Jack was regularly set upon by Gideon throughout those bleak wintery days. He never fought back in the hope Gideon would get bored and turn his attention elsewhere. At least Archie helped afterwards and made Jack smile by nicknaming Gideon, Kyffers and Droggers the Stupid Club.
Whenever Jack spoke in the classroom, Gideon picked on him with stifled insults.
“Idiot.”
“Piss stain.”
“Wanker,” he peeped.
Every time, Kyffers and Droggers, laughed haughtily and encouraged Gideon to be even ruder. Gideon was enjoying himself A LOT. But each jibe and beating made Jack retreat more and more into himself. This was not fair and it seemed like it would ever end.
In the meantime, Griselina was getting at Lucy, initially with name-calling.
“Freak.”
“Ugly bitch.”
“Halfwit,” she lisped.
The belittling amused one girl in the class. Her name was Evie and most other girls kept their distance because she had invented an imaginary tragic back-story. She lived in a mansion, but told anyone who would listen her family was destitute and they only ate one meal a week. Evie became Griselina’s only friend and she enjoyed the put-downs Lucy endured.
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