For a little old lady, my grandma sure knew how to collect a bunch of junk. So instead of going home after school and uselessly scribbling on a piece of paper when I was supposed to be studying, I went to help my grandma clear out a few things she didn’t need.

“Eunhui, dear, don’t throw that out,” she instructed from her lawn chair that sat right in the middle of all the junk piled in my uncle’s old room.

I paused. “Grandma, it’s broken and the batteries have corroded,” I said, staring down at the old Furby in my hands. I wanted to kill it with fire. Or throw it at someone’s face and give them nightmares. “Can I keep it?” I asked, turning it over in my hands and starting to grin to myself with ideas forming in my head.

Grandma shrugged. “Sure,” she said, taking it from me to place it in the pile of things I wanted to keep. “Take those boxes out to the curb for the garbage man while I go fix some sandwiches.”

I inwardly groaned. I was starving, but tomato sandwiches were not my favorite. But I nodded anyway and began adding the last few bits of things as she left her chair and went to the kitchen.

I had almost all five boxes out to the curb ready to be taken off within a few minutes. The last box was full of old beer bottles that my grandfather had ‘collected.’ It was freaking heavy so I hurried outside, waddling across the yard with the box in my hands. I was almost there when it slipped from my fingers.

Shrieking in pain, I doubled over to grab my foot. I whimpered as I punched the box like it knew it had hurt me. Like I didn’t already have enough bad luck – now I would have to walk to school with a sore foot. I left the box where it was and limped back into the house.

“Eat up, this is good for you,” Grandma said as she placed a tomato sandwich accompanied with broccoli in front of me. I held my breath, trying not to barf.

“I’m not hungry,” I said, pushing it away from me.

She slapped me across the top of my head. “You should stop eating so much junk food, you brat,” she said, taking the plate away. I made a face at her back as I massaged my head. “No wonder your skin and eyes look so bad.”

Instinctively, I reached up and touched my cheek. Did I really look that bad? I frowned. Maybe Oh Sehun was right for calling me ugly.

“It’s just school, Grandma, not what I eat,” I said in defense.

She sat down beside me. “School, eh? I know it’s been a while since I’ve been in school, but I don’t remember it being that bad,” she said, eyeing me knowingly.

I shifted and shook my head. “It’s a lot different now. We have so many exams and papers,” I told her with a shrug. “It’s getting late and I have to finish some papers.” I started to stand up but she pulled me back down.

“What’s bothering you, dear?” she asked. I froze at the difference of the atmosphere from only two seconds before. Grandma was serious and she wanted answers.

I shook my head. “I’ll deal with it, Grandma, don’t worry.” And if I live through it, I’ll help you finish cleaning out all that junk. I didn’t tell her about Oh Sehun and the rest, all the bullies. No one had helped yet and no one would help if I told her. This was just something I had to do on my own. I left Grandma’s house with my box of junk, and her knowing look following me out the door.

Reaching the bus stop, I sat the box down, chewing on my bottom lip. I wondered what kind of advice Grandma could’ve given if I had spilled the beans. By the sound of it, she hadn’t had a problems with bullies while she was in school either. From my knowledge, neither had my mom and dad. What was so special about me? Why was I targeted and picked on? And why did no one ever help? Oh, right, because you end up like me.

The bus pulled up and I got on. I clearly remembered the time I had defended some high schooler on this bus. I scoffed, thinking of how stupid I must’ve looked. Just me, some wimpy elementary schooler, trying to defend some poor high schooler that Oh Sehun and his idiots were teasing because of his glasses. I made them stop; they left the poor guy alone and he immediately pressed the button and got off, leaving me with the bullies who looked about as angry as a mama lion whose dinner had resurrected and run away right before her eyes. But, being me, I stood up to them and refused to back down. And we were at the very back of the bus, so none of the adults paid us any mind. I got my first black eye that day and from then on, I became those idiots’ daily source of entertainment on the bus ride home. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that Oh Sehun was overjoyed to s