Jeremy Lewis
From Create Your Own Story
You are Jeremy Lewis age sixteen. You have been told you look really girly and the fact that you keep your hair long doesn’t help your case. You always carry around your laptop bag because you never know when you might need it. Most people bully you but they keep their hands off your laptop bag since it’s usually full of the homework of the bullies who… acquire your services. You really don’t have to do their homework but you do anyway. Not so they don’t mess with you but so James, your best and only friend, doesn’t get in trouble for fighting them. You really love James. A lot more than you think you should. He doesn’t know you like guys and you don’t want to ruin your friendship by telling him.
Today you’ve had three pop quizzes and are confident you aced them all. It’s after school and you’re sitting under a tree chewing the arm of your glasses while you wait for James to get out of detention for sleeping in algebra. While you hate he’s in detention you’re glad it’s not because of you. You’re playing a computer game when a shadow falls over you. You look up smiling. “Get out early for good behavior?” you ask Carlos Garcia one of your bullies. The guy gives a look. “Thought you were someone else.” You sigh putting your laptop down on its bag and standing up. He’s at least five inches taller than you so you have to look up to keep eye contact. “So. What do you need?”
“Tutoring.” Carlos says simply.
You can’t help but be surprised at this. You’ve been asked, well ordered, to do bullies’ homework before but none of them have asked you to tutor them. “Tutoring?” you ask making sure you heard right.
“Yeah I’m failing chemistry. The coach says if I don’t pick up my grades I can’t play football anymore.” Carlos looks like he’d just been given the death penalty. “Look I understand if you don’t want to but I really need this! My dad was a tight end and so was his! If I’m not he’ll be disappointed. Please help.” Carlos looked close to begging. You really look at Carlos. He’s big and broad and his muscles are more defined than the almost shapeless bulk of most of his teammates. He’s actually kind of cute when he’s not threatening you with bodily harm. You do feel bad for him but he is a bully. Do you help him?
