Daily life

The morning sun hung low over the school building as waves of seventh graders poured through the front gates. Lockers slammed, voices echoed down the hallways, and the usual chaos of another school day began.

Among the crowd walked Jacoby Morrison.

Jacoby stood out almost immediately. While most students wore simple hoodies or plain clothes, Jacoby wore something brighter—an outfit that showed his personality. His style was cute, expressive, and confident, though the confidence sometimes hid a deeper nervousness.

As he stepped through the hallway, whispers started almost instantly.

Some students stared.

Some laughed quietly.

Some just watched him walk by like he was some kind of spectacle.

Jacoby tried not to react. He had gotten used to it by now… at least, that’s what he told himself.

He pulled out his phone while walking and opened TikTok. His account—Jacobyurmom—had dozens of notifications lighting up the screen.

New follower.

New comment.

Your video reached 10,000 views.

A small smile appeared on his face.

Online, people liked him. They complimented his outfits, encouraged his confidence, and called him brave for expressing himself the way he did.

For a moment, the hallway noise faded away.

Then a voice snapped him back to reality.

“Yo, Jacoby!”

He looked up to see Gravi walking over with a couple of friends. Two girls from their group followed behind, smiling.

“Another new outfit?” Gravi said with a grin. “You’re trying to start a fashion show in the hallway or something?”

Jacoby laughed a little.

“Maybe.”

One of the girls leaned closer and said, “Honestly, it’s cute.”

Jacoby scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed but grateful for the support.

For a brief moment, things felt normal.

But across the hallway stood Carter and Jacob.

Carter leaned against a locker, arms crossed, watching Jacoby with a smirk.

Jacob stood next to him, whispering something that made the group around them laugh.

Carter spoke just loud enough for Jacoby to hear.

“Look at him,” Carter said. “Walking around like he’s famous or something.”

Jacob scoffed. “Yeah, because of those stupid TikTok videos.”

Jacoby pretended not to hear, though his shoulders tensed slightly.

Gravi noticed the tension and glanced over at the bullies, but Jacoby quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway,” Jacoby said, forcing a smile, “I posted a new video last night.”

The girls immediately leaned closer.

“Oh my god, the pink outfit one?”

Jacoby nodded.

“Yeah.”

Meanwhile, Carter rolled his eyes.

“Cringe,” he muttered.

—

Later that day, students gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.

Jacoby sat with Gravi and the others, quietly eating while scrolling through his phone.

The peace didn’t last long.

A chair suddenly scraped loudly against the floor.

Carter dragged it close to their table and sat down backwards in it, resting his arms across the backrest.

“Well, well,” Carter said. “Nice outfit today, Jacoby.”

Jacob stepped beside him, glancing down at Jacoby’s clothes.

“Did your mom dress you or something?”

A few students nearby chuckled.

Jacoby froze for a second but tried to remain calm.

“I’m just eating lunch,” he said quietly.

Carter leaned closer.

“Yeah, we can see that.”

Jacob kicked the leg of Jacoby’s chair slightly.

“Try not to make a TikTok about it.”

Gravi glared at them.

“Why don’t you guys just leave him alone?”

Carter shrugged.

“Because it’s funny.”

The tension hung thick in the air until a teacher across the room called out for students to quiet down.

Carter stood up slowly.

“See you later, Jacoby.”

Jacob smirked before following him away.

Jacoby looked down at his food.

His hands trembled slightly.

—

The afternoon brought woodshop class.

The room smelled like sawdust and machine oil. Students worked on small projects while tools clanged and buzzed in the background.

At one table, Jacob repeatedly slammed a hammer into random pieces of scrap wood.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

The loud noise made several students glance over.

Jacoby finally sighed and spoke up.

“Hey… could you stop hitting random stuff?” Jacoby said carefully. “You might break something.”

Jacob slowly turned his head.

For a moment, the room went quiet.

Then he walked over.

Without warning—

He shoved Jacoby.

Jacoby stumbled back, nearly falling.

“What?” Jacob said. “You gonna cry about it?”

Some students laughed nervously.

The teacher looked up from across the room.

“Hey, be careful over there!”

But that was it.

No real punishment. No real stopping it.

Jacoby steadied himself, breathing slowly.

Inside his chest, something twisted tightly.

Something angry.

Something that had been building for a long time.

Over the school speakers, the intercom suddenly crackled.

“Attention students,” the principal’s voice announced. “There will be an assembly tomorrow regarding recent behavior issues—vandalism, disruptions, and disrespect toward staff.”

Students groaned.

But Jacoby didn’t react.

He just stood there quietly.

His hands slowly clenched into fists.

And for the first time in a long while…

Jacoby felt something inside him begin to crack.

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