Bullies-II

One would think Puchu's life was all nice and wonderful once LM left school. Sadly, it wasn't so. Today when she reflects back at times gone by, she claims blissful naivete as the reason for her being such a soft target. There's another crazier theory she propounded the last time we talked, which revolves around her name being the reason.
Anyway, unlike LM, Puchu didn't flunk her exams and a couple of years later became a proud second grader. The class teacher, Miss P, loved Puchu. She made her the monitor of the class, let Puchu fetch the attendance register for her, carry her copies, etc. And boy, was Puchu thrilled!
Okay, clarification needed, Puchu was just a sweet little girl. NOT a puppy.
Once, Miss P and all the other teachers had a meeting. Now, the first graders were an unruly lot. Of course the second graders had to be sent to mind their class. And who else would Miss P entrust this prestigious job with, than Puchu?
Puchu set about her task with a great sense of self importance. She straightened her tie, tidied her tunic and took a deep breath before entering the class. Of course, the first graders were noisy, but Puchu managed to control them all with a mix of pleading, playing along, yelling and finally begging.
At the end of the one hour, she almost ran back to her class as fast as her little chubby legs could take her. But she was proud. Puchu was just shy of her seventh birthday and no other second grader had managed a whole class of noisy kids, had they?
Around lunch time, M, the unofficial bully of the class took Puchu to a corner and snarled at her, nostrils flaring. Puchu was confused. She had taken great pains to stay out of M's way, knowing her own affinity for being bullied, and M's hulk-like behaviour. (Oh, and M used to top the class.) Apparently, Miss P had selected Puchu in a dance for the Annual School Concert, and not M! Puchu meekly offered her tiffin in humble submission, and appeased the bully. M walked away, bought out by the delicious noodles.
Just as the lunch break ended, Miss K, the first grade teacher called for Puchu. Puchu didn't realise at first what hit her but her cheeks suddenly burned like they had caught fire. The whole of first grade let a collective sigh. Some naughty first grader had scribbled on the blackboard with a crayon, and it wouldn't come off!
Puchu was so stunned for a moment that words couldn't come out of her mouth in sheer astonishment. Tears welled up in her eyes as the teacher berated her.
With her chubby cheeks swollen up, Puchu went to the nurse in the hope of some soothing balm like the one her Mom used. The nurse was so shocked to see Puchu's cheek, that she asked her the reason. Puchu was scared that Miss K would be angry if she told nurse about the slap and maybe hit her again. So she cooked up a story about her pencil box falling down and Mom slapping her.
Nurse sternly told Puchu to ask her Mom, never to hit her like this again. Puchu almost cried at this since neither of her parents had ever raised their hand on her. But she decided to behave like a lady and accepted the ice pack nurse put on her cheek.
Years later, Puchu was to read in a local newspaper, that, parents of a child had lodged a police complaint against Miss K for hitting the poor kid with a stick. He had fainted from the beatings. She felt sad, because had she been more gutsy, and complained, other children wouldn't have had to face the demon-like Miss K and her volatile temper.