Good Enough

Shiner

    So now you know why I love...yet hate Paxton Middle school. It's not just the fact that there is a new flavor of gum under my desk in homeroom each day, or the fact that I find mystery 'crust' on my locker, or the fact that Mr. Mcallister always assigns a packet of math each week, but the fact that I have to deal with Tyler Frey.
     I guess because it was our last day ever at Paxton Middle School, Tyler felt the need to punish a plethora of innocent students. From 5 inch wide spitballs, to irreversible wedgies, Tyler decided to had everyone their own butt.
     I don't know if my orange juice had some magical powder in it, or if it's just the fact that I don't care anymore, I thought it would be a good idea to stand up to the jerk.
     Tyler was in the middle of giving Jason Saunders a wedgie when I uttered the dumbest words of my life.
     "Hey Tyler, leave him alone!"
Unfortunately for me, I said this a bit to loud, so now I had a group of bystanders to watch me get the living crap beat out of myself
     "You talking to me, Ezra?"
     "Yea..." Which came out with a lot less confidence than I intended.
     "Well this will be fun..."
     And like a ship erupting from the midst of the fog that covers the ocean on a cold stormy night, Tyler swung his fist at my face, his knuckles boring into my right eye. My vision swirled like a couple of vegetables in a blender. Out of the corner of my eye I could spot Vanessa, and for a second, I expected her to but in like you see in the movies and yell "Stop!" But she just stood there with her hand covering her mouth looking sorry for me, right until she straight up walked away. Hot burning tears nipped at the edge of my eyes as I snapped back into the cruel torture called reality.
     "Do you need your mom Ezra? To come kiss your boo boo?" Tyler taunted.
     But he was right, Tyler had given me a pretty rough shiner that I'd be sporting for the rest of the day, like a brand representing Tyler's rein of terror.
     I sat there like a motionless rag doll before I realized that the crowd of bystanders were still surrounding me and Tyler, biting their nails while they wait for more. So once more I stupidly thought, why not give them the show they came for? So I slowly got up and threw quick jab at Tyler's face, like Dad taught me, and I ended up hitting his nose, which started to bleed. I started to smile for a minute, realizing there was still hope, until Tyler got one more jab at my gut more he bolted from the scene, surging down the hallway probably on his way to terrorize some poor kid, but for once I didn't care, for once I felt at peace with myself, for sticking up for what was right, even if it did get me a black eye and a soar gut, Tyler is walking around with a bloody nose that I gave him, and that's what mattered to me.