this: You’re in fourth grade, at recess. The toughest boy on the playground is picking on the scrawniest boy, who startles at everyday noises, such as the class bell or a faraway freight train’s faint echoing horn. In a moment of bravery, the scrawny boy’s will breaks, and he challenges the bully, after years of terror and torment, to an after-school fight. That bony little firecracker sure does have a strong will, but holy shit, we all know he’s getting his ass handed to him in a basket.
The crowd gathers at 4 p.m. Most of them are friends with the scrawny boy, and just as many fear the bully.