Jem...Chapter 1 I guess...

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Jem…Chapter one I guess…

Series inspired by Melinda_Starr
(It’s her fault.)

“Never thought I could dance…”
“Never though I ever be asked…”

“La, la, la….. (Humming.) the lights are bright and I’m up on the stage…”

And the rest of it just won’t come. I fall back away from my keyboard and flake out on the bed with all my comics and magazines and sign putting my palms over my face and trying to rub the writer’s block-blahs away.

I know the song sounds girly but it’s supposed to. I’ve been writing it for the next teeny-chick pop star.

It’s all you need is just one hit. Get that whatever girl of the moment they’re building up to sing one of your songs and you’re golden…people call you up needing a song for one of their stars and artists who like your words will look you up.

Yeah…right and I’m Alyssa Milano.

I’d be lucky to break even if you count all the time you just spend wracking your brain just trying to write something. But it’s a release for me, when I’m in my rooms I’m in this place where the bullshit just stops.

There’s a lot of bullshit in my life.

I just kind of lay there and stare at the ceiling and try to get to the next series of words, try to…

My alarm clock goes off. Great time to go to school. I don’t want to go; I never want to go because school just really sucks. I get up and go to the bathroom to shower, brush my teeth and get dressed. Nothing fancy, jeans, socks, red running shoes and a t-shirt along with a bandanna and my jean jacket.

I go downstairs and Dad’s there already dirty from working out in the garage but getting a coffee and toast with peanut butter on it. “Hey Jason, you need any money or anything.”

“No dad I’m good.” I take some vitamins and get a banana, whey powder, and yogurt and some orange juice. Dad passes me my toast that he made for me and I smear it with heaping amounts of peanut butter. I enjoy one of the few good things about my day closing my eyes on the crunch of the toast heavy with whole grains and molasses and raisins and cranberries.

I finish the toast and the shake and clean things up and kiss my mom’s picture before leaving the house. “Love you mom.”

Yeah, my Mom died killed by a drunk driver three years ago.

She had gotten off work late and was coming to see me when the guy’s truck crossed the median and hit her head on. He died too…I’m still not how to feel about that, he had a family and they lost someone too.

It’s down the street and to the bus stop. I live in Hardy Point; it’s a mid sized town in Ontario on the shores of Lake Superior. It’s about eighty thousand people so not small either I got to school on the city bus, they don’t run the yellow busses for the school around her except for the younger kids. Instead we buy a student discounted bus card that’s a year long pass as long as it’s going to or from the schools. Anywhere else and it’s just a buck to go.

It’s actually okay until I get to the bus stop just outside of school and I start going in. I’m not like them and they know it. Now most of them just blatantly ignore me. Afraid that they’d be guilty by social virus. Don’t befriend the freak, don’t look at him like he’s worth anything avoid, avoid, avoid or you might just catch the uncool, get terminal loseritis.

Slam!!!

My world tilts as I’m shoved in what felt like a body check. Nope. Just Adam Marshall going past his girlfriend on his arm being followed by their clique. Justin Thompson kicks my book bag down the hall. “Outta the way freak.” That was Adam.

“Yeah watch where you’re going cancer boy.” That was Justin.

The rest is more of the same and people just turn a blind eye to it because Adam and his crowd are popular, good looking and have the money. Oh they’re not really the jocks but a lot of the Jocks hang with them. No Adam’s a country/yacht club kid, His Mother came from like old Ontario mining money and so did his Dad but add to that that his old man is this big time lawyer and that from one relation or another the own tons of crap all around you. Adam’s one of those kids.

And yeah I’m a cancer survivor. Child leukemia… It hit me, hard at about nine years old the first time. And I was lucky it went into remission but I hadn’t responded to a lot of the chemo so they used a new mix that worked but it was still in the beta test phase.

No, I didn’t get super powers out of it. Beside’s as angry as I get as hurt as I get sometimes I’d likely kill someone with something like that. No this was the real world and what this stuff did do was kill off all my body hair even my pubes but that was before I even had them and it reacted badly with a few other things. I’m pale not like an albino but I’m milky…ish, my whatevers that make me tan are burnt out and so was one of my testicles. They took it (The left one.) and that’s had an effect. Basically I’m thin, not short but thin and pale and I’m really kind of in that not sure nebulous zone of looking not quite like any one else around here. I never even had a chance to grow into one of those muscle bound testosterone fueled assholes.

Yeah I’m a skinny weird blonde kid who could pass for a live action anime character minus the K-pop hair. It really doesn’t make your life easier. Being really different even if you were like sick is just another reason to get treated like garbage.

You ever get the feeling that God doesn’t just hate you but decided to jump on you with both feet. I feel that way a lot. But honestly I watch stuff on TV or Online and I’m still lucky, there’s a lot worse things and places that could be my reality.

That’s what I focus on as I pick myself up off the floor. Thanks for the hand up everyone, it was much appreciated. They actually cleared out dodging me and keeping clear. Oh no that’s right I’m contagious.

I look down the hall where they’re using my book bag as a hacky-sack getting their chuckles at beating my stuff to bits. Adam’s always treated me like total crap and has had a hated on for me since middle school. I don’t know why exactly…actually yes I do, he was acting like he does back then and I punched him for it. I gave him a fat lip and a black eye. Because he told me to take my bike out of the bike rack I had it in. That it was his rack for him and his friends. I guess he was so used to people just jumping for his highness he didn’t expect me to say no. He shoved me and I punched him and he’s hated me ever since.

Asshole it was like four years ago.

I get up and walk over to where they’re at and step into the middle of them and grab my bag off the floor. Adam thinking he’s being smart and cool goes to shove me over while I’m bent down and I’ve just about had enough of it. It’s not even registration yet. I know as I’m doing it that He’s going to kill me for this but it’s like a flashback to sixth grade all over again as I swing up with a backhand as hard as I can and crank him right in the nuts.

