Sim's Quiet Rage

With holding back mentioning a “jerk store” he made his way home. Still trying to perfect the comeback that he’ll say next time Jake calls him fat. It’s not that he’s not clever or mean-hearted enough; those assumptions could very quickly be put to rest spending just a couple minutes inside Sim’s head. Full of rage and regret, a miserable combo, Sim is always just a moment away from laying his opponent down in a field of dust. The only problem is the timing, which in a conversation is 90% of the effect. The most ego-shattering comment can become nothing more than a laughable aside for onlookers if haltered too long by thought. This Sim knows, and this is exactly what needs some coaching. 

“Why don’t you take some of that negativity and try to inspire a little change? I mean, you have put on quite a bit of jelly since the McRib started back up…” “......” “Look I know it's never an easy thing to hear but sometimes” “Are you really taking his side?!?”. “......well no, but” “imagine if one of your coworkers, someone you are forced to interact with every day decided that, instead of working, or helping in any sort of way, they were going to spend all their time sitting around thinking of how to make you want to quit!” Sim blurted out. “Well I don't imagine he would get much done….maybe I would go and talk to our boss about checking out his productivity.” “Have you considered talking to the office? I’m sure this isn’t the first time someone has had an issue with this boy, if he is as bad as you lead me to believe'' Sim's mom said. “Yes, he’s been told on, yes, he’s gotten punished, yes, he's not only still in school, but he’s the coolest guy in school. Nobody ever has been able to outsmart his stupid comebacks, he’s just too quick. You see, in my world, if someone isn’t productive, it's a good thing for them”. 

All night, homework comes, dinner happens, video games are played, but in the back of Sim’s mind is revenge. Now the most violent thing Sim has done was boot somebody off of a chatroom. Maybe this softness is what is allowing everything to sting so much. He needs a little boost. So he watches some “yo mama” reruns on MTV. “Mike Leroy, now that’s a good man” he says just as Mike compares Ja’mals momma to a moose in the most eloquent fashion. “How’s the homework coming honey?” his mom hollers from across the house. “I already did it all when I was at school!!” “So if I come check, you’ll have finished every assignment in your planner?” “There’s just a little bit left, I’m just taking a break!”. Nothing’s been done, and Mom knows it. She’s been watching her little B student slipping into C’s through her online account, but Sim has bounced back before and she knows he can do it again. “Have you noticed anything unusual about Sim lately?” she asks Dave, Sim’s father. “What?” “Turn the TV down for a second, do you hear that coming from Sim’s room?” Dave dials down the TV to 25. “Next week we’ll be back to see if Mike has anything to say about Taylor’s mom’s fat ass!”. “He’s been watching that almost every day after school lately, he says it’s just background noise to help him concentrate on his homework...whatever helps i suppose”. 

“Well I don’t want him on our team, we already have enough people, y’all take him” “We had him last time!”. Sim stands seeming aloof while the two team captains had a drawn out push-of-war over who was going to get to claim Sim’s unique talent set for the game. This is the third time this semester there’s been an argument over this, since everyone had to start, and with Kyle’s team winning every match when Sim was playing on his team he swore that he was never going to be on his team for even one more game. But there can't be an uneven number of players in basketball, there’s too high of stakes. Kyle did this on purpose, he’s smart like that. He’ll never let somebody get the edge on him, not that he asks for it or looks for trouble or anything. He's actually a really nice guy it seems “I wont do anything either way, it will basically be four playing four anyways” he bargains to the coach, “Can I just sit this one out?” The coach felt for Sim, but rules are rules, and if possible there will be even teams. “Sorry kid, unless you have a doctor’s excuse, you’re going to have to be the best teammate you can''. Grumbles arise from one team while snickers emerged from the other. See, I knew Kyle projected this pick from far away. 

The first pass is made and Sim’s team races down the court. Except for Sim that is, Sim is sprinting circles around the past in his mind and clumsily jogging with his feet. “I should have coughed while I talked to the coach, that is just as good as a doctor’s excuse these days. No way he will risk having a sick kid sweating in his gym right now” he says internally. Sim tries not to let the past dictate his future and initiate his plan now. He is this in the back court while his team is passing the ball between themselves looking for an opening to the basket. When it’s essentially 5v4, there’s a large desire for a playmaker. Sim knew this and decided to make a point. He finds the pep in the air he needs to make his legs move at an inspiring speed towards the basket, and towards the crowd of students making up the opposing team. When he gets near enough to start “action a'' he starts coughing relentlessly. Not that his coughing made people scatter, there was already not very much a concern to guard him. While the player with the ball was nearly getting smothered by opponents, Sim made a move directly under the basket and started calling for the ball and waving his hands in the air. There was no time to think of who that was, the ball needed to move quick before it was stolen. The ball holder saw the hands and heard the opportunity for escape and got the ball out. Right when the ball started coming towards him, Sim let out a quick and wet-sounding sneeze right into his hand and went to catch the ball. He actually caught it! And the gym gets quiet for about 3 seconds before the groans come back, this time from both teams, and the coach. 

“Now what the hell was that about?!” the coach hollers out. “I told you I was sick!” “No, you told me you didn’t want to play, and I said only if you have a doctor’s excuse that was going to happen”. “Well, I meant to tell you that I had a doctor’s note in my locker, but I couldn’t find it when I was looking for it, but I didn’t remember to tell you”. The coach sighs, knowing full well of the disinfection process needed before anybody can resume play, the game is over, and the coach starts putting on his gloves. “Alright, class, just wash up, and meet back on the gym floor in about 15 minutes. Sim, I’m sending you to the office, either you need to go home or you need to find that doctor’s excuse.”

“The plan worked!” Sim thought. “Now I need to figure out what to say to Mom to see if she can come pick me up.” After a quick exam by the nurse, perfect health was the verdict. “And you say that you've already been to the doctor and have a note, but can’t find it? Why did you even show up for school today if you have a doctor’s note?” the nurse prods. “Well, I never said that I had a note, I said that I was going to get a note, but the doctor ended up just telling me to tell you that he didn’t have enough paper that day so that I should just stay home”. Weak, un-thought out and weak. “Mhm, okay well lets just give your mom a call and see what she thinks.” “Sounds good”. Sim’s heart started racing, what was Mom going to say? “I think I told her a few days ago that I was coughing, maybe I can convince her that Dad brought me”. 

“Hi Mrs. Lambert, this is Nurse Ratched….yes yes I know, it's a funny coincidence, anyways, I have your son Sim over here. So today in gym class he was participating in a basketball game. Yes, the coach told me that too, but there had to be even teams. So, apparently he violently was coughing all over the kids and sneezed on the ball. He also says he went to the doctor and the doctor ‘didn’t have enough paper to write a note’. Yep….yes of course you can speak to him, here’s the phone.”

“Good thinking buddy, I always hated school basketball too, I’m on my way”. From this point on, Sim knew he had a confidant. Someone to bounce his comebacks off of and practice. Somebody that could be there for him as a season veteran of the game and say which ones would get the biggest crowd reaction. “Thanks Mom, I love you”. From this point on, Sim spoke his mind. Sim was free from isolation, as was his Mom, she loved the conversation.