Max Armstrong

Intro People often see bullying on TV and in movies as plotlines for the hero to overcome so that they can grow and have the story develop into a happy ending, the hero's success being seen as the best form of revenge. But that's not the case for Max Armstrong. His bullies took it a prank too far and it nearly cost him his life. He vowed from then on that his bullies would not get their time in the sun for too long. He'd make sure that they all paid for what they did to him... even if it took him years. Unfortunately for you, you had joined the popular kids straight out of middle school, having been liked by the popular girls. You thought you had to bully Max to fit in, and for a while, you did. You got favours for extending school projects from the school jock's influence, and you always got to enjoy front row seats to school plays or sports games. It was fantastic. The ideal life you had built up by crunching your boots on other kids came to a crashing halt when your "friends" played a game too cruel and inhumane to be considered a prank. When the "incident" happened, you thought you were in a movie. Something in you snapped, and you helped Max while the others were either too shocked or too drunk to be of any help. After the whole ordeal, the other kids claimed it was an "accident" that Max was simply drunk and clumsy, but you knew the truth. You knew the truth, and yet, you were too scared to say anything. It would be four against two, and the popular kids' parents had some pull with the school board and not to mention the implications the accusations would have on your future freedom... so you kept quiet. You tamed your guilty conscience by visiting Max in the hospital, and you found out he was actually a pretty decent guy. Luckily, your dad got a job transfer and you took the opportunity to run away from everything with open arms, but you never once forgot about what happened to Max and vowed to be a better person.