Adam goes down with a cry and saying through a lot of pain. “You fucking little bastard! Kick his ass!” I’m not sure who started to swing first but I got a couple of punches it before the fact there’s like fourteen kids swarming me and kicking me…even the girls are getting their hits in. It lasts for about three minutes before one of the faculty comes running and starts breaking it up.

I’m stunned and punch drunk as the teachers and other faculty gather around and Adam’s crowd starts going on and on about how I started it. There’s more than enough of the sheeple agreeing to it and I’m yanked to the nurses office. I’m getting a careful look over when the vice prick comes in and stares at me. “Jason Powers, what did you think you were doing assaulting another student?”

“I was defending myself Ms. Parker.”

“That’s Mizz Parker, Mr. Powers if you please and there’s several witnesses that say that Adam was going to help you and you struck out at him.”

“Oh well since it’s a cut and dried case of me being guilty then why don’t you just suspend me then.?

“Don’t push your luck young man?”

I get off the bench and glare at her. “Look, you people…” I stop and shake my head. “What’s the point?” I get my book bag and start limping out of the nurses office.

“Jason Powers where are you going?” she said shrilly.

I stop and turn and look at her. I just look because what else can I do? I look her right in the eyes until it sinks into her little fucking brain just how bad I’m off. She sighs and her shoulders slump. I ask. “Are you going to do anything to them?”

“No, I don’t have any proof, it’s your word against theirs.”

I don’t even ask her if she would even if she had proof. I know the answer and so does she.

“Am I being punished for this?”

“No…just…just stay away from them Jason.” She leaves in a hurry. She doesn’t get that I was minding my own business.

Justice? Not really, not for people like me. There’s others out there like me too. I just got to hang on and make it through high school. Phone video? Yeah it’s probably recorded by someone and it’s been erased or something. Thing is someone did that once to stand up to these people. It wasn’t Adam but before he really hit his stride as king of the assholes. What happened? They found out who posted it and they got stalked and cyber bullied until it drove them out of school.

I limp my way through my classes. I get a few smirks from that crowd but to everyone else I don’t exist. I’m invisible.

Even school’s kind of an iffy thing for me class wise. Math sucks, I mean it’s not hard, hard but it’s just tedious. Auto shop is a boring slice of hell. It’s partly full of the people that hate me and the rest are car buts and the dopers, and slackers and stuff. I can’t really get out of auto shop because dad’s a mechanic. It’s kind of a cake course really. Chemistry is boring, physics is too, I actually like my computer class because it’s mostly the brain trust crowd and at least they leave me alone plus I’m learning stuff. The only class I get anything out of is English, the teacher Mr. Wyatt is kind of this old hippy guy who lets things into his classroom like most teachers wouldn’t as long as it’s about the written word.

Why? He’s smart, take comics, they used to be pretty much trash reading according to the schools but graphic novels are huge business now and for the price of just two issues or three you’re going to pay the cost of a brand new paperback novel.

Mr. Wyatt, will make us cover all the “required” course stuff open book and then he’ll only spend like a third of the class time on it. Then he’ll go back to what he calls actual teaching. I’m not stupid but I’m not part of the brain trust either but in his class I actually feel like I’m learning something.

No, no gym class. I’m in the tenth grade which where I’m from makes you a senior. You start the year from grades ten through twelve choosing your own classes the only requirements by law is you have to take one Math credit and one English credit each year. You need six credits to pass the year and there’s seven course slots/periods in each day so there’s room to take a free period class or another class, some kids take seven classes a year me, I’m taking the free period. Hence no gym if you don’t want to. It’s not that I don’t like the stuff they do in there but it’s the students I neither like or trust. Too many of the kids that hate me.

Lunch, lunch was decent, there’s a culinary club in school and they run their own thing out of the cafeteria all supervised by the food services people. Basically it teaches food services stuff from cooking and serving and stuff. Basically someone on the school board saw some guy on TV called Jamie Oliver and the school’s food wasn’t good enough anymore. But the thing for me is that it’s serious enough I can eat in peace. I get ignored as usual.

The day wound on and I limped through it and left with my stuff and was walking to the bus stop when the inevitable happened. Adam and his friends drove by then I saw the brake lights.

“Oh fuck.”

Understatement….Fight?, Run?

Seven of them got out, most of them jocks from one group or another. Yeah I ran. Just like a bunch of wild dogs they chased me.

Yeah they caught me too. Three punches and a lot of hard grabbing they carried me to a dumpster and threw me in kicking and screaming to the cheers and camera flashes of the others. It took me two hours to get myself home, I wasn’t going on the bus the way I was.
Dad was busy working again, he does heavy machine mechanics, so he’s busy a lot because it’s usually something like a bulldozer or something else someone needs in a hurry.

Part of it I think that it’s hard for him to be here in the house since Mom’s been gone.
It was hard for me today to walk in that door.
I really, really needed her after today.
And when she wasn’t there when I walked in….

It took a lot for me to climb the stairs, and peel out of everything and I just toss everything into the garbage and crawl into the shower. I was in there until I think I scrubbed myself raw. It didn’t help the hurt. Not one bit.

I got out of the shower and went to Mom’s room. It used to be her and Dad’s room but he really can’t sleep in here. He goes it and talks to her all the time but he can’t sleep in here. Losing the love of your life…I couldn’t either…because…because if it was me.

If it was me I’d never leave.

I crawl into her bed still trying to smell Mom one more time. I can’t but the act of trying to breathe it in pulls me into sleep.

I wake up covered up. Dad must have covered me up. I get up and head downstairs after getting dressed in some boxing shorts. Not boxer short but the boxing styled trunks. I like them nylon so their comfy and their heavy. Heavy means warm. I get cold a lot. I look at the clock and it’s 7:37pm and Dad’s on the couch asleep, he looks like he climbed out of the shower and just sat down for awhile. The half-way empty cup of coffee is proof of that.

I make supper, just hamburger browned off and drained it in some paper towel and cooked some macaroni then threw in a can of tomato soup and a can of tomatoes some onion and some spices. I can cook a little bit just sort of stuff like this.

