No remorse for Castle

No remorse for Castle



--995 words



          Tommy can’t believe it. He takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes. He is focused on the fat blob behind the counter. His chip making decision was distracted by a sideways glance cut over the chip aisle to the counter of the Chevron gas station. As Tommy casually makes his way to the front of the store, he can’t believe his eyes. Aaron Castle. Aaron “Get the hell out of my way you shit-headed dork” Castle.

Instantly the fear chokes him. His oversized hands shake and almost rattle the bag of chips onto the floor. He tightened his grip and does his best to steady his heart rate.  Tommy tries to grasp at the reality of coming face to face with the middle age version of the bully of his past. He closes his eyes in anguish, as his fear draws the memories from his mental yearbook. 



          Tommy changed schools at the end of his sophomore year.  90% of the kids at Orange Park Christian Academy had been together since third grade.  It goes without saying that they had plenty of time to solidify the ranks of the cool kids, dorks, and jocks. Tommy didn’t belong to any of these groups. He was smart but couldn’t carry a computer conversation with the dorks. Tommy was a late bloomer and hadn’t yet grown into his full potential as a man. At the beginning of Tommy’s sophomore year he stood a gangly 5’8 and weighted only 108. That is a heavy contrast to his current driver license that records a sturdy 6’6 and 224 lbs. Country boy at heart, he never could fully grasp the ideals that cool kids not only understood but flaunted. 5’8 can be considered a pretty respectable height for sports. Unfortunately, at this point Tommy and coordination where never properly introduced.

The sophomore year for Tommy was a disaster.  There were five weeks left of school and none of the teachers had enough time to compile grades for him.  The only thing he could do was to become a teacher’s aide. He graded papers, ran errands, and delivered packages for teachers. It was hard to blend in with other kids when your where busy making copies or assisting the nurse’s office with paperwork. 



          Tommy’s junior year changed drastically. He grew six inches and 65 lbs. During the summer months he played basketball 4-6 hours a day at the local YMCA. Tired of his life of being picked on, he joined a Taekwondo gym to work on self defense training. He gained such respect that he would substitute for an assistant coach for the YMCA youth basketball team whenever he was needed.



          Tommy’s first day back at school, very few people recognized him as 6’5 beast he had now become. Girls noticed him and blushed when his laughter roared up and down the halls.  Most guys moved out of his way as he lumbered down the hall. He had worked hard for the teachers the previous year and they gave him the respect that few kids ever knew was possible.  Tommy’s infectious laugh and growing confidence won over most students in his class.



          Aaron Castle was not most students. Tommy’s new rank in sports and social status threatened his very existence. Everybody knew Aaron and what he was capable of doing if anyone crossed him. No ever one did. He had been there since the school started and was a loud mouthed alpha male. He constantly made fun of dorks and dweebs. During every class period Aaron made fun of at least one classmate’s clothes, shoes or haircut. Aaron would never be confused with having a Greek god’s physique, but he could hold his own in most sports. Aaron’s rare outgoing confidence and personality made up for his average sports ability. He coerced his way into the starting point guard roster with fear and off the court aggression.

During the first try-outs for basketball, an immediate conflict arose between the two guards. Aaron’s weakness began to be obvious. Anyone that watched that practice knew instantly which player was the better guard. Aaron fell back on the thing he knew to combat against the interloper. Terror and aggression.



          After the final practice before the first game, the locker room had been intentionally cleared except for Tommy and Aaron. The coaches were distracted with the final stats reporting and the notes for the newspaper release. Tommy was sitting on the bench between the lockers massaging a hitch that he developed in his right thigh muscle. Aaron snuck up behind Tommy and dug his right elbow under Tommy’s chin and began to choke him. Tommy’s height and strength could easily overpower Aaron and they both knew this. Tommy began to stand up and work Aaron off his back. But before he could get free Aaron enacted plan B. He had in his left hand a slender knife with a fake bone handle. Aaron told Tommy that if he didn’t quit the team he would never breathe out of his nose again.



          In a flash, Tommy’s training kicked in and he shifted his feet to a better more stable position. He twisted his hips and lifted a stunned Aaron up and over the bench and into the lockers. Aaron struck his head instantly breaking his jaw. Just before the throw, Aarons blade traced a direct line from Tommy’s chin to his eyebrow, destroying his eye during its journey across his face.



          Aaron was tried as an adult and sentenced to 10 years aggravated assault and Tommy never saw out of his right eye again. That was 11 years ago. Tommy’s hand shook as he handed Aaron his 12.00 for the burrito chips and a drink. Aaron crooked jaw clicked as he counted the change, but he never looked up as he gathered the change from the register. He never looked into the eye that he scarred for life. He never knew, he never cared.