The months flew by and I spent a lot of time at the Kim’s house and they all spent a lot of time at mine. Hyung Joon took Kibum and me to the beach a lot. Kibum complained that his brother never took him to the beach willingly before. Hyung Joon Oppa said that Kibum was only aloud to come because I wanted him to come along. To make him feel better Kibum’s hand was always the first one I grabbed when I stepped into the crystal blue ocean.

When I started first grade at Roman Elementary School I was placed in Mrs. English’s class with about nineteen other classmates. Classmates who had all went to the same Pre-School and Kindergarten. So leaving me the new girl alone to be ignored and the only attention I received was when I was made fun of for being the smartest girl in Mrs. English’s class. I spent many days of recess swinging by myself while watching groups of friends play together games of lava monster and hop scotch.

One day I was walking around and suddenly I felt something being wrapped around me. I let out a stifled scream as I felt someone’s hand cover my mouth.

“Hey loser you think your so smart don’t you?” I recognized the voice of Kyle Lopez the bully of the class and the dumbest. I shook my head scared of what he would do to me. I was only five years old and I didn’t have the courage to fight off a bully. I felt the tears fall from my eyes as I started to cry. I felt the jump rope go around me until it was good and tight. Then another jump rope was tied around me and another and another. Then another jump rope was tied around my ankles making sure I could not escape.

“If you can get untied I won’t bully you any more Rachel.” Kyle sneered he knew it would be impossible for me to escape. My hands where tied to my sides and the ropes were tied at my back. Then some one pushed me to the ground and my classmates swarmed around me and laughed at me. I heard names like ‘ugly’ ‘nerd’ ‘loser’ as the people in my class laughed at me I cried harder. Then as a group effort, they all picked me up, dragged me to the concrete benches on the other side of the playground, and left me there. When the bell rang, they all just went back to class leaving me alone.

I was there for another five minutes before the bell for the second grade recess began and as I laid there crying trying to figure out a way to get untied. I noticed someone was running straight in my direction. I couldn’t tell who it was until they got closer and I saw it was Kibum. He looked angry when he saw me and he kneeled beside me and tried to untie me with no luck.

“How did you *hick* know I was *hick here?” I asked as my tears calmed down and while still tied up good and tight Kibum sitting with me seemed like good compensation.

“My Rachel sense was tingling.” He said earning a small weak laugh from me. Kibum rolled me over and helped me sit up he than sat behind me and hugged me.

“I wonder how Hyung Joon Oppa is doing.” I said as Kibum sat behind me and pulled things like twigs and pieces of grass out of my hair. He even raked his fingers through my hair getting some of the dirt out.

“His Rachel sense is as good as mine. He must be going crazy right now. Don’t worry Rachel we’ll show those bullies. And we’ll just wait for Hyung to show up. He knows how to untie knots. After that we’ll go to the office and tell the principal what happened.” His voice was comforting and I soon fell asleep in his arms. I woke just before sixth grade recess and just like with Kibum I saw Hyung Joon Oppa running my way.

He looked at me and Kibum his face was pure unfiltered anger as he started to work at my bonds. Soon he has successfully completely untied me and helped me stand up He picked up the jump ropes and wrapped them in a lasso.

“Kibum you hold on to Rachel while we go to the office and tell them what happened to her. I swear whoever did this I will hurt them so bad. No one hurts my little sister.” Hyung Joon was fuming his pale white skin was turning bright red from the anger.

When we got to the office Hyung Joon and Kibum bust the doors open and both grabbed my hands and demanded to see the principal. The Secretary stood up looking flustered as she straightened her glasses and fixed her bun.

“I’m sorry he is busy right now with a conference. You will have to come back later with a pass from your teachers.” The secretary said as she sat back down at the computer.

“I don’t care if he is having tea with the Queen of England we want to see the principal NOW!” Kibum yelled as he slammed his hands on the front desk up until that point I had never seen Kibum this angry before that day.

The principal Mr. Wallace walked out of his office with two men in suits who shook hands with the principal. Hyung Joon wasted no time and grabbed my hand and walked me over to him.

“Look at her!” Hyung Joon ordered three men looked at the three of us baffled and I heard Kibum let out a humph of agreement.

“Now what happened here?” Mr. Wallace asked as he saw the red marks on my arms and on my ankles. The other two men said their good buys and left and Mr. Wallace ushered us into his office.

“Someone is bullying my sister!” Hyung Joon said as the three if us sat down in the chairs in front of Mr. Wallace’s desk.

“Sister? How is she you sis…” Mr. Wallace looked at the three of us confused I can only vaguely understand why. People adopt children from Asia all the time and have their ‘own’ children. However, this thought must not have entered his mind when he saw an 11 year old Korean boy call a 5 year old white girl his sister.

“THAT’S NOT IMPORTANT!” Kibum yelled at Mr. Wallace who judging by his age looked like he might just kill over at any second.

“F-fine um Rachel just tell me what happened to you exactly and who did this.” Mr. Wallace said looking intimidated my the two boys who if justice was not served they just might kill.

So I did just that I told him about all the teasing and bullying I had experienced while being in Mrs. English’s first grade class. When I told him about what happened today his eyes widened and he was completely furious. Mr. Wallace than wrote a note to the nurse and said I was to go to see her and that Hyung Joon and Kibum where to accompany me. Kibum asked what should they do about not being in class and Mr. Wallace said he would handle it.

The nurse tended to my wounds, used a wet paper towel to clean the dirt off my face and arms she even found a comb and fixed my hair. The out come of my bullying was simple. Kyle and a few other students where expelled while others where just suspended while the rest received detention until the others returned from being suspended then they them selves where suspended. And I because of my grades was moved to the 2nd grade and placed in Kibum’s class and placed in a desk beside me. That way he could keep an eye on me.

My grades weren’t at the top of the class like they had been when I was in Mrs. English’s class but mine and Kibum’s 2nd grade teacher Ms. Stewart said she thinks the reason was 2nd grade was just the challenge I needed.

I can thankfully say that the bullying stopped after that. And the fact I was best friends with Kibum and Hyung Joon’s ‘little sister’ became my protection against being ganged up on and tied down with jump ropes.