How to Deal with a Bully

Adrenaline

Go on! Great ball Alexis, son! Beautiful touch, Hector. Now cross it, cross it! Giroud go for -

Bzzzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzzzzz

My phone chimed noisily in my bedside. My eyes flashed open like a vampire. Under different circumstances, I would have groggily put it on snooze, and waited for it to chime at least two more times to galvanise me to wake up. Today, I was the chime! I woke up feeling rejuvenated. I took a bath, brushed my teeth. I decided I was going to wear my Arsenal shirt.

Anticipate his moves. Release it. Kameihameiha!

Alexis, this is for you.

I walked down to the dining room with a triumphant smile and sat down whilst my mom showed her culinary skills by making a ham filled croissant with her trademark signature scrambled eggs. 

My dad took of his glasses and eyed me quizzically, "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

His voice betrayed not the slightest ounce of sarcasm, "Umm, your handsome yet impulsive son." I croaked.

"Yes yes, that is what I thought. But my son very seldom smiles and you breezed over here like you won the Premiere League. And thus my skepticism arose."

I attempted to put on my James Bond I-don't-know-what-you-are-talking-about-but-I'm-going-to-pretend-that-we-are-best-mates expression and said, "I assure you. I am definitely your son."

"Well, I welcome reassurance and yours sure sounded convincing."

This time I gave him my James Bond wink.

"Well, isn't that delightful. I can't remember the last time you came to breakfast early." My mom beamed at me as she set my plate in front of me. Gluttony seized me as I devoured its contents greedily.

"You know I miss the conversations where 'good morning' would be the start and 'goodbye' would be the end and the middle would be us discussing Arsenal." I tried to look stern but to little avail.

"No such thing mister!" She narrowed her eyes on me, had her hands on her hips, and gave me the most patronising Undertaker stare. "Are you smoking pot?"

It took an effort not to spill the water I was drinking. "No, mom. Jeez!"

I looked up to see if she was relaxed, but her eyes left no mark of relaxation. My mom could smell tension the way a dog smells fear. 

"Well, I have a late shift tonight at the hospital. You be good, buddy!"

"Will do!" I said that way too enthusiastically.

I put on my bag back and headed off to walk to school.

"All righty, I am off. Love you."

My mom smile, "I love you more, son!"

First period we had Algebra. As usual, Mclean was not present at the beginning. I sat in the middle row, next to Joshua, the computer expert. He looked very dreary and his cool Spy Kids spectacles did little to cover that up. His hair was a mess and he was wearing clothes that were, ugh, not the most fashionable.

Mr Connor took attendance whilst my classmates were engrossed in their separate conversations. Boys talked about the most lethal weapon in Call of Duty whilst girls snickered and discussed things I wouldn't tell my mother.

Anticipate his moves. Release it. Kameihameiha!

I kept telling my myself these words with unwavering oscillation in my head. I conjured a thousand scenarios of what would happen today. My face was placid but my heart irked with adrenaline. The Kameihameiha was begging for its release.