Two best friends lived in a small town. They grew up together and did everything together. One boy was named James, and he was a cute, fat kid who was always picked on. And then the other boy was named Alex, and he was handsome and cool. They were opposites, but they didn't care. Alex would always protect James from the bullies because James was weak.  One day, James was being teased by the bullies, Gordon and Johnny, but Alex wasn't there to save him. James didn't know what to do and was scared. But then he remembered all of the times Alex stood up for him. James looked up to Alex and he thought of him as his hero. James wanted to protect himself and not have Alex always come to help. So this time, James got up and was brave. He stood up to Gordon and Johnny and told them that he wasn't scared. The bullies didn't know what to do and then gave up. They went away to look for more fun things to do. Alex saw the whole thing and was proud of James for being brave.  Now James and Alex protect each other and stand up for each other. They still are the best of friends. Why did James stand up to the bullies?
Because he was weak. He wanted to be the opposite. He wanted to protect himself. He didn't want Alex to always help him. Because they grew up together. They were best friends. He wanted to not be scared. He wanted someone to be proud of him.