High school student Megan Thompson has never met 15-year-old Brendan Annis, but his story hit close to home with her and with many other students at Leo Hayes High School.

Last week Annis and his family shared their story of bullying. The teen said he had endured four months of bullying from another student at the school and that school officials did little to stop the torment.

He also said the bully essentially ran him out of school, which has many students concerned about how bullying is being addressed at Leo Hayes High and today they held a rally show their support.

"What message does it send to the other 1,800 students when…nothing has been done to this bully," said Thompson. "That doesn't send a very good message."

Thompson and many others donned anti-bullying T-shirts today in protest of the treatment and to raise awareness about bullying in their school.

While they showed up to support Annis, he wasn't in attendance. Instead, he was at a police station talking to victim services. Still, he said he would have rather been in class.

"As the days go by that I'm not at school there's more of a risk that I'm not going to pass this year," he said.

"He kept saying ‘just for the afternoon mom,'" said his mother, Carolyn Annis. "It's quite amazing to hear that, even after everything he's been through."

The teen's parents said they will keep him out of school until they're assured the school is taking the situation seriously, as the circumstances have already taken a serious toll on their son.

"He's already been in hospital, he's already been suicidal," explained his father, Fred Annis. "He's already done things that are self-harming and he can't be subjected to that anymore."

And many of his fellow students seem to agree. They said today that the consequences of bullying need to be made clearer.

"There could be a bunch of consequences and we don't hear about them and it just seems like nothing is ever done," said Thompson.

As for the school's principal, he said he is unable to comment on any particular case.

"If anything has come out of this it's the importance of us getting the message out there, that things have been done and things are being shared," said Kevin Pottle. "And I think it's a conversation that as an admin team, we have to have."

The Annis family met with the head of the school district late Monday afternoon and they said the meeting was encouraging and that the teen may be back in school as early as Tuesday.

They also said they hope his return to Leo Hayes High will signal a fresh start for their son.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore