‘You Scruff!’ Everyone on Bus Mocks Teen Girl with Dirty Skirt until Boy from Local Gang Steps In — Story of the Day

A girl starts crying after everyone on her bus mocks her for staining her skirt due to her period. But everything changes when their school senior who's a member of a local gang boards the bus.

11-year-old Emma was raised by her grandmother, Meredith, after her parents died in a fatal car crash years ago. Meredith ran a small bakery near their house to provide for them and sent Emma to school by bus every day.

One day, Emma had just boarded the bus after school when she noticed everyone was staring at her. She sat in the back to avoid attention, but they continued to stare.

Soon after, one of the girls approached her and asked her to move so she could take the seat beside her. Emma got up to move and noticed a large red patch on the seat.

As the other girl saw that, she frowned. "Eww! You scruff! You don't even know how to carry yourself! You ruined both the bus seat and your dress!"

Emma was very upset when the other kids mocked her. | Source: Pexels

Emma's eyes welled up, and she didn't know what to do. She was trained about periods at school, but she hadn't gotten it before and wasn't prepared for it. She'd been getting cramps as she left class for the bus, but she thought she'd be fine by the time she got home. However, she got her period before that and stained her skirt.

"Oh no," she whispered to herself, teary-eyed, as she saw the patch on the seat.

Then another boy mocked her. "Even I know it's a girl's thing! Didn't her parents teach her anything? That's sick! Is she going to stay here like that?"

"I - I'm sorry. My mom and dad—"

"Ugh, how did you not know about your period?" another girl asked her blatantly. "If you sit here, you'll dirty the seat even more! Just get down and walk back home. Maybe go to the school nurse and ask for help? Go wherever you want! We don't want you here!"

Emma couldn't stop crying at that point. She took her bag and hung it in a way that it would hide the stain on her skirt.

The kids on the bus whispered mean things to Emma and nobody stepped in to help her. | Source: Pexels

As she made her way to the bus gate, kids were whispering mean things about her. The bus driver wasn't around. He left to grab a quick coffee.

"Hey, Emma!" exclaimed one of the boys as she was about to leave. "Make sure you clean the seat before you leave! Nobody is going to clean after you!"

Just then Peter Stevens, a senior in school, boarded the bus. Peter hailed from an impoverished household and was known for his poor grades and involvement in a local gang. Nobody in school ever dared to go against him. Emma was afraid to see him too. She took a step back, startled, as he approached her.

Peter had been walking near the bus when he overheard the kids ridiculing Emma so he boarded the bus to help her.

"You all need to shut up, you little brats!" he warned. "Why the heck are you fussing over something so natural, huh?" The kids fell silent instantly. "Hey girl, you don't need to cry, okay?" he told Emma. "You should tell them what they're doing is wrong!"

He took off his jacket and tied it around Emma's waist. Then he walked over to Emma's seat and placed his handkerchief on it.

Peter came to Emma's rescue. | Source: Pexels

"This seat is now taken! Nobody sits here till the cleaner cleans it, do you understand? And yeah, shut up and mind your own business, you jerks! And stop picking on your classmate!" He held Emma's hand and helped her out of the bus.

"You don't need to worry, okay?" He consoled her. "I have an older sister who taught me everything about periods. Let's go to the school nurse; she should be able to help you."

"Thank - thank you…." Emma managed to say between tears. "I'm Emma."

"I'm Peter. No more crying, Emma! You got this, okay? Will your mom be home at this time?"

Emma shook her head. "My parents died long ago. I live with my Gran. She works at a bakery and won't be home right now…."

"Oh, I see … No problem, let's see if the school nurse is available, okay?"

Unfortunately, the school nurse, Mrs. Murphy, had left the premises early. When Peter and Emma returned to the school gate, the bus had also left. Peter felt bad for Emma and didn't want to leave her alone, so he offered to walk her home.

Peter dropped Emma home. | Source: Pexels

As they passed by a medical store on the way to Emma's home, Peter asked her to wait and dashed over to the store. He returned with a pack of sanitary napkins and gave it to her. "Keep these with you, alright? Just in case you don't have it at home. You will need them."

As they reached her home, Emma thanked Peter for his help. "It's alright. Take care," he told her before leaving.

When Meredith returned home that day, Emma cried and told her everything that had happened at school.

Meredith was impressed by how Peter had helped Emma. She wanted to thank him, so she sent some of her homemade cookies to Peter via Emma and asked her to invite him home.

The next day, Peter came to Emma's home. Meredith took him out to lunch, and while they talked, she learned that Peter's family was poor and his parents struggled to provide for his four other siblings.

Meredith decided to help them and asked Peter if he would be interested in working part-time at her bakery. "You see, young man, I need a helping hand, and I heard you've got a gang of boys with you ... They could help me with the deliveries! What do you think?"

Meredith offered to hire Peter and his gang at her bakery. | Source: Pexels

Eventually, Peter's kindness towards Emma reached the school principal, and the principal gave him recognition for stepping up for Emma. The students who mocked Emma on the bus were also asked to apologize to her.

Meanwhile, Peter and Emma became good friends.

What can we learn from this story?

• Help can sometimes come from the most unexpected places. Peter was Emma's senior and was well-known across the school for all the wrong reasons. Nobody expected him to come to Emma's rescue, but he helped her when he overheard the kids on the bus making fun of her.
• You can never judge a book by its cover. Because Peter was a local gang member, everyone at school dreaded him. They never dared to oppose him, and even Emma was startled when he boarded the bus. But, in the end, he proved to be a kind soul who helped her.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a boy who cleans the school playground every day until a teacher approaches him.

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