1 Foes on my toes

"Hey it's Brad again!, the biggest loser of all time!".

The class erupted with laughter. I snubbed everyone and the unrequested announcement of my presence, as I walked towards my seat close to the window.

"C'mon Brad, you won't say a thing?"

"I should have known you were such a coward". "Anyways it's seems your mouth is shut just like your height."

Here it goes again, the taunting, the booing, the laughing and the egging. They really want to know what I can do. I mentally cracked my neck and my knuckles as I wondered how far they would be able to push me before I get pissed off and react to their insults.

"Oh!"

"No!"

"Bro!"

"Boo-hoo!"

The various voices of my classmates laughing and jeering at me streamed into my ears as I tried to filter their noise. Damn, on a Monday morning like this and I already have some foes on my toes.

Everyone started laughing again.

Damn! He just made reference to my height? Oh he would wish something like that didn't come out of his mouth after I deal with him. But I knew deep down inside me the truth; I really didn't stand a chance against this mass of fat. This guy was like a pillow cushion, all soft and  round but became a brutal force when in a rampage as he moves his mass and anger towards you, then you hear the famous combat words ; Finish him. And when you convert or retaliate supposing you survive, your force is met with all soft and fleshy fat as your hands sink into his body mass with little or no effect. But then, I'm a man! And a man does what?

Fight!, a man fucking fights for his right.

"Shut the fuck up Brad! You are still thirteen!". Someone shouted, drawing my attention to the fact that I unknowingly said my last thoughts out loud.

"He said he's a man, laugh my ass out".

"Man ain't even experiencing puberty yet!"

"Man? Then I'm a woman"

"Man? Then I'm a mantle"

Everyone were saying words meant at ridiculing my sentence. Until some random nut head blurted out what he was thinking.

For a second everyone kept quiet and the class was silent.

"Sorry Mantle ?, Peter, you mean a fucking mantle ?" A big bulky teen quickly asked an average height lanky dude who was bitting his fingers while fidgeting. I mean dude knows he fucked up and just ruined the fun for them. Well, lucky me. He seemed not to know what to say, but surprisingly he spoke after some seconds of silence.

"I meant Man-tle". He whispered it softly and slowly trying to mimic the exact same way the words rhymed in his head out to everyone.

"You mean if Brad is a man, you too are a man-tle, right " a red haired girl immediately asked.

"Yeah",  he quickly replied with his eyes shining brightly and his cheeks containing some light pink blush.

Almost immediately,  everyone started laughing once again. I didn't know if I should join in the laughter, cause what Peter said was funny but I would look foolish if I realized that the unanimous cause of  laughter was because I and Peter were the clowns.

But then I heard a voice in my head saying: shut the fuck up Brad, you aren't going to do anything. Another classic uploading. But why was the voice in my head this damn toxic, I mean I got enough on my plate right at this moment.

I was red in an instant. My round plump face seemed swollen like a ripe tomato fruit. My nose released some puff of smoke, all imagination. My anger bubbled and my body sizzled as my temperature increased. Instantly I stood up and everyone stopped laughing.

No one expected my sudden response and the interruption, they were all shocked.

All heads were facing me and I knew this was my time to shine. The once in a lifetime moment, like Einstein once said  that " A man would always know his right time". Yeah, I know he never said that shit.

Like an avenger to get my revenge against the biggest bully in the universe. Please let's not argue dear reader if you think I am exaggerating, but this guy has been a pain in the ass, my ass to be specific since I was Seven. Imagine someone trying to make you lose your mind bit by bit at age seven! Like a little child taking his precious time to lick his ice cream without wasting any bit until he gets to the part where he gulps it whole. At first it's was like a random fat kid trying to be my friend through stepping on my toes literally, so I thought. Until I realize this guy was trying to smash my buttons not even pressing it. Like dude I don't even know your from my previous life, so what the hell! But it's wasn't the case. He dealt with me and at times I thought I had almost lost it especially during the 'suicide' incident. The suicide event, a memory I would love to forget. Unfortunately, it's so sticky to my head like a little child fingers messed up with chocolate.

Five years later, things didn't get any better but worse. He added more weight and resembled more of a bouncing ball than a pillow cushion and when he puts his mass in sprint mode that's just it. His menacing figure upgrades and smashes through everything including me. I wish I could say the same for me but my face became rounder and nothing else. I got this hunch that some 'suckers of the night' are to be held responsible for the loss of my nutrients and fats. If you know, you know.

I wasn't in this dilemma alone. There were lots of Kids suffering from his cruelty, but none had the guts to stand up for themselves except me and some kids who did and  had unfortunate endings. I knew my turn was coming but I never expected it to be so soon. Though our case was more like Tom and Jerry; cat and mouse, I always got my revenge unlike Olivier Twist. But I don't know how we always ended up in the same class every new session for the cycle to continue. The never ending loop of being bullied and planning out revenge episodes to shoot. Avoiding him in the estate was one easy thing but hard when you are locked in a four corner room, that's why my seat "is always" sorry "must always" be close to the window…'run to fight another day'; my slogan of retreat when everything looked bleak.