I eat a bowl and get dad a plate and wake him up. “Hey, supper.” He looks at me.

“You had a bad day huh?”

“Yeah…”

“You want to tell me about it?”

“No.” I can’t, I just can’t he’s got enough going on.

“Jason…”

“It’s alright Dad.” I leave and head upstairs and straighten up some stuff in my room. And start my homework.

***

Morning comes again and everything hurts. Dad’s giving me looks as I eat breakfast and head off to school.

School…yeah more suck, I’m left alone other then those assholes giving me a few dirty looks and of course saying shit about me. Got shoved a few times between classes. No, no fighting this time. Two of the girls spit on me. Yeah, I live a charmed life.

It was another long, long day.

One of those sucking my soul out days.

Dad was working late again…supper was delivery pizza.

The house was cold and lonely.

Just like my life.

***

Wednesday…Hump day, more isolation, more bullshit.
I got home late.
I sat out by the train tracks seriously considering just stepping in front of all that tonnage.
I’m not catholic or even religious but…
If…
If I did it I’d never see Mom again…
If I did it I might as well kill Dad.
Got home.
Went to bed, cried until it just went dark finally.

***

The rest of the week went just about the same. Ignored or despised. I’m glad I don’t have any social networking stuff they know about. Otherwise it’ll be serious cyber bullying going on.

Normally I like Fridays I get out of school and I don’t have to be around them anymore. But today Adam decided he wanted his real pound of flesh for me playing tag with his nut sac on Monday. People had been still talking about it all week, and nobody makes him look like a fool, especially me. Three cars and a whole mess of them they chased me around town for an hour making me run my guts out. It was going to be bad this time…They catch me. Adam and a few guys and I’m fighting and yelling for help or trying to and they’ve got tape and they’re ripping off my clothes. I’m covered in fear sweat and I slip free and I lash out with wild punches and kicks. I felt somebody’s nose go crunch, I kick/stomped a groin. I run, clothes torn and in my socks I run.

They chase me yelling and I hear the engines of their cars and I turned to see who was coming at me.

That’s when I get hit by this other car.

***
I wake up hurting and I’m somewhere perfumy? It smells seriously of girl scents, make up and cosmetics and stuff. I’m on carpet? I open my eyes and there’s this blue dyed haired Japanese girl with a blue hello kitty pull on cap on her head. The rest of her is dressed all heavy metal like.

“Hey, he’s awake?” she calls to these other people. I blink and see two other girls there in the front seats. I’m in a van.

“Good, we’re almost to the police station.” The girl driving says.

I just groan a bit and sit up. We pull in and I see Adam’s car there and the others there. He’s got a broken nose and he’s talking to the cops while what looks like his entourage is chipping in and his parents are there and The red head in the passenger seat say’s. “Shit, Raven just turn around.”

“Why?”

“Those are the guys I saw when I hit Jason with my car.”

“Uhm…Who are you girls and how do you known my name?”

The driver this goth looking girl pulls the van around like we’re turning and get’s us out of there. “I’m Raven, the red head over here’s Brooklyn and that’s Roxy beside you. We’re a band.”

“We were a band.” Roxy pouts a minute the grins and offers me her hand. “I’m really Kimberly but Kim, Kimme, or Roxy works.

Raven looks at me in the rearview. “We read your name in your wallet. Sorry we were looking for an emergency number to call but there was no answer.”

Brooklyn turns in her seat. “Can we take you to the hospital?”

“No…I’ll…I’ll live I guess.”

Roxy’s biting her lower lip, giving me these big eyed looks of…I’m not sure. Worry?

Raven looks back at me. “So what’s going on and why do those guys want to kill you?”

“I’m not sure? But it’s kinda of a long story.” She pulls into a Tim Horton’s near the highway. And kills the engine.

“Well we lost our lead singer, we got lots of time to kill.”

***
Three hours later and I’m bawling my eyes out being held. Over several coffee’s and a box of doughnuts. Do you know how hard it is to act like you’re tougher than you are around a bunch of girls?

Yeah, I’m not that tough and it comes out in crying jags, little angry fits and a lot of tissues. Not that manly but It’s been a long time since anyone’s given a shit.

“So that’s it. I guess I’m pretty pathetic huh?”

Roxy hugs me, well I should say again. She’s a hugger I’ve gotten about two hundred so far.

Raven looks me over. “Look Jason, the last thing you are is pathetic, they’re the losers. You getting through what you did and survived is tougher than those spoiled jerks and sheep.” She’s fingering her Bass, A black Epiphone Nikki Sixx and set’s it aside. “C’mon we’ll take you home.”

We drive and home I see some cars that I recognize in and around my block. “Shit, they’re still looking for me.” I see Dad’s home and the cops are there and everything. Raven looks as she drives. “That’s it Jason you’re not going home tonight you’re staying with me.”

“Uhm, Uhm…”

“Look, I’m not going to let you run that gauntlet okay? Not until we think of something.”

“Okay…I still need to call my Dad.”

“We’ll do that at a payphone.”

***

“Dad?”

“Jason are you okay? The cops are here and they showed up at the shop. What happened?”

“I got jumped by some people I’ve been having problems with at school and fought back. I broke his nose. I’m Afraid Adam doesn’t like people standing up to him…I don’t know what he said to the cops but all his friends pretty much follow his lead…”

“Yeah, I got that from the cops attitudes. You going to be okay?”

“Yeah…I’m staying with a friend…”

“Really?……Good is he alright, I mean do you trust him? I mean it’s just…God Jason I thought you really didn’t have friends.”

He sounds flustered, embarrassed by thinking about me and talking personal stuff with me. It’s that feelings and guys thing we have. I look at the girls and give a tiny little smile.

“Yeah Dad, she’s pretty great.”

“She!” Wow he sounds excited.

“Yeah Dad, She’s a girl that’s usually how it works.”

