Phillip then turned his attention back to the Brad and in the same tone reminiscent of “Dirty Harry” calmly said, “Do not make the mistake of confusing my self-control or lack of response to your taunting as a sign of weakness on my part. You would do well in the future to remember this and adjust your behavior accordingly, lest some unknown and unfortunate peril befall you.”
Phillip’s tone was calm, measured and without malice, but it carried a sense of steel to it that made Brad know Phillip meant business. There was also an air about Phillip and a look in his eyes that made the “Bradster” know he had gone way too far and he better think long and hard before messing with Phillip again.
Phillip then released his hold on Brad and Brad scurried away as fast as he could. The PE coach passed Brad as he walked in and noticed he was hobbling slightly and holding his arm close to his body and that his pants were soaked around the crotch area.
“Is everything okay Phillip,” the coach asked with a hint of concern. “I just saw Brad high tail it out of here like a whipped pup with its tail between its legs. Is there something I should know about?”
The coach knew Brad was not the one to run away from a fight and figured he had met just his match.
Phillip just calmly smiled and replied, “Let’s just say that Brad and I have come to an understanding,” Phillip said in a matter of fact tone. “However, you may want to call a custodian and have them bring a mop to clean up this mess,” Phillip added as he nodded head in the direction of a large puddle of liquid on the floor from where Brad had pissed himself.
“You didn’t punch or deck him did you,” the coach asked then added “although no one would fault you if you did.”
“Extreme bodily injury was not required,” Phillip calmly replied. “Let’s just say I showed him the error of his ways.”
The coach then jokingly replied, “Remind me never to piss you off,” to which Phillip smiled and that was the end of it.
After that, no one dared to mess with Phillip, and the tormenting stopped. Brad even went so far as to apologize to Phillip, although he did it with a nervous tremble in his voice. Phillip extended his hand in friendship and replied, “What’s done is done. Think nothing more of it.”
Much to Phillip’s surprise, Brad actually became a decent human being after that, and even though they weren’t friends by any sense of the word, they mutually respected each-other and Brad knew he had gotten off easy and did not want to make the mistake to pissing Phillip off again.
Word soon got around school as it always does through the student grapevine of what happened although Brad did do his best to save face and didn’t tell everything including the fact, he had pissed his pants pretty badly in his encounter with Phillip.
After that, the other students in school did not give Phillip any further trouble since Brad didn’t want the truth to be known of what really happened. However, they both did get a week of lunch detention for the scuffle.
Finally, the day of Phillip’s 18th birthday arrived. It fell on the Saturday preceding the Monday of Spring Break week. Phillip was at home that Friday night before hanging out with a couple of his wrestling buddies drinking beer, smoking cigars, and playing cards.