1994
Ricky Tanner was an asshole. My mom would’ve been pissed if she heard me say that, but there was no other way to put it. Ever since he transferred as a new kid into our fourth-grade class three months ago, he’d targeted me for his own brand of abuse. I’d always been much shorter than other children my age, and well, kind of puny to be honest. Ricky, of course, was the biggest kid in our class—at least a whole head taller than me. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d been held back a couple grades, he was that much bigger. He would probably be growing a beard by the time we reached middle school.
Ricky liked to throw his considerable weight around, intimidating anyone he could when he could, but with me, he never missed the opportunity. Any time his eyes set on me, he’d get this steely look, ball his hands into fists and march right up to loom over me. I’d freeze like a submissive pup, afraid to move or make any noise that might trigger him. I’d cower in his shadow, praying he’d lose interest in making fun of my size or that his family was not as well off as his. Of course, my dad didn’t make as much as Ricky’s parents did. He was a mail carrier, and my mom didn’t work. Ricky constantly bragged about his parents working in the film industry, but I didn’t see why it was such a big deal. It’s not like they were famous or anything, and if they were so rich, Ricky would have been in private school. Ricky was the typical jerk-off who’d shake down the other students for their lunch money. Guess his big-time parents were stingy on the allowance.
I was supposed to be taking a math test as I sat in our class one Friday afternoon. Instead, I was sweating bullets because I’d finally mouthed off to Ricky at lunchtime after he started in on me about being such a small shit. I didn’t know why I’d done it, but I guess I’d had enough. A guy can only take so much, you know? I loudly told him he was a dick and he’d better shut his mouth, or I’d do it for him. Of course, my mouth had clearly written a check my body was nowhere near able to cash, so he erupted in a huge guffaw that made him sound like a donkey. I was about to tell him so, feeling a rage I’d never felt in my life. Before I had a chance to smart off further, he quieted down and fixed me with what I can only describe as a death stare. He told me he was going to teach me a lesson after school, and I just knew I was headed for a black eye or worse. I mean, the kid was a giant. I thought he might have been born next to a nuclear power plant or some shit.
As I sat at my desk kicking myself for losing my temper, I really wanted to cry because I was terrified. Obviously, I was a suicidal idiot, in addition to being a munchkin. I wanted to fake sick and go home for the day, but that was only going to delay the ass-kicking he’d promised me. All the other kids who heard my stupid threat were excited by the promise of a real, live fight. I was going to be so humiliated. I played with the idea of telling the teacher, but that would just make me look like a sniveling punk. I may have been small—and quite arguably an imbecile—but I did have some pride.
When the final bell rang, I hurried to the front of the class to turn in my nearly blank test and get the hell out of Dodge. Maybe I could avoid running into him, and he’d forget all about the incident over the weekend. Of course, in my haste to get my skinny ass out of there, I left my backpack at my desk. I ran back to get it, only to find Ricky staring me down. He mouthed that I was gonna get it, and I knew he’d be waiting for me outside.
I dawdled as long as I could, pretending to check the contents of my backpack. I had broken out in a cold sweat and felt like I was going to hurl. Finally, my teacher, Mrs. Simpson, ushered me out of the class. She was probably in a hurry to start her weekend away from Ricky too since he was a loudmouth who was constantly interrupting her lessons.
I trudged out of the classroom toward my fate. Before I even got off the school property, Ricky and his little band of minions were right there. Ricky pounded his fist against his other palm, then cracked his knuckles to prove the point I was in for a hell of a beat down. He didn’t advance even though his friends had started to taunt me and encourage him to let me have it. He just stood there all goon-like.
I unconsciously quickened my pace to a flat-out run, but being bigger and faster than me, it wasn’t long before we were at the corner outside of school, in front of a house with a big block wall. Ricky grabbed me by the back of my shirt and whipped me around, pushing my back to it. I was shaking inside as he gave me that creepy look of his. He didn’t say anything, just let his homicide-filled gaze do the talking. With no other option but to try to escape, I took my off my backpack and began to swing it wildly at him. Of course, I never connected with him because he jumped back just in time and started that obnoxious donkey-laugh at my pitiful attempt to defend myself. His friends joined in, urging Ricky to wrench the pack away from me and beat me with it instead. In a split second, the bag was in his hands, and he was spinning it around and around. All my textbooks were in it, so it was plenty heavy. If he did beat me with it, I would be lucky if I didn’t end up in the hospital in a full body cast.
