Billy's Decision

Billy’s Decision



Billy and George were joking and pushing each other as they made their way to their table in the cafeteria. Billy gave George a push which sent him stumbling backward into Butch who was carrying a lunch tray. Billy saw with horror, Butch standing there with his milk and noodle soup dripping down his face and the front of his shirt while everyone else snickered.
Butch, the school’s biggest bully growled, “You will pay for this big time, Shorty,” as he glared at Butch.
The teacher appeared to take Butch and George off to get cleaned up. She gave Billy the job of cleaning up the mess. As he did, other kids came up to him warning him that Butch would get back at him. Each had their own idea of how which set Billy’s imagination and fears growing by the second. He didn’t know what to expect or where.
After lunch, Billy went to his locker to get his books. He had just opened his locker when Butch and his pal Roger came up behind him.

“It’s time for some pay back, Shorty,” laughing as he shoved Billy into his open locker and slammed the door shut and walked away.
Billy was jammed into the locker so tightly he couldn’t move his hands to pound on the door. He tried to lean on the door to see if he could force it open. His fears began to grown when calling got him no response. The smell of his stinky gym clothes was making his stomach sick. Frantically he called for help but no one was around to hear his yelling.
Billy missed two classes, before the janitor happened to pass by and hear his raspy call for help. He was let out of the locker and then ushered to the principal’s office to find out who had done this to him. Billy was too scared to tell the principal what Butch had done. He figured that would only make Butch angrier. So he ended up getting a week of detentions for not telling.
After school, Billy had George get his books while he hid in the boy’s john. George went ahead looking out for Butch as Billy followed timidly. George spotted Butch and Roger waiting just outside the door. So they went out the back door of the school and got home by going through alleys and backyards.
Billy got little sleep that night as he lay awake trying to figure out a way to make peace with Butch. What would Butch do next? Billy was scared to go to school but he wouldn’t be allowed to stay home if he wasn’t sick. He couldn’t pretend he was sick forever. What was he going to do?

The next morning, Billy slowly walked to his locker; his stomach was full of butterflies and his head hurt. He was expecting the worst, but there was no Butch. He went to class and there was no Butch. He went to lunch and there was no Butch. He was feeling more at ease as he went outside to play. Just as he walked out the school door, Butch stepped out beside him while Roger stepped out on his other side. All his fears flooded back into him, as they took him over to an area of the school yard where the teacher couldn’t see them.
“Did you miss me? I had a dentist appointment this morning. He has put me into an ugly mood,” Butch said as he punched Billy in the stomach. “That is for embarrassing me.”
Billy knew he had to fight even though he realized that he would lose. Butch was so much bigger that he was. He started swinging with all his might. The two of them threw punches and kicked till the teacher came and separated them.
“What is going on here? Oh, it is you, Butch, fighting again. Well this time it means expulsion. You are always causing trouble and this will…”
Just then the bell rang.
“Let’s get you both to the nurse to get these cuts and bruises looked after than it’s off to the principal’s office,” said the teacher as she grabbed them by the shoulders and steered them to the nurse’s office.
While the nurse cleaned their cuts and bandaged them, Billy tried to decide if he should let Butch take the blame. If he did, Butch would be expelled and his problem
would be solved. Billy knew this wasn’t right but even if he said it was his fault would Butch stop pestering him. He struggled with this problem all the way to the principal’s office. He didn’t know what to do.
The principal immediately assumed Butch had started the fight and threatened Butch with expulsion. Butch just sat there not saying a word but Billy saw the fear that was on Butch’s face.
Billy interrupted the principal and said, “I started it.”
“You,” the principal said with surprise.
“Yes,” Billy said with more confidence.
“Well your parents will be told about this and you will have some more detentions. You know the rules about fighting,” sputtered the principal.
“Yes, sir,” said Billy respectfully. He knew he had done the right thing when he looked at Butch’s face. After a lecture on the evils of fighting, the two boys were allowed to go.
When they got out in the hall, Butch said, “Why did you lie to protect me?”
“I didn’t,” Billy said. “I did start this when I pushed George into you. I didn’t mean to but I embarrassed you. I am sorry for that.”
“You kept your mouth shut and protected me twice now. This last time, big time because if I was expelled my Dad would have gone ballistic. He has been threatening to send me away to a military academy if I got in trouble again. Thanks, you aren’t such a bad guy. Let’s call a truce.” Butch said.

“Ok,” Billy said as relief spread through him. He had done the right thing by taking responsibility for his actions.