This fic is NOT for the faint of heart. Just sayin'.

Tali DiNozzo was keeping a secret. She wasn't telling her family: NCIS Director Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo (her father), Ziva David-DiNozzo (Her mother), Ari DiNozzo (her twin brother), or even her best friend, Timothy "TJ" McGee, Junior, what it was that she was hiding. Only Tali knew what was going on: She was being bullied.

She got home before her parents or her brother (Tony, being NCIS Director, was often required to stay late; Ziva was running a Krav Maga dojo, and those sessions were often nightmares; and Ari had football practice), and threw her backpack where she always did. Usually she enjoyed having the house to herself for a few hours after school, but today was NOT a normal day...

-Flashback-

Tali had just finished eating lunch with TJ & Ari when the "return to class" bell rang. The group went their separate ways, each navigating their own maze to get back to class. Tali cursed her schedule because her class was on the other side of campus, and recently, that had made her the target of Max Kennedy, star Running Back and all-around Attention Whore. Whether it was verbal insults, internet chat-room rumors, or physical & psychological attacks, Kennedy was the textbook definition of the word "Bully." He had all but alienated Tali, and today was the worst so far, but the attacks had been getting worse for the past two weeks. Kennedy cornered her halfway back to class and shoved Tali into a set of lockers.

"Hey, half-breed," Kennedy said, blocking Tali from escaping.

"Get out of my way," Tali snapped.

"I can't do that unless you do something for me first." Kennedy made a vulgar sign with one hand while using the other to hold Tali against the lockers.

"Drop dead."

"C'mon, half-breed. I know you've done this for everyone else."

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. GO... FUCK... YOURSELF." Tali thought she won. Kennedy was speechless, but speechless didn't mean out.

Kennedy punched Tali before whispering in her ear, "You're garbage, half-breed. That's all you'll ever be. Nobody loves you." He spat in her face before walking off.

"Chicken-shit coward," Tali muttered, standing back up. Instead of going back to class, she walked into the nearest bathroom and started crying. She stayed there until the end of class bell rang.

-End Flashback-

Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you

The front door opened, and Tali snapped out of her thoughts. She had her head in her hands, not even bothering with the world around her.

"Hey, Tals," Ari said, making Tali jump.

"Hey, Ari," Tali replied. "Football practice ended early."

"Yep. Coach got heat exhaustion." Ari was in the kitchen, raiding the fridge for a drink. When he got back to the living room, he saw Tali's face and dropped his Monster. "HOLY SHIT! Tali, what happened?"

"Nothing," Tali lied. "I ran into a locker in gym class."

"We have the same gym class, and it's before lunch. What happened?"

"Leave me alone, Ari." Tali was starting to throw up defensive walls, and Ari was starting to get frustrated.

"Tali, either tell me or take your chances with Ima and Abba. It's up to you."

Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming

"I'll take my chances." Tali stood up from the couch and stormed upstairs to her room. The next sound that Ari heard was the band Simple Plan.

No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like to be like me
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked
When you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome To My Life

Tali listened to the song, crying into her pillow and dragging her knife across her forearm. She knew only one thing: She would rather feel self-inflicted pain than helpless at the hands of a Bully.

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