In this column the author explores the middle school nexus of asynchronicity, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and bullying as they apply to gifted students in secondary schools, with an emphasis on the middle school student. The premise is typically referred to as "achievement vs. affiliation," (Ford, 2004; Neihart, 2006, 2008) and concerns the conflict that arises when gifted students' intellectual orientation and achievement threaten their social standing. The developmental milestones that typically occur during the middle school years, such as developing self and social identity and the (sometimes competing) motivations to belong and achieve, coupled with gifted students' asynchronous development makes them vulnerable to exclusion, a form of bullying which is the focus of this article.