Skipper and Rico were popular throughout secondary school but they were by no means nice. The duo bullied two students in particular and everyone else was nice to them so they wouldn't be the next targets. The two Skipper and Rico targeted had been friends with them once but for some reason it had all fallen apart, leading to this. One was Private, a cheerful guy who always saw the best of everyone... even Rico and Skipper. They mocked him, sure, but they never went too far because it was Private and the two still held a soft spot inside for him somewere. Things were much different when it concerned their glasses-wearing classmate Kowalski. Kowalski was an easy target: built like a matchstick, not much of a fighter, head constantly buried in a book and wearing glasses. Grabbing them off him made him pretty much defencless which they exploited time and time again.

Private was ill the day everything went wrong. They'd cornered Kowalski in the corridor at break, slamming him hard against the lockers, frowning at the lack of reaction. The truth was it had been going on for years and the bookworm had simply grown used to it, giving up on even trying. Skipper had slammed his fist into the skinny stomach, making Kowalski wheeze for breath, before punching him hard in the face so the younger fell. The duo reigned punches down on the skinny form, knocking his glasses flying. Skipper picked them up, twirling them in his hand, smirking.

"Skipper, give them back," Kowalski half asked, half pleaded as he tried to squint. Nothing but blurs. "I really do need those." Rico and Skipper laughed.
"You think you can tell us what to do?" Skipper asked with a cold laugh, Rico nodding. "Thought you were supposed to be smarter than that, four eyes."
"Original," Kowalski mumbled, blue eyes dim, the spark he once possessed rare these days. Rico roughly yanked on a fistful of his hair at that remark and Skipper dropped the glasses to the ground, stepping on them.

"Maybe now you'll see that noone wants you here," Skipper remarked, high-fiving his friend as the two walk away. Kowalski picks them up from where he heard the crack, putting them on but quickly realising the damage they'd caused made them pretty much ineffective. He stares at the direction his former friends had walked for a moment then turned and walked the opposite way.

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After Skipper and Rico's detention they exited the school they saw at once something was wrong. A few other students, teachers and onlookers were gathered around something on the road. Panic was evident and a car was stopped in a weird place. Through the woman on the phone they heard the words 'ambulance' and 'hit by car': the two stepped forward to see what was going on but instantly regretted it.

They knew the pale person lying in an ever growing puddle of blood. From the school uniform to the broken glasses, this was unmistakably Kowalski. His black hair was soaked in blood and pale skin broken and bruised. His eyes were closed, glasses lying a few feet away. Skipper picked them up and put them in the other's pocket- he'd need them when he woke up.

Kowalski was raced to hospital and that night neither Rico or Skipper slept. It was obvious what had happened... Kowalski had been unable to see clearly, accidentally stepping in front of a car because they'd bloody broken his glasses. They planned on finding out which hospital he was in but the next day Private kept crying. Noone knew why (well, Skipper and Rico guessed it was because Kowalski was hurt) until an emergency assembly.

"I'm afraid a student passed away last night," the head teacher said, upset to have lost one of her (best) students in such a way. "After being hit by a car Kowalski passed away of his injuries on the way to hospital." Neither Rico or Skipper heard the rest. All they felt was their hearts shattering in their chests and indescribable guilt.