around and tackled him to the ground.
Finally, Anthony began to come into the spotlight. He hid in the dark, but now he represented the star of the show. Anthony loved the feeling of everyone running around him. That day, Anthony’s team ran out 1-0 winners and everyone cherished Anthony for his footy skills. Even some of the bullies backed off because of his popularity.
Through the intense few weeks of his Central New Jersey High School life, he had experienced much. His life had gone haywire, and he needed to cure it using help from friends and family. He knew the techniques, but he struggled to execute them. In the end, his perseverance paid off, and his life took another step towards joyfulness.