I couldn’t help myself anymore, the tears began to slide down my cheeks, triggering more laughter and jeers that I was a little pussy. Just as he took a step toward me with malice written all over his face while I huddled against the wall with my eyes scrunched closed, I heard a voice shout out.
“Hey, you turd burgers!” the voice rang out. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”
I popped one eye open as Ricky turned his attention from me to my savior. It was Vance Ashcroft, a boy I’d never really met. He was the kid everyone knew who he was, regardless of whether you had met. He was the best kickball player in the whole school. I had watched him play plenty of times during recess. He was almost as tall as Ricky, but not porky like him and most definitely not a weakling like me.
“Stay out of it, Ashcroft,” Ricky said, trying to be menacing. To my astonishment, Vance just laughed. I thought everyone was at least a little afraid of the dickhead, but Vance didn’t seem to care whether he was in for a beating, too.
“Since you can’t seem to pick on someone your own size, you’re going to have to go through me if you want to get to Justin. I don’t think you’re man enough though. You’re just a bully who gets off on trying to hurt little kids.”
I was surprised, and pleased Vance even knew my name, considering I was probably the biggest nobody in school. I didn’t like that he called me a little kid though. Didn’t anyone see me as the ten-year-old I was? That was practically a teenager. I may have been small, but I sure wasn’t a little kid. It’s not like they made me play in the kindergarten play yard.
“Show me what you’ve got, Tanner. I bet you’re the one who’s the pussy.” Vance immediately took a stance, feet spread apart, one in front of the other and raised his fists like a boxer. Ricky dropped my backpack and stormed on the kid who would be my hero.
I stood there plastered against the wall, afraid Vance would get his butt kicked first, then I’d get it even worse. I watched as Ricky tried to push Vance down, but Vance was quicker. He hauled off and punched Ricky hard in the face. I’ll never forget the sound of Ricky’s wail as he was knocked on his ass by the force of Vance’s fist. He put a hand over his left eye, clutching his face and started to cry. All his friends deserted him, instead surrounding Vance and clapping him on the back.
“Was that lesson enough for you, or do you need to be convinced to get up and run home? Trust me, I’m more than willing to make that black eye a matching set.” Ricky quickly scrambled to his feet and took off without delay. Vance then turned to face Ricky’s so-called friends and glared at them.
“You guys might want to think about following your friend because you’re sure not mine,” Vance declared. They all stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. Vance stamped his foot, making like he was going to move on them, which jarred them out of their confusion. They immediately took off, their sneakers almost smoking from how fast they ran. Finally, Vance turned and looked at me. I tried to dry my face with my shirt, then wiped my snotty nose on my sleeve. He may have just saved my ass, but I didn’t want him to think that I was a total douchebag.
“Hey, you okay?” Vance asked, coming over to me and putting his hand on my shoulder as he looked down into my tear-stained face. “Those jerks didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“Nah.” I shook my head vigorously. “Ricky just pushed me around a little, but I’m okay. Why… why did you help me?”
“Why shouldn’t I? You needed it, and I hate that guy. I’ve been wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine ever since he came to our school acting like an ass,” Vance said as he picked up my backpack and handed it to me. I took it hesitantly, then threw it over one shoulder, the way he carried his.
“Where do you live?” Vance asked. “I’ll walk you home and make sure you don’t have any more trouble. It wouldn’t surprise me if that dick was hiding in a bush somewhere along the way.”
“Over… on Rialto Street. Off Webb Street,” I slightly stammered.
“Oh, that’s not too far from where I live. I live in the apartments off Telfair.”
I knew exactly where that was, and it was completely in the opposite direction. I looked at Vance skeptically, utterly perplexed as to why he’d go out of his way for me again. He just laughed as I tried to reason it out. He dropped his hand on my shoulder again and turned me in the direction of home as he began to walk.
“I’m Vance, by the way,” he said like he was nobody special. “I’m in Ms. Williams’ class. You have Ms. Simpson, right?”
