Tully stared at the pastel green ceiling of his room. Never before had it seemed so lifeless and dull. Memories of the incident flashed in his mind, as if it had happened just seconds ago. Images of the dare repeatedly replayed itself, reminding him of the guilt he felt. He had gotten himself into trouble solely for the sake of fitting in. Mother was upset, and he knew it was his fault. Maybe being different was alright, he shouldn't try so hard...That dare. He heard the voice again, that voice."Hey Tully...""Umm... yes?" Tully was hesitant. They had never approached him before. They were too "cool" to degrade themselves and speak to such ...view middle of the document...
That did it. It was wrong, but he had to do it. He needed to be part of this group, needed to prove that he was not a coward. It might be his only chance he had to finally gain acceptance, to no longer be stepped on as if no one cared."All right, I'll do it." He said finally.He tried to sound as brave as he could, but inside he was shaking like a leaf. He walked nervously towards the shop, unaware of sniggering in the background. Tully strode into the shop, trying to look as casual as possible. His hands trembled slightly and he attempted to calm his breathing. He looked around, and when he thought nobody was looking, slipped a pen into his pocket. It was just a simple, ordinary pen; the shop would probably not miss it. The pen was light, but was a burden and his pocket felt heavy.Despite all that, Tully tried to slip out unnoticed. Suddenly, a hand shot out of nowhere and clamped on his shoulder. He jumped."Show me what you took," the shopkeeper demanded in a rough voice.Tully knew it was over. He begged desperately for a second chance. The shopkeeper was unmoved and called the police. As Tully was led out of the shop by two police officers, he saw the gang smirking at him, and realized they had set him up.Back home, his mother gave him a dressing down. As his mother left the room with tears rolling down her cheeks, Tully felt guilt stab his heart like a double-edged sword. He had let his mother down. What he did was terribly wrong, and he knew it. He could never fit in, and he would have to accept this fact.
