when the teachers themselves had enough. They all loved Alfie as he was a sweet, charismatic young man with impeccable manners and a bright future. They always took Alfie's side as he was an honest kid and had never been caught cheating or lying.
The captain at the time, was a senior who always took the sides of his players. This was something that had brought the ire of the teachers down upon him. They all wanted him to stop the team's bullying of Alfie.
Somehow the captain had gotten into his head that an excellent way to bring Alfie down a peg or two, was to ruin Alfie's reputation, grades and social standing.
They failed to take into account that the teachers by then knew how Alfie worked. Just like the other kids, the teachers were not easily fooled, and with finals coming up, they got even more strict and observant for cheating.
They planned to steal answer sheets and plant them either in Alfie's locker or in his backpack. They went about it secretly. They wore gloves and mask to keep hair from falling. They were cautious to the point that it was too perfect. After it was noticed that the school’s office had been “broken into”, the police were called in. To the football team, it was perfect. They had sneaked the answer sheets into Alfie's backpack.
It blew up with the teachers being adamant that Alfie wouldn't have done the crime, that he wouldn't even need to. There have been answer sheets stolen before yes, but Alfie was always a smart teenager and aced surprise quizzes and tests that held no answer sheet on the school premises.
The police agreed after interviewing Alfie and getting an airtight alibi that Matt to this day, still has no idea what it was. However, it was more than good enough for the police. Then, Alfie's parents really got involved as the bullying went from just the football team to other kids thinking that Alfie was cheating and taking away potential scholarships away. Alfie's bullying quickly turned physical.
There was never really any extremely violent bullying, but one shove was just hard enough to send Alfie down a flight of stairs.
It was Matt who saw it all. It was Matt who ran down the stairs first. It was Matt who pushed through the open-mouthed bystanders. It was Matt who checked that Alfie was still breathing as he was out cold. It was Matt who saw the blood first and called the ambulance. It was Matt who told the teachers everything.
It was Matt who got 70% of the football team expelled. Alfie didn't know that as Matt begged the judge that he be kept anonymous.
Alfie had hit his head when he landed on the floor, broke a wrist, and cracked a few ribs. Alfie's parents wanted to know who had come forward regarding the incident. The police advised them that they were unable to give them that information. Alfie’s parent weren't impressed with the school and the police but understood when the principal explained that the kid who came forward was scared himself.
The case was held and ended within a few days, and that was that. When Alfie came back from the hospital, he was completely different in some ways and entirely the same in others.
He was still the super-smart kid who did quite well on his tests. However, when the other kids wanted to come close to him and befriend him, he'd look them in the eye, sneer or scoff, both sometimes. Then he would pack up his things and walk away. He was still charming, and all smiled to the teachers and a selected few kids who never bullied him and were in the book club he was in.
The rest of the school got the cold hard glare of evergreen eyes and a sneer so potent that it only took one day for the rest of the school to understand that they had long lost their chance to befriend the British teen.
Matt sighed as he looked down at the now empty containers. Alfie had finished high school with being the valedictorian. The speech he gave was scathing when he talked about his fellow students but praising when talking to the academic, sports and culture achievements gained as a whole. He was thankful to the teachers, giving them thanks for being there for the teenagers who want to grow into better adults.
The applause was awkward at best, but Alfie sat with a satisfied smirk. That was the