I shuffled along, staring down at my feet, nodding. “I know who you are,” I mumbled. “I just don’t understand how you know who I am.”
“Well, you do kind of stand out, Justin.”
My face burned red with embarrassment. I couldn’t help being small and different from everyone else. I was also shy, so I spent a lot of our recess and lunch periods alone trying to blend in with the scenery. Obviously, I hadn’t been as successful as I’d thought.
“I’m some big joke, aren’t I?” I asked as tears pricked at the back of my eyes again.
Vance looked at me like I was out of my mind. “Why would you think that? Everyone knows you’re a good guy and super-smart. Don’t let Ricky make you feel that way. He just needs to pick on other kids because he’s a dick. My mom says guys like that try to put other people down to make themselves feel better. It’s probably true. Everyone knows Ricky’s dad drinks. He’s probably the one who taught him to be a punk.”
I didn’t know anything about Ricky other than how he treated me. I was so far out of the loop with the other kids, there was no way I’d ever hear anything like that. Still, I didn’t want to look like such a loser in front of the most popular guy in our whole elementary school, so I just nodded like I agreed with him.
We walked in silence for a bit. Not long before we reached my street, Vance surprised me.
“Hey, do you think your parents would let you come over sometime? I just got a Nintendo for my birthday. It’s not a new one since my mom can’t afford that, but it works good enough. One of the ladies she works with bought her kid the new system and gave Mom the old one for me.”
I had the new game system, but I didn’t want to tell Vance that if his parents couldn’t afford it. I wasn’t going to brag in front of my new hero, so I nodded quickly.
“Yeah, I think they’d let me. My dad might want to meet yours first though.”
“That’d be impossible,” Vance laughed harshly. “I haven’t even met him.”
I stared at him, shocked. How did someone not know their own father? Vance just laughed harder.
“Don’t look so shocked, kid. People get divorced all the time. My dad just didn’t hang around. My mom told me he’s somewhere in New York with a whole new family. She said we don’t need him, and she’s right.”
“Oh, okay,” I replied. “Well, I’m sure my dad will understand when I explain that.”
“Would he be home right now? You could come over today if you want. My mom doesn’t mind me having friends over.”
“Probably not,” I answered. “I’ll ask my mom, though. She’s a lot more laid-back than my dad.”
Vance smiled and gave me a one-shoulder shrug as he adjusted his backpack higher. He followed me in through the front door where I immediately dumped my own bag and hollered for my mom. I was desperate to have her agree to let me go to Vance’s house. I had so few friends, and then to have someone like Vance seem to want to be mine, I just couldn’t miss the opportunity. If he were my friend, I just might stop being a total nobody at school.
When my mom didn’t respond, I ran through the house looking for her. I found a note in the kitchen, letting me know she had just run to the store for a few minutes and I should make a snack while I waited. Not knowing how long she would be and because I feared she might say no, I scribbled my own note at the bottom of hers, letting her know I was going over to a friend’s house and would be back for dinner. I knew she’d be pissed for going without getting her permission and maybe worried because I didn’t have any friends whose house I’d run off to, but I’d risk whatever threat of punishment would be coming to me.
Once I finished, I ran back to Vance letting him know I was good to go.
“I thought you said your mom would want to meet me,” he replied.
“She would, but she’s not here. She left a note saying went to the store, so I just wrote one back.”
“Are you sure you won’t get in trouble?” he asked, looking concerned.
“Nah,” I boasted. “If I let her know where I am, she’s pretty cool about things.”
Vance eyed me again, clearly not buying my story. I smiled back and started moving toward the front door.
“Let’s take my bike. That way we’ll get there faster.” I really wanted to get out of there before my mom showed up. I led him out to the garage where I jumped on my bike and motioned for him to hop on the back. There wasn’t a lot of room, but we’d make it for the short ride without looking too stupid.
I pedaled back to my house just as the sun was setting. I felt that looming trepidation I always got when I was in for it, but man it had been worth it. Vance and I played Legend of Zelda for hours before walking to the convenience store near his apartment and loading up on chips and soda. Then we watched Nickelodeon while scarfing down our snacks. It was the best afternoon of my life. Vance was even cooler than I thought, never treating me like anything but his buddy. I vowed to myself that I would be his friend for life if he chose to remain mine.