Jake ruled the school until he messed with the wrong family… But karma was about to collect.
Emma Martinez pressed her back against the cold metal lockers as Jake Thompson and his crew surrounded her. Three weeks at Lincoln High, and she’d already become their favorite target.
“Where’s my homework, scholarship girl?” Jake sneered, towering over her five-foot frame.
“I-I told you yesterday, I’m not doing your assignments anymore,” Emma whispered, clutching her backpack.
Jake’s friend Tyler laughed. “Did the little mouse just squeak back at us?”
“Maybe she needs a reminder of how things work around here,” Jake said, grabbing her backpack and dumping its contents across the hallway floor.
Emma dropped to her knees, frantically gathering her scattered papers and books. “Please, just leave me alone.”
“Or what?” Jake kicked her chemistry notebook down the hall. “You gonna cry to mommy? Oh wait, I heard she’s working three jobs just to keep you here.”
The hallway filled with laughter from the growing crowd of students. Emma’s cheeks burned as she crawled after her notebook.
“Pick it up,” Jake commanded, pointing at a crumpled assignment. “With your teeth.”
Emma’s hands shook as she reached for the paper. This was too far, even for Jake.
“Problem here?”
The voice cut through the laughter like a blade. Deep, calm, dangerous.
Emma looked up to see her older brother Marcus standing at the end of the hallway. Six-foot-three, broad shoulders, with the kind of presence that made people step back without thinking.
Jake’s smirk faltered. “Who the hell are you?”
“Emma’s big brother.” Marcus walked slowly toward them, students parting like water. “Just got back from a little… vacation.”
Tyler whispered urgently to Jake, “Dude, that’s Marcus Martinez. He just got out of Riverside Youth Detention.”
Jake’s face went pale, but his ego wouldn’t let him back down. “So? This is my school.”
Marcus stopped three feet away. “Your school?”
“That’s right. And your little sister needs to learn some respect.”
Emma scrambled to her feet, books still scattered around her. “Marcus, it’s okay—”
“No, Em. It’s not okay.” Marcus never took his eyes off Jake. “See, I spent eighteen months thinking about family. About what happens to people who mess with mine.”
The hallway had gone dead silent. Even the teachers seemed to have vanished.
Jake tried to puff out his chest. “You threatening me? I’ll call security.”
“No threats. Just facts.” Marcus pulled out his phone. “See, I’ve been watching you for three days. Following you home. Learning your routine.”
Jake’s bravado cracked. “You can’t—”
“I know you drive a red Mustang. License plate JT-2024. I know you park in the same spot every morning. I know you walk home alone on Maple Street.” Marcus smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. “I know a lot of things.”
Tyler grabbed Jake’s arm. “Man, let’s just go.”
“And Jake?” Marcus stepped closer. “I know where you live. 1247 Elm Street. Blue house with the broken fence.”
Jake’s face went white. “How do you—”
“I also know your dad’s a lawyer. Probably wouldn’t like hearing his son’s been terrorizing kids. Especially not from someone with my… connections.”
The crowd began to disperse, sensing the shift in power. Jake looked around desperately, but his friends were already backing away.
“This isn’t over,” Jake muttered.
“Oh, but it is.” Marcus pulled out his phone again. “Because I recorded everything that just happened. You demanding homework, making her crawl, the whole show.”
Emma watched in amazement as Jake’s entire demeanor crumbled.
“Delete that,” Jake demanded weakly.
“Why would I do that? It’s evidence.” Marcus showed him the screen. “Evidence of harassment, intimidation, maybe even assault. My parole officer would be very interested. So would the principal. And your college recruiters.”
Jake’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Marcus continued. “You’re going to apologize to my sister. Right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake mumbled, not meeting Emma’s eyes.
“Louder.”
“I’m sorry, Emma. For everything.”
Marcus nodded. “Good. Now you’re going to spread the word that Emma Martinez is off-limits. Anyone who even looks at her wrong answers to me.”
Jake nodded frantically.
“And Jake? If I hear you’ve been bothering anyone else like this, we’ll have another conversation. But next time, it won’t be in front of witnesses.”
Jake practically ran down the hallway, Tyler and the others scrambling after him.
Emma bent to pick up her remaining books, but Marcus was already gathering them.
“You okay, Em?”
“I am now.” She hugged him tightly. “But you can’t keep threatening people. You’ll violate your parole.”
Marcus grinned. “Who said anything about threats? I was just being friendly. Making conversation.”
Emma laughed despite herself. “You’re terrible.”
“I’m protective. There’s a difference.”
As they walked down the now-empty hallway, Emma felt something she hadn’t in weeks: safe.
“Marcus?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for having my back.”
“Always, little sister. Always.”
The next morning, Emma walked through the front doors of Lincoln High with her head held high. Jake was already there, but he quickly looked away and hurried in the opposite direction.
Word had spread fast. By lunch, Emma noticed something incredible: people were actually being nice to her. Not out of fear, but out of genuine respect.
At her locker, she found a note: “Sorry about before. Want to sit with us at lunch? – Sarah from Chemistry.”
Emma smiled, tucked the note into her backpack, and headed to class. For the first time since starting at Lincoln High, she felt like she belonged.
Jake Thompson learned a valuable lesson that day: some people have bigger brothers. And some bigger brothers don’t play games.
The bullying stopped. Permanently.
And Emma Martinez finally got to just be a regular high school student.
