Trusting Dragon
Tons of kids my age usually discover self worth when they're a little older, but for me, it happened yesterday. I know, I know... I'm only six, but I'm not stupid, you know. I'm pretty smart for a bunny my age, but if you had seen me yesterday, you would think I was, well, simple.
I go to Woodland View Elementary School. I hadn't been here long and already I've got a bully, can you believe that? Her name is Ingrid and she's the meanest Komodo Dragon you'll ever meet. Uh, lets just start from the beginning, I guess.
"Don't worry about it, Honey," Mom told me, sounding like she was annoyed with me, "The first day in a new school is never that bad. It'll be okay."
That's when the obvious question came to mind: What if I don't make any friends? I asked Mom, and she told me to be myself. Helpful, right?
"But what if they don't like me?" I asked, "What if they make fun of my ears?"
Mom ran her paws down my lop-ears and lifted them like they were long hair and said, "Who couldn't like these ears? You're fine as you are, Rena."
"But...in my old school, the other kids made fun of me for my ears!" I complained, "It'll happen again."
Mom got down on a knee and held my shoulders and just smiled at me. She looked like she was trying not to lose patience. Finally, after a bit of awkward silence, she finally spoke again.
"Rena, Honey," she said, "Mommy's very busy right now. I know you're nervous, but it'll be okay." With that, Mom spun me until I faced away from her and gave me a nudge, "Now go ahead and unpack your room. You can arrange it however you like."
I sighed and wakes away at that point. Sometimes there's no use talking to my mom. She's a beautiful tan Hare with straight ears and a deer-like tail, she has no idea how I feel being a gray, lop-eared, cotton tailed...mess! Anyway, I ended up going to my room like she told me to.
Unpacking my things, dolls, drawing stuff, my clothes, and all kinds of stuff, I found my bag of peanut butter cups we bought at the gas station near by. I must have forgotten to take them out of the car, so Mom put them in my box. I looked in the bag and I saw that I had a lot! They were huge! I decided to keep them to last me the week. I'd take one with me as a snack for my school lunch. Mom even said it was okay.
So after the unpacking, the arranging, the argument about complaining too much at the dinner table, and helping with dishes, and a nightly bath, I finally went to bed. The most nerve racking thing at that point was knowing that after I lay there for a few hours, doing nothing as my body restored itself, I would have to willingly walk to a large vehicle that I don't want to ride only to be taken to a place I don't want to go to that's full of kids I don't really want to meet. But at least I had lunch to look forward to. Carrot and dandelion salad, apple juice, and a peanut butter cup for dessert did make me a little happier.
At first, nobody really noticed me. I'm sure some kids talked about me, but a lot of them did say hello and stuff. Other than "oh, you're new here" and "hey there", I sorta just blended into the crowd. Maybe I would make a friend eventually after all. And nobody made fun of my ears! All except for Ingrid.
During lunch, I sat alone. I knew nobody at this new school, so I drifted until I found an empty table. Once I sat down, I was home free, until I was startled by a tray slamming in front of me. When I looked up from my salad, all I saw was this tall, vicious looking lizard - a Komodo Dragon - with a pair of piercing, yellow eyes and lavender colored scales.
She flicked her tongue at me before grinning and she said, "Well, well... you're a new face, or should I say, a new pair of ears."
"Uh... I'm Rena. Is..."
"I didn't ask who ya were. Just noticing you, is all," she said. Already I had a sinking feeling that I might not like her.
"S-sorry...uh... What's your name?" I asked, trying to be polite.
"I'm Ingrid - sorta the top dog around here."
I lifted my head in confusion, "Dog? You look like a reptile, though."
"I knew it. The floppier a rabbit's ears, the looser the brain under 'em. I'm a Komodo, genius," she hissed as she sat down across from me, "So you're Rena. I have a business proposal to make with ya, since you're new and all."
"Business? I do t know if Id be too interested," I said, looking down at my peanut butter cup. I looked back up to Ingrid and saw that she was looking at it too.
"Oh, it's a very simple job, really. Well, the job is for me, anyway," Ingrid said, biting into what looked like some kind of meatloaf that smelled funny. "All you gotta do is pay me."
"I don't even have an allowance at home - I don't think I can help you," I said, trying to deny the offer and drive her away.
"Lucky you, it's not about money," she said, leaning her scaly elbows on the table and leaning close, "Look...you have way, way too many things about you that make you so easy to make fun of. One of those peanut butter cups every day? I can make sure the teasing never happens."
I looked at her in confusion, "Everyone here has been so nice to me so far, though."
"In front of you, maybe," Ingrid grinned, "If they see me as your friend... they'll think you 'know people' if you catch my drift."
"Wait... so if I pay you in this candy every day, you'll protect me from being picked on?"
"You got it, Floppy."
"And... you won't call me Floppy?"
"No promises," Ingrid grinned, "but there's worse names to be called and rumors brewing in these kids' heads...you might wanna take me up on this offer."
After school, I walked home thinking about Ingrid's offer. My worries would totally fly out the window and I'd never be picked on. On top of that, people would think I'm cool for hanging out with her! All it would take is one peanut butter cup at lunch every day and I'd be good for my entire elementary school experience. There's no way I could pass that up.
