The Day the Nerd died

Harry and Elmer are in one of the school restroom. Harry looking concerned as usually

“I don’t think you should do this man. Usually when Germ tells anyone to meet him anywhere, they come back the next day in a body cast.”

Elmer, who’s obviously dismissive to Harry’s concerns, retorts “Well unlike those other idiots I’ve come prepared. I’ve done my research and know how to take care of this little situation. Now I should probably remove the coat huh? Might get stained during the fight huh?”

“Stained with your own blood! Research is great and all but this isn’t a test. This is Germ! I’ve heard he makes it a goal to break at least 6 laws a day. you better hope he’s not going for murder this time around.”

Elmer looks back towards harry, eyebrow raised “Where do you hear these things?”

It becomes silent between the two as Harry thinks about that for a second. “I hear it, from,,, around.”

Elmer scoffs. “Yeah exactly. fake news. He’s probably just another big mouthed asshole like everyone else here who needs to be put in his place.

“Kinda ironic coming from you.” Harry says under his breath.

“What was that?” Elmer glares.

“Nothing!” He quickly shuts up though still gets the death stare from Elmer. “I guess I’ll see you out there.” He  adds before leaving the restroom.

Outside in the hall Harry makes his way though a crowd that had gathered to witness the fight. Jamie spots him and walks over.

“Oh Harry! Please tell me you’ve already tried talking Elmer out of this, you’re the only one I feel he’d listen to.” Jamie says frantically.

Harry shