Small claims court is your best bet. You may have to have a parent or guardian file a claim on your behalf, but other than that, you won't need representation. Make sure you add your court costs to the claim.

You could try and sue for punitive damages but your friend is right, it will take a loooooong time (think three+ years) to get any result. And there's at least a 50/50 chance the result would not be in your favour. And you'll have to pay an attorney to see you through the whole process. So there's a good chance you'll end up out of pocket at least a few thousand dollars.