At dinner, I decided it'd be best to let my mom know what would be going on, but I wasn't prepared for her reaction. Instead of telling her the whole truth, I sort of danced around it, hoping she would just go along with me.
"Mom? I'm almost out of peanut butter cups - can we get some more? I like having one with my lunch at school." I said, trying to make it sound casual.
"Already? The bag was full yesterday," she said. That's when I realized that maybe I'd have a bit of a problem.
"Well," I said, "I've been kinda taking two... see... I met a friend at school and she really likes these, so I take one for me and give her one."
My mom put her fork down and looked up at me with a smile, "You've been sharing already? That's pretty nice of you, Rena - sure, we'll swing by the store after dinner and grab a bag - I'm out of a few things anyway."
Perfect, I thought. I figured from here on out, that's what I could do. Take two peanut butter cups, and give one to Ingrid, still allowing myself that highlight of my school day. The sweet, chocolate-covered, cup-shaped wad of peanut butter.
That's not really how it turned out, though.
The next day at school, I ran into Ingrid at lunch again. She looked pretty confident, like she really knew what she was doing. I didn't notice it at the time, but nobody really hung around her. They sort of... avoided her. I didn't understand why, though. She offered to help me - she had to be really nice, right? Wrong.
"Hey, Floppy," she grinned, "Got my payment? If I'm gonna be seen with you today, it better be worth it."
"Ah, haha..." I giggled, thinking she was kidding, "I've got your peanut butter cup right here! Want to sit with me?" I offered.
"Yeah, whatever," Ingrid sighed, plopping her tray before me, just as she did the day we met, "So, where's the cup?"
"Here ya go," I said, sliding it over to her. The bright orange wrapper caught her eye and immediately, she tore it open and stuffed it into her mouth. I smiled, beginning to unwrap my own peanut butter cup - I could smell the peanut butter already, and my tongue was just _itching_to taste that creamy chocolate.
"Hey, whoa, whoa there, little bunny..." Ingrid said with her mouth full, "Whatcha got there, hm?"
"Well, I brought two - one for you, one for me. I love these things!" I smiled, opening my mouth to take a bite. Before I could, Ingrid snatched it away from me, stuffing it into her own mouth.
"They're payment, Floppy - any cups ya bring in are mine, got that? Otherwise you're on your own and deemed a loser forever, understand?"
I couldn't believe my ears. I could not_believe what I just heard. Ingrid wanted to take _both of my peanut butter cups. Why? I had brought her one - she did say just one, right?
"Why do you need both? Then I won't get any..." I said, watching her eat my snack.
"That's life, Kid. See ya around, Floppy - don't forget to bring 'em tomorrow," she said as she stands, taking her tray with her to a new table.
When I got home from school that day, I remember feeling like something was really wrong here. I felt used - though I did agree to give Ingrid my lunch snack every day, I didn't think she'd take all of it if I had any more than just one. I felt like I should have told my mom, but I just know how parents react to this kind of thing.
First, she'd talk to me about how important it is to tell her every tiny detail in my life from how many hairs are on my paws, to how many blinks and breaths I take a day. Most importantly, if anyone is bossing me around other than herself. Secondly, she'd tell me to find out the kid's name - to which I would lie and say I barely knew her. Thirdly, she'd just look up the number to my school, call the principal, and complain - resulting in a meeting between Ingrid and myself, resulting in her beating me up or something after class. None of these outcomes are good.
Do I tell Mom? Nope - I said nothing to her. I did come up with a neat plan, though. She's taking all my peanut butter cups - what if I just give her the whole bag and take a different lunch to school? Something a Komodo wouldn't like. I love cauliflower, so I figured that there's no way a Komodo dragon would eat that! It was decided: I'd give Ingrid what was left of my peanut butter cups and then just take cauliflower as my snack. It was foolproof.
The next day at school, Ingrid approached me at lunch, again, hoping for another peanut butter cup. As she slammed her tray down, she looked me in the eye.
"I smell a ton of peanut butter today, Floppy. You got it, right?" she said - I could hear her stomach growling, actually.
"I'll do ya one better, Ingrid - I brought you a whole bag!" I said, plopping the bag of candy on the table. Her eyes lit up and she snatched the bag off the table before any lunchroom assistants could see.
"How did you smuggle a whole bag in here, Floppy?" Ingrid whispered.
"It was easy. I just put it in my lunch box," I said.
"Well, looks like your payment went up - if you're able to do it now... you can do it again, can't'cha?" Ingrid grinned, getting up and starting to walk away.
"Wait a second!" I called, feeling my heart pound faster, "I think I know what you're doing, Ingrid... and it's not very cool."
"What did you say, Floppy?" Ingrid said, sounding a bit angry, "You trying to tell me how to run my business?"
"This isn't a business," I scoffed, "This is a scam to get free candy out of people you think you can push around! The truth is, nobody here likes you, because you're a bully!"
"Say that one more time, Floppy and _you'll_be my lunch!" Ingrid said, facing me one more time, "Besides, I don't care if they like me. I care if they fear me, idiot!"
