Bothered to Care

There once was a boy

broken and depressed

who sat quietly in a corner, willing the day to end at lunchtime

so that he could go home and be away from Them

even if the taunts and insults followed him there

He thought, ‘This pain will never end’

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There once was a boy

defeated and alone

who was approached by a classmate at lunchtime

so that she could get to know him better

even if that meant that she too would be isolated

He thought, ‘I can’t trust anyone. What does she really want from me?’

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There once was a boy

timid and cautious

who sat with his only friend at lunchtime

so that they could talk about classes and television shows

even if they had to move because They kept throwing things

He thought, ‘Perhaps she is here to stay. Why else would she put up with this?’

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There once was a boy

attentive and hopeful

who listened closely to his friend at lunchtime

so that they could plan a way to stop the bullying and

even if it didn’t work, the boy felt that this was a significant turning point

He thought, ‘Maybe I can get through this. I’m so lucky to have her’

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There once was a boy

happy and alive

who sat with a small group of friends at lunchtime

so that the world could see that he was a fantastic person with increasing prospects and confidence

even if some lame and immature beings with low self esteem didn’t want to believe it

He thought, ‘It’s finally ended. And all due to one amazing person who just bothered to care’