A story about bullying at school was suggested by P A T or PAT on free4talk.com, thank you.

Leo was fifteen years old. He was a new student at Green Park School in London. Leo was a quiet boy. He was often shy in big groups. He worked hard in Maths and Science, but his favourite subject was Art. He carried a blue sketchbook with him everywhere.

Every day at lunchtime, a student named Sam waited for Leo. Sam was tall and strong. He was often loud and aggressive.

“Give me your crisps,” Sam said on Monday. Leo looked at the floor and gave him the packet of crisps.
“Move out of my way,” Sam said on Tuesday. He pushed Leo against the wall in the corridor.

Leo did not say anything. He was afraid. He did not want to cause trouble, so he stayed silent. He felt very alone.

On Wednesday, Leo sat in the corner of the school canteen. It was noisy, but Leo was in his own world. He was drawing a picture of a detailed tree in his sketchbook. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the page. Leo looked up. It was Sam.

“What is this rubbish?” Sam asked unkindly. He grabbed the blue sketchbook from Leo’s hands.
“Please, give it back,” Leo said. His voice shook a little.
Sam laughed. “Come and get it.”

Sam threw the book across the room. It landed in a rubbish bin full of food. The other students watched, but nobody moved. They were afraid of Sam, too.

Leo felt hot tears in his eyes. He walked to the bin and took out his book. The pages were stained with sauce and water. His drawing was ruined. He felt angry and sad. He wanted to run home.

Then, a girl named Sarah walked over to his table.
“Are you okay?” she asked gently.
“No,” Leo answered.
“Sam is a bully,” Sarah said firmly. “You must tell a teacher. You cannot let him treat you like this.”

Leo looked at his damaged drawing. He took a deep breath. Sarah was right. Silence was not the answer.
“I will tell Mr. Harris,” Leo said. Mr. Harris was the Art teacher. He was a kind and fair man.

Leo walked to the Art room. His heart beat fast. He knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Mr. Harris said.
Leo showed the teacher his dirty sketchbook. He explained everything about Sam. He spoke about the stolen lunch, the pushing, and the insults.

Mr. Harris listened carefully. He did not interrupt. When Leo finished, Mr. Harris looked serious.
“I am very sorry, Leo,” he said. “Bullying is not acceptable in this school. You were very brave to tell me. I will handle this immediately.”

The next day, Sam was not in the canteen. He was in the Head Teacher’s office. Sam’s parents were there, too. The school took the situation very seriously. Sam was suspended from school for one week.

When Sam returned to school, he did not speak to Leo. He stayed far away. The bullying stopped completely.

Leo sat with Sarah at lunch that day. He opened a brand new sketchbook. He picked up his pencil and began to draw. This time, he drew a lion. Leo did not feel afraid anymore. He felt safe, and he finally had a voice.

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Vocabulary Notes

Sketchbook (Noun)
Definition: A book with blank (empty) pages that is used for drawing or sketching, rather than writing. Artists use this to practice ideas.
Example: “He carried a blue sketchbook with him everywhere.”
Similar words: Drawing pad, art book, notepad.

Aggressive (Adjective)
Definition: Behaving in an angry and violent way towards another person. An aggressive person looks like they want to attack or fight.
Example: “He was often loud and aggressive.”
Similar words: Hostile, violent, angry, threatening.

Corridor (Noun)
Definition: A long passage in a building (like a school, hotel, or office) with doors that lead into rooms. In American English, this is often called a “hallway.”
Example: “He pushed Leo against the wall in the corridor.”
Similar words: Hallway, passage, hall.

Ruined (Adjective/Verb)
Definition: To destroy or spoil something completely so that it cannot be used or enjoyed anymore.
Example: “His drawing was ruined.”
Similar words: Destroyed, spoiled, wrecked, damaged.

Suspended (Verb – Passive Voice)
Definition: To be officially stopped from going to school or work for a specific period of time as a punishment. It is usually temporary (not forever).
Example: “Sam was suspended from school for one week.”
Similar words: Sent home, removed, temporarily excluded.

Story written by Gemini.

Image created by Gemini.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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