"Hey Snorlax." Leo chuckled.

I sighed and tried to make a grab for my sandwich. He kept it out of my reach before pinching one of my cheeks.

"What's wrong, is the wittle boy hungwy?" Leo mockingly asked before grabbing me by the collar.

"Well lucky for you, I have a special treat for you."

I flinched and looked away as he raised his fist up.

I waited for a hard, cruel punch to make contact with my skin but a few seconds passed without Leo doing anything. I even heard him yowl loudly and land on the floor with a loud thud.

I opened my eyes and was shocked to see that a taller girl had shoved Leo down to the ground before he could've punched me.

"Oooh, you were pushed by a girl." I heard some bystanders taunt Leo as he got up, glaring at them.

"All of you will too if you don't get lost."

One of Leo's friends stormed up to her, arms crossed. "Do you really think some girl is going to get me to stop picking on this fat-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he groaned loudly when the girl kicked him right in the groin.

He held his groin as he fell to his knees, kids who were watching were laughing and making fun of him.

He glared at everyone before unsteadily getting up and grabbing her arm and pulled her closer to him.
"I don't like messing with girls so I'll give you a warning. Why don't you go play with your dolls or whatever and leave this pig to me?" He said.

Her amberish hazel eyes just gave him a look of amusement."You're afraid of me aren't you?"

"Me? Afraid of girls?" He laughed, his laughing was cut short when she grabbed him by the shirt.

My eyes widened with amazement as her light mood changed and her eyes and tone suddenly darkened.

She slightly lifted him off the ground, even though he didn't want to show it, I saw the fear in his eyes.

"Listen, punk." She started to say, in a low, cool voice.

"I'm done seeing you pick on people for no reason whatsoever. You're like my age, aren't you? And picking on this what? 7 year old? You disgust me. You really do. Let me warn you, and not just you. All of you. If I ever see you or any of your wimpy friends picking on him again, I'll make sure all of you get sent to the hospital."

"Okay, okay!!! No need to be so violent! P-put me down now." The boy stuttered.

I backed away a bit, my heart pounding. I was afraid of what they would do to me once she was gone. I screamed when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I shielded myself.

"I'm sorry. For whatever I did.. Please don't hurt me.''

I opened my eyes and was surprised to see it wasn't any of those mean kids, but a boy I have never seen.

"It's okay, it's okay, don't worry! I'm not hurting you, or anyone. But she sure is. That'll teach him a lesson." The said, smirking and he looked over at the girl and the mean kids.

I also watched.

The girl harshly let go of the boy.

The boy then looked at his friends before they all started walking away.

"Hey, are you okay?" She said as she started walking up to me.

I hadn't even realized she was talking to me until I snapped out of my shocked faze and nodded.

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

I felt myself start blushing as I looked at the girl.

She was probably a head taller than me, and a bit older than me. I'd say she was around 11 years old.

For a girl, she didn't dress really girly. She wore a cap and a loose red t-shirt and some baggy jeans. I'm surprised she's not wearing her uniform. And now that I notice, neither was the boy.

She had like 3 bracelets on each wrist, her wavy, caramel colored hair reached to the middle of her waist.

She's really pretty. I thought, embarrassed by my observation.

"How long have those jerks been bothering you?" She asked me.

"It-it's not important." I say, fidgeting my fingers.

"Well, it's not going to happen anymore. Don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't." She grinned, taking out a hand.

"I'm Lizzy by the way, and this guy next to you is my friend Jonas. What's your name?"

I slowly took her hand before shaking it.

"Isaac." I say in a soft, high pitched voice I didn't recognize.

I guess it was because it's been a while that I've actually talked to other kids.. Especially girls so I felt a little shy.

I waved at the green-eyed boy as I shook hands with Lizzy.

"Sup?" Jonas said, hands shoved in his front pockets.

"I've never seen you around before, are you new?"

"I guess." I said, playing with my glasses. I've been here for a few months now, so I guess I am.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Isaac. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask us." Lizzy said, smiling.

"Y-yeah thanks."

"You're so quiet, are you like shy?" She asked me.

"I'm just nervous I guess." I stammer.

She slid a hand around my shoulder before smiling."Well there's nothing to be worried about. I'm here, and I'll make sure to protect you from all those idiots."

I smiled slightly.

The bell rung, and I started making my way back inside.

"Where you going?" She asked, stopping me.

"Um- class?"

The looks she and Jonas were giving me made me feel embarrassed about what I responded with.

"Who cares about class? You know what would be more fun? Going to a store and buying stuff. Except, we're going to buy without any money." She said, mischief in her face.

I gulped.

I knew what that meant.

Stealing.

~

I looked around nervously as we crossed the street to a gift shop.

I was so afraid of being caught but Lizzy managed to convince me to rob with her and her friends.

