High School Grudge
Roused from sleep by the aggressive banging, I was momentarily disoriented, half-expecting Jasper to appear and handle the disturbance. Realizing he was still at his shift at the police station, I grumbled under my breath and shuffled to the door. Peering through the peephole, I recognized two figures from my high school days—both of whom looked like they had seen better times—and a scantily clad girl with them. I hesitated, then opened the door, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected trio.
"Did you think you could just harm one of our guys and run off?" the taller one accused sharply, his voice cutting through the quiet hallway of Lombardi's.
"Stop staring and say something!" the other added, his voice laced with aggression.
I blinked, genuinely confused. "Who are you two?" I asked, not recalling their names or why they would seek me out after all these years.
"A kid broke his leg five years ago and had to quit his dream while you just keep on strolling around with your head held high! Don't you think we should get compensation?" one of them said, trying to sound menacing.
It clicked then—a forgotten minor incident turned into a dramatic saga in their minds. They were here to extort money, believing I owed them for some long-ago perceived injustice. I almost laughed at the absurdity; it was like a scene straight out of a gritty novel, and here I was, the protagonist suddenly thrust into action.
I realized this was the real-life drama I had been unwittingly craving. A chance to deal with a blast from the past, to confront a minor threat with a bit of flair. "I see," I said slowly, my mind already racing with possibilities. "So, this is how you decided to reconnect after all these years? By demanding money for an accident?"
Their confidence seemed to waver at my calm demeanor, but they quickly masked it with renewed bravado. "Yeah, and you're going to pay us, one way or another," the taller one insisted.
I leaned against the door frame, considering my options. I could shut this down immediately, involve the police, and end their little scheme, or I could play along, stir up some trouble for my own amusement, and teach them a lesson about real power dynamics.
"Oh, I think I remember you now," I said slowly, my tone tinged with disdain as the details of that tumultuous period in high school came flooding back. These weren't just any former classmates; these were the instigators of one of the darkest episodes of my youth.
"You're the ones who tried to run scams around school, right?" I continued, my voice steady despite the churn of old emotions. The taller one, the very individual who stood accusingly at my doorstep, had once been a bully turned scam artist, and in a twisted turn of events, I had defended myself against their violent extortion attempt with excessive force—a cricket bat that unfortunately ended his sports career by breaking his leg in multiple places.
I remember the shock of the impact, the immediate fallout, and how quickly things escalated. He lost his scholarship to an Ivy League college, a fact that at the time seemed only a minor footnote compared to the chaos that ensued. In the heat of those frantic days, a settlement was reached hastily outside of court. I was to pay his hospital bills—an agreement overshadowed soon after by a far more serious accusation: a murder charge that threatened to derailed my entire life.
The memories of these events had been buried under layers of newer, more pressing life challenges, but now they resurfaced with a vengeance, fueled by the audacity of these two showing up after all these years, thinking they could manipulate me once more.
The confrontation at my doorstep escalated quickly as the shorter guy pressed aggressively, "Why didn't you pick up your phone? You think if you don't answer, we can't find you?" His tone was accusatory, his stance confrontational.
I knew well that conceding even an inch to their demands would only lead to further encroachments. So, in a tone dripping with mockery, I retorted, "I'll pay it right now... is that the response you want?" Watching their expressions flicker from aggression to confusion was almost satisfying.
Determined not to let them intimidate me, I pulled out my phone swiftly and snapped a picture of them. The flash momentarily blinded them, causing a brief pause in their menacing demeanor.
"Why are you taking a picture?" the girl finally spoke up, her voice loud and tinged with panic.
"How many times have you stolen from people like this?" I shot back, not giving them a moment to recover as I quickly pressed on Jasper's contact in my phone.
""Hey sugar!"" Jasper greeted.
"Afternoon, is this the police?" I continued, my tone shifting as I locked eyes with the intruders, making it clear I wasn't just having a casual chat.
"What are you doing?! Cut that call right now!" the girl demanded, her voice sharp and urgent.
""Sugar, what's going on?! Who's that?"" Jasper's voice came through, tinged with concern and confusion.
"I'd like to report a break-in that's currently in progress," I stated clearly into the phone, hoping Jasper would quickly grasp the situation.
