Our school has this bully.
That’s the nicest name I can think of.
I knew why he was popular, he was good-looking and his parents were wealthier than most…but he was a jerk.
Marcus made it his mission to be seen, the self-appointed king of cruel humor, and if you were in his line of sight, it probably wasn’t good news.
So when I saw him approach Ben after school one Thursday, my gut twisted.
Ben’s a sophomore, a good kid with a gentle vibe and a big heart, even if he doesn’t quite get why people laugh at him sometimes.
He’s got a cognitive disability (I don’t know much about it) but I know he’s pretty smart at mechanical things and getting basic grades in everything else.
Most everyone likes Ben, but for some reason, Marcus usually ignored him or just made fun of him passively.
That’s why what I saw was weird.
Normally Marcus wouldn’t take time to talk to Ben.
So, I stuck around to see what was going on.
The Setup in the Parking Lot
The high school parking lot had emptied out as the last bell rang, leaving only the usual suspects behind: the kids waiting for rides, a few still messing around on the steps, and of course, Marcus and his crew.
I hung back by my car, pretending to be on my phone but keeping an eye on things.
I could see Marcus chatting Ben up by one of the rows of parked cars, all casual-like, putting on that fake charm that’s so thin you could see through it from a mile away.
Marcus leaned in, grinning like he was letting Ben in on some big secret. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the smirk on his face said it all.
He was setting something up, and Ben, sweet guy that he is, looked genuinely interested.
Marcus’s friends gathered around, some holding back laughter, all waiting for whatever twisted plan he had up his sleeve.
Then, Marcus announced it loud enough for half the lot to hear: “Ben, my guy, you’re gonna be a legend today. We’re making you famous!”
Ben’s face lit up.
Famous? For a kid like him, who’s usually treated like an afterthought, the idea of being popular—of being seen as something more—was tempting.
Marcus was practically selling him a golden ticket.
But as I watched Marcus give Ben some “instructions,” my heart sank.
The plan was painfully obvious: get Ben to make a fool of himself on camera while everyone else laughed at his expense.
Marcus told Ben to stand on the hood of an old car, make a “big spin,” and jump down like he was some kind of action hero. He made it sound easy, but I could tell Ben was struggling to understand the moves.
He tried to follow Marcus’s vague instructions, but it was too much for him. Ben stood there, unsure, hesitating on the hood, and you could practically feel the crowd’s anticipation turn to disappointment.
Finally, Marcus rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh.
“Alright, alright,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “If you can’t do it, just hold the camera. Let me show you how it’s done.”
And that’s when things took a turn that Marcus would never see coming.
The Switcheroo
Marcus tossed his phone to Ben, who took it with an intense, focused look.
For him, this was serious. Holding that phone steady, keeping the camera trained on Marcus—he wanted to get it just right.
Meanwhile, Marcus was already climbing onto the hood of the car, basking in the attention.
The crowd snickered, and I could see Marcus’s friends nudging each other, ready for whatever “epic” stunt he was about to pull.
Marcus, acting like he was auditioning for an action movie, held his arms out dramatically, pausing for effect. He flashed a grin, no doubt imagining the “legendary” status he was going to earn from his so-called “bravery.”
“Alright, watch closely, Ben,” he said with a smirk. “This is how it’s done.”
He did a mock stretch, hyping himself up for the big moment. Then, with a grand flourish, he twisted his body, spinning on one foot on the car hood.
I noticed how wobbly the old car’s surface looked, but Marcus was too caught up in the moment to care. He went for the spin, his eyes glancing at Ben, probably to make sure he was capturing it all on camera.
And then, for the grand finale, Marcus crouched and prepared for his big jump—straight from the hood down to the concrete below.
He wanted the full effect, the “wow” moment that would make the video viral-worthy.
But the thing is, he’d miscalculated just how slick that car hood really was.
The Great Fall
With Ben holding the camera like it was the most important job in the world, Marcus was ready for his big stunt.
He took a moment to savor the attention, his smirk growing wider as he soaked in the crowd’s energy.
It was like he truly believed he was about to make high school history.
“Watch this, everyone!” he shouted, with a dramatic flourish of his arms.
Then, in his own clumsy attempt at “cool,” he spun around on the car hood, his sneakers squeaking across the metal.
But just as he was gearing up for the grand finale—his big leap from the hood to the ground—the laws of physics, gravity, and karma all came together in one glorious moment.
As he planted his foot for the jump, the hood of the car, slick with a bit of leftover rain from earlier that day, betrayed him.
His foot slipped, his balance shot.
In an instant, Marcus’s face contorted from a confident smirk to pure panic as his arms flailed like a windmill, trying to regain control.
But gravity had other plans.
With a spectacular lack of grace, Marcus fell forward, his legs flying out from under him. He landed hard on his backside with a loud, unmistakable thud.
But that wasn’t even the worst of it.
As he crashed down, his head snapped back and hit the edge of the car bumper.
A stunned silence fell over the crowd as Marcus lay there, clutching his head and groaning.
Ben, still dutifully filming, had caught every second of it on camera, the lens capturing Marcus’s slow-motion descent from hero to zero.
The crowd erupted into laughter, the kind of belly laughs you can’t hold back, and the sound was like a slap in the face for Marcus.
His friends, who were usually the first to cheer him on, had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard.
And just when I thought it couldn’t get better, the assistant principal, Mrs. Carter, and the school security officer appeared, having been drawn to the scene by all the commotion.
They took one look at Marcus sprawled out on the ground, the crowd laughing, and Ben standing there with the camera, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
“Alright, everyone, back up!” Mrs. Carter called out, giving Ben a wary look.
“What happened here? Did someone push him?” She glanced suspiciously at Ben, assuming he might be responsible for Marcus’s fall.
Marcus, still in a daze, opened his mouth to speak, but Ben, always one to tell the truth, held up the phone.
“No, ma’am,” he said earnestly. “It’s all on video. You can see for yourself.”
Mrs. Carter raised an eyebrow and took the phone, scrolling back to the beginning of the clip. She watched the entire debacle unfold—Marcus’s preening, his failed spin, and the glorious moment of impact—all with an expression that shifted from concern to bewildered amusement.
By the time the video ended, even she was fighting back a grin. The security officer had to turn away to stifle his laughter.
“So…you did this to yourself?” Mrs. Carter asked, looking down at Marcus, who was too embarrassed to answer.
Marcus, red-faced and clearly wishing he could sink into the asphalt, muttered something that sounded like, “Yeah, I guess so.”
The crowd’s laughter only got louder, and this time, even Mrs. Carter couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
Unmasking the Fool
The following morning, the video had spread like wildfire.
Someone in the crowd had airdropped it to half the school before dinner, and by the time the first bell rang, Marcus’s spectacular fall was the only thing anyone could talk about.
Ben, to his surprise, was practically a school celebrity.
People high-fived him in the hallway, congratulating him on his “cinematography skills.” He smiled shyly, probably not understanding why everyone was suddenly so friendly, but enjoying the warmth all the same.
And Marcus?
Well, he hobbled in with an ice pack on his head and a stiff limp, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
His friends, who were usually right by his side, couldn’t help themselves and would occasionally crack up, mimicking his fall whenever his back was turned.
In the end, Marcus got his wish—he was famous. Just not in the way he’d imagined.
And as for Ben, he’d gone from being Marcus’s target to the unintentional star, with a little help from karma…and a shaky, unforgettable video.