When I was in school, the grades between 7-9 were called Junior High instead of Middle or Intermediate School. At least that's what they called it where I lived. There can be a big difference maturity wise between a 7th and 9th grader.
I attended in Sissonville Jr. High when I was in 8th grade, so I was in the middle. If you've ever seen a prison movie, you have an idea of what it felt like to to go there. It was a rough and tumble place where disagreements were often settled with fists.
One day, this big 9th grader named Wayne beat the holy crap out of a little, skinny 7th grader called Howard. I don't remember what it was about, but Howard was hurt pretty badly. Not crippled or anything, but he was pretty beat up. What happened as a result of this fight was truly extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it outside of a movie. I'm not sure I'd believe it if I hadn't seen it myself.
A group of 7th graders became angry about this fight so they decided to get revenge on Wayne. An emissary was dispatched to let him know that he would need to be out on the football field before school started the next day in order to explain himself. He smirked and said he'd be there.
I heard about this "meeting" and though I figured nothing would come of it, I went anyway. I was always game to see a good fight.
Wayne showed up and wasn't too worried. He was at least 6'2" and weighed about 200 pounds. He was a football player and though I always got along with him, I had heard he had a mean side. Before anyone knew what was happening, Wayne was soon surrounded by what seemed like a million 7th grade boys. They wanted to know why he beat up Howard.
Wayne was a bit taken aback by being confronted this way, but instead of being cautious he was cocky about it. "What are you gonna do about it? I'll fight you all now!" he screamed.
Rather than tell him what they would do, they showed him. The entire group swarmed him, beginning with a hit to the back of the knees from another football player who weighed in at about 250, and though only in 7th grade, was on the varsity team. Wayne then proceeded to get the beating that he so richly deserved. I saw one kid walk by, walk over, grab Wayne by the hair and punch him three times quickly in the face and then walk off to class.
Soon, the principal came to his rescue. Together with the football team's quarterback, he began pulling kids off of Wayne. When he got to his feet, bloody, bruised and dirty, he started screaming, "I meant one at a time! One at a time!" As far as I know, none of the 7th graders were disciplined for the fight. And Wayne never bothered any of them again.
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