"Put it down!" the taller guy shouted, his frustration boiling over. He lunged at me with a closed fist, a clumsy attempt fueled by desperation. I sidestepped easily, his lack of coordination making it simple to avoid the blow.
"Tobi!" the girl gasped, shocked by the sudden escalation.
"Oh? If this is a matter of money, we can use the police to mediate, why don't you want to take the peaceful route? I have the money after all," I taunted them with a smile, playing the situation to my advantage while subtly reminding them of the consequences of their actions.
As I stood in the doorway, the situation rapidly escalated in a way that seemed almost surreal. I heard the footsteps of the taller guy behind me as the shorter one in front charged forward. In prison, they called this a double whammy—two attackers coordinating an assault from opposite directions. Instinctively, I knew the only way out was to sidestep their trajectory before they could sandwich me.
With a quick leap to the side, I narrowly avoided the impact. Turning around, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle as I watched the two men, blinded by their own momentum, slam into each other with considerable force. They crumpled to the floor in a tangled mess of limbs, their coordination as flawed as their plan. It was clear why they hadn't made much of themselves; they lacked not only moral fiber but basic situational awareness.
As they groaned on the ground, I flipped my phone to speaker mode, keeping the line open with Jasper. I glanced over at the girl who was with them. She stood there, her expression one of utter bewilderment, clearly not having anticipated her companions' ineptitude to this extent. Her face was a mix of shock and confusion, lost for words at the scene unfolding before her. The situation, though tense, had taken a turn into the absurd, and I found myself almost amused by the ineptitude displayed by my would-be assailants.
As I stood in the doorway, still reeling slightly from the absurdity of the confrontation, I heard Jasper's frantic voice through the phone. ""Hello?! I'll be there right away! If you're in immediate danger please get out of the area!"" he yelled, concern evident in his tone.
"What should I do? Report all three of you?" I asked the girl nonchalantly, watching her reaction closely.
She glared at me, her frustration boiling over. "Dammit! This is what I've been avoiding!" she snapped before turning on her heel and sprinting away, leaving her companions behind.
The two guys on the ground looked up at me, bewildered and hurt, just as I heard the sound of a door being forcefully kicked open down the hall. Moments later, Jasper slid into view, his gun drawn and aimed at the pair sprawled on the floor. "POLICE DON'T MOVE!!!!"
"That was quick," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood despite the tension.
"I'm always close by, Sugar. Who are they?" Jasper asked, his voice stern and ready for action.
"Two guys from high school. They're trying to get back at me for breaking someone's leg back then," I explained briefly, keeping an eye on the subdued figures on the floor.
"What do you want me to do?" Jasper asked, his question causing the two on the floor to look at him with shocked and then pleading eyes.
"Tell me who told you where I would be today and I won't add to your record," I sighed, hoping to extract some useful information from them.
The shorter guy blurted out immediately, desperate to lighten his predicament. "Your mom and sister told us where you might be and that we can get the money from you!"
"Think that's true?" Jasper turned to me, seeking confirmation.
"Yeah, I believe it. It's something they would do," I sighed, my disappointment in my family's actions mingling with frustration. I reached into my wallet and pulled out $500 for each of them. "This is for the information you gave me today. Don't bother with anyone but me in the Todd family and don't come unless I call you. If you don't do as I say, I'll ruin your lives. You understand blackmail, right?"
"Yes," they both agreed hurriedly, eager to end their ordeal.
"Jasper, take their numbers and pictures of their IDs, then let them go," I instructed. Jasper holstered his gun and began to gather their information meticulously. "Try not to go to prison before I call on you," I added, a final warning as they scampered away once Jasper had finished.
Once the hallway was clear and the threat had dissipated, Jasper turned to me, his expression shifting from professional concern to personal care. "Are you hurt? What was that about?"
"I'm fine. Just forgot about high school grudges. There's probably too many to count," I smiled, trying to dismiss the gravity of what had just transpired.
"What were you like in high school?" Jasper asked, curiosity piqued as he looked at me, perhaps trying to reconcile the person he knew with the one who had just navigated a potentially dangerous situation with such confidence.