Some big guys walk past. They positively loomed over Ben in his new, immature body. He noticed his mouth gaping, clamped his jaws closed and turned to continue on his way. He felt floored when he realized the two big guys were probably only 14 or 15.
Distracted, he collided with what, at first, he thought must be a wall. "Watch here you're going, you little shit," a huge guy, a senior fullback type, growled as he stepped aside and walked past Ben.
"Watch it yourself!" Ben snapped without thinking.
The enormous male turned quickly. "Are you talking to me?"
Ben's mouth dropped open again as he realized what he had done.
"What the fuck did you say to me, runt?" The huge jock asked as he grabbed Ben by the waist and brought the little guy up to his eye level.
"You ran into me!" Ben said, beginning to get very mad at the ignorant punk.
His anger dissipated rapidly, however, as he felt himself lifted off his feet.
"Put me down!" Ben ordered.
The muscular jock grinned. "Ooooooh, the little man's got a big mouth. All right. You want down?"
The enormous athlete slammed the smaller guy down, hard, on the floor.
Ben, his breath knocked out of his lungs, lay there. He felt the pain rush through his small body.
"Is whittle Brad hurt?" The big jock mocked him. And, to Ben's surprise, the large tormentor apparently knew his son.
At the same time, Ben remembered similar scenes from his own high school years, but with one major difference. Back then, he had been the big guy! Not this...not some runt.
The powerful jock stepped on Ben's body on his way down the school corridor. The big guy's friends laughed and went out of their way to trample their leader's victim.
One of the guys looked down in disgust. "What a wuss!"
Ben watched the huge guys walk into the school. He found himself wishing he could be big like they are.
"Mr. Monahan!"
Ben whirled. Crap! He recognized Brad's assistant principal.
"Late for your class, aren't you, Monahan?"
"Yeah. I'm headed that way."
"Headed that way, what?" The authoritative principal asked.
"As fast as I can?" Ben ventured.
"Mr. Monahan, are you bucking for detention today or what?" The large man said. "I have a name and a salutation.
"Use them, please!"
"No," Ben objected. "I got attacked before I even got in the damn door."
"Profanity, too," the assistant principal chided. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to send a note home to your father."
"That's a laugh," Ben muttered.
"Excuse me!"
"Nothing."
"Nothing...who?
Ben swallowed hard. "Nothing, sir."
The principal grinned. "Better. Much better."
Meanwhile, Ben's son and his co-worker Jake headed toward the construction site in Jake's truck.
"That boy's a little on the small side, ain't he, Ben?" Jake asked.
"I'm not so....I mean, well, hell, he's only 12, Mr. Con..., uhhh. Jake."
Brad felt nervous, and Jake noticed his friend's fidgeting.
"Yeah, but you and I were bigger than that at 12."
"Sure," Brad said. He clasped his hands in his lap.
"Something the matter, man?"
"I'm okay, just a little, I dunno. I feel kinda weird."
"Yeah?"
Jake pulled the truck onto the site. "Hell, there's that SOB Carruthers."
Brad doesn't recognize the root of his antsy behavior. His body is craving another cigarette.
"Yeah, Dad thinks he's a real jerk!
Jake turned his head toward Brad. "What?" Jake asked. "Oh no. He's headed this way."
Brad, silently, wishes that his Dad was present.
Jake rolled down the truck window.
"Connors, I need you and Monahan to make a run over to Smithville," Paul Carruthers said. "A delivery truck broke down over there, and I need those materials."
"Fuck you, Carruthers," Brad said. "Jake and me gotta finish framing those houses down by the lake."
"Wow!" Brad thought. "Did I just say that?"
Carruthers straightened his spine. "Monahan, I know that you think you've got the manager's blessing for everything, but this comes straight from his office. Now keep your butt in that truck and head to Smithville!"
Brad leaned over Jake, instinctively acting like Ben Monahan would. Jake stopped his friend. "We're going."
He rolled up the window. "Damn, Ben. You're gonna go too far some day!" Jake said. "This is better than framing houses anyway! It's a three hour round-trip road trip."
"Shit, man. He is a total, butt-kissing asshole!" Brad exclaimed.
In his thoughts, he excitedly marveled at the words coming out of his mouth. All the right phrases spilled out of his mouth.
"Yeah, you don't have to tell me," Jake said. "I'd like to really screw that asshole."
Meanwhile, the new Brad arrived at his math class.