Scissors

II

Jason did not talk to me after that, doc, but I was more aware of him than I was before. In class we shared, I noticed him more. Our eyes met more often, but they never held the warmth they had the first time we spoke.

One time, after gym classes, the boys in the locker room got rowdy. This wasn't too long after I brushed Jason off, but it was long enough. They were teasing and hitting each other for shit and giggles and anyone who couldn't take it got shoved in a locker just for the fun of it. Those lockers were really stinky. Some people left their sweaty under wear in it for days, the fun was only getting bigger and by the time they got to me, I was shivering with dread.

"hey you!" some goon in a yellow shirt said "you think you can fit in a locker"

Now, you would like to write down in your notes that I was bullied. On the contrary this happened every time we had gum. It was just a regular thing we had to endure, us smaller kids. We could have stopped it any time we wanted.

"no" I said.

"I think you can" he shot back at me and grabbed me from the back of my neck. He shook me a lot and I found myself wondering which locker he was going to stuff me into.

The one with the old cloths in it? The one with the dirty underwear? The one with the spiders?

"leave him alone Cobbs" I watched Jason walk leisurely into the locker room.

Did I mention that Jason was taller and bigger than most of the other guys? Yah, he was and he was on my side. That made me want to piss my pants with relief.

"aww, just having a bit of fun" the guy holding me said, shaking me.

"Have your fun elsewhere" Jason snarled "this one is with me"

I pulled out of Cobbs' grip, shook myself and picked my bag. I walked over to Jason with confident strides that were a complete opposite to how I felt inside. I nodded at him and we both walked out of there.

I was acting like I had a choice in the matter.

"You okay?" Jason asked me calmly.

"yes" I nodded. Lie

"These people are bad" he said "but there are worse bullies in Nigeria"

"I was not being bullied" I mumbled.

"Oh, what was that?" Jason asked, comically putting his hands up to his ear "you just volunteered to be their locker dummy?"

I growled.

I couldn't believe it myself doc, but I did growl. Jason just had a way of getting under my skin.

"In Nigeria, especially n the boarding schools" he continued like he hadn't just teased me "stuff like this happens to junior students a lot. But its stopping now. I guess it is what makes them tough. Its not a good thing, they have to stop it.......but you cant make every body do one thing. Some times, they don't know they are being bullies.......sometimes......"

At that point it seemed like he was talking more to himself than to me. I watched him as we walked to no where in particular. his eyes were distant like he was thinking of something far far away, his hnds were shoved into his pockets and his back was hunched over. I had read somewhere that guys with such posture had a common lack of self confidence and insecurity.

"Jason, do you miss Nigeria?" I asked stupidly, it was obvious he missed the place.

Even with the country's corrupt government and hostile majority groups he still loved that place, doc. It says something about a person right? Jason had a big heart, there was room for everybody, but it took so little for him to hate you.