#leadingthepack

Scott stepped out the door, shutting it as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t wake his grandmother. With a soft sigh, he adjusted his worn out backpack on his shoulder. He walked away from the small trailer he had been living in with his grandma for the most of his life.

His parents had practically left him in his grandma’s hands because they hadn't of wanted to deal with a kid. At least, that’s what his grandmother had told him. Scott chose to think that they died rather then believe they just left him like some rabid animal.

Because of them, he was almost drop-dead poor, Grandma was as sick as a dog most of the time. Her lung problems were caused by years of smoking, her high blood pressure and diabetes made life even harder. Since they were poor, he didn’t always have clean clothes or ones that even fit his lanky, short body. His sneakers had duct tape and holes, he smelled a little. There wasn't even enough warm water to wash his hair the night before, he continued on walking with his head hanging down.

Scott avoided the bus stop as he started to jog to school using all the back roads he knew of. The closer he got to school the safer he would be from the bullies that lived by the bus stop. He'd been picked on for years and he wasn't sure when or why it had started, but there were multiple bullies that had to be watched out for. He jogged around a parked car after crossing the busy morning Main Street. He had been looking down so he didn’t trip on the curb, that's when someone shoved him into one of the parked cars. After catching himself on the door of the car, he was unable to dodge the fist that came flying at his face.

With a cry of pain, Scott’s head cracked on the cement after he stumbled, then slipped, falling to the ground. Instinctively, his hand clamped around his nose, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Despite the pain, Scott scrambled up as the two bullies approached from where they had been waiting for him. It was a new tactic, Scott realized bitterly through the pain. Blood was seeping through his fingers, and the back of Scott’s head stung, he could feel the blood dripping down his neck. He tried to back away from them, his head spinning in pain.

“Hey what’s up druggie boy? Trying to skip out on us again?” One of the bullies asked, laughing while snorting, the other just snickered. Scott held his nose, staying silent as the other boy poked at his shoulder, hard enough to make a dizzy Scott, stumble into another parked car, he leaned on it for support.

“What’s the problem? Don’t you feel like talking today, idiot?” The first bully asked again. “hey, answer when someone’s talking to you, twerp.”

“I’ve no problem…” Scott said softly from under his hand clamped on his bloody nose, he stared at the ground. He used the car to guide him away from the bullies, his head still throbbing in pain.