I saw a group of kids by the corner, a majority of them boys. I swear Lizzy was the only girl.

They looked older than me, ranging from 11 to 14, I think Jonas was the only one close to my age.

One of them chugged a beverage from a paper bag.

The boy took a long drink before looking at me and Lizzy when we walked up to them.

I suddenly felt timid when all of their eyes were on me and I ended up hiding behind Lizzy.

"Hey Liz, who's your friend?" The boy asked, jumping off of the fence he was sitting on and walking closer to us.

"Relax bud we don't bite!" He grinned. Only to be swatted on the arm by Lizzy.

"Leave him alone, you jerk!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry," The guy chuckled, raising his hands up.

"Why'd you bring this little kid to our gang? We already made an exception with you and Joe."

Lizzy rolled her eyes.

"What's your name, kid?" One of the older ones asked.

"I-Isaac." I whispered, still behind Lizzy.

"I don't know Liz. He doesn't look like he's one of us." One of them said.

They then all huddled together before they started to talk.

"I'm sorry Liz, but this kid can't be part of our group." One of them whispered.

"Yeah, we already have enough little kids in this gang." Another one said, earning a shove from Jonas.

"He doesn't even look like he'd be interested in what we do. He looks like one of those 'good kids.' "

"Well, we'll fix that." Jonas assured.

''Guys, I know he's younger than most of us and all but you should've seen how that poor kid was being picked on by those jerks. Do you really want that to keep happening to him?"

One with black hair under a cap spoke up. "Alright then. But I doubt that kid is going to want to join us."

Lizzy smiled before they walked over to me. ''So, what's your name, kid?" One of them asked.

''Isaac." I respond.

"How do you feel about robbing?"

"Um... It's bad?" I said, my face turning bright red as they all laughed. Did I say something funny?

A tall, thin one with curly light blond hair sighed as he facepalmed himself.

"Ugh, he's hopeless."

"Don't worry, that'll change over time. Trust me, you'll grow to love it." Lizzy assured, smiling widely as she followed the boys who were starting to go inside the store.

I stopped her and grabbed her arm.

''I don't know about this..."

"Don't worry Zacky you'll be fine with us." She says, giving me a wink.

I just smile uneasily as I walk in with her.

~

"Hey! Somebody stop those kids!!!!"

The storekeeper shouted as we all ran out of the store with bags of toys, snacks, and other things we stole.

I ran away with them, ahead of them since despite of my weight, I've always been a fast runner.

Maybe living with the demon himself is the reason.

I stopped running when I realized that the man wasn't that far behind the other kids, so I ran back in.

"Isaac! What do you think you're doing?!" I heard Lizzy shout but I just continued running back to them, starting to make a mess all over the place.

"Hey you! Come back here kid!" The man said, forgetting about the other kids at the moment and just focused on catching me.

I didn't even need to give any signals or anything for the kids to understand what I was doing and go along with it. They ran out with their stuff, after making sure they were gone, I sped up and got away.

I heard the storekeeper call after us, but I just continued running until I made it out with the other kids.

"Dang, you're pretty fast kid." One of the older kids said when I made my way towards them.

"You saved our asses back there. You aren't as bad as I thought."

I couldn't help but grin stupidly and blush hearing that.

"Thank you. So... Are we going back to class now?" I asked shyly.

"What?! Hell no! I'm not going back to class.'' He said, glancing at Lizzy and Jonas.

"Hey, you guys going?"

They looked at me.

Lizzy's face then lit up and she looked around before leaning in towards Jonas' ears and she started whispering something at him.

He smirked and nodded.

He whispered at one of them, and they kept whispering until all of them got the message.

I felt my stomach knot.

What if they were plotting something against me?

Maybe all of this was a plot this whole time.

"Okay sure. But we're not gonna be letting those jerks do anything to you anymore."

''Please don't do anything to them! If you do they'll kill me!"

''Don't worry, we're not doing anything." Jonas said.

I sighed in relief.

"You are." He finished.

My heart stopped and my eyes widened.

''What?! I-I can't do that, I don't- I can't fight."

''Don't worry about that, we'll teadh you."

"I thought we were going to school?" I reminded, flustered.

"Nevermind that, we're not letting you go back without making sure you'll never let anyone ever treat you like shit first."

They all started walking. Lizzy took my arm and had me walk with them.

''Where are we going?" I asked.

''To Nate's house."

Before I could ask who that was, he spoke up.

"That's me. It's Nathan to you, bud." He said, his arms surprisingly muscular for a teen.

We went to his garage, I looked around and was amazed at how huge it was.

But there weren't any cars, and wasn't the whole point of having a garage to keep a car?

But I didn't say anything.

"Follow me." Lizzy said.