I have been doing some investigations, and I think my principal is responsible for each class roll. My guard is always on anytime I'm in her office.  It's not actually her fault but I had a nightmare and she was in my room, leaning beside my bed seasoning me while I slept. Due to the powder chili that somehow found a way into my nose and caused a big sneeze to escape, I opened my eyes just in time to see a wide mouth with two big puffed dark colored lips with some visible black spots on big gray teeth's closing down fast on my head. I screamed and screamed until It seemed I was mad and they didn't "born my voice box well to fuck up" as my door was opened and the image faded away. I was drenched in a puddle of my sweat as a stream was been formed below.

"C'mon Brad, you have been screaming for about twenty minutes, we are trying to get a rest."

"Wait a minute, twenty minutes ?" I stared at my parents in shock, while withstanding the blinding lights from the turned on lamp this night weeknd.

"First point, no offense dear parents that prefer their sleep to the possibility of their child screaming until he has to rely on hand signs. But seriously,  are you and Dad my parents ?"  Slowly I breathed in and continued."Twenty minutes and you are showing up at twenty-one, is like you all fall to realize I'm your only child and if I die, I die." "Besides this ain't Gotham were you can go beg Ra's al Ghul and boom I'm alive."

Fantasy mixing with reality again Brad, I made a mental note to avoid DC for now. "Though it would be fun cause I need not to count my bullets, load my clips and write down their names." I just knew I couldn't help it, though funny enough I was the middle child been flanked by both parents.

Because all I need to do is snap their neck. Call that dark and you might as well call the reason my parents left me to die in my sleep dark also. "Before you say I should go back to bed because I won't, I just want both of you to tell me why you left me to die. No much words, a line will do just fine."

"Well...." honey says my mum who has been silently bowing her head the whole time. "We thought it was one of our neighbor kids that was screaming into the night until I woke up partly and realize that it was our own Brad."

"Our own Brad" for real ?  wait a minute, do parents consider their children an item. Like what does she mean by our own Brad?. "But you know mum, the Pearson's kids are only mad at daytime and they attain climax at noon."

"I guess yours is at nighttime then she retorted".

Damn woman, I thought you were mother. My eyes were wide eyed as I just got roasted. "Just go to bed Brad, we love you."

"Sorry please where's Dad ?" I just noticed my old man wasn't beside me again.

"Dad!" I screamed out for him. Mum was right, my own madness was at night.

" I love you son" I heard him replying me with drowsy voice. The old man said in between snores as mum tapped him on the back softly to head to bed with her. I stared at their disappearing backs as they walked together holding each other in their arms. Love was a beautiful thing, oh I want to puke. I never went back to bed, much as I got assured that I was safe and won't be eaten, so instead I played chess. Yeah with myself, though I think the dark queen changed position without my influence. And the Bishop was always hopping instead of trekking. That sounds confusing, but yeah, it's probably just in my mind. Anyways I think Karma had a hand in that dream, because three years ago I and my two best friends were the best pranksters our school could ever produced. We hoped to retain the title until we graduated.  Not something I'm proud of but he'll yeah it still an achievement. We were so good that we began to earn from deals we could pull off successfully. Imagine setting up your own pranking firm, dubbed 'The Dubious Trio Inc', though one of our customer who was a Nigerian thought we should have made it with our names and added '& sons limited' to turn it to a generational company. We just thanked him and his entrepreneurial ideas.

We were never caught only suspected. As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. But there came a time that Karma got up from it lazy ass and got to work, thus making the revenge a success. Man I ain't going to lie to you,  shit was like fucking real because I was scared for life.

To the class shall we?

I walked calmly to the class end where he sat. He looked uncertain of my intention, a bit curious with a mocking grin splattered on his face. Just he wait until I wipe that smirk off with my fist, I thought in my head. Because this was the first time he thought his joke and insult touched my soul, I will be damned if it did, but fuck it, yes it did so guess what ? I'm damned!

I curled my hands into fists and decided to take a 360 degree look around. Half of the class were up from their seat and all were looking excited and elated. It was like I was about to execute my finishing move or special skill on my opponent who was lying almost unconscious beneath me as everyone; my fans, all gathered around me to see if I could go all the way.  I could feel myself getting joyful of being the first kid to teach the bully of Caldwell secondary school some good lesson. Hell yeah!, my name will forever be remembered!. The feeling was so intense, that I knew I was going to make history among my peers if I execute my clenched fists expertly on his puff up cheek. The ecstasy in the air got me thrilled. At this moment man, your boy was high in the clouds.

Yes, this was my moment, I have waited since I was seven. You could imagine what I was feeling. Yes! my moment to shine!, thanks Albert Einstein!.

I turned around sharply to get my 'key to the glorious bully slayer hall of fame', as I envisioned the long strides I would take in the hall as boys and girls, left and right, middle and center; if they are two different words, all fix their attention unto I and my worthy fans.

Yes the world was on a standstill, waiting for my next glorious move. Bobby Roode, I sight you there man. But then in a blink of an eye, as easy it was to recite twinkle twinkle little stars, it all happened in a second. White clouds  blew it all away. Purple birds, shooting stars and a shining face amidst the clouds telling me everything will be fine as I landed with a thud and drifted into slumber. Man, my ass was knocked the fuck out; damn!.