Payback

Zack could barely see for the scratches on his glasses. He glanced at the luminous dial on his watch. 2:45 in the morning. Hershel’s bedroom was dark, as was the rest of the house. He had brought the drill. He wrapped it in an old bath towel to keep it quiet. Hershel bragged his parents were out of town so he could do as he pleased. The party had lasted until 12:30. Last week, Zack drove nails into the Mustang front tires. It didn’t stop him from bullying the young freshman and destroying the lenses on Zack’s glasses.
Now it was time for stronger measures. The Mustang was Hershel’s pride and joy. Watching the house for any flicker of light, Zack went to work. He drilled through the headlights and taillights. Then he drilled the hood and truck lid. Fenders and doors.
At 3:34 he finished. The car in the moonlight resembled Swiss cheese. He had even drilled through the windshield. Mounting his bike, he peddled home. He smiled in satisfaction. Hershel was going to go berserk.
“Big football star, huh? We’ll see how you handle having your car busted up.”

Zack climbed in through the window to his bedroom. He lay for a half hour chuckling. He was fast asleep when his mother called him to breakfast at eight. Zack smiled as he ate his oatmeal.

Hershel woke at 9 in the morning. Stretched and looked out the window. He screamed. Holes riddled his prize Mustang. still wearing his underwear, he shot out the front door of the house. By 9:23, an SUV stopped on the street. Dressed, Hershel met him on the front lawn. The deputy gave a slow whistle. “Somebody is sure mad at you. You got any enemies? Hershel thought of all the ones he had beaten down in the last year. He wasn’t about to explain that to the deputy. “No, can’t think of anybody.” He said. For the next few minutes, he and the deputy searched the ground around the Mustang. Finding nothing, the deputy left.

On Monday, he was dropped from the football team. The coach met him at the door to the locker room. “You’re flunking out.” The man said.
“What…what? I know I aced that test on Friday?” He stared blankly at this man who was like a father to him.
”No, you’re flunking all your subjects. Look, if you can pull it off, I’ll let you play on Saturday.”
Hershel asked. “Can I set on the bleachers and watch practice?”
”I’d rather you studied.” He turned to the other players.

In his bedroom, Zack hacked into the school’s computer system again. He changed Hershel’s test scores. Amherst high school was one of the first schools in the state to go paperless. Each student took tests on a handheld computer. Zack changed Hershel’s score to just barely under the breaking point. Hershel couldn’t understand how he could take a test and yet fail. On Saturday, he watched the other players lose the football game.

Zack was there in the bleachers, 5 rows back from Hershel. His parents bought new lenses for his glasses. Dejected, Hershel met Zack after the game. Laughing, he reached for the freshman’s glasses, only to come up with empty air. He swung his fist, sailing over Zack’s head. A crowd had gathered around the two fighters. He swung again, putting every ounce of power in it. Zack leaned out of the way of Hershel’s fist. Off balance, Hershel fell to the ground. As he went by, Zack drove a fist into the bully’s stomach. Hershel lay on the grass for a second, wondering how he got there. Jumping to his feet, he charged Zack, only to end up with a broken nose. Zack danced away. Hershel got up slower this time.

Some of his teammates cheering him on. He lowered his head. Zack waited until the last second, then leaped aside. The post at the corner of the football field connected with Hershel’s head, knocking him out. Hershel woke up in the nurse’s office with a large bandage on his nose. The nurse smiled at him.
“How…how did I get …here.” He said, rising on one elbow. Even this action caused his head to swim.
“Some of your friends on the football team carried you here,” Zack’s mother said. “Now, are you going to leave my son alone?”
Hershel lay back on the gurney. “Yes.” He groaned. Hershel had forgotten Zack’s mother was the school nurse.