I did as I was told, I followed her until we got to a punching bag.

''Are you mad?" Lizzy asked.

''No."

''Okay. On to next question. Do you want Leo and his wimpy friends to keep bothering you?"

I paused for a long moment before answering.

"No."

''I can't hear you.'' She said.

"No." I repeated louder.

''I still can't hear you. Say it like you mean it.''

"No!" I shout quietly.

Lizzy seemed unimpressed, but continued.

''If someone tells you something mean, what do you say?"

''Stop."

''What?" She asked.

''Stop!" I shouted.

''Come on, dude. Louder. Shout it with all the rage that you have in that little heart of yours." The boy named Nate interjects.

"Think about those times you felt so angry you wanted to hurt someone."

Nate's voice plays as I pause and think about all those times I've been humiliated and beat up by my classmates. All those times I've been hit by my dad.

A felt a fire rage in me.

In the corner of my eyes, I could tell the kids were actually pretty amazed seeing how angry I was.

''When someone doesn't leave you alone, you tell them to fuck off. Repeat after me, kid. Fuck off."

Nate said, crouching down to be at my height.

''Fuck off."

I said in a calm, yet upset voice through clenched teeth.

I wasn't really used to yelling.

''Do you really think you're gonna scare any kid off with that weak voice?!!" He yelled, shaking my shoulders a bit.

''Do you really think you're gonna scare those fucking kids off if you keep being such an idiot?!"

I remembered my father snap before tightly grasping my wrist.

I suddenly saw Nate in a blink of an eye, turn to my father.

A fury built up inside me, and I angrily looked at my father.

''I can see you're very angry."

He said, a evil grin on his face.

''Why don't you tell me what you think? Why don't you tell me to-"

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, letting out all that anger out.

I realized it was Nate all along, but I saw how Lizzy was smiling.

''That's the spirit Zack!! Nobody's gonna be messing with you anymore."

She handed me a pair of boxing gloves and helped me put them on.

A few months later

~

''Hey, Snorlax. Danny and I forgot our lunches today. You better give us yours. I'm sure your lunch will be enough to feed us both since you have the appetite of a pig. And it better be good lunch if you know what's best for you."

''No."

I said.

He paused and turned to look at me. He charged towards me until our noses touched.

''What did you say?"

''I said no. '' I repeated.

''If you want lunch, get your own."

Leo fake pouted before laughing with his friend.

''Ooh, look everyone. He think he's all tough now. Is your girlfriend somewhere hiding? Is that why Blubberface feeling so bwave today?" He mocked.

''What did you just call me?!"

I asked, grabbing him by the collar.

"I said, blu-bber-face." he said, breaking the word apart.

"What you gonna do about it, punk?" He asked, arms crossed.

''This."

I responded, before shoving him to the ground.

The kids gasped and circled us. Leo glared at me and got up, he was about to punch me but I caught it before twisting his arm back so hard it cracked as loud as cracking the shell off a nutcracker.

He yelled out in pain, and I punched him hard sending him straight to the ground.

''What's the matter, is the wittle boy hurt? Awe I'm so sowy. Should I call your mommy?" I asked, using the same type of mocking tone he'd use on me.

Two taller boys, Logan and Liam walked up to me.

''You think you're so tough now, don't you Snorlax? Well, we're gonna punch some sense into you dimwit." Logan said.

They both charged at me but I moved away from them on time. They ended up crashing and falling down.

The bystanders laughed.

''All of you shut up."

Liam growled before he got up and lifted me up. Leo and Logan walked up to us, all glaring at me.

''You're cornered, Robinson. How you gonna defend yourself now?"

Liam said, pinning me to a tree. I looked at him blankly.

"Can't believe it takes 3 of you to beat me up. And I thought you were tough."

I heard kids go "Oooooh."

Liam grabbed my collar.

"You shut up-" He started to say, until he growled in pain as someone grabbed a lock of his hair and got him in a headlock.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

My eyes widened as I realized it was one of the boys in Lizzy's gang.

He looked like a 12 year old, a very huge, strong, intimidating one.

Liam's face practically lost color at that moment, he struggled to get the boy's arm off him.

''What? You were acting all tough a few seconds ago weren't ya?" He said, then letting go of him before walking towards them.

''This better be the last time I ever see any of you messing with him."

As everyone started walking away, I stopped him.

''Thank you." I said.

''You're Lizzy's friend, so you're one of us now. We're there for one another." He said, before he went inside with everyone else as soon as the bell rang.

I couldn't believe this would be the beginning of a new Isaac.

An Isaac that didn't care about school anymore. An Isaac nobody wanted to mess with anymore. An Isaac that became a bully himself. That shy little Isaac Robinson everyone knew was no longer there.

Goodbye 'Blubberface'.

Hello new Robinson.