I was then knocked forward by a jumbo size thesaurus. My head whip lashed forward then back, my eyes straightened to see the whole class laughing at me, I looked behind me to see the same guy who answered the question, getting a high five from the other pupils around him. I had no friends, I had no one on my side, and I was alone.
I received another tap on my shoulder, and their stood the smallest guy in the world barley able to look at me over the desk. He had a pencil and pen, he said “today after school, what is your name?”, and “Nigel” I said with a baffled look on my face. I asked him why he wanted my name and what he was going on about but he just turned and said “be there”. I said “ok” in an uneasy voice.
The bell rang and I was still the gossip of the school. Some of the things I heard that day were as follows; “look it is him”, “talk about putting your head in the books”. I had heard more of these obscenities, but then there was silence, and a big crowd in the corner of the playground began to rustle around, it seemed the playground had its own parts. We had the corner where there was a beautiful sunrise painted on the wall, this was for the clever people, in playground terms other wise known as “The Nerds”.
But then there was a corner, just the other side of the playground and graffiti covered bricks blended in. this corner was full of up tight kids who thought they were ‘all that’, they had baggy trousers and was filled with the so-called popular people. I was forced to join ‘The Nerds’ as I knew I would not be accepted in the other side of the playground.
‘The Nerds’ were not all that bad, except what they wanted to do for fun was to read a book and play chess. I decided something had to be done, so I taught them how to play basket ball, they all surprisingly caught on very quickly. I had made friends with the people I avoided in my old school, and I could not remember why.
I was in the middle of winning our game of twenty one, when the bell of fate rang; it was time for next lesson. I was pushed aside by 8 other pupils in my class; they all sat in a circle around one chair. It looked like it took all their eight little minds to think of this plan, but I just went to the seat in the back. The lesson continued, English was better than geography because the teacher was a funny guy, he was Mr. James. He was a medium built man, quite short and always had a smile on his face. I am sure that if he was to tell me my parents had died, he would say it with a big smug grin on his face. I would never get into trouble in his class, or so I thought.
The group of eight were silently chatting and had the occasional look behind them. Then one of them ripped out a page off their exercise book and scrunched it up into a ball, I just kept eating my crisps I had left from break. Sir said “whoever is eating can they please through it in the bin please” I assumed he was referring to me so I said out loud “yes sir”.
As I was getting up, I looked up and saw sir looking at me; he had a screw face on. I wondered way and noticed the scrunched up paper ball on the floor next to his foot and the bin. My mouth dropped to my knees in amazement to him thinking it was me. He said “why don’t you sit closer so you can actually hit me next time”. By now my jaw had dropped to my feet, he included “I have seen play basketball, I sure hope you did not do that on purpose”. I started my jaw upwards to say something but before I could say any thing sir had already turned his back to me and said “just move forward”, so I did.
As I moved I realised I was now in the middle of the eight idiots who had tried to trap me in the first place. I sat and looked around, than I put my head down and started to think. But I was not much later disturbed by one of them saying “that little guy that spoke to you earlier, his brother” he opened up some kind of note book and added “I see we have a meeting after school, I can not wait”. I looked up and said “me neither”, he laughed and said “you should be excited to fight me”. Now my jaw went straight to the concrete floor, I said that I had not done any thing to them and that they had not done any thing to me, so I said “why are we going to fight…?” I was then startled by one of the other seven by some one saying “that’s where you’re wrong”; following this comment I was barraged with paper balls. With all what had happened today I had snapped my pencil in two with all the anger I had inside. With no hesitation I agreed to the fight after school.
The bell had sounded and as I got up, I was nudged and pushed forward, my necklace snapped from the table, my mother who is now dead gave it to me, I promised I would never fight again, I picked it up and said “just this one more time”.
It was now the end of the day and through the whole day I had people telling me to forget the fight and to go straight home. But I am not a person who gives up something so easily. I had exited the whole school and I was diverted behind the car park by one of the pupils who followed the guy I was about to fight. I went willingly and was by now ready for any thing. As I turned the corner I could see a shadow, and its arm swinging straight for me, I quickly ducked and bounced back up again. I turned around and saw the guy I was suppose to fight with his fist in the wall. I would have cracked up laughing but I did not have much time.
He had ordered his so-called ‘Gang’ to beat me up, surprisingly they came at me one by one I ducked and done ten fast punches to the ribs every time, but when it came to the last three they all attacked at once. I ducked and punched, “one down”. I stepped back, and then leg swept the other one, “two down”. I was now feeling high and full of adrenalin; I finished the last one with an upper cut, street fighter style, with my fist raised up in the air way after impact.
The next day I still was segregated from everyone else and no one new wanted to be my friend. I still had ‘The Nerds” they were ok. I guess some friends are better than no friends. But then again I did go to college with some of the bullies.
IN COLLEGE
“Hey pass the ball” I said, and I ran down the side of the court, but as I was running someone had thrown a ball at my head, I turned around, and I saw surprisingly the same guy who was suppose to beat me up in 4th grade. But wait. He looked taller. More built. Would this matter if we were to get into a fight? I sighed and said “here we go again”
