Mr. Hair Trigger
The next day, while I shuffled alone and sick and defeated through the peach hallways of Bluffton High, I saw Nolan Sauter, Abby’s little brother, knock Tommy Bode’s books out of his hands and onto the floor. When Tommy bent down to pick them up, Nolan kicked him in the side and Tommy slid down, face to the floor.
Without a thought, in a blink, I smashed the back of Nolan’s head against a locker. I held him by his throat and stared at his stupid face. Then I let go and walked away.
“What the hell, Felton?” he called after me.
I know now that Nolan was roughed up because of his mom and dad’s divorce. His dad is a giant asswipe. That’s true. But you can’t go around kicking the crap out of little fat boys because your parents are getting divorced. That’s not right.
Somehow—I don’t remember walking there—I ended up at my next class, a lame social studies class called Current Events. All the senior jocks take it. I sat down between Abby and Cody. Cody said, “Your hand is bleeding.”
I looked over at Abby. “Your brother is a dick.”
She stared at me. “I know,” she said.
I held up my bleeding hand. “I got cut when I smashed him against a locker.”
“Dude, Jesus,” Cody said.
“Are you kidding?” Abby asked.
Then class started.
Even though I’d wanted to, I’d never gone after someone the way I went after Nolan. I sort of trembled and I felt a little like crying.
Also this: It felt good to crush him. I admit it.
Hi, my name is Felton Reinstein, and I’m scary.