Even as his bullies disappeared from the picture, school became harder and harder.
Some of the teachers had lost loved ones in the war with the boy's country. Any time he raised his hand to ask a question, he could see the disdain on their faces, feel how much they loathed him.
One day, he's staying after class to do his appointed service hours cleaning classrooms. His teacher is sitting at her desk, watching him over the top of her glasses.
The boy knocks a board eraser off the table by mistake, the back of his broom clipping it and sending it flying.
The teacher is up in an instant, screaming at him. She grabs a ruler and begins to smack him with it, snapping his hands and arms, leaving giant red welts.
Eventually, she stops, sweating and out of breath. The boy is curled up and crying, his arms held up to protect his head, crisscrossed with angry, bleeding marks.
She tells the boy to get out of her classroom, and not to tell any body if he doesn't want it to happen again.
