The Bully

Seven Years ago

“Out of the way, Whitaker!” The loud and gruff voice bellowed across the High School courtyard.

“Not a chance Stewart.” Said Dan Whitaker as he stood in between Cody Stewart and his target.

Cody glared at him as he pointed toward Victor, who stood behind him. “I have nothing against you, Whitaker, but if your boyfriend here keeps running his mouth, I’ll make sure he’ll be eating through a straw.”

“Relax, Cody. It’s perfectly normal for some men to experience some hair loss at a young age. Doesn’t mean you have to take it out on folks around you, you know?” Victor taunted smugly while Cody’s goons chuckled in the background.

Cody’s face glowed red with rage. “You fucker-”

“Vick, stop antagonizing him!” Dan yelled at his best friend. “And Cody, let’s just move on. It’s not worth getting into a fight.”

Cody backed off a little and snarled. “Tch. What did I expect? Cowardly Chapman, always hiding behind the cop's kid. Running away from the shit he started just like the rest of his family.”

The goons chorused an “ooh, gottem.” Now it was Victor’s turn to be pissed. “Fuck you, asshole!”

Cody grinned. “Oh yeah? Gonna finally take responsibility for your words. That would be a first for your fam-”

Before Cody could finish his sentence, Dan clocked him upside the head, making Cody stumble back a few paces.

“Don’t you dare fucking go there, asshole.” Dan spat with venom.

“Now you’re on the shitlist Whitaker.” Cody rubbed his jaw as he started for Dan. Cody managed to connect a punch with Dan while Victor tried to come into the picture but was stopped by one of Cody’s goons.

“Enough!” Before the scene escalated further, a new voice made itself known. Mrs. Evans, the dean, revealed herself and quickly demanded that all students involved follow her to the office.

Soon she had the main trio sat down on the “Chairs of Reflection,” as the student body had lovingly dubbed them. The chairs were placed across from a mirror on the opposite wall of Mrs. Evans's office to help the troubled students “reflect” on why they were there. None of the three particularly cared to learn any lesson that day.

Soon enough, Mrs. Evans started calling in each student one by one. After about 15 minutes of collecting info from the prior two students, it was finally Cody’s turn inside the office.

A short skewed retelling of the events later, and Mrs. Evans could only mutter a sigh as she began to make a call on her desk phone. About five minutes later, Coach McClay entered the office as well.

“Mr. Stewart. As a result of your actions today and past allegations toward you of harassment of fellow students, you will be hereby suspended for two weeks. You will also be barred from participating in any extracurricular activities sanctioned by the school. As such, you are to be removed from the football team roster immediately. Mr. McClay here will escort you to the locker room so that you may collect your things.”

Cody’s face went pale, and in a panic started to yell.“B-But my scholarship?! I have to play! You can’t just do that!”

“Calm down, Mr. Stewart. I can and I will. Let this be a lesson to you: if you want to disrespect your peers, you will earn the appropriate punishments. You may leave.” With that final comment from the Dean, Cody’s sentence was set in stone.

“Let’s go, son.” Coach McClay said as he put his hand on Cody’s shoulder. Dejectedly, Cody could only follow.

**********

Present Day

Metal music and the sounds of drills filled the garage bay doors as a Cody Steward lay underneath a lifted sports car.

‘Just a little tighter. Alright, last car of the day.’ Cody thought as he completed putting the nut back onto the oil drain pan. After climbing out from underneath the car, he only needed to grab the new oil the customer had purchased for the replacement. He passed by one of the reflective windows looking into the mechanic shop's lobby and noticed a bit of grease marring his nearly perfectly shaven head. Much to his chagrin, the former football star fully shaved his head rather than deal with the constant balding jokes plaguing his young adulthood. The greasy tank top and jeans combo that was tightly painted onto his muscle-bound physique really added to the "Don't fucking call me bald or else" vibe he had going on.

As he entered the stock room to grab the oil, a coworker called out to him. A shorter yet stocky Hispanic man greeted the former football star. “Oi Cody, We’re going out to La Puerta tonight for some drinks. You in?”

“No thanks, Lopez, You know I don’t drink anymore.” Cody declined the invitation as he grabbed the bottle of synthetic blend he was looking for.

“Yeah Yeah, Mr. I’m five years sober. You can still come chill.” Lopez offered.

Cody once again denied the invite. “I’m good, amigo. I try to stay away from the stuff. Besides, I’m going to a game tonight anyways.”

“Another one of those High School games?” Lopez questioned.

Cody nodded. “Yeah, the school I volunteer coach at has their last practice game before summer tonight. I’ll be working in the booth recording tape for them.”

Lopez thought for a second before being struck with an idea. “Hmm, maybe me and the boys will show up and support them ay?”

“Pfft, your drunk ass would get thrown out in the first quarter.” Cody chuckled.

Lopez joined him in laughing before continuing, “Maybe, but that’s all part of the fun ay, hermono?”

