You ever got your ass whooped twice in a month? Devin did. When you attend an all-boy’s high school, testosterone is air. With no females to offset such masculinity, one must be careful. Roast sessions easily can end up in bloody noses. Banishing your favorite outfit after the entire lunchroom clowned it.
Being a junior, Devin found himself pretty comfortable. His clique was established . The unspoken rules were second nature by now. Where to go and not to go came naturally. With comfortability however comes oversight. With everyone laughing at your jokes and managing to avoid being bullied. Devin felt secure. A bit too much he will soon learn.
Devin loved to talk shit. Relished in such activity. The environment nurtured such madness. Yet you knew who to play with. With hotheads, you learned the limit as quickly as possible. Whether firsthand or watching it in a fight, you going to learn. The disconnect shows itself when said jokesters are having a difficult day. You usually learn this after the fact which is too late.
Jesse was a common jokester- with a famous sister. Surrounded by males all day, limits do not exist. Jokes are brutal and disrespectful. Especially if your mother, girlfriend, or relative is attractive. With his sister being known and attractive, the jokes wrote themselves.
“Yo Jesse, did she have to blow for her role.
Somebody tell Jesse I’m trying to smash his sister.”
And Jesse endured it. He would snap back but was constantly outnumbered. Since freshman year, he had to deal with such jokes. Never getting to the point of fighting though. Most of the jokesters who snapped on Jesse were the hotheads. Your options in that dynamic were either fight or endure. Devin knew all of this and assumed he was safe too. Devin’s obnoxious style of joking was calculated. He would wait for the class to get silent and strike. Leaving Jesse exposed because the teacher would intervene before he could respond.
Devin’s comfortability shattered the next week in science class. The desks were positioned as a big square where everyone can see everyone. Waiting for the perfect moment, he pounces…
“Yo Jesse, pass a message to your sister for me bro. Mind your business too, don’t be nosy.”
Unaware of Jesse’s mood, he tries to continue the joke…
“Also, Jesse-
Yo Devin. I am about sick of your shit. Nah for real. I’m not laughing. Matter of fact- step into the hallway.
OHHHHH!!-the class erupts.
Settle down, settle down– the teacher interjects.
Nah fuck that, I’ll be in the hallway.”
Devin is not taking any of this serious. Still laughing, looking around for approval. Jesse is already set in the hallway.
“Don’t look at us. You better go handle that.”
Devin walks out laughing to the hallway, passing Jesse to the opposite side. Still extremely comfortable, he puts his hands behind his back, leaving himself exposed.
“Jesse come on bro. What you going to do? Here, I’ll even turn my head-
BOOM!! CRACK!!
Stars fill Devin’s eyes. He never been hit so hard in his life. Disoriented and out of shape, he stumbles back. Jesse goes in for more punches. He connects three more times, and Devin can only focus on using his weight to stop the attack. Devin finally gets Jesse to the floor, fighting for a ground and pound. Jesse, who is way more experienced, traps Devin’s arms under his- rendering his attack useless.
They are finally separated. Jesse is yelling in victory as Devin is focused on the crowd that is laughing.
“Dayumm!! He whooped your ass, Devin.
Always running your mouth, you, see?”
Devin’s right eye has ballooned up being his glasses were punched in too. Embarrassed and exhausted, the teachers get them to the office on the ground level. Making him sit in the lobby right outside of it. They give Devin a cold can of soda to put on his eye. The timing could not have been worse since it was lunch time. Everybody walked by Devin, seeing his defeated state. The jokesters took full advantage of their opportunity and let him have it. Defeated twice he felt. He even ate his lunch in the classroom for a week to avoid the guaranteed roasting. After two weeks, it subsided but Devin still had another bout to deal with.
Sitting in English class on the last floor, Devin is getting back into routine. Still distrustful on who to joke with, he is slowly testing the waters. He still shares classes with Jesse, so alertness is necessary. Fights can start from nothing. One time two classmates fought because they made one believe he was spat on.
English class is ending when Roland appears at the classroom door. He shows his fists and points to Devin mouthing the words “I’m going to F$#% you up.” At once Devin takes it as a joke because he does not speak to Roland as a friend. Devin waves him off while Roland shakes his head acknowledging the dismissal. The final bell rings and everyone is ready to go home. Racing to his locker, Roland’s buddy approaches him.
‘Yo Roland looking for you.
Yeah. I saw him. It’s cool.
Yeah aight.”
Devin just now gets scared. Something is going on, and he must get away from all these eyes. He rushes to the front, meeting his two buddies who walk the same way. In panic, he urges them to get going. Presently away from anybody from the school, he relaxes a bit. Joking and laughing with his them. Not looking behind, them not once. Just then, running steps are heard. Instantly turning around, Roland and his cousin swarm them.
“So, you take my phone and try to run away? You thought we was going to let that slide? Where is my phone? Give it to me right now.
I do not have your phone, Roland.
So why you left so in a rush. You look guilty as F$%#.
Bro, I do not have-“
CRACK!!
A punch right to his jaw by his cousin. He stumbles back and looks at his two homies. Fear covers their faces and confirms Devin is alone in this altercation.
“Give me ya bags.”
He searches all three bags while they are stuck in fear. Finding nothing, his anger grows.
“Why ya doing this to me. I don’t even know you bro-
CRACK!!
Another punch to his jaw. At this moment, Devin realizes there is no escaping. And he was not going to just keep being attacked. As his cousin reached again for Devin’s pocket, he shoves him with all his might making him stumble. Flabbergasted Devin had the gall to attack him; Roland and his cousin jump Devin. The only time Roland took part Devin makes note of before curling up in a ball. They are punching on him, but his defense is actually working. Thinking its over or simply just out matched, his opens his arms, exposing his face. His cousin sees this and knees him right in the nose. Stars again in his eyes followed by blood. They run away leaving them three to process what happen. He looks at his two friends, and they offer nothing but pity. Devin sees a man who is working the park lot start walking to them.
“Aye man!! Those not your friends. How you watch him get jumped? Ya soft. Here take these napkins little man. Wipe your face. And get away from these two punks.”
The walk home was silent and occasional tough talk.
“If he would have touched me, I would have got my cousin.”
In shock, Devin cannot believe he got beat up again. At least no witnesses he thought. The confusion now was does he tell his homies or let it play out? For sure he wasn’t going to be a victim again especially when he was completely innocent. Yet he goes to school there. Everyday. He is exposed. Would his friends be there everyday to ensure his protection?
Devin cut school the next day knowing the backlash he is facing. Coming to terms with what just happen, he spent the day in fear. He receives a call around dismissal time from one of the friends who watched him get jumped.
“Yo. Yo. Roland wants to apologize to you. He knows it wasn’t you. They told him it was, and they found the person.”
Devin is more than relieved but has to change his movements. Two beat downs within a month speaks volumes on the energy around him. Roland did indeed apologize. And his cousin. His friends bought him lunch everyday until graduation behind that. The hothead jokesters never missed a chance to mock those two for being bystanders. The jokes ended when Devin wrote a poem about the incidents for class. Making light of it actually made everyone leave it alone. Devin graduated without any further violence besides the sanctioned class versus class tussling.
Those two-ass whooping’s shifted Devin’s perspective on everything he held true. Consequences do exist. More importantly, they build character. Character which benefits society as a whole. Watch your mouth. Watch your surroundings. And understand you can get hit. We all have our limits. Our boundaries. You never know. You just never know…
DRC Thomas-Payne
PayneInTheCulo 