Oh, great thought Adam Taylor. The perfect end to the perfect day. I barely get through Algebra with a C, my Physics teacher makes a joke at my expense, the coach keeps riding my ass because of my weight and my poor gym performance... even my English teacher is unimpressed with my poem submission. And now that this WONDERFUL day at Lakeview High is over, now I'm about to get humiliated or worse by Lakeview's resident super-jock, Bryan 'The Beast' Gaynor.
"Hey, Tubs... I thought that was you. Do you live in this neighborhood or something?"
"Tubs..." God, how I hate that nickname! Maybe if I just ignore him, he'll leave me alone this time and just let me go home to suffer in peace. I know I'm fat, I know I'm not athletic, I know I'm a laughingstock, I know, I know, I know... It's not my fault! I was born this way, and I probably will always be this way. It isn't like I haven't tried to change.
"Hey, Tubs, I'm talking to you! Too good to answer a polite question, now?" Bryan was getting belligerent, even though there was nobody to show off for this time.
"Sorry, Bryan, I was thinking of something else. I live a couple blocks from here. I don't remember seeing you around here before."
"Yeah," said the bully, my old man got a raise awhile back so we moved into that house across the street yesterday. Looks like I'm just in time to start some neighborhood improvements, if they let dweebs like you walk around loose. You ought to show more respectable place to be than on the sidewalk when someone important wants to use it."
Fantastic. Now I have to walk past his house on the way to AND from school every day. It just isn't fair! I haven't done anything to him, I try to get along with everyone, I follow the rules, and I still get picked on by everyone. I shouldn't have to take this!!
**click**
Suddenly, everything seemed to stop... the breeze, the birds, the cars driving by. Bryan's mouth was still open, as if he had stopped in mid-sentence.
[Then don't take it anymore. Do something about it.]
Huh?!? Who said that? Wait... I didn't hear that, exactly. I didn't think it, but the thought was in my head. Am I losing my mind?
[If that collection of excuses, justifications and complaints in your head is what passes for a mind, better to lose it and replace it with something useful.]
What are you talking about? (Is 'talking' even the right word?) I can't do anything to change my situation, I'm stuck with the way things are.
[It's that attitude and reflex that's gotten you into the mess you call a life. You haven't taken responsibility for anything. "I can't lose weight!" You haven't stuck to a diet for more than 2 weeks in your whole life. "I'm not athletic!" You spend all day reading and watching TV, rather than do anything that could be mistaken for exercise. "I get picked on all the time!" All you ever do about it is complain and cry, with the occasional ineffectual swing at your tormentor... ineffectual because you're too busy turning away and trying to avoid being hit to actually land a blow.]
If I don't, I'll get hit even worse. I don't like being hurt.
[Nobody likes to get hurt. But when you do that, you still get hurt, right? So go ahead... GET hurt. But make the other guy get hurt, too. If you can break his nose, he may still knock you silly, but he'll respect you more than someone who just takes what he dishes out and cries about it.]
But how do I...? I can't... I... I...
[Stop telling yourself you can't. That's the surest way of making sure you won't be able to do anything. Say you can't do it, and you're right... you cannot. Accept the possibility that you CAN do something... be willing to take responsibility not just for your own actions for whatever happens to you, AND for what happens to those around you - even the ones who oppose you - and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.]
But... but... but...
[Stop... quit trying to find an excuse not to do what I'm telling you. Look... I shouldn't do this, and I know it's likely that you'll misuse this gift and you'll end up regretting it, which will cause you to lose the ability to repeat it. But you do have a natural ability as an empath and telepath... that's why so many are impressed by your poetry. I'm going to give it a little nudge. Use it to give yourself a slight edge, and prove to yourself and to The Beast that you can you aren't the person you both thought you were. Just remember... if you can see what he is about to do, you can counter it. And if you give him a little 'push' you won't be able to get him to do something he is unwilling to do... but you can surprise him with what he was unaware that he WAS willing to do.]
But who are you, and how can you...?
**click**
Motion returned to the world, and there was, Bryan bearing down on him.
"Didn't you hear me, Tubs? Get off my sidewalk!"
Bryan pushed Adam in the chest... or tried to. But just as - whoever it was - had said, Adam was able to see the move coming and sidestepped while pushing the hands aside.
"What the fuck? Think you're cute, huh? Well, we can't have that, Tubs, now can we?"
Bryan aimed a fist at Adam's shoulder, but again the heavier boy avoided the blow. This only seemed to make The Beast angrier, and he took a swing at Adam's head with the clear intention of breaking something. Instead of merely dodging the blow, Adam caught the fist as it went past and held on as he leaned back, pulling the jock into fall that sent them both down the hill and into the dry canal below. Both boys had the breath knocked out of them, but Adam had accidentally landed on top of Gaynor, compressing his chest and stomach.
"Get off me, Tubs."
"What?" said Adam, dazedly.
"I said get off me. I can't breathe!"
