A Nerd, a Tough Kid and the Wonder of Dance

Chapter 2: being the tough guy

Alright then, let's get going. I'll start this story when we were all about fifteen years of age and in the early part of our fourth year at high school.

By this stage, I was known as something of an 'enforcer'. Nobody messed with me anymore. I'd been in trouble at school a number of times for fighting - I always won. I wouldn't take shit from anybody and I'd let it be known that I didn't like bullies.

You could say that the effect of this was to provide that poor little nerd, Jena, with some protection, at least at school.

Then I was told about Jena getting roughed up by a couple of older kids from another school. It had happened on the weekend, around lunchtime Saturday. It seemed that Jena went to a dance class on Saturday mornings - for God's sake kid, do karate or something, not bloody dancing. He'd been picked on after he left the class.

Now I don't go looking for trouble, but I don't avoid it either. If I just happened to be around that area next Saturday . . .

I was.

They were waiting for Jena as he came out of the dance studio. They grabbed him and started shoving him about, calling him names.

I'd been standing in the shadows on the other side of the road. I loped across.

"Hey," I called out quite mildly, "leave that kid alone."

One of them turned towards me and said, "Fuck off. Mind your own fucking business."

Nobody tells me to fuck off.

"I said leave him alone," I was close to them now and speaking more firmly.

They were probably a couple of years older than me, and a bit bigger. One came at me. Oh, for Chys's sake - the big roundhouse right. Give me a break. I was into him in a flash and seconds later he was lying on the ground moaning.

The other one - similar result. I picked the first one up and slammed him against the wall. "Listen, dickhead. If I see you pricks hassling this kid, or any other kids again, I won't just give you a little touch up, I'll take you a-fucking-part. Understand, now piss off."

As I watched them stagger away, I heard "Thank you, Garth," whispered behind me. I turned to nod to Jena and he startled me with this beautiful smile. I'd never seen him smile before, certainly not like that.

He wasn't wearing his stupid glasses and his hair was tied high up in a bun at the back of his head. It usually hung down in daggy locks around his face.

I nodded again and strolled off thinking that the nerdy kid would do himself a favour by using that look at school.