Intimidated. The word swirled through Jack’s mind as they drove. He hated the feeling. He hated feeling immobilized by the posture of other people. From as far back as he could remember, he felt that way. Growing up, Jack admired the kids who would react, take charge, grasp the stick they were being beaten with, and turn the tables.
He thought about a little kid he knew in grade school named Dylan.
Dylan was a small kid but had the courage of a lion. There was one time on the recess yard when an older kid pushed Dylan down during a kickball game. Dylan got up, and even though he was only half his size, he pounced on the bully and bloodied his lip. When he was taken to the principal’s office, rumor had it that Dylan told the principal to do his job properly so he wouldn’t have to do it for him.
Adults don’t really take to kids talking like this, and Dylan was rewarded with a three-day suspension. When he came back to school, he was a minor celebrity, one that Jack’s mother said he couldn’t hang out with anymore.
Jack’s thoughts drifted back to the gas station. He worked up the script in his mind and mulled it over and over again, trying to get the scene with the most dramatic flair.
Jack walks up to the counter and puts his supplies down.
“You getting gas?”
“Does it look like I’m getting gas, you white trash piece of . . . ,” he would say as he reached over, grabbed the back of Colten’s head, and slammed it down on the counter. “Now bag this up before I get angry.”
Jack smiled. That would have been good.
Take 2. Rolling.
Laura walks in from the restroom.
“Howdy, miss. Beautiful day, ain’t it?” Colten would say.
“You talking to her? Keep your eyes off her, you white trash . . .” and again with the head slam to the counter.
Meanwhile, Laura had turned in her seat and was looking at him. “What are you thinking about over there?”
“Nothing,” he said, wiping the grin off his face.
“Uh-huh.”
“Just thinking is all.”
“Well, talk to me.”
“All right, what do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know.”
The silence returned.
And with that, Jack went back to working out the scenes in his head. Always back to the head slam to the counter. Yes, the head slam would definitely be the way to go.