I have always wondered throughout the years: What's the whole point of bullying?
Does it make you feel better?
Does it make you feel popular?
Does it make you feel powerful?

Take it from me, you'll never feel any of these things if the only thing you know is making other people suffer...
Doesn't anyone consider other people's feelings nowadays?
Probably not.
Of course not.
It has always been like that for many, many years...and I had to learn it the hard way.
I've been bullied myself, but I never knew how badly Juno had been bullied back then...and especially to this day.
It was Wednesday afternoon and I just got home from the grocery store, excited to finally get to relax on the couch and binge watch korean dramas the rest of the day~
As I put the food away, I heard our front door open, then close, then the sound of shoes squeaking across the floor straight to the kitchen.
It must be Juno, well, of course it was Juno because he also had the key to our apartment.
I softly smile as I put the last mango in the fridge.

"Ah, welcome back Juno~ How was school-"

My sentence was cut short as I get a good look at Juno, who's face and hair was covered in bits of mud, along with his uniform and tennis shoes.
He shyly smiles.

"Umm hey Mackenzie...school was...good."

"Juno, what the heck?! Why are you so dirty?!"

And why didn't he take off his shoes before coming in...
I just mopped the floor today too.
I grab a wet rag and approached him, but the boy backs away from me, holding his hands up defensively as he shivers.

"H-Hey hey it's okay, it's just mud...no big deal."

"Oh it is a big deal, Juno and you should already know that I do a thing called what I WANT! Now let me get a good look at you..."

I demanded as Juno nervously nods his head and takes a seat, staring up at me with eyes that were filled with...sadness?
It looked like he had been crying too...what is this? What did I just discover here?
Just as I started wiping the mud off his face, I noticed something purple on his cheek.
Was that...a bruise?
My brown eyes widened at the horrifying sight, as I continued cleaning him up, finding more and more bruises on his arms and legs.

"Juno...is this what I think this is...?"

"Mackenzie..."

"Are you perhaps being bullied at school...?"

Juno stays silent and instead, stares down at his muddy feet.
I gripped his chin, lifting his head up just so I could see his face.

"Are you being bullied, Juno?!"

"...Yes..."

"Why...why didn't you tell me before? How long has this been happening?"

I questioned him as I folded my arms, waiting for his answer. Juno rubs the back of his neck, flinching in pain.

"For about...a few months now..."

I unfold my arms, staring at Juno with disbelief as I sigh and hand him the wet rag, going to the cabinets and taking out my medical kit.
I come back and kneel before him, placing a few bandages on his wounds.

"...You will take me to them tomorrow..."

"Huh? Mackenzie...it's okay, don't worry, I'm okay-"

"No, Juno, you are NOT okay...look at you! You're completely covered in bruises and cuts! They ruined your uniform and I know you've been crying too! Don't lie to me either, because I can see how red and puffy your eyes are!"

Juno stays silent for a few seconds before bursting into tears, hugging me as he cries in my shoulder.
I hug him back, the feeling of sympathy and heartbreak filling me up as the sound of Juno's sobbing echoes throughout the apartment...

[The next day]

"So those are your bullies over there smoking by the cherry blossom tree?"

"Y-Yeah...that's them."

"Those bitches...they look like something I drew with my left hand...no offense to you left-handed readers out there..."

"Uhhh what?"

Juno said as he stares at me with confusion. I shake my head before squeezing his shoulder with reassurance.

"Nothing nothing...anyway, stay here Juno, I'm going to have a little chat with them..."

"M-Mackenzie no, don't! They'll hurt you! Just like how they hurt me!"

I felt Juno holding my hand, trying to pull me back from entering the beast's territory. I smirked at him, causing him to blush.

"Hurt me?~ Please, I'm too glam to give a damn~ Now step aside, let the master show you how to deal with losers like these guys!"

I apply some red lipstick to my lips, fix myself up to look more like a bad girl, take a deep breath and slowly strolled towards the three, who's eyes were now on me.
Oh, they got a big storm coming to them~
I smirked as I leaned on the tree with my right hand, while holding my hip with the other.
One of the boy's then whistled.

"Why, hello there sexy~"

"Oh shut your mouth, you look better that way~"

"Oooooh..."

Students nearby gasped as a crowd began to form around me and the group of boys.
The boys stare at me with shock before one of them gets up, standing above me with a mean look on his face.
Of course these bullies are tall, even taller than Juno...

"What did you say to me, bitch?"

"Oooooh..."

"Oh please, do I have to repeat myself again or do I have to speak in your language of idiotic?"

"Ooooooh!"

The boy's face slowly turns red as he grits his teeth in anger.
I see out of the corner of my eye that Juno was hiding behind the corner, staring at me worryingly.
He looked like a frightened bunny.
I softly smile at him before turning back to the bully.

"What are you, twelve?!"

"Yeah, on a scale of one through ten, bitch!"

"Oooooh!"

"You got some nerve! Talking to me like that!"

"And you got some nerve treating others like they're trash when really, you're the only trash around here who needs to be taken out!"

"OOOOOOOH!"

The bully, along with the others, was so red, he looked like a tomato.
He looked like he was about to explode too...
But was I afraid?
Hell no.
Someone has to stand up to this bully and I wanted to help Juno out too, for I knew how he felt...
The bully takes deep breaths before taking another puff out of his cigarette.
He wants to punch me, I can tell, but I knew he didn't want to get in trouble with the school so that's probably why he's trying to keep calm right now.
He clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"Tch, let's go fellas...this girl is a waste of time..."

"Before you run away like a coward, I have something to tell you: You better leave my friend Juno alone...or so help me, I'll show you the REAL monster inside of me..."

I growl as I snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and throw it to the floor, stomping it with my shoe.
Everyone stares at me with wide eyes as they part for me like the Red Sea...
I then ruffle Juno's hair, smiling down at him.

"Let's go Juno~"

"O-Okay..."

But what I didn't know was that from here on out, I was going to have to deal with the bullies the hard way...