“Okay…sorry, look you stay safe and I’m going to get to the bottom of all of this stuff. You just stay safe Kiddo. I Love You.”

“Okay…I Love You Too Dad.”

I hang up and look at Raven. “Okay, I guess I’m staying with you.”

***

Raven lives in an old house down near the railway. It’s one of those affordable because of the age and the noise places. It’s kind of run down on the outside and inside is…well it’s sparse but seriously musical. The living room is set up to be practice space for a full band and She shows me to the spare bedroom.

“You live here alone?”

“No, Brooklyn and Roxy both live here too.”

“You girls go to school?”

“Brooklyn goes to Carrington Prep and so does Roxy, I quit and got my GED.”

“Oh, so…”

She turns and leans against the wall in the room by the door. “I had a shitty family and wanted out, so I got out and I knew the girls from middle school and we’ve been trying to form a band until Summer left.”

“So..this was her room?”

“Yeah.”

***

I got showered and crashed and got woken up for supper. Which actually got me smiling as Roxy argued about how Chinese food isn’t anything like Japanese food with Brooklyn winding her up and saying stuff to get under Roxy’s skin. It’s like a take out version of Who’s on First.

I was lent some sweats to wear, and the sweat shirt keeps falling off my shoulder and I keep having to pull it back. I get a few looks.

We watch a movie that I’ve never seen before. From the 80’s a cartoon called Rock and Rule. I watched kind of lost in it as the girls talked and bitched about Summer taking off and that they’ll have to cancel their gigs.

“So what do you, did you girls call yourselves?”

“Starlight Butterfly.” Raven says making a face. “It was mostly Summer’s idea.”

“Uh huh, that’s…”

“It’s lame, But It’s kind of hard to pick a good name out for a girl band that doesn’t suck and the labels kind of like the girly crap.”

“Actually it’s not that bad raven but it’s not your deal is it?”

“Well, You’re kind of dark and Raven’s so not your real name.”

“Actually it’s Rayne with a Y, but you kind of get away from that when you get teased all the time.”

“Teased?”

“Rainbow.” she mutters.

“Trout.” Brooklyn adds in only to get a punch in the arm., they start roughhousing and fighting and Roxy plops down beside me.

“Watcha thinking?”

“Show me what you girls play Roxy.” I hang out with her while Brooklyn goes into something on her X-Box 360 and Raven starts to play “Unforgiven” by Metallica on her bass. I look through the stuff listening with Roxy and nodding. They used to play a lot of covers by girly groups and stuff and Summer used to be the leader and raven’s ex-girlfriend…until she left for Montreal with.

“But you girls play anything right?” I ask as we head into the kitchen.

“Yeah, we like a lot of different stuff.”

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I start singing. I’ve got a good range, I can sing really girl level because my voice barely changed since getting short changed on puberty. Roxy’s eyes go wide.

I close my eyes and open them and look at her. Gawd, she’s giving me this big eyed Japanese girl begging kitten wearing a Hello Kitty hat stare. “Yes…I was already planning it to pay you girls back for everything until you find a replacement.”

The Squeal I had to stop with a hand over her mouth but that only made her jump up and down like she had to pee. “Roxy…Roxy…Kim!…Chill! I need your help, I need to pass and a look.”

We take off upstairs and I get put through the ringer. Well not really, we dye my hair with this easy wash out stuff that’s actually Kool-Aid. Spiking it a bit was easy and stuffing a bra with some of Roxy’s gel inserts and a pink belly t-shirt that feels a bit weird but okay and I slip into a… the panties. It’s not that hard given my condition…although I’m average in that department. A white denim skirt that’ll take some getting used to and a pair of white fake leather ankle boots with a three inch heel. It all just fit kind of strangely easy the make up was last. Red something or other around my eyes like the mask make up that girl had as that ballerina in Black Swan but it’s red and sort of pink and some glossy pink lipstick.

I look in the mirror. “Whoa…” we both say. Jason’s completely gone, instead…I…I look like Mom did at my age only as a rocker.

***

We head downstairs after printing off the sheets of music and words for our new cover. I have a bit of problems on the stairs but do okay. I slide click into the living room and Raven stops playing and stares at me. Brooklyn let’s out this. “Holy fuck…” I smile shyly at both of them and walk over to the mic-stand and Raven’s staring at me still up and down her eyes wide. “J..J..Jason?”

I shake my head making my now pink hair swirl. “No, but you can call me Jem.” I got the name and the look off of one of Roxy’s DVD’s while we were looking for something to pass.

Roxy laughs and starts to hammer out a beat on the drums and Brooklyn gives me another look before getting up and playing along on her rhythm guitar. Raven looks at the sheet and starts playing too but still looks shaken.

Me? I’ve never played our sang with anyone before and I step out and start belting out in my girl voice. “What’s going on.” By Four Non-Blondes.

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Comments

Bailey!!

Eeek soemthing worng with posting today, 3rd time is the charm? First off, sorry to anyone waiting on a Baiely chapter!! :) I think you did alot more then my litte suggestion!! LOL. That is why I love you, a little idea turns into gold. You really are an awesome writer Bailey, and I am sure I will enjoy this one. That is if you continue, Thanks alot for this one Bailey!!

Thanks Melinda_Star:)

Well Your Wonderful Post got through:) I was wanting to write a rock kind of story and with the music I have in the other stories it was time to write something musically centered. This will get continued and I'm still working on my other stuff too.

I'm really glad that you liked this Melinda:)
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Bullying

Hardcore... I can't wrap my head around these bullying descriptions. I wonder why such behavior is accepted... They fucking tried to kill him and think it is funny. I mean the normal bully retreats as soon as you strike back. That might be a bit hard for Jem, but still.
The violence is so casual - ok now we go and beat up cancer kid. Wtf is going on in their heads?

If this describes real reality in american high schools I'm really amazed you don't have school shootings every two month. If I was Jason I'd probably done exactly that. Or not...

