Typical Bully

Few months ago I was in the park with my little brother, we were riding our bikes around the parking lot and talking about nothing.

A meek kid approached, holding a scateboard. "Scuse me," he asked, "but do you guys know where there are any scateboarders?"

 

I told him to try by the lake. That's where they usually hang out.

 

Few minutes after he'd left, another lonely scater kid wandered into the parking lot.

 

Few weeks ago I was in the parking lot of the library and I saw the same lone scater kid, playing around. The big librarian walked out, smiling deviously. "Excuse me," she said, calmly, happily, "do you know how to read?"

 

"Yes," he said, stopping and standing as stiff as a board.

 

"Then I wonder if you can tell me, what does that sign over there say?" she pointed to the "No Scateboarding" sign.

 

It wasn't enough to throw the kid off public ground, she had to humiliate him too.

 

I've never been a scater, but I've lived in the city long enough to have seen this confrontation occur multiple times with different people. Always, the skateboarder sums up what little esteem he has, what little rebellious spirit that hasn't been crushed out of him, and asks "what's the point of that rule?"

 

From there, there are three answers potentially given.

 

"Because... It damages the sidewalk!"---Old lady, you weigh more than any skaterat I've ever seen. You put more stress on the concrete. Try again.

 

"Because... It's the rule!"---But it's a rule serving nobody.

 

"Because... Some people are nervous around scateboarders!" said the librarian.

 

I certainly don't mind scateboarders.

I'm not afraid or uneasy around them.

They're not bullies. They're just kids who choose to go outside and nurture their spirit instead of sit inside and TV their brains into oblivion.

It occurs to me that the only people who truly feel uneasy around them are people who put up signs saying "no scateboarders."

 

I walked by the scene; at the time I was still serious about getting a job at the library, so I bit my tongue.

 

Today I went to the library with my little brother. He was accompanied by two of his friends, one fifth grader and one second grader. We had arrived late in the day, and the library staff had turned off all the lights fifteen minutes early, as they sometimes did. It was their hint to the patrons that they were sick of work for the day and that closing time was upon us. I wish I had that kind of power.

 

My brother and I walked outside. His friends were waiting for their parents to pick them up, and they wanted him to stick around with them.

 

They all hung around by the bicycle rack near the curb. I leaned against the wall by the side of the doors, out of view of the security cameras.

 

A few minutes later, one of the librarians peeked out. "Kids---KIDS--The library is closing, so--"

 

I laughed. It was just a chuckle, but it made her jump. She flipped her head around and stared at me, wide eyed and surprised. I laughed a little louder and said "so buzz off, you young ruffian hooligans!" finishing her sentence.

 

Her mouth opened a little. She shut the door, opened it again and looked out at me again for a second, then shut the door again, then opened and peeked out again, then finally closed the door and walked away. I think she was trying to say something, but she didn't know what. Or maybe she knew exactly what she wanted to say but lacked the stomach to say it.

 

Typical bully.

Reviews

[Terra Hart]

Good story! And yeah, at least they aren't sitting in front of a T.V.

[Hawksmoor]

Other than a typo or two, I see nothing wrong with this. Nothing that threw me off.

Everyday occurrences, made into slightly sinister things when given a closer scrutiny than what's average.

People can be so goddamn petty and cruel sometimes.

I enjoyed this.

Hawksmoor...From The Bleed.

[lark]

I like that you made TV into a verb.

(... and that you're funny. i like that too.)

[bunny nabber]

;) prolific.
aaand polished.
bad a*s.