It was now the beginning of Grade 7 for me. Some of the guys had really gotten big over the summer. They came into the changeroom for gym with these huge new muscles: The biggest of them, Zack, didn't even have to flex his huge bicep for everyone in the room to be impressed. The biggest surprise was when they took off their shirts. They had enormous pecs and these amazing abs- total six-pack. Then the embarassment came...

"Hey, Worm!" (They always called me Worm.) "Come over here!" I went over.

"You look different. Don't he look different, fellas?" Zack asked his friends, snickering a bit. I just stood there.

"What's different about you?" He pretended like he was looking. Then he slapped himself on the forehead. "You've been working out, ain't you?" I heard laughs around the room.

"Well, have you or haven't you?" He glared at me.

"No, Zack, I haven't," I replied quietly.

"Come here," he commanded. "Closer!"

I moved over to where he was.

"Make a muscle."

Too scared to disobey, I tried my hardest to make a muscle. As usual, nothing came.

"What the hell is that? It's pitiful!" He shoved me against the wall. Everyone laughed. I just sat there.

This is going to be a long year, I thought. •