Day 148: Stand Your Ground

Should be Day 174.

"Justin, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Mrs. Finley asked after the school bell had rung.

"No, ma'am." The boy fidgeted in his seat as he flipped through the books that were in his backpack.

"Are you waiting for your parents?"

"No.  I live fifteen minutes away.  I walk home."

"I see.  I suggest you leave now then.  The janitor is going to lock up the classrooms soon, and I wouldn't want you getting stuck in here."

"Thanks, Mrs. Finley."

Justin slowly zipped up his bag and slung the heavy burden over his shoulders.  He followed his feet down the lonely hallways and out into the school yard.  Instead of walking to the sidewalk, he walked behind the school building.  There were some large trash bins sitting there, along with a shed that most of the kids suspected contained some old sports equipment.  It was in front of this shed that Justin stopped near.  He rested his backpack on the ground and stared at his watch.

3:02.  Only three more minutes and Seth and his friends would show up.  Justin shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet in the dirt.  He had thought about what he would do at this meeting all week.  Twice he had considered not showing up at all, but Justin was a boy of his word, and he wanted to protect that honor.  After praying fervently to God about his problem, he believed he had an answer.  It wasn't the one he had expected, but he was trusting that it was going to work.

"Hi, dweeb," a gruff, higher- pitched voice from behind addressed him.

Justin turned around and saw Seth and his two friends, Andre and Joseph, towering over him with their arms crossed.

"I didn't see you in lunch today."

"I ate on the playground," he said quietly.

Seth smirked.  "You thought you could get away with not giving me my money, huh?  Well, it's not gonna work.  Pay up."

"No," Seth said softly but firmly.

"You're still sticking with that answer?" Seth's eyes never moved from Justin.

"I'm not letting you take my lunch money anymore."

Andre and Joseph smiled at each other and looked at Seth for a response.

"If that's the way you feel, then it's a good thing we agreed to meet here.  The pounding is still in effect."  He advanced closer to Justin.  Andre and Joseph followed, pounding their fists into their palms.  "Because I believe in fair fights, I'll let you throw the first punch."

Justin took a deep breath and stood up as tall as he could.  "I'm not going to fight you, Seth.  If you want to punch me, go ahead, but I don't want to punch you."

Andre snickered and Seth was taken aback by the answer.  He pushed against Justin's chest.  "I know what this is.  You're too scared."  He pushed on it again.  "Come on, chicken.  I know you want to fight me.  Show you can actually do something."

Justin's hands burrowed farther into his pockets as he stood his ground.

"Maybe this would change your mind."  Seth raised his fist and punched Justin in his right eye.

Justin yelped in pain.  The force of the punch had knocked him down.  He held back the tears that were only making his eye feel worse.

Andre and Joseph laughed as Justin slowly got to his feet again.

"Come on, kid, I'll even give you a free one," Seth taunted as he leaned his face into Justin's for a minute then weaved it away.  "What's the matter with you?"

Justin swallowed.  "You can punch my other eye too if you want."

Joseph laughed again.  "Did you hear that, Seth?  He asked you to punch him again!"

Seth wasn't laughing though.  The look Justin was giving him was making him sick to his stomach.  It wasn't hate, or rage, or vengeful.  Justin didn't look eager for a fight at all.  He looked sorry, but not for himself.  Justin even looked expectant on getting punched again.  Beating someone up who didn't want to defend himself and even wanted the pain wasn't much fun.

"Come on, guys, let's get out of here.  He's not worth wasting energy on."

His pals looked at each other and back at Seth, who was already walking away.  They ran to catch up with him.

Justin sighed with relief.  It worked.  He didn't have to hurt anyone and only got one punch, even if it was stinging ferociously right now.  He hoped his mother wouldn't be too upset, but he knew she would be proud of him.  Picking up his bag, he started his walk home.

Mrs. Finley had been sitting in the parking lot when she saw Seth and his friends walk away from the back of the school.  She didn't think much of it until she saw Justin the next day.  Combining these facts with Justin's peculiar behavior yesterday, she surmised that Seth had given Justin the punch.  She had the boys sent directly to the principal's office, where they were given three days of detention.