Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS writer
Humiliation sears events onto your memory.
Guy tried not to cringe as Billy moved across the playground towards him. Guy, not big for his age, usually spent his time at school staying out of people’s way, particularly the year 8 ‘bully Billy’. So, it was a bit out of the blue when one day Billy had swaggered up to him. But, instead of the usual threat, it’d been ‘Come over to mine tomorrow – it’s my birthday’, and he’d even held out an invitation, neatly written out by a mother hopeful for Billy to invite some actual friends over instead of fresh victims.
The day dawned. The party was ok, with some daggy games supervised by Billy’s mother, a nice woman who asked everyone to call her Sally. Billy was still a bit of a dick, but it was easy to ignore in a group. Guy didn’t see much to worry about when Sally had to run up to the house to check the sausage rolls and the kids meandered further down the back.
‘This is boring,’ said Billy, ‘I know a better game… Party trick, who’s got a party trick?’
He grinned at the others.
‘Hey you. Guy. Come ‘ere, you’re gonna help me with my party trick.’
Guy moved over, warily, not wanting to obey but aware from past experience of the hardness of Billy’s fists if he didn’t comply.
‘You’re gonna go over to this wall… And stand there… I’m gonna get this rooster to perform a trick for us all.’
He led Guy over to a large, decrepit chook shed. He pushed Guy roughly up against it , chicken wire cutting into his face while the smell of chook poo choked his throat.
It was suddenly clear to Guy that Billy had pulled this party trick before, because the rooster knew what to do. He came barrelling over and took aim right at Guy’s…
‘Cock onya cock! Cock onya cock! Gay, you’re gay’, the kids sing-songed at Guy as he bolted up the yard, faster than bully Billy for once but still too late to avoid the pain.
Kate Olivieri uses her love for policy writing to avoid writing fiction or anything fun in general. She can write on buses, trains, planes, and friends’ houses, just not in her lovely Boudoir Office with the double french doors. She attends Gunnas classes to get a super awesome kick up the bum to write. Kate can be found faffing about on Twitter @kateolivieri, and on tumblr reviewing vintage relationship advice manuals at http://sexadvicefrom1949.