Why do they let the situtation escalate until it is a kill or be killed situation.
I see only three ways for Jason to stop this. Getting alle bullies thrown into prison or at least out of school and the leaders into prison. b) kill as many as he can. c) flee.
Truth to be told version three is the most probable, because obviously noone is interested in helping him and in a culture of ignorance nobody actually wants to realize what is happening.

He could stage a suicide attempt... But I doubt the bullies would stop... They'd rather help him do it right. He might start terrorising them, bombing their pets, and throwing molotov coctails through the window. But that would only be revenge and wouldn't stop them terrorizing him and it would be out of character I think.

I guess he could try to inform the police and tell them that he will try to kill his bullies if they don't stop the crap. I wonder how they'd react.

About the story, except for the excessive violence I can't say it is really original... Seems a bit like a story I read on sapphires where a guy played in a girlband, took hormones to delay puberty and was overdosed by an evil exmember of said band.
Well... I can't wait how you'll change the situation - probably without a terror campaign ^^

Thank you for writing this slightly disturbing story.

*hugs*
Beyogi

I'm with the Band

is just one example of other stories in the same vein. The difference is this kid volunteered to help pay a debt. There're suggestions that he may have dressed some to somehow be closer to his mother in a way, so while no other signs of being T the clothing doesn't brother him.

As for the bullying, in small towns the children of privilege can damn near get away with murder. Money talks and in a small town it speaks very loud. My own experiences weren't this bad. The bullying never turn physical, but the other abuse was nearly as bad. Those who are different can be treated very roughly and the ones responsible were never punished. However, this was during the 70's in a private school. The Bullies knew exactly how far they could go and not risk punishment.

Today's schools are very different, and I'm very glad that is one experience I missed out on.

Great story!

hugs
Grover

Another too long ranty comments

I wonder if the small town power has something to do with the distance between the towns... I guess if your father is sherrif in your town and the next village/town is half an hour car ride away, that you might get cocky.

I wonder what their parents would think about them beating up a cancer victim... I'd let them take the fall. Actually I'm for in family loyalty, but there is a limit. Ganging up and declaring war on a person just because he's different is way over that.

As for the bullying, in small towns the children of privilege can damn near get away with murder. Money talks and in a small town it speaks very loud. My own experiences weren't this bad. The bullying never turn physical, but the other abuse was nearly as bad. Those who are different can be treated very roughly and the ones responsible were never punished

I experienced the same thing, although my school had a very strict anti violence policy and I thought it was under my dignity to get physical over verbal insults. The problem was you could get expulsed for starting a brawl and that was something I didn't want.

Well school is over an university is soo much better. Unbelievable that there is an end to clanishness and intollerance, but it is :D I needed a year to realize that not everyone out there is an ashole out to get me...

Back to the story... I think the excessive violence is a bit over the top. I have a hard time to believe that such behavior is tolerated. I mean that a small town cop/sherrif might excuse his son beating up a queer is something I can understand, but a kid that has a pale scin because of cancer. There is a limit to smallmindedness and intollerance.
Maybe not among teenagers, but adult people in general don't react like this except they consider you a pervert. Getting cancer is nothing perverted so there should be no understanding or support.

I wonder why they escalate violence like this... They should know that if Jason strikes back they'll probably be dead. They tried to kill him, beat him up and threw him in a trash bin. Honestly I wonder what they're thinking. Most bullies excuse their atrocities with "trying" to teach a lesson... oO But them they're just uncontrolled violent.

They're risking everything out of spite. That is beyond unreasonable. That is pure blind hatred for absolutely no reason. They have no fucking single reason to pull this shit. No envie, no strange believes, nothing. I don't believe that they believe that they can get away with murder. They're known to bully that guy and if he would be dead, they'd be the first suspects.

I want a reasn why. I know that bullies bully because they can, but this is beyond bullying, this is pure hate crime.
Sry, I didn't want to write a rant, it just happenend...

The main reason

is that Jason doesn't just roll over and take Adams shit. And in Adams world that doesn't happen. The cancer thing is only an issue because it ended up making Jason look different and different is easy to use against someone. His cancer issues as far as some of the kids are concerned aren't an issue anymore and won't cut him any slack because of it.

Today's schools can be really bad.
a lot of people don't even see or get it because they're not on the receiving end of most of the crap.

I sorry you got disturbed by this so much.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

In death all are equal

No reason to be sorry ^^
I still think Adams is a strange kind of bully... Normally they bully people because they can't stand up to them or because they just hate them for beeing freaks of some sort. (To me happened the second kind)
If you stand up to them and hit back hard enough they generally stop. That doesn't mean they like you, or stop verbally herassing you, but they won't try physical crap.

But I can see how Adam would be different. He has a major god complex. He decided that Jason is the lowest member of his community and thus has to lick his ass. Since Jason wouldn't do that, Jason had no right to exist in Adams community.

This way it actually makes sense... But that also means that Adam is no normal bully, he is a major psychopath.

This could very well be the beginning of a tragedy... Jason not beeing able to take it any more and getting a gun and shooting down Adam and his gang, then beeing shot by police forces trying to stop the school shooting.
In the end probably "killer-games" and rock music and horror films would be the reasons for the shooting and not the bullying.

At least that would be what would happen in germany ^^ We had three school shootings... Every time computer games were the reason for the shooting. (At least in the media :() Well the first one was probably victim to the elitism of the school system in the federal state and took his revenge on the institution representing his failure.
The second one was someone nobody would expected such a thing from... He used some selfbuild guns and failed to kill anyone but himself.
The third one was an obvious bully victim he actually released a text about how the world the politics and school sucked an were just unfair crap. He stole the weapon of his father and killed some people. He was another person nobody would have expected such a thing from and nobody knew any reason why he would do such a thing. Again people tried to ban computer games.

We had three fucking school shooting in 6 or 7 years and the strictest gun laws of the world. I wonder what would happen if weapons were as easily accesible as in america.

