good-lookingguyandwasfeared–
assumedtobeoneofthetoughest
guysinschool.Noonehadbeen
preparedtofindoutjusthowtough
hewas.
StanandI didn’thaveanissuewith
oneanother,soI feltfreetowander
acrosstheroadandoffertolenda
handwiththeunloading.Myoffer
was gratefullyaccepted,andduring
thathourorso,StanandI gotto
knoweachotherbetter.
When the trailer was finally
empty,I badehimandhisfamily
farewell.Forsure,Stanwouldbeat
schoolthefollowingMonday,but
I wasn’tconfidentthataguywith
sucha toughreputationwouldeven
acknowledgeme.
Consequently,I wasastounded
whenthatMondaymorning,Stan
approachedmeasI wasgatheringmy
booksforthenextclass.“Hey,Ian.”
“He y,St a n .”
“‘BobtheBully’teasesyou, doesn’t
he?”
“Yep,”I said,blushing.
“Right,”Stansaid.“Nexttimethis
happens,tellme.”
Withthatheturnedandwalked
away,leavingmeopen-mouthed
but exhilarated. Maybe, just maybe,
someonewasfinallyonmyside.
Thefollowing day,I heard the
familiarwords,“Hey,PumpkinHead.”
Oncue,mycheststartedheavingwith
anxietyandsuppressedrage.I wanted
toscreambutrefusedtogivethebul-
liesthesatisfactionofknowinghow
muchI washurtinginside.
Anhourorsolater,I spottedStan.
Notwantingtodrawunwanted atten-tiontomyself,I spokequietly.“Hey,
Stan,”I said,myheartinmymouth.
“It’shappenedagain.”
“Don’tworry,Ian– I’lltakecareof
it!”
Bobandhismates– greasy-haired,
pimply,coolkidswhohaduptothis
pointmademylifehell– werestrut-
tingdownthecorridorwhenStanap-
proachedfromtheoppositedirection.
Withhismeatyhands,Stangrabbed
BobtheBully,bythescruffoftheneck
andslammedhimagainsta locker.
“You’vebeenteasingmyfriendIan
Fulton,haven’tyou?”
BobtheBullyscrambledforwords,
buthisbravadodisappeared.Oneof
thetoughestkidsintheschoolwas
glaringathim,readytocausehim
grievousbodilyharm.AmongBob’s
merrybandofbullies,whowaspre-
pared to become the first casualty?MY ANGST-RIDDEN ANDINSECURE
15-YEAR-OLD SELFWOULD BEPROPELLED INTO
A FUTURE I COULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED123
“My Life in Short”