[Loser]

While I did not specifically mean a school, the environment I had in mind often reminds me of Junior High. But I'm not the one who punches a guy in the nose for shoving me.

Unrelated Storytelling Interlude

The Last time I was in a situation where the posturing had elevated to small displays of violence I was standing in the middle of a street outside a friend's house confronting a drunk shirtless teenager who was clumsily swinging around a very ornate nunchaku ("fancy pair of nunchucks?", which is better terminology?). He had been thrown out of the party, and was persisting in the loud and unacceptable behavior that had gotten him thrown out.

I had a soaked towel over my shoulders and had put something in my hair to make it slick. I had left my glasses, belt, and wallet inside, just in case. My insides were quaking, and I thought to myself again that I am a coward afflicted with a dangerous disease of stupidity and pride.

There were some real bruisers at the party, but those kids were on probation, and their friends were holding them back from fights that could get them in more trouble. No one was going to call the police, because of the neighborhood and what was going on at the party.

I had sent everyone else inside the house ("when you don't know who's in charge you are"), but he continued to direct his threats toward their faces in the windows more than me. He never came close to me, which was good for me. Standing with false certainty is easier than moving with it.

This fool's hysterics, by this time, consisted primarily of "You want some of this?" (gestures elsewhere) "You want some of this?". What do you say to that? "No, not really. But I do need you to leave." Whatever, he went away.

At that point I was pretty proud of myself. I had gone out and talked to the ego monster and had made him go away, and I had marshaled calmer minds to keep the probates from getting in trouble.

Four hours later I was pretty sure I had one the wrong thing. The bastard came back several times. He broke windows, keyed a few cars, and even tried to force his way into the house at one point, opening the door suddenly and forcefully and giving the petite host a nasty knock on the head. Turns out, though she denied having anything to do with him, his girlfriend was still at the party, and he felt he needed to talk with her. (They were together again the next day... Some people's children.) He was running now, and no one was going to go far after him in the dark.

If I had just let the bruisers kick the snot out of this troublemaker from the get go it would have prevented a lot of grief, and might have taught him a lesson. The host should have thrown him out earlier, but her 'bouncer' wasn't there that night and she doesn't seem to 'have it in herself'.

Whatever.

I have 'not enough violence' problems more often than I have 'too much violence' problems.