Chapter 1
Normal P.O.V
SMACK. That was going to bruise.
SLAP. It was worse when the girls joined in.
KICK. That'd leave a mark.
SCRATCH. Clawing at his face like an animal.
TWIST. Chinese Burns sting.
Pinch, Spit, Elbow, Push, Tug even head but.
That was the treatment Cody Martin got each day at school.
"Teacher!" hissed one of the followers
Carl, Grant, Keith, April, Holly, Keely, Joanne and the rest of the followers all scuttled off as quickly as they appeared.
Cameron – the ringleader – grabbed Cody, opened a locker and stuffed him. Cameron then slammed it shut and hurried off after his friends.
Cody held his breath as the teacher strolled past. Luckily the teacher carried on walking.
"If you EVER tell anyone, I will kill you, hear me?"
Cody shivered as he heard the spiteful words of Cameron ring through his ears. He put his hands on his ears but it was still there. He couldn't block it. It was killing him.
Cody fell forward and smashed into the locker door, he hit it with such force it burst open and the next thing he knew he was sprawled on the floor.
Cody hauled himself up and limped out of the locker corridors. He was about to exit when he saw Zack with Max and Bob.
"ZACK!" Cody called with all his strength "Zack! Please!"
Cody knew he heard as Zack glanced up real quick, then back to the floor. Cody struggled to follow but he used all his power to catch up with them.
"Zack please" croaked Cody, Cody grabbed his brothers shoulder
The three turned to face Cody. Zack couldn't look at him in the eye.
"Please Zack, I know you heard me" Cody looked at his brother miserably
Zack did something he hadn't done in the last few months; he looked his brother in the eye "I don't know you"
He spat the words. Zack then carried on walking. Max and Bob followed him, not looking back.
Cody bit his lip; a group of kids bustled past. No one made eye contact with Cody. If they did, they'd be next.
Cody started panicking. If this kept up, Cody would end up like Tapeworm. Tapeworm disappeared. He was stabbed. Everyone knew the bullies, but they wouldn't murder.
That's what the idiots actually thought.
Cody knew better.
Ever since Cody had been picked on, Zack, Max and Bob refused to acknowledge him. They disregarded him. Neglected him. Overlooked him. Zack even moved on to the couch at the Tipton. Zack would spend every day at Max or Bob's house then sleep on the sofa, in the morning he would have left to Max or Bobs before Cody had even woken up.
If they had to go in partners. Cameron or his best friend Grant would go with Cody. They would torture him. If they had to go in a girl-boy group, Cameron would make April go with him. She would pinch and scratch him and worse.
If he told anyone, they would kill him.
He couldn't escape. If they all went to jail it wouldn't change anything. They knew contacts. There were followers.
It made him feel sick. He could hide with the teachers but they'd get him.
"Hello Cody" snickered a voice
Cody jumped and turned around to see a looming Cameron and Grant.
"Please you guys…!" he begged
It didn't change anything. After the bell went, Cody lay their limp. Blood trickling from his nose. An empty gap in his mouth where a tooth used to be. A unreal pain forming on his left eye.
He would be late for his lesson but he didn't care. He had to go to the toilets to clean up otherwise questions would be asked.
Why they chose Cody of all people? No one knew.
They just decided he was the one. They only picked on nerds. Tapeworm was the biggest nerd, and then there was Cody. Soon nerds would be extinct.
Cody winced as he poked the gap in his mouth. Carrie would barely notice. He locked himself in his room most time; he ate his meals in there too. Carrie – for once – was totally oblivious.
He couldn't go on like this anymore. He just couldn't.