ToddStuff: Todd's Bully

Weekly Prompt #83 Draw or write about your character encountering their childhood (or equivalent) bully. 

Hunched over a wooden desk, staring holes into a thick yellowing book under the neighborhood recreation center wasn't Todd's idea of fun. Every weekend at 8 AM sharp his mother dropped him off in a dusty room filled with other kids to review the scriptures. His mother remarked that it was only on these mornings that she witnessed a human being turn into an immovable sack of potatoes.

 

"Usually, you're more akin to a bag of basketballs." She said nonchalantly as she drove her son to what he was sure was his funeral. How could she not understand the sheer agony that he was to experience? This was to him her greatest betrayal yet.

 

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The man upfront talked in a monotone voice. Todd shifted uneasily in the uncomfortable wooden chair. He wondered if the man upfront hated being here too. Or maybe he just hated kids so much that he leapt at the chance of becoming their tormentor. Todd struggled to follow the words in the book from the man read from. Todd's mind wandered.

 

He glanced at the other children who shared in his plight. Did they all loathe this dreary tradition as much as he did? Surely they all resented being here when they could be at home playing Bugs Blightyear: Space Barbarian Ultimate on their Game Kid. But he knew that wasn't true. He knew not all of them hated being there.

 

His eyes settled on the brown hair of a boy toward the front row of desks. Freshly combed, his hair was arranged beautifully save for one or two errant locks sticking up like jagged peaks. The boy held the book up to his hungry eyes. The brown haired boy’s eyes held on to the man's every word in the book. He was what the adults called, a devout. Spiritually upstanding.

 

Todd knew better.

 

Todd regarded the boy. Robin. That was the name of the most awful being Todd had the displeasure of knowing in all his 8 years upon this planet. Robin was a hulking mass of a child. He towered over the others like a skyscraper towers above pitiful slum shacks. Hair in unimaginable places. Voice rough and ragged. And he could take your breath away in a blink of an eye with a well placed fist between your ribs.

 

Suddenly there was movement all around him. People were rising from their seats like sleeping giants roused from slumber. Todd snapped out of his reverie. Fear gripped his chest as he realized that it was time to make for it. The lecture was done and it was time to flee toward freedom. Todd's chair scraped sharply as he shot up. Frantically he gathered his things and pushed his way out of the room into the hallway. He was going to make it. The doors were up ahead. His body lurched forward with as much speed as he could muster. He crashed through the doors into the parking lot.

 

But it was too late. It was always too late. His legs couldn't outrun his. Todd liked baseball. He enjoyed playing catch with his friends and fancied himself a good catcher. But in this moment he wished deeply that his head was not as good at catching Robin's fists as it apparently was.

 

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING! "

 

Todd's forehead kissed the asphalt. At that moment could feel the metaphorical coffin cover shut over his very existence. He would miss his mother. He would miss hot fries and burgers. He would miss soft serve ice cream. Robin continued his abuse.

 

“Get up little baby! Come on, you thought I wouldn't notice?" Robin hopped around Todd’s prone body just like his namesake would. Some kids looked over curiously at the scene.

 

Todd just gurgled on the ground, defeated. Robin yanked him into a precarious standing position.

 

"You're going to - HEY!"

 

That was a mistake on Robin's part. Playing dead was only one trick up Todd's sleeves. Robin had let his guard down as well as give him an opening for a daring escape. Even if Todd wasn't as fast as Robin, a head start was invaluable. From the corner of his eye he recognized the familiar form of his Mother's car. Todd raced towards it, heart thumping loudly. He could hear the thundering hooves from behind as his predator pursued him. Just a few more steps and he would make it...!

 

But it was not to be. His legs paused feeling a sickening tug as Robin grabbed a fistful of the back of his shirt. This was fine, Todd thought. He would simply lose the shirt. He could always get a new one. But he could never get back his dignity. He maneuvered his arms out of his sleeves and slipped out of his shirt. He continued his dash towards his mother's car with renewed determination all while Robin was in hot pursuit.

 

Todd's hand made contact with the car door handle. He threw the door open and crawled inside slamming it in front of Robin's vile face. Todd's mother looked up from her phone in surprise. Robin waved Todd's shirt wildly in the air. She looked from Todd to an animated Robin flailing about with the shirt yelling incoherently.

 

"Oh, were you two playing? Do you want to stay?"

 

"NO!" Todd yelped but his mother was already rolling the window down.

 

Robin's demeanor instantly changed. "Oh, hello Miss Cooper. Todd left his shirt. I wanted to return it. He handed the shirt to Todd's mother. His mother was impressed by Robin.

 

Todd was in agony.

 

"What a nice young man you are! Todd could stand to learn a few things from you."

 

Robin beamed. "Oh yes, he's so lucky to have me. Anyways, bye Todd!" Robin ran off.

 

Todd was mortified. But alive. That was what mattered anyway. His mother’s car whined and started as it peeled out of the parking lot. Homeward bound and safe, Todd relaxed into his seat and enjoyed the ride.