"But why? All of this for a measly peanut butter cup that you can buy at a gas station or a store?!" I stood up from my seat and immediately, everyone looked at me - probably because I was so loud. "Ingrid, you're rude, mean, and just a thief! If you want things in this world, you gotta get them yourself. Sure, it's fine to ask once in a while, but demanding things outta people is not the way to go."
The lunchroom fell into a weird silence as everyone stopped eating just to watch me talk.
"I'm more than happy to share my food with you, and even find with hanging out if you want, but if you want to be my friend? You have to be nice. You have to respect that I'm a person, too!" I stomped my foot on the ground so hard, I could swear I felt the vibrations travel up my spine to the tip of my dangling ears, "Ingrid - no more bullying!"
The lunchroom roared in a fit of clapping and cheering, and for once, I felt like maybe I did something kind of meaningful. Ingrid looked around at our classmates who stared at her crossly, looking disgusted and mad at her. Before long, the rest of the lunchroom began chanting: "No more bullying," making Ingrid look a bit... uncomfortable.
"You idiot! You ruined a perfectly good business I had going!" Ingrid hissed.
"And you ruined what could have been a perfectly good friendship. I don't know your problems or your life, but I know mine - there's no room for people like you!" I hollered, "I got pushed around and made fun of for my ears and other stupid stuff in my old school - I'm better than all that and I'm better than you! You want my stupid peanut butter cups?! Fine! Take them! I have something way better."
Ingrid stepped back as I ranted at her. I tossed the bag of candy at her and clenched my paws into fists at my side, "I have dignity and self respect - something you might never have if you keep being this way!"
"Calm down, Floppy... Jeeze... it... it was just a hazing... is all..." Ingrid stammered, trying to make excuses.
"No... I'm not falling for that crud!" I scowl. "You have one chance here - you want to start over and be friends... or do you want to continue being some kind of slime ball outcast with no friends... and no respect?"
The lunchroom's chanting died down as the rest of the kids waited for an answer. Ingrid was clearly looking nervous, finally getting what she deserved: to be put on the spot. Every thought that any kids had about her had vanished at this point - what was once a big, scary Komodo dragon was now a frightened little gecko with all eyes on her.
"I... I'm... negh..." she stammered, "I'm sorry... I... I guess..."
"You guess?" I asked.
"I mean... I am... I just... I get made fun of, too... and... I just wanted to be on the upper hand... for once," Ingrid said quietly, crossing her arms and swishing her thick tail behind her.
"Well, Ingrid... how about... if we sit down to lunch, talk it over... and see if we can hang out after school?" I said, much calmer than I was a moment before that. The other kids in the room looked at me with confusion, but I didn't care. I think Ingrid got the point.
"Well... fine... I guess..."
That was the last time Ingrid was ever mean to me. I suppose you're wondering what happened to all the peanut butter cups. Those got shared! Ingrid passed them around the lunchroom herself, and it turned out that she had more candy than anyone I ever knew stashed up in her locker. She even shared some with the lunch lady and the lunchroom assistants. Ingrid really turned her attitude around.
That night, when I went home, of course I had to explain to Mom where the bag went - but when she heard the entire story, I didn't get a lecture. I got a hug and I got a "proud of you" kind of speech - you know how moms are.
"Honey, I'm so proud of you! You stood up for yourself and made a friend," Mom said, hugging me pretty tightly, "I know it's hard at your age to find where you belong in school and in the world... but you're so smart and figuring it out so soon."
"Thanks, Mom... I don't think I'll be getting peanut butter cups for a while. I'm kind of sick of them already, really," I said, giggling. Soon, there was a knock at the door.
Mom answered the door, and to our surprise, Ingrid was standing outside. "Is Rena home?"
"She's right inside - you must be Ingrid - come on in, Honey," Mom said, sweetly as possible.
When I saw Ingrid coming inside, she had her claws behind her back and a smile on her face. I invited her up to my room and she sat down on my stool at my desk.
"So what's up? What'cha got?" I asked, sniffing for a clue as to what it could be.
"Well, I figured I owe ya one... I mean... you really embarrassed me! But... I guess it was for the better. People are starting to be nice to me now and... well... I have you to thank," Ingrid said, dragging out a bright orange bag out from behind her back, "So these are for you - for all the candy you gave me. I should pay it back."
I looked at the bag in disgust and held my tummy. Just smelling the peanut butter was enough to make me feel a little nauseous. "Th-thanks... Ingrid... haha."
Too much of a good thing can really get ya sick, you know? But I suppose that's the price we pay for mistakes we make, like popping peanut butter cups as if we'll never have another one for as long as we live. Taking things in moderation is very important, especially when it comes to seeking some kind of power.
We want to fit in, we want to stand out, and sometimes, we want to do both at the same time. Other times, we just want the world to leave us alone while we pig out on our favorite, cup-shaped snack. But what nobody ever taught us straight out is that too much of a good thing is exactly like too much of a bad thing.
For example: that night, Ingrid stayed overnight at my house - I caved, of course, and we ate that whole bag of peanut butter cups all on our own.
Boy, did we pay for that in the morning.