My first real fight

Somehow I got the money to go to a basketball game with a girl.  We had dated over the summer if that is what you call it when you're that young.  She was new to the town too, which is probably why she was there with me.  I was still the new kid in town as far as high school went.  Having only spent the one year in Centralia, the eighth grade, I knew nothing of high school.  I had no idea who was who.  When we got to the game some older guys started picking on me right in front of her; right in front of everyone.  I couldn't take it anymore.  I was so sick of being picked on, so tired of being made fun of.  This was the straw that broke the camel’s back as they say.  As I like to say, I reached up between my legs and pulled them down.

I said, "Right now mother fucker, the park right now!"

He acted all tough; he had called me out right in front of everyone, so he was caught, he had to go.  This guy was a senior, I was a freshman.  It didn't matter.  I was so fucking pissed off.  I was so sick of everyone shaming me and picking on me.  No more.  I was going to beat this guy’s ass.

I think it was actually a friend of his that gave me the ride to the park.  When we arrived, there was already a small crowd of people there to watch, and I didn't care that they were all his friends.  All of this happened very quickly.  You know how it is, someone says fight, and they all come running.  I didn't know it, but this was about to be glorious. 

We squared off.  He came right at me.  I faked a left and stuck him in the nose with a hard right.  Oh, it was so magnificent.  The first real solid punch of my life and it landed as perfectly as could be, right in his fucking nose.  He came back in, I did it again.  Faked the left and stuck him right dead in the nose.  He's bleeding now.  He came back in again, I did it again; right dead in his fucking nose.  I'm talking shit.  "You want to make fun of me?  You want to call me a pussy?"  His friends stepped in and stopped the fight.  The dude was bleeding profusely.  His eyes were watering so badly he couldn’t fight anymore.  I'd say that first punch took the fight right out of him.  We both had blood on us, but I never took a punch at all!  I was elated.  I was shaking from the adrenaline.  I finally had stood up for myself! 

By the time I got back to the high school everyone knew what had happened.  Benjamin Stevens had beat up a senior.  When I walked through the doors someone at the end of the hall yelled my name and suddenly there was a mob heading my way.  I turned and ran into the night.  What I did not know is that I had just busted up one of the more popular guys in the school.

I won't lie.  I was scared to go to school the next day.  There really had been a bunch of people trying to chase me down.  When I got to social studies I quickly became aware that it was my teachers son whom I had beat up.  So much for a fresh start at a new school.  She never really said anything to me, but both of his eyes were black as could be, so she could not have been happy.  No mother wants to see her son beat up whether he deserves it or not.  I think she also knew a bit of the truth in the matter too.  I think she knew he had been picking on me.  That fucking guy had it coming.  His friends didn't agree though. 

His best friend called me out that next day at school.  Not being able to stand being called a pussy anymore my dumb ass showed up at the park.  I had no business fighting this guy.  He was much older and much more physically developed than I.  His friend thoroughly kicked my ass.  Still to this day my nose has never bled so much as it did that day.  I leaned over with my hands on my knees and the blood was running out of my nose and my mouth both at the same time.  The blood came together on its way down and it looked like a faucet had been turned on.  My brother and I walked home.  It could not have been a pretty scene seeing me all covered in my own blood.  I didn't care.  It was kind of cool actually.  I was no longer afraid.  I had just had two fights in as many days.  I had been being beat when I was two years old.  No high school kid was going to beat me like a grown man could. 

I was instantly aware that losing a fight was nothing.  Making sure they knew I was not a pussy was everything.

Having my first taste of real fighting, having realized I didn't have to take it anymore, the tables were turning.