The Day My Brother Became My Hero

John had been the baby until I came along and he was none to happy about losing that position. He took out his frustrations by teasing me about everything and anything.

When I was in 6th grade and my brother, John, was a senior in high school, they moved all of us middle school kids down to the high school, because our old building had to be torn down (asbestos). I was nervous about being in the same school as him because, up to this point, the teasing had been only at home, but now it had the potential of drawing a whole new crowd along.

We grew up in a very small town and I had gone to school with the same 23 kids ever since kindergarten, but this year a new boy, Bobby, came to town. He was very short and because of that chose to be annoying, especially to the girls, imparticularly, ME.

One day, about a month into the school year, a group of us girls were walking down the hall to class and from behind, I felt my books pushed out of my hand (as I was carrying them down to my side). In the 2 seconds it took me to be angry and turn around, my brother, John (who I didn't know was behind me also), had grabbed, Bobby (the "book pusher"), and had pinned him against the wall by his throat, floating a good 6 inches off the ground.

John said, "Don't ever do that to my sister again. Do you understand?" Bobby, eyes wide open, with much effort, knodded his head. Then as my brother let go, Bobby didn't drop, but slid down the wall to the floor. John picked up my books and handed them back to me and said, "Let me know if he gives you any more trouble," and walked on. My girlfriends and I were in shock.

That was the last of my problems with Bobby, or anyone else for that matter. The teasing stopped, my girlfriends had a new crush and for me, John, had just become my hero.