I guess this isn't planed as a tragedy, but this is a very possible outcome of the situation. In death all are equal. It's strange that Adams cronies don't see that he's an utter psychopath and gone of the rocker. But then most people are sheep.

God Complex

that's a really good way to put the way Adam treats everyone. He's got enough people kissing his ass all his life and pandering to him that when a little pipsqueak like Jason defies him it shakes his sense of "right with his world."
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Feudal

You do have to understand the feudal like attitudes of families like Adams. They really do behave like they're aristocrats, and those who don't know their place deserve everything they get. Yes, you can call it generational bullying. These families virtually own the surrounding area, and yes in some cases decides who's getting elected to what. Like I said before money talks. Think about the rich kid with the fancy car that always gets his tickets fixed by daddy. It's not right, but we all know about how fair the world is. Remember, Big People and little people, because they sure won't let you forget it.

hugs

Grover

there once was a guy called Marx

Well... there once was a guy called Marx... He was a pretty smart man and analysed the injustices of his time. He came to the conclusion that most of the injustice was due to the unequal distribution of wealth and production capital.
There was a pretty obvious way to fix that. The ruling elite didn't like his ideas, but that wasn't to be expected.

What happened later on everyone with just a bit of general education knows.
There is arrogance and then there is madness. There are no subjects to a lord, there are just people who think it is less work/danger to let someone else do the stuff...

If I was Adams father and realise my son was pulling crap like this, I'd probably take him of the school and put him into a private boarding school. What he is doing is way too dangerous for his fathers economic progress and Adams life. Imagine he would have killed Jordan... What might Jordans father have done if Adam wasn't sentenced for murder and got away with a slap on the wrist.

Jordan said his father would probably commit suicide if he did. Well... he might try to assasinate Adam. Sry if this becomes too much of a violence fantasy, but the bullying and ruling system of adams family only works if people play by their rules. They should have no interest in escalating the situation and the whole situation is escalated way to far already.

Someone should give Adam Machiavellis Prince... Or not...

Bailey, thank you again for writing this, well somewhat captivating story... I need to know how you'll rescue the situation without letting it detoriating into a war or terror campaign.

*hugs*
Beyogi

PS: Maybe it is just my experience, but escalating violence tends to stop bullies. Well or maybe I appeared too much of a psycho to bother with... Just too dangerous ^^

Marx had a good grasp on things.

Socialism in my opinion is the working beta test for Democracy, which is different than the Capitalist system that has snuck in under democratic guise in a alot/most/all westernized countries. It's getting to those points again where the noble houses and influential people are not that different than the corporate wealthy, the banking class and the political elite. You just to look around to see that we're once more becoming the peasant and serf class.

And that's enough of my political views;)
We really don't need a lot of that stuff here right?
I mean we're here to escape all of that.

Adam's Dad will only have a problem with any of it if he gets caught and splashes mud of the family ie. His name, he couldn't care less otherwise.

Jason's dad isn't going to take this stuff going on lying down, Jason's been keeping a lot of this to himself not wanting to bring his dad any more trouble.

I fought like a wild idiot as a young teen when I was going through stuff then and mellowed considerably over time but I think we're not the only two that have had that in their lives here.

Thank you so much Beyogi for cutting loose here and commenting the way you have.
*Great Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Communism

It started off as a great idea in theory, but the problem is that humans (in common with many creatures) are instinctively selfish. If you have two politicians, one of which advocates equality and the other advocates making you richer, most people will vote for the second. So if you're in power, promoting equality of wealth and want to implement it, but others disagree; you have to stop the capitalists gaining power. Of course, it's only a few small steps from there to trying to prevent anyone overthrowing you, and getting paranoid that they will.

Problems also arise if people in your team outwardly proclaim equality of wealth, but secretly aim to do whatever's in their power to top up their own wealth.

Meanwhile, in many capitalist countries, governments have put into place schemes to try and balance out the wealth a bit more - providing extra support to those at the bottom of society's pile (the ill, disabled, elderly, out of work etc.). Unfortunately the combination of economic cycles, demographic change and media exaggeration of the very small percentage of claimants who exploit the system results in politicians who advocate removing (or severely reducing) the security blanket.

 

Bike Resources

There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

I think you have it the

I think you have it the wrong way around. Actually egoism is the biggest ally of communism. At least for people that are remotely able of percentage calculation.
Consider... In most western societies about 80% of all ressources are controlled and owned by 10% of the people. Equality means that 80-90% of the popultion will get more.

The problem of communism is organisation. Capitalism is unjust by definition, but it is easier adaptable to changing circumstances. On the other hand communism definitly works better for low tech countries since a capitalistic attempt at raising the life standart tends to lead to enormous state dept and wide spread poverty.
About all communistic countries had or had a higher education system than their capitalistic neighbours.

I doubt that governments in capitalistic countries are able to balance anything. Since egoism is state doctrin it is only reasonable for parlimentarians to only care for themselves. That means selling their votes as a party or single person to those that bid highest.
The economy doesn't need to fear that their employes flee to communist states, so there is no interest in keeping society just. It is only about profit and how to increase it.

Here in the EU they're not even able to order taxes on financial transfers or interest taxes. It's just pathetic.

I was never

on the receiving end of things but I grew up in one of those towns where there were two families that pretty much owned the bulk of the town and the two major industrial jobs around the family was a mixed bag of people. Adam's not overly exaggerated from one of those families and they weren't anywhere near Mining family money.

I'm glad that the fact Jason volunteered came through, the entire thing is his idea as a way to pay the girls back after they've been left in a lurch.

Thanks for reading and the great comments as usual Grover:)
*Great Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

This story is AWESOME!!!

WillowD's picture

I think I'll put all of my comments in one post.

I grew up in small town Ontario. But we were the largest thing in the area. Barring two much smaller towns south of us we were by far the biggest thing in an hour's drive or more. Fortunately there were no rich families in the area. I saw almost no bullying growing up. I was really fortunate. (Although I pity the high school students that spent over an hour on the bus getting to school.)

