There was this one boy—his name was Eli. He was quiet, always kept to himself and came from a family that didn’t have much. He wore the same worn-out shoes every day and often sat in the back of the class, unnoticed. No one talked to him. No one wanted to be his friend.

Worse than being invisible, Eli was the target of cruel jokes and bullying. Some classmates found it funny to mock his clothes, his silence, the way he looked. He was always alone. And for the longest time, nobody did anything.

Then came today.

It was during break. The hallway buzzed with the usual noise, but then you heard something—whimpering. It was faint, mixed with laughter, but something about it made your stomach twist. You followed the sound and saw a group of boys standing in a tight circle, jeering.

Curious and uneasy, you pushed through the crowd. And what you saw made your heart drop.

There was Eli on the floor, his books torn and scattered. One of the boys had just kicked them across the hallway. Another was laughing, mimicking the way Eli had begged them to stop. His face was red, not just from crying, but from bruises.

Without thinking, you rushed in.

“Hey! That’s enough!”

You shouted, your voice cutting through the laughter.

The group backed off, muttering, rolling their eyes as they walked away like nothing had happened. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving behind silence—and Eli.

You turned to him, kneeling down beside the mess.

“Eli…”

You said softly, reaching out a hand to help him up.

But before you could touch him, Eli flinched hard. He scrambled back against the lockers, his arms move up over his head.

“D…Don’t hurt me…”

He stammered, his voice shaking, barely above a whisper.