The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm

my backpack, tearing up my homework sheets, playing keepaway with my library books. I always used to say, “Come on, come on, cut it out, give it back!” And of course they’d laugh and laugh because it was SO funny.
    That’s what I USED to do. This time I got pissed off. I hit back, and I also told them what I thought of them, and that REALLY upset the poor little boys.
    So they picked me up and carried me (it took three of them—I got in every kick and insult I could) to the bridge over the river and they held me over the edge trying to scare me and make me say I was sorry for upsetting their delicate feelings. I didn’t say it because I wasn’t and AM not. I kept putting up a fight and finally, “accidentally,” they dropped me. Off the bridge. On the rocks. In the river.
    THEN you know what they did? They ran away.
    Isn’t that brave? I was down in the water and they took off. My friend had to rescue me and get me to the hospital. I had a concussion and a sprained ankle. But hey, guys, guess what? I’m still here! What are you going to do NOW?
    I think people ought to realize that stuff like this goes on every single day at Darkland School. The rest of you are all part of it—because you let it go on and maybe you think it’s funny, or you think it only happens to geeky outsiders and kids who are smaller or fatter or skinnier or don’t have so many friends or so much money as you. So tell me—what happens when you don’t have so many friends one day, or you don’t have so much money, or something bad happens to you?
    Guess what? It can happen fast. One day you fall just a
little bit behind the crowd, and the next day you can be on the other side. Yes, you too. Falling off a bridge.
    Think about it.
    Yes, there is a Bully Lab. We are interested in people’s true stories of Darkland School. These are ours. What are yours?
    Oh, and hey, Jock Rots. I’m not the only one who knows who you are. Sleep tight!
    Â 
    Elliot Gekewicz
The Bully Lab

    It wasn’t long before Elliot called.
    â€œWell? Did you read it?”
    â€œYeah. Did you send it to everybody?”
    â€œThe whole seventh grade.” He was hyped up. “What do you think?”
    I sighed. “I don’t know. You didn’t really tell the whole story, you know.”
    â€œYou don’t think that’s the real story?”
    â€œWell, maybe, but … saying all those things about those guys … I don’t know, Elliot. Didn’t I tell you it was mainly Chris who pulled you out of the water?”
    â€œYou might have mentioned it, but so what? It was him and Blanchette that dropped me in there.”
    â€œI don’t think they meant to.”
    â€œHey,” he said, “whose side are you on? You know the things those guys did to me, all those times before. They never cared how I felt about any of it. So let them worry about what happens next. Let them wake up in the morning feeling scared. It’s about time they found out what that’s like.”
    â€œBut what happens when you come back, Elliot?”
    â€œI don’t know. But what can they do to me that they haven’t already done? Besides”—his voice dropped a little—“if I can do this , I bet you they won’t even try.”

    â€œWell, maybe, but you say we’re the Bully Lab now. You said Catalina’s thing was from the Bully Lab.”
    â€œYeah! It’s a good name.”
    â€œWell, maybe, but we didn’t talk about it. And I’m not so sure Catalina wants to be involved.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI think she’s got new friends now.”
    There was a long silence.
    â€œWould you call her?” he said. “To find out?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œCome on. At least just tell her what I did. Maybe you can find out a little.”
    â€œAll right. I’ll try.”
    â€œLet me know,” he