Reprimand (standard:other, 5888 words)
Author: Red XIII	Added: Nov 21 2002	Views/Reads: 3173/2277	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This isn't my usual style of story at all, because it isn't really violent or sciency. It's about the intensely pleasant feeling of revenge taken out on your worst enemy, and also the real feelings of...I hate to say it...love! Don't worry, it's realist

“I've got six this year!” Max Walker's show-off voice deeply infuriated
his friend Jack Howard. Or is friend too strong a word to use for him? 
Probably; at the moment it was, anyway. Jack had had just about enough 
showing off from Max for one day, and was ready to present him with a 
good pounding. He managed to contain himself and turned to Dave, 
standing next to him. They both gave each other the same look of 
contempt. Their opinion of Max was shared, and you would have realised 
this by the look on their faces if they could have been photographed on 
that relatively mild November night, out on the Green with their mates. 


What did Jack and Dave hold against Max? A lot of the time they had no
problem with him at all, and, in fact, Max didn't usually wind up Dave 
even at his worse moments, although Dave certainly noticed his 
attitude. Max however, repeatedly irritated Jack. To be fair this 
wasn't without reason; Jack had many grounds in which he could justify 
his opinion. For a start, Max is the sort of person who always has to 
be top dog, and makes up excuses when he can't prove he is. This is a 
lowliness that Jack can neither forgive nor understand. 

Next, he makes his friends by taking the piss out of others and making
them laugh; sometimes his other ‘friends.' The strange thing is, the 
issues he makes fun of generally have nothing to be ashamed about, 
until he comes along. Also, by and large he doesn't posses any 
knowledge about the subjects he is tearing apart. Jack was a firm 
believer in ‘each to his own' and he did not appreciate Max's ‘humour' 
in this area. Sure, a little teasing now and again is one thing, but 
full-scale discrimination was quite another. 

At other times Max could be a good friend, but he was unpredictable. At
this moment in time he was acting out his first part of his eventual 
downfall — for that is what it must surely end with, in Jack's mind — 
always trying to be the best. 

The effects of last night, Halloween, could be seen all around Paramo,
the swiftly growing village in the countryside of North Yorkshire. 
Dropped pumpkins had been run over and flattened on the road by cars 
and in some windows there were still a few with a candle burning in 
them. What follows soon after Halloween in Yorkshire tradition? The 
very same subject Max was on about: ‘Mischief Night.' 

He was of course, telling everyone whose houses he is going to throw
eggs at, and what other things he was going to do. He sounded very 
proud too. Jack had gotten even angrier with him when he said to 
everyone: “This year I'm going to egg Jack's house!” 

There has been many a time this has been said, but it never happened.
Jack lived on a farm and the driveway to his actual house was almost 
like a separate lane coming off the road, and no one bothered to run 
all the way up and back. Also, his parents are somewhat strict and 
wouldn't stand for it, and they have a notorious reputation of ‘finding 
things out' as Jack put it. However, this comment put a single thought 
into Jack's brain: ‘How can you just assume you won't get egged?” but 
he didn't say it out loud. Before this reflection could develop Dave 
spoke to him. 

“Do you want to go in or something? Not much to do out here.”  Relief
could almost be seen on Jack's face as the words left his mouth. He 
replied, “Yeah, lets go to your house. Is your brother in?” 

“Probably,” was the reply. They both said a quick “See you later” to
everyone else and they headed towards Dave's house. On the way Jack 
brought up the subject of Max's attitude in conversation. 

“I hate the way he talks as if everyone loves him, as if he can do
whatever he wants and not be touched himself. Doesn't that get on your 
nerves?” 

Dave stopped dead. He said, “Do you want to egg him?” Excitement filled
his face as he said it. 

Jack replied, “Come on Dave, anyone could do that! Anyway, that would
make us as bad as him. It's just vandalism, nothing else.” 

“No, listen! I don't mean his house, I mean Max himself!” 


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