Super

Super: The Nerd

I'd come to find that the inside of a locker was quite quaint. Over my three full years of high school, and my three of middle school, the cold steel box seemed almost comforting. A familiar place where I sometimes came to rest my eyes, ponder life's issues, or even catch up on some light reading. The way I got in the locker was usually the same, the laundry sack full of meat named Jackson usually found some ridiculous reason to shove me in a locker. Weather it was to impress his girlfriend, amuse the football team he "led", or just for his own personal enjoyment he'd cram me in there after taking all my lunch money. So many times I fantasized about knocking him flat and getting revenge, but mother always told me that it wasn't the right thing to do, that I should be the bigger man. I always listened to her, just sometimes from the inside of the cramped sheet metal box it was hard to see her way of thought, eventually the noise of changing classes tampered off and I peered through the vents in door and made sure the coast was clear before pressing my hand to the latch and shoved the lock free as well as the door. It tumbled across the hall way with a loud metallic clangor. I stepped through into the hall stretching my arms and back finally taking a full breath. I crouched down and examined the door twisted and bent to hell, I chucked a bit thinking "whoops, guess I don't know my own strength!"
Just at that moment I looked up and the principal James was standing above me with his arms crossed. "Damaging school property, Mr. Diaz! A serious offense, my office now."
"Yes sir...." He marched me to his office and we sat there for a moment staring at one another awkwardly. "What did the locker door ever do to you?"
"Well Principal James, it was kinda in my way when it came to getting out of the cozy locker..."
"Don't be smart with me boy!"
I leaned back in my chair and sighed "Its Jackson sir he keeps putting me in them!"
"You mean to tell me that the 6 doors you've managed to destroy were because Jackson, shoved you in every one of them."
"Yes sir"
This had been the sixth time I was in his office because he believed that every locker door I damaged I did because I thought it fun.
"I'm sending you home early to think about what you have done, and I'm calling your mother in advance"
"FINE! Tell Jackson to stop being such a PRICK!" I stormed out of his office and headed for my car. As I was heading out i saw Jackson slither into the bathroom and as he opened the door he turned his head and sneered at me. That was the straw that broke the camels back. I sprinted in after him, my blind rage got the best of me and I wasn't thinking what was on the other side of it, I soon found out. All six two and two hundred and eighty pound of Jackson was waiting for me behind that door. All I saw was a blur of blonde hair as my eye made contact with his clenched fist, I doubled over and broke my fall with me hands only to be met with a converse high top to the ribs.
"You over sized shit eater!" I hissed voice filled with rage and malice, I spit Crimson blood onto the gray tile floor. "You know better than to take a swing at me dweeb!"
He kicked again, once more a sneaker connecting with rib. "And one for good luck!"
Jackson wound up again this time he wasn't so lucky, mid way through his kick I caught it in both hands twisting his ankle till it was rewarded with a sickening pop. Jackson squealed in pain. I stood up laughing like a mad man, he stumbled trying to keep the weight off his newly broken ankle, I grabbed him by his golden hair, his stupid mullet might as well have been a handle, I threw his head Into the counter blood rushing from his nose. Grabbing him by the collar I lifted him off his feet with one hand, and till this day I all I remember was the color red, it was the only thing I saw, I just swung with my free hand over and over again hitting him in the ribs, my fist connecting with his chest cracking his skeleton. I don't know how many times I hit him, but eventually I dropped him on the floor, he rolled to his side coughing up blood and groaning. I do remember tears running down my cheeks, a wave of mixed emotions hit me hard, anger for all the garbage I put up with, fear because I really hurt him, but the scariest of them all joy, I felt so good but for all the wrong reasons. I looked in the mirror my shirt covered in blood, I really wasn't sure if it was his or mine, I wiped my face and looked down is his body his breathing shallow. I pressed two fingers to his neck and found a pulse, I then headed to the hall way and left I walked towards the parking lot and just smiled. I heard the yell of some kid discovering the body and the rush of teachers to assist the beaten boy. I reached my car and left.
Metropolis was a nice city especially during the day, if you get the chance you should really take a day and walk around the city, tall buildings towering over the streets, glistening like shards of glass. People hustled along the side walks to and from work, ducking in and out of subway stations, the city was alive. I loved seeing that, it reminded me the world was its own creature, so many people doing different things, so many interactions,. So many dynamics it just made my day brighter. I pulled my 96' Pathfinder into the car port at the base of my building and rolled it into its spot next to my mothers car. I took the keys from the ignition and grabbed my school bag from the back seat and walked to the elevator, riding it all the way to the 18th floor. When I entered our apartment, it was not a happy home coming. My mother sat on the couch and she looked crossed as hell! "Edward.....what's gotten into you." She was calm and that was the worst part about it I'd much rather her screaming and yelling, but she was cool as an ice cube. She was disappointed and that made my heart heavy. "He wouldn't let off mom he just kept badgering me and I had enough."
"So you beat him nearly to death!"
I was quiet for a moment, she stared me right in the eyes.
"That boy ,Edward, that boy had a concussion, bruised and broken ribs, and a collapsed lung."
"He had it coming."
"That maybe so but you don't want them noticing.....what you are....what you can do!"
"I know, I know I'm sorry"
"Your father and mother didn't make the ultimate sacrifice so you could waste your abilities here"
"Don't you think I know that.....he just needed a beating ok!"
"He will stop for sure now!"
"Ok, ok just lay low for now I'm heading off to work ok?"
"Alright" she grabbed her keys and straightened her name tag that read Martha and headed for the door.
"Mom."
She turned back and looked at me. "I'm sorry"
"It's ok sweetie"
Her brown eyes glimmered a little bit with joy and her smile washed all my fears away, I owed my life to her. She turned and left closing the door behind her on her way to work at the back down on 59th as a teller.
With that I stepped into my room and changed out of my school clothes.