The outside world could do no harm when I was with him at school. Surprisingly, that school year went along smoothly. Then one afternoon the inevitable happened: The school bully, Tim Morris, decided to choose me as his next victim. Students were scattered throughout the horseshoe atrium during lunch while they socialized with their cliques on the cement steps. Carter was meeting me in this area after he got done with gym class. The longer I waited, the more impatient I became. I felt a light touch on my back and I thought it was Carter, but I turned around only to find an unopened ketchup packet at my feet. When I looked up, there stood Tim Morris with his unmistakable fiery red hair, pale skin, and dark brown freckles. I'd known him since grade school, and the big brute was extremely obnoxious as he was overweight. He was one of those kids who picked on others to make up for his own low self-esteem. Something hit my back again moments later. This time it was an unopened mustard packet. “What the hell?”
