Danny sat staring out the window. He just couldn't sleep. His arm hurt so badly, but he was too scared to tell his mom about what happened at school today.
During break he was sitting alone minding his own business eating his lunch. Like usual, Bradley and his friends came over and took his lunch. This has been going on for weeks now, but this time he tried to stop them, but Bradley pushed him so hard that he fell on his arm. Bradley just laughed at him, took his lunch and he left him there crying on the ground.
Danny was too embarrassed to tell his teacher and he ran home straight after school. He was scared that Bradley would wait for him. He thought long and hard about his situation. He honestly could not think of one thing he could do to get himself out of the situation. He just had to take this punishment like a man.
The next morning Danny didn't feel well. He told his mom that he wanted to stay at home, but his mom said that if he felt sick that she had to take him to the doctor. Danny realized that he did not think this through, because the doctor would definitely see that his arm was hurt, and then he would have to explain the whole bully episode to his mother and then she would tell his dad and it would just cause trouble.
After he brushed his teeth he went downstairs to tell his mom that he felt much better, and that he would rather go to school.
Everything was fine until break time when Danny went to sit on his regular spot to eat his lunch. He was just about to take the first bite when Bradley and his friends appeared out of the blue.
"Hey Danny, let's see what you have for lunch today!" Bradley shouted. Danny just handed them his lunch and then walked away. He was no longer in the mood for any of this and he thought that it would be better if he just walked away.
"That's right,..... run away!" Bradley shouted but for once he did not come after Danny.
Danny felt a little bit puzzled when he walked home later that day. He walked right past Bradley's house without even realizing it, but he looked up when he heard a funny sound coming from behind a tree.
He walked closer and then saw something that he could not believe. Crawled up behind the tree sat Bradley crying and sobbing terribly. He walked right up to Bradley, but realized that he was in a vulnerable state.
"What's going on Bradley? Can I help you with something?" Bradley looked up and when he saw that it was Danny he felt very embarrassed and shouted at him to go away.
Danny was adamant and refused to leave. "Please tell me what is wrong Bradley...I am not leaving you like this."
'Why would you even help me? I am awful to you every single day."
"Let's forget about that for a minute. What can I do to help?"
That afternoon a miracle happened. Bradley told Danny that he did not have any real friends. Nobody ever wanted to visit him at home and he longed to have friend of his own.
"I am willing to be your friend" Danny told Bradley. "If you promise to stop taking my lunch every day."
"I'm sorry about that...It's just...." "You don't have to explain."
"Do you want to come home with me?" Bradley smiled and said: "Let me go and ask my mom!"
Danny and Bradley became great friends and for years after they were inseparable. Danny was never bullied again.
It's a very simple story but impressive.