Timothy Weary By Marvin K. Perkins Smashwords Edition Published by Smashwords Copyright 2012 by Marvin K. Perkins Timothy Weary Timothy Weary was his name. A long gangly kid with a pimpled face, and stringy dish water blond hair. His faded, torn blue jeans were inches too short and way too tight. He wore suspenders, a bow tie, and ugly, black thick framed glasses, that made him look more like a cartoon character than a teenage boy. Needless to say he wasn't one of the more popular kids at Messick High. But he was one of the main kids that were the brunt of the so called popular kid's jokes. The teachers loved and felt sorry for poor Timothy. He was a super geek and one of the smarter kids at the school. "Class who was the fifth president of the United States?" Mr. Homer, the history teacher inquired of his class that sat dumbstruck and silent. He knew Timothy could answer, but he wanted someone else to answer for a change. Looking at his feet and running his hand through his dirty hair, Timothy hoped Mr. Homer wouldn't ask him again. He hated being the smart kid. Why couldn't be one of the cool kids? Why couldn't he have friends? Why did they hate him so much? His mom said they were jealous. He wished he had been born good looking instead of smart. His brains were his curse. "Timothy, would you please answer the question?" He didn't want to. He knew it would make the cool kids even madder at him. "James Monroe." Timothy said like he was born knowing the name of all the presidents. A similar scenario played out in math class. The dumb cool kids cool kids couldn't answer the teacher's questions and Tim had to do it. He didn't want to do it. The cool kids were pissed. They vowed retribution. The cool kids waited for Timothy after school. Big football players, gang bangers, and tough chicks with tattoos waited for him behind the gymnasium. They'd show this geek not to be so smart. Not suspecting a thing of course, why would he. Timothy never held hate in his heart and would never have expected anyone would actually want to hurt him. Walking along the back side of the gym as he did everyday, he sang a geeky song, swinging his arms like a chimp, kicking a pebble down the walkway. Waiting like a group of stalking animals, the cool kids hid inside the gym door ready at the right moment to strike their injurious blow. Football jocks, gang bangers, and tough girls with tattoos set upon poor Timothy, beating him with fists, clubs and purses. They left Timothy unconscious on the sidewalk, blood covered his face, his glasses broken, stomped into pieces. "What in God's name happened to you?" His mom was heard to exclaim. She took him to the hospital, they patched him up, the police were called. Timothy never said what had happened, or who had did the deed, but held it inside. Their day would come. Those cool kids. Their day would come. Timothy was never the same after that day. He started spending time in the garage, working with his dad's tools. He started to wear black. Black pants, shoes, and high laced black combat boots. And dark black glasses, they hid his even darker mood. The cool kids noticed the change in Timothy, but paid him no mind. "Look at the geek now. He thinks he's one of those Goth people. What a loser, they would say. It was the beginning of football season and there was to be a pep rally for all students and teachers in the gym that night. Of course all the cool people would be there. Finishing up in the garage, Timothy headed for the school gym. and his destiny. The gym was rocking with cheers and band music as Timothy sneaked around back, to the place where the cool kids had changed his life forever. It was time. The device was set up. It was going to be awesome. There was a loud explosion. It shook the gym and the students came running out in fear. What they saw was beyond belief. There was Timothy with a contraption he had built in the garage, shooting out the most fantastic display of fireworks the students and even the cool kids had ever seen. Way up in the sky, written in the fireworks were the words, "Go Messick High beat Sharpe" It was the coolest thing, even the cool kids had ever seen. After what they had done to him, he had done such a thing for them. Maybe he wasn't such a geek after all. After high school Timothy attended MIT and graduated with honors. He started a software company in the valley and became one of the richest men in the country. Some of the cool kids didn't even graduate from high school. Some went to prison and others worked meaningless dead end jobs their whole life. Timothy had his payback. The event that happened that day behind the gym, forged him into the man he would become, fearless, and up to any challenge. They had did him a favor and didn't even know it. He showed them who the better person was by not seeking retribution. Some times cool kids aren't so cool. They are nothing but bullies. The result of being cruel to our fellow man often comes back to haunt us.