Hey everyone! For those who don't know me, my name is Owen Alexander Bieri. I am tall, tanned, and have the perfect sculpted body. I am athletic and popular, and the ladies can't resist me.
Ok, aside from my name, everything I just said was a lie. I am actually a bit short for my age, skinny, weak, and most people would call me nerdy. I have glasses, braces, and asthma. I am on the honor roll and love comics and sci-fi. I am fourteen years old and just started as a freshman at Parkview High last week.
If you missed the ending of the Freshman Hell series, let me bring you up to speed on my story.
Last night, I was at a sleepover with my two new friends and three of the school football stars (long story, you should have probably read it). Anyway, I found out that my older brother and tormentor, Mark, has lied to me about being a bully at school, and is infact maybe even a bigger loser than me. All the stories that he has told me about him bullying kids were actually about him being bullied .
I want to feel bad for him, but for the past couple of years, he has been torturing me at home nonstop, claiming it was practice and trying new techniques for his supposed victims.
Anyway, since many of you have been asking about what really went down when I got home from the sleepover, here it is, right from the horse's mouth.
Owen Bieri
Age 14, Grade 9
Mark (Skidmark) Bieri
Age 16, Grade 11
...............
Chapter 1 - Nerdy Ninja
Cole was nice enough to drive us home from our night of hell at the hands of the football jocks.
The first stop was my house. I politely thanked Cole for the ride, then waddled through the torrential downpour as fast as my shoulder wedgie would allow.
As I hurried out of the rain and into the garage, I noticed that my parent's Toyota Prius was missing. I remembered that my mother had told me earlier that they would be out of town at my little sister's dance competition. They were not expected home until late in the evening.
As I wiped the rain drops from my glasses, I took the opportunity to finally dislodge the uncomfortable wedgie that Cole had given me earlier that morning. As I was about to head inside the house, something caught my eye. I noticed a wide roll of sticky duct tape and a bag of heavy duty looking zip ties sitting on my father's work bench. This weekend's events had ignited a new curiosity in me. I quickly thought up a plan and scooped up the items into my backpack, and headed into the house.
As I snuck past my older brother's bedroom, I noticed that Mark was busy gaming on his computer. Entranced by the game and deafened by his headset, my elder sibling was oblivious to my return home.
Once I was safely in my own bedroom, I sat down on my bed for a moment. My head was swimming with thoughts and emotions.
I was still shocked and angry to find out about my brother's years of lies.
I was somewhat sympathetic and sad to learn of the hell that Mark had been through at school. I knew all too well about the pain and humiliation of being bullied. A part of me wanted to comfort and console my brother.
While reminiscing on my own bullying from Mark, I started to become vengeful and bitter. Countless nut crushing wedgies, gross swirlies, nauseating face farts, and other torment under the threat of much worse from him and his football player friends at school, if I didn't accept my "nerd punishments". Part of me wanted some sort of payback.
My thoughts then wandered to when we were younger and how the two of us were best friends from as far back as I can remember. Mark was my hero and role model growing up. Like most little brothers, I always wanted to be just like my older bro. Most of my "nerdy" interests came from my older brother, including our love of sci-fi movies and comic books.
Even this past couple of years, when Mark began picking on me constantly, I still dreamed of being a bully just like him. Being feared and respected, just like I was led to believe that he was at high school.
I shoved my thoughts aside and went over my plan one more time in my head. I didn't have much time, as I didn't know exactly when the rest of our family would arrive home.
I gathered my supplies and got into position. Despite being quite skinny and weak like me, Mark did have a slight height advantage over me. To my advantage, I did take a whole two weeks of karate class when I was 8 years old and was going through my ninjas phase. Plus, I ate Wheaties for breakfast this morning, so that had to count for something, right?
Armed with a fist full of zip ties in one hand and a roll of super sticky duct tape in the other, I charged at my target. As I tackled my brother out of the office chair that he had been sitting in, I was already regretting my plan.
Why didn't I just tie him to the office chair? That would have been a much better plan. For someone on the honor roll, I can be pretty stupid at times.
Fully committed to my plan now, I took advantage of the initial shock and confusion. I was able to pin my brother on his stomach and secure his wrists with zip ties fashioned into makeshift handcuffs.
Finally realising what was happening, Mark began to fight back and yell at me. "Get off me, Nerd! What the hell has gotten into you? Do you want a beating?"
I ignored him and continued to tape his ankles and knees together with many wraps of tape, followed by a couple more zip ties for safe measure.
"I am serious, Twerp! Stop messing around, or you are going to regret it!" Screamed Mark.
"You're the one that's about to regret it," I grumbled under my breath as I struggled to connect the wrist and ankle zip ties into a hogtie. I used every last ziptie, just to be sure he couldn't break free.
"If you don't untie me right now, you will be "trying out for the swim team" in every toilet in the school tomorrow!" Shouted my angry sibling. Trying out for the swim team is what Mark calls it when he gives me a swirly.
"Just like Tex did to you, Skidmark?" I asked.
I could feel my brother freeze and tense up immediately. Despite trying to sound tough, I could hear the panic in his voice as he replied, "What did you just call me? Who told you that? They are lying! Who was it? I'll kick their ass too!"
"I'd pay to see you try to fight Cole Wilson, Mitch Wright, and Tex," I chuckled.
Mark shouted, "I know you are lying because those guys.... I mean, my boys would never hang around a dork like you!"
"Normally, I would agree, but it turns out Cole is like cousins, or family friends or something with my friend Aiden. We hung out all night, "I exaggerated.
"My boys were just messing with you, Twerp. I can't believe you actually fell for it, "lied Mark.
I grabbed a pair of white briefs from my brother's laundry basket and held them against his face, just like he had done to me many times before.
"Open up, Skidmark, or everyone at school will see how your little brother hogtied and humiliated you," I teased.
The irony of using his own tactics against him was not lost on either of us. His years of torment had trained me well.
Reluctantly, he submitted and opened his mouth enough for me to force the undies inside. I tore off a few strips of tape and smoothed them over his mouth with my hand.
I rolled Mark on his side and grabbed the front waistband of his tighty whities with both hands. I could actually see the fear in his eyes.
"I am truly sorry for what you have been through at school, but that doesn't make how you treated me ok either," I said.
I stole another page from his book as I asked him, "What time is it?" He closed his eyes in anticipation. "It's wedgie time!" I yelled. I gave his undies a firm tug, causing him to yelp in pain.
I felt powerful yet horrible at the same time. Cole was right, I had let Mark treat me poorly, and it was up to me to stand up for myself. Unfortunately, I think it actually hurt me to hurt him. No one warned me that being a bully was so hard on your soul. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a bully after all. At this point, I decided that I no longer wanted payback or revenge, I just wanted a truce and maybe even my best friend back.
I got down on my hands and knees to look my brother in the eyes as I said, "I am going to give you a few minutes to get your story straight. Then we can talk. "
Truthfully, I just needed a break to get my thoughts straight. After grabbing a cold drink and a snack, I returned to find Mark right where I left him. He was sweaty and out of breath. Clearly, he had been struggling to escape while I was gone.
I rolled him back on his side and laid down beside him on the floor. I ripped the tape from his face. He yelped into his gag. That's what he gets for refusing to shave that ridiculous peach fuzz from his upper lip.
I pulled the dirty underwear from his mouth and tossed them into the hamper. I could see the defeat in his face.
"I am sorry about all this, but you had it coming," I said.
I wasn't expecting what happened next. Tears started running down his face. For the first time since we were little kids, I was actually seeing my brother cry.
Mark's voice cracked as he admitted, "I am a huge fucking loser, with no fiends, a virgin, and I get humiliated daily! Is that what you wanted to hear so bad?! Are you happy now?!"
I was shocked and a little heartbroken for my big brother. I may or may not have shed a tear, too.
"The jokes on you, though. From what I have seen at school this week, you are no better. Get ready for four years of hell, yourself, "snarled my brother.
"Can we just have a truce? It's not right what they have done to you, but you need to stop taking it out on me! It isn't fair!"I begged.
Mark suddenly looked panicked. "They're home! Quick! Cut me free before they find me like this and freak out!" Shouted Mark.
I grabbed the scissors from his desk and started to cut him free as quickly as I could.
TBC