Hardy Point is a fictitious place. The only population centers of note along Lake Superior's Ontario shore are Thunder Bay (107,909), Sault Ste. Marie (73,368), Wawa (2,905), Nipigon (1,642), Terrace Bay (1,611), White River (645) and Rossport (65). Barring Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, which are an 8 hour drive from each other, there are NO nearby police forces to wonder why the local police force is not doing their job.

In fact, it is a well known problem in Canada these days that indigenous women will frequently disappear or eventually be found murdered and the police will appear to do nothing but say they are investigating it. And if anyone else tries to find out what happened the police will claim they are interfering with a police investigation. I think the Canadian police are far better than the American police but, yes, I think they would turn a blind eye to school bullying if the bully is protected by the people in power in the town.

I realize that some people have already said this but I do find Adam's behavior as a bully to be quite typical. He is protected by his parents, his family and their powerful friends, including the powerful people in the police. Outside of the two times Jason retaliated and was promptly punished by his gang, he may have NEVER had anyone oppose his bullying.

And, lastly, I would like to say that this chapter looks like it is the start to an AWESOME story. I am surprised that I have not tried reading any of it before. It makes me wonder how many stories are on BCTS that I would find equally awesome that I haven't checked out yet. Yay! Thank you Baily for writing this.

Not in US

Beyogi, the setting for this story as are most of Baileys, are in Canada not the US.

"I live in Hardy Point; it’s a mid sized town in Ontario on the shores of Lake Superior"

And the schools I went to were not even close to that!! Now I did go to school in teh 70's and 80's, and it was a way differant world back then.

Yeah, Intense...

The biggest thing is Adam's hate on for Jason. Jason didn't bow down to him in middle school and then the fact that Jason dared strike back and not take the crap that was being dished out.
The thing is Adam comes from Money. Mining money and Mining money in Ontario is a lot like oil money in Alberta or Texas. His family has money, influence and while Adam might not have access to it there are people that kiss his ass because of it.
Bullies are fairly well organized and generational ones are almost like terrorists about it. It's why he and his crowd have reported Jason to the teachers on the Monday incident and Friday night when Jason broke his nose, they went to the cops first and claimed assault.
Add in all those Kids as witnesses...
Anyone in their age group in town won't say anything because they don't want to be the next target or worse lumped in with Jason.
You'd be surprised at how much people tune out everyday when it doesn't concern them. I know it's been done in a way but Jason's Volunteered for this as a way to pay the girls back.

Thanks for reading and Commenting Beyogi:)
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Jem- This

This is going to be fun!

I hope so too:)

Besides, Who doesn't like Jem and the Holograms?

Bailey Summers

Not Really Sure Where It's Going

joannebarbarella's picture

But, hey, it's chapter one and Jason is a very engaging character, and I know you'll write a good well-written tale....not something in the common-or-garden boy-victim-becomes-super-star-girl tired old genre,

Joanne

I'm going to do my best

not to take this into the usual places. I'm really glad it's being enjoyed though. Thanks for the vote of confidence Joanne.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

I can understand Jason

In Russia, at least in the schools I went to, there never was this apparent clique-ness, however I did have a few incidents with other people I considered minor and not really worth worrying about (incidents not people that is). Then again I was blessed with being in nice schools where I've never seen fights really break out. Still, in those few incidents (isolated ones, really) I was never at a disadvantage, nor did I back down.

That is the problem with money that talks big though, so if I ever were successful enough to warrant the same preferential treatment I would have warned my children that they would be held responsible for the incident regardless of blame game.

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Adam just couldn't/wouldn't let it go.

Jason hit him and beat him up when he was going through his cancer recovery and Adam's never forgiven getting his face rubbed in it. And he's hated Jason enough to pick on him every chance he could get. Toss in the whole sheeple thing and then mob mentality.

Thanks for reading and commenting Faraway.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

the sheeple problem

is their not usually that bright. a good geek could probably data mine some pictures that would clear jason cause these people are too stupid not to post some somewhere.
looks to be a interesting story. thanks

Thanks Lonewolf!

That certainly gives me an option that I hadn't thought of. Most of the people who might have taken pics or video don't or erase them in case Adam and his crowd find out.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Okay, I never saw that

Jemima Tychonaut's picture

Okay, I never saw that coming. The bleak start about Jason had me thinking this would be a tearful gritty urban tale and then towards the end I'm humming the theme tune to the Jem cartoon from the 80's!! lol. From a story point of view, Jem offers a wonderful opportunity for Jason to hide in plain sight, much like the Jem character in the cartoon was hiding her real identity thinking about it.

I'm very interested to see where you are going to take this and look forward Chapter 2 I guess... ;-)

This was very well written, particularly the heavier drama element at the start. Kudos!

 


"Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life."



"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Jem sort of started

with the funeral of her father and there was a rich evil jerk there too. Jason in fact is patterning the sort of look for his stage persona on the DVD he saw in Roxy's room. I just drifted into the heavier elements and went with it.

Thank you so much Jemima, great to have you like this so much and comment too.
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Damn!

The English Teacher's picture

Small town, childhood cancer survivor, with a cure that causes hair loss and a testy, a dead mother sorely missed, a town rich kid bully who's father owns said small town, that can do no wrong and could probably get away with murder if not for the girls. Talk about having a bad life, U cant leave it hanging.

So much to read, so little time and only one of me :)

The English Teacher

So much to read, so little time and only one of me :)

The English Teacher

Oh, I won't leave it hanging.

I just added this into the rotation. I know I've got a lot going on but when something calls to get written you just got too.

Thank you so much for enjoying this and commenting.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Escalation

I'm reading all these comments about escalation, and I do agree the guy seems to be a psychopath. Psychopaths who've been (a) stood up to, and (b) whacked in the nuts in front of his "friends" - well, yes, it's only going to get worse as long as he has his posse.

Maybe the girls help get evidence? Maybe someone in their private schools have connections to bring in people to investigate corruption when it's all brushed under the carpet? Maybe figure out how to remove his support by making fun of him, you know "he's such a wimp he can only pick on the cancer kid"? Maybe they sing a song against bullying with the evidence playing on the screen behind them? Just because it's obvious the psycho wants to escalate doesn't mean it has to end badly.

Whatever I think, I'm sure Bailey is going to surprise us. :-)

Thanks Salrissa:)

I'm glad that you liked this story and you're right about a lot of your observations. The girls might have a way to get clear of Adam and his bullshit. It'll be interesting to write to say the very least.

Thanks for the reading and commenting.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

sherif ?

Well where I come from a long time ago far far way .. simlar things happened and the sherif was found guilty of harrassment against me and lost his job caugt me later he beat the shxx out of me ... It took several years to get even but I got even in a big way ....
I hope the our hero will get his revenge and then some... well written story and good story line keep up the great writting ...

Hail good and talented Author .. ***** rating ....... rone welles

Thanks Ron.

I'm sorry that you had the unfortunate experience but you definitely get where Jason was coming from. Now add in the modern day social bullying and everything. Thanks for reading and for commenting and the ratings.
*Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

I like the SOUND of this. =)

Extravagance's picture

Pity about the bullying, but I'm sure Jason (or Jem) will prevail eventually in that area too.
*Much Mwah and Huggles* ^_^

Catfolk Pride.PNG

Thank you for your wonderful comment Mr. SexyGirl:)

All the caps is shouting from your place in the club right? Thanks so much for reading and of course the Huggles.

Huggles are of the good.
*Huggles Back*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

My place in the club?

Extravagance's picture

Depends on which club you're talking about, hunny. ;)

Catfolk Pride.PNG

Bumping and grinding in the nightclub

up front near the speakers with your big amazon girlfriend hopefully. Anything more uhm racey would likely freak Jem out. Raven might be into it though.
LOL!
*Huggles*
Bailey

Bailey Summers

Ah.

Extravagance's picture

If I had a big amazon girlfriend (who had what it takes to complete me), we wouldn't be in a nightclub. She would be wherever she wanted to be, and I would be wherever she wanted me to be...

Oh, and I wasn't shouting in the title for my first comment. I was simply trying to emphasize the word "sound", since there's a musical theme to the story.

See what I did there? ^_^
*Huggles*

Catfolk Pride.PNG

JEM-Holograms

after not hearing anything about this show in years, I was e-mailed an add by amazon.com for the complete series, how strange. were they reading your story too?

I have no idea

but I think someone said some of the mass hits on some stories are from webcrawlers an webbrowsers maybe they're doing it too looking for customers?

Bailey Summers

Hi Bailey!

Well everything so far is bookmarked, I'm ready to go.

I know it's going to be a great story, what else from you?

There were some great comments and I know you will settle the score.

The music theme, the girls band, I think this will be lots fun whilst cleansing the neighbourhood of the vermin!

Don't forget the recipies.

LoL
Rita

Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
(Mark Twain)

LoL
Rita

Thanks Rita!

I'm glad that you liked this one, I'll be tossing in some recipes because the girls in the house can't really cook like a lot of the teen/young adult girls nowadays.

Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Jem - the name

"I got the name and look off on of Roxy's DVDs".

This, by any chance? :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20BZID081Vk

Although I expect Jason will be going a more conventional makeover than earrings featuring mini holographic generators.

(No, I didn't watch this show in my childhood, although I think it was shown on UK TV. But searching YouTube and Wikipedia can reveal mines of information about TV programmes past and present!)

Oh, the series is also topical as the series has apparently started re-airing on some channels, and Hasbro are planning on releasing the obligatory doll spin-offs. There are also apparently rumours of a live-action movie...

 

Bike Resources

There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

You got it right

Jem was awesome when it first came out for those really just sick of female oriented cartoons that were limited to really stupid cutesy stuff. It was really above board for all the stuff that was out back then and if you didn't have cable then you were really limited.

Thanks for the comments, I'm hoping you liked it:)
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

A great start

I got to this late, but, I'm really liking how you're mixing the original with new elements.

It's a remix!

I Never thought of it that way Will it Work:)

It's a little bit of different and I wanted to do a rock story and the Jem idea just struck me as kind of a perfect kind of person for a story here.

Thanks for reading and commenting.
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

Happily starting a Bailey Summers saga

Bailey, this was sooo depressing... that is until the van-load of girls showed up.
You did a fantastic job of painting a life that Jason (or anyone) would be happy to walk away from.
.
.
Lora123e.jpg
The rock chick in me... do you think
Starlight Butterfly needs a tambourine player?

Gosh thanks Lora:)

I'm really glad that you liked and started this series. I'm always glad to see you here:)
*Great Big Hugs*
Bailey.

Bailey Summers

OK, Bailey, I give up,

I'm really reluctant to start reading something with 105 (and more to come) chapters but I just can't resist one of your stories.

Toddy Bear

it is so rare

to find a story that can be read more than once without losing its charm. I only know of two others, the Harry Potter series and A Walk to Remember. I have been putting off starting this again because I was worried it wouldn't match up with the pedestal I had put it on. I am happy to say that the story has held up under a second read.

Can relate to Jason's experiences

taggrrl's picture

As a child, who went to various southern Ontario schools, during the 1970's and 1080's, I have very similar experiences, with bullying, like Jason. To the point of being hospitalized with bruised kidneys, in grade 7, from an attack, while walking home, from school. The bullying stopped, when I transferred to another high school, after grade 10, but the sense of worthlessness didn't. I do hope that Jason can get the final laugh, against those, who have bullied and abused him, at school.

Perfection is, always, one step beyond, where my feet are.

These bullies

What the hell. What kind of dickfuck do you have to be to basically gangrape a cancer survivor just because he had cancer. This had a few triggers for me back in grade school. Pardon my french.

Life saver

This story helped me to keep hopefull during the past years. It is wonderfull to read it again, now I am who I always was.

Thanks author! You are a life saver!