in days, he stood and started for home. He couldn’t wait to tell Peter about this afternoon.
He had only walked a block from the mall when he spotted Keith and his gang coming down the street toward him. Keith walked boldly in front of the rest, a wicked grin on his lips.
At first Cole thought to turn and run, but running would simply delay the inevitable. In a way, not having Peter around made this a good time for a showdown. But how would he fight Keith? He hugged his injured arm close to his bruised ribs and kept walking.
Keith angled across the street, looking unsure because Cole wasn’t avoiding him. “Hey, psycho,” he shouted. “You’re going to get your butt kicked!”
Cole still didn’t know what he was going to do. His mind scrambled as the bullies approached. Garvey had said there were ways to fight without fists.
“You’re history, bush boy,” Keith said. “Where’s your retard friend?”
Cole breathed deeply and for a moment quit trying to think. Instead, he just stared at the boys with a strange sense of calm. And that was when it came to him. He spoke deliberately to Keith. “Before you touch me, you have three choices.”
“And what’s that, bear bait?” mocked Keith. “To kick your butt left, right, or straight ahead?”
The group laughed loudly.
“So what are my choices?” Keith asked sarcastically.
“I’m not going to fight you, so you can either leave me alone—”
“No chance of that,” taunted Keith. “Try again.”
Cole continued calmly, “Or beat me up.”
“That’s a good plan,” Keith said. “I like that one.”
Cole nodded. “Of course, if you choose that one, I will file charges.”
“You squeal on us, we’ll kill you!” Keith said. “What’s my third choice?”
“You just said it—kill me.” Cole met Keith’s stare with his own. “Those are your only choices today. Either leave me alone, beat me up and I file charges, or …” Cole paused for effect. “Or kill me.”
Keith’s laugh sounded weaker.
“I’m serious,” Cole said. “So what’s it going to be? I’m not afraid of you.”
“You think we’re afraid of you reporting us?” Keith said.
“Yes, you’re scared stiff. And if you do kill me, one of you will rat out the rest and you will all spend the rest of your lives behind bars. It won’t be with other cheap punks. It’ll be with real killers and rapists. So what are you going to do?”
“You sure talk tough,” said Keith, punching Cole hard in the gut. “I’m tired of your talk, motor mouth.”
“Now I’m filing charges against you,” Cole gasped, and then turned to the others. “Who else wants charges filed?”
“Oh, we’re really afraid of you,” Keith taunted, giving Cole a hard shove that sent him stumbling backward. Keith looked back at his friends. “What’s wrong? You guys afraid of this loser?”
“You’ve already dug your grave,” Cole told Keith. “Maybe your friends aren’t as stupid.”
“You’re pissing me off,” Keith shot back. “We’re not afraid of you!” He swung hard at Cole and knocked him to the ground.
Cole sat up slowly, rubbing blood from his nose and mouth. “You
should
be afraid,” he said calmly.
Keith looked back at his friends. “Are you losers going to just stand there staring?” he shouted.
“I’m not getting in trouble with the police,” Eddy said. “My dad will kill me.”
“Me, either,” announced Alex.
Keith’s four friends backed slowly away from Cole. “Just leave him be,” one said. “He’s crazy.”
Keith gave Cole an angry kick in the chest. “Chicken turds!”
Cole spit blood on the sidewalk and rubbed his ribs. “You might as well kill me now,” he said. “I’m going straight to the police department. This is assault.”
Keith looked uncertain, glancing up the street as if watching for the police. “Hey, look, can’t you take a joke?” he said suddenly.
Cole stood and pointed at the sidewalk. “If this blood is a
He had only walked a block from the mall when he spotted Keith and his gang coming down the street toward him. Keith walked boldly in front of the rest, a wicked grin on his lips.
At first Cole thought to turn and run, but running would simply delay the inevitable. In a way, not having Peter around made this a good time for a showdown. But how would he fight Keith? He hugged his injured arm close to his bruised ribs and kept walking.
Keith angled across the street, looking unsure because Cole wasn’t avoiding him. “Hey, psycho,” he shouted. “You’re going to get your butt kicked!”
Cole still didn’t know what he was going to do. His mind scrambled as the bullies approached. Garvey had said there were ways to fight without fists.
“You’re history, bush boy,” Keith said. “Where’s your retard friend?”
Cole breathed deeply and for a moment quit trying to think. Instead, he just stared at the boys with a strange sense of calm. And that was when it came to him. He spoke deliberately to Keith. “Before you touch me, you have three choices.”
“And what’s that, bear bait?” mocked Keith. “To kick your butt left, right, or straight ahead?”
The group laughed loudly.
“So what are my choices?” Keith asked sarcastically.
“I’m not going to fight you, so you can either leave me alone—”
“No chance of that,” taunted Keith. “Try again.”
Cole continued calmly, “Or beat me up.”
“That’s a good plan,” Keith said. “I like that one.”
Cole nodded. “Of course, if you choose that one, I will file charges.”
“You squeal on us, we’ll kill you!” Keith said. “What’s my third choice?”
“You just said it—kill me.” Cole met Keith’s stare with his own. “Those are your only choices today. Either leave me alone, beat me up and I file charges, or …” Cole paused for effect. “Or kill me.”
Keith’s laugh sounded weaker.
“I’m serious,” Cole said. “So what’s it going to be? I’m not afraid of you.”
“You think we’re afraid of you reporting us?” Keith said.
“Yes, you’re scared stiff. And if you do kill me, one of you will rat out the rest and you will all spend the rest of your lives behind bars. It won’t be with other cheap punks. It’ll be with real killers and rapists. So what are you going to do?”
“You sure talk tough,” said Keith, punching Cole hard in the gut. “I’m tired of your talk, motor mouth.”
“Now I’m filing charges against you,” Cole gasped, and then turned to the others. “Who else wants charges filed?”
“Oh, we’re really afraid of you,” Keith taunted, giving Cole a hard shove that sent him stumbling backward. Keith looked back at his friends. “What’s wrong? You guys afraid of this loser?”
“You’ve already dug your grave,” Cole told Keith. “Maybe your friends aren’t as stupid.”
“You’re pissing me off,” Keith shot back. “We’re not afraid of you!” He swung hard at Cole and knocked him to the ground.
Cole sat up slowly, rubbing blood from his nose and mouth. “You
should
be afraid,” he said calmly.
Keith looked back at his friends. “Are you losers going to just stand there staring?” he shouted.
“I’m not getting in trouble with the police,” Eddy said. “My dad will kill me.”
“Me, either,” announced Alex.
Keith’s four friends backed slowly away from Cole. “Just leave him be,” one said. “He’s crazy.”
Keith gave Cole an angry kick in the chest. “Chicken turds!”
Cole spit blood on the sidewalk and rubbed his ribs. “You might as well kill me now,” he said. “I’m going straight to the police department. This is assault.”
Keith looked uncertain, glancing up the street as if watching for the police. “Hey, look, can’t you take a joke?” he said suddenly.
Cole stood and pointed at the sidewalk. “If this blood is a
Similar Books