“Maybe for you, man. Anyways this is my last oil change for the day and I’m out.” Cody informed his coworker as he walked back into the garage.

“Sounds Bueno. Invite is still out there if the game ends early,” Lopez called out from the counter, to which the bald man grunted in response.

Once Cody finished his oil change and lowered the car, he could clock out and head out. Not twenty minutes later, the man arrived at the high school football field and made his way up to the small recording booth at the top of the bleachers. As he entered, he was greeted with the sight of an older man fiddling with the recording equipment.

“Evening Cody.” Said the former Head Coach, Tim McClay.

“Hey Coach, what all do you need help with setting up?” Cody asked as he put down his backpack.

McClay scratched his beard and thought. “Not much. Just help get the computer running, and we should be good.”

“Yes sir.” Cody moved over to where he plugged in the school laptop designated for them and began loading up the camera software. He wasn’t very tech-savvy, but a few years of practice made the task simple.

As the old camera powered on, the two men looked out over the football field to see the boys getting warmed up. After a few moments of silence, the former coach began to talk to his aide. “How was your day, son?”

Cody seemed surprised by the question. “Ah, good, I guess. Not all much happened… though Lopez wanted to go out drinking again.”

McClay smiled. “That’s good to hear. Glad you’re making some friends again.”

Cody grunted. “Yeah, sure.”

After high school, Cody went through some dark times. Though a part of him could never let go of his anger towards the two who cost him his scholarship, he understood why it happened. He was an asshole who was bulldozing his way through life. As awful as getting kicked from football was, the worst was when his old man heard about it. The old-fashioned man practically disowned him. The second he turned 18, there was no stopping him from getting kicked out to the wayside. From there, Cody couch-surfed between “friends” who only wanted to drink and do ****, a lifestyle that could help but accept. Eventually, an opportunity popped up when a local minor league team started up and was recruiting. Cody, who was working as a road paver then, quickly applied to relive his former glory as a Tight End. But after several rounds of failed **** tests, even that dream had to be let go. He felt like he was at his lowest until he was found by an old mentor of his, Coach Tim McClay. The aging man helped him get off his feet and sober within months and eventually asked him to help out at the old school he still coached at. The man became a real father figure to him and swore that he’d never let him down.

“Looks like they’re ready. Start the recording,” McClay announced.

“Aye Aye, Coach,” Cody replied as he went to hit the record button. Though, as he pressed the button, he began to feel nausea overtake him.

**********

As the elevator doors opened, the sight of a large and muscular man with a shaved head came into view. The applause died down as the host continued welcoming the latest arrival.

“Cody! Please come join us on the couches and grab yourself a taco along the way.” Vanessa spoke happily.

“Where the fuck am I?” Cody was obviously annoyed after being trapped in a hotel room for the past half hour. “And who the fu-... Whitaker! Did you do this, you fuck!?”

“Stewart, I have nothing to do with this.” Dan tried to answer the former bully, who was unconvinced.

Victor tried to chime in as well.“Cody, we’re not a part of this.”

Blinded by his past grudge, the large man stormed across the set and reached out to grab Dan by the shirt but was stopped by an invisible grasp.

“Nuh, uh, uh. No **** here, mister. Please take your seat and simmer down hun.” Vanessa spoke calmly, but her mannerisms showed off her nervousness as her knees shook a tad.

Cody struggled against the grasp and managed to fight it as he reached a bit further. “Not until I get some answers here, or you send me back!”

“I said to sit down, mister.” Vanessa lowered her tone, and this time Cody fully retracted and moved to sit down next to the shaking Gabriel whether he wanted to or not.

Vanessa huffed and looked back at the camera. “I think it’s time we gave out our first Transformation this season, as someone here needs to learn some manners.”

‘What’s that supposed to mean.’ Dan thought to himself as everyone looked confused except for Gabriel, who read the pamphlet they were given.

“Cody Stewart, I believe you need to remind yourself of the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated, you know. As such I give you the Transformation, The Golden Rule: Outside of competitions and self-defense, all harmful physical interactions with fellow contestants or the Master will reflect back onto the person. Positive actions can reflect as well and will act as positive reinforcement. Now you’ll feel exactly what others feel… and no taco for you!”

Cody looked around confused at the host and the fellow men in the room but was unable to say anything. Dan could sigh in relief as it seemed as though the situation had calmed down for now.

Dan leaned over to Victor next to him and whispered. “I have no idea what Vanessa meant by all that, but I feel we should treat it literally.”

Victor nodded along as he sat back into his spot on the couch.

“Now then. I apologize for my outburst, but let's introduce our fourth contestant. This contestant is quiet and tends to go with the flow. They went to college on a full-ride academic scholarship, where they met Dan when they roomed together and quickly became friends. Though it’s been a few years since they’ve seen each other, the two still message each other occasionally. Please welcome Yoichi Tabata!”