Chip Off The Old Block

Chapter 1- The Asshole

Bailey Sims was drop-dead gorgeous. He was tall, muscular, confidant, and charming. He had a youthful face, golden brown hair, and dancing eyes. He was the kind of guy that could make any young woman-or man-fall in love with him simply by walking into the room.

Unfortunately, Bailey Sims was also a complete asshole.

Bailey was attending college at a rather beautiful, historic university. The buildings, the grounds, even the hallways were simply beautiful. At the moment, Leonard Brandon was having trouble appreciating the beauty of those ivory halls, as Bailey Sims was shoving his face into them.

"Tryin' ta make me look stupid, smartass?"

"Not...much of a...challenge", grunted Leonard, as Bailey twisted his arms behind his back. Leonard was a typical science geek. He wasn't really that bad looking, except when he had the misfortune to stand beside someone who looked like Bailey Sims. Leonard had dark hair, a slightly oblong face, and a slim, somewhat gangly build. His college career was being paid for by more than one scholarship he had earned through his feats of scientific genius. That sounds cliche', but for all intents and purposes, that was the case. Again, unfortunately for Leonard, his genius did very little to help him when a muscular demigod a head taller than him was forcing his face into a wall.

"Goddman brain trust!", Bailey snarled. Then, with the ease one might display when shaking out a beach towel, Bailey flipped Leonard around and bashed his shoulders against the wall. "You just had to go running off at the mouth and make me look clueless in there, didn't you, shithead?"

"A-all I did was answer the professor's question!", Leonard protested. "It's what we're in school for!"

"He asked me first, but you had to jump right in and answer it for me. Then, you had to go on and elaborate. 'Lookit me, lookit me, I'm smart and the big jock guy is a dumbass!' You little fuck-"

"You're out of your mind, I wasn't trying to make you look-"

Bailey grabbed Leonard by the shirt collar and yanked him close to his face. "Oh, so now I'm crazy AND stupid, huh?" Bailey lifted Leonard off his feet by several inches and planted him once again against the wall. "You just watch yourself when you're around me, you got that?" All Leonard could do was nod vigorously. He felt as though his heart was lodged in his throat.

Bailey let Leonard slide back down the wall to his feet and lightly slapped the side of his face. "Good boy." The large young man turned and walked away from the small science major, easily stepping around the large column which had concealed their confrontation. Leonard watched him as he was joined by three other well-built students, who greeted him with smiles and slaps on the back. Leonard straightened out his shirtfront, his hands trembling. He had so been looking forward to college. To get away from the small-minded musclejocks back home, to pursue his advanced scientific pursuits. But this whole exchange with the popular Mr. Sims; it was all so...so high school.

 Leonard gathered his books and backpack from where they had fallen on the floor when he was assaulted. If this was a one-time transgression by a creep with a brain the size of a chick-pea, Leonard was willing to shrug it off. But if this were to become a regular event? Leonard started back to the off-campus, ground floor apartment he had rented with some of his scholarship funds and was using as a personal lab. Leonard decided he had a new subject to study in addition to his already considerable classload. And the subject was Bailey Sims.