2010-06-26 11:02:50 UTC
On my first day of kindergarten the teacher told me, when she read my name out loud to the class, “ Jared Imperia, your name sounds like the name of a super hero.”
“ I am a superhero! I can make fire come out of my hands!” I told her enthusiastically. The rest of the class, including her laughed at me. They all thought that I was a liar. I wasn’t lying though, it was the bloody truth.
When I was twelve, my best friend was a rich kid named Samuel. He made my life miserable. The only reason I was his friend, like so many other kids was so he’d stop making fun of me. Back then, I didn’t come from a very high class family. Our house was only the size of a prison cell, with only a bathroom added. I had no fancy game counsels, or any type of entertainment at all.
I remember that Samuel used to make my life a living hell. Making fun of my low class life twenty four seven.
“ Your clothes are disgusting did your momma pick them out of a trash can for you? Or from the shopping cart of a homeless person?” All the other kids would laugh at whatever he said. Whether it was funny, or not. They had their own special system. Just laugh at whatever he says, and your safe from his eyes, or mouth. I was always his number one target. Everything about me was wrong. I was dyslexic, a slow learner, my clothes where like rags, and my parent couldn’t even afford a car, so I had to walk to, and from school everyday. The sweat on my head each morning, and afternoon proved that right. One day, Samuel went too far with his stupid jokes about me.
“ I’ve never seen your parent before?” He asked me.
“ That’s cause they can’t drive here.” I mumbled. In a way I knew just like everyone else, where this was going.
“ I don’t think so. I think that your mother’s a dirty pig, and your father is a low life gambler. My parents say that people like that should be killed, put to sleep.” He spat at me. My temper was rising fast. I always had a problem with controlling my anger, especially near him. Mum always told me to count to ten when I felt like exploding, but when it came to Samuel’s jokes, her method never worked.
Fast breathing, loud beating heart, my fists clenched hard, were all the sighs that I was going to lose it.
“ Look at your parent, their both fat lazy gits!” I yelled at him. It was like I’d just happened to challenge the male leader of a pack. A circle had gathered around him, and I. His other stupid friends where whispering, “ He shouldn’t have done that,” “ Sam’s going to beat him to pulp,” or “ What a stupid thing to say.”
“ What did you call my parents!” Sam whispered to me trying to sound “ menacing.”
“ I said your parents are no good, fat, lazy gits!” I yelled at him with much more gusto this time. We were both circling each other one of us could strike at the other any minute now. More people were coming to watch us. The circle of specters was getting bigger by the second. I didn’t mind the more the merrier.
They’d all finally see that Sam was just a fat, rich kid. He didn’t know what hard work was, unlike me. I would pound him to pulp in the first second our fists collided with each other.
“ Samuel you can draw out of this fight, before I make your noise bleed. If your smart you’ll know what the right choice is.” A sly smile toyed on my lips. His white powdered skin was slowly reddening due to my comment.
“ I am not stupid. Imperia, I’ll kick you’re a$$ and show you how a real man acts.”
“ Man! Samuel you’re the most low class human ever! You can never be considered a “ man”!“ I burst out laughing. My shoulder heaving, and my head bent back. My laughter was the only sound heard throughout the still circle. He lost it next, and so did I.
He ran at me. Our fists, heads, shoulders, and feet collided. The promised bloody noise I’d warned him about happened, and I received my very first scar on my neck. I couldn’t tell you how I was never expecting Sam’s huge meaty hands to pack such hurtful punches.
The small school boy fight turned into one of the most deadliest fights ever.
“ Imperia your so stupid. Thinking that you can win. I bet you have to use a bucket to go to the bathroom.” Samuel taunted me. I shoved him hardly. “ Everyone Jared uses a bucket to go to the bathroom!” Sam called out to the crowd .
He had the upper hand now. Some stupid kid began chanting “ bucket boy.” and soon more kids joined in. Until the whole group was chanting in loud voices “ bucket boy, bucket boy!”
“ Shut up!” I yelled, but they wouldn’t listen to me. I wish they had. Sam found his courage and pushed me down into the concrete floor of the basket ball court. Looking up at