Friday, September 26, 2003

Playing

Fayette County Fire & Emergency Services

The math test

was hard, possibly the worst test that Old Miss Crabtree had ever given,

and I wasn't doing so well. Something needs to happen, or I'm gonna flunk

this test, I thought.

About that

time it hit me. No; not the answer to question 23, but another spitball

in the back of the head from my arch nemesis Down the Street Bully Brad.

Miss Crabtree's fifth-grade class burst into laughter as the oh-so-familiar,

warm, sticky goo of the spitball slipped off my neck and down the back

of my shirt.

Down the Street

Bully Brad just laughed and said in a sneer, "How'd ya like that

one, Flash?" (Everyone calls me Flash 'cause I'm the fastest kid

in the whole fifth grade.)

"Bradley

McAlister, you come up here this instant! I'm sure Principal Baker will

want to have a word with you," crowed Old Miss Crabtree. She looked

really mad, as she stood up, pointing one of her long crooked fingers

in the direction of Bully Brad and then down at her desk. He was going

to get his this time. As Bully Brad passed my desk, he bumped into me

and said, "I'll meet you down by the fight tree after school!"

The fight tree.

Oh no, this could be bad," I thought. It's 1:30; maybe Principal

Baker will keep him after school. When the bell rings, if I hurry, maybe

I could make it home or at least make it past the fight tree, without

getting pounded into the ground.

The fight tree

was a huge magnolia tree in front of Old Man Hodges's house. It was strategically

located halfway between school and home and was the perfect location for

a fight. It was far enough from school that no teacher would interfere

and stop the fight. A good thing if you were winning. The fight tree was

close enough to our house that if we lost, we could still limp home to

Mom and arrive before dinner. I'm afraid my upcoming fight with Down the

Street Bully Brad would be one of those "limp home to Mom" ones.

At 2:30 the

school bell rang, and I was out the door. All the kids from Flamingo Street

usually met at the bike racks and walked home together. That way if the

kids from Duke of Gloucester wanted to play us in a game of street football,

we'd be ready. Today I was in a hurry, and from the size of the crowd

following me home, everyone knew why. When I reached the fight tree, I

turned around and looked back for a certain someone lurking around. Not

seeing him, I let out a sigh of relief. That is, until I turned back around.

Out from behind

the tree jumped Down the Street Bully Brad! He saw the surprised look

on my face and sneered, "Ya think I'd miss this, Flash? I caught

a ride with my big brother, and I'm gonna pound you!"

The large crowd

that was following me let out a collective "Ooooooh" and formed

a large circle around us. Goofy Steve danced around inside of the circle

singing, "There's gonna be a fight. There's gonna be a fight. Bully

Brad and Flash are gonna have a fight."

Bully Brad

walked over to me, pounding his right fist into his left hand. This wasn't

looking good for yours truly; I had to think of something fast. When Bully

Brad got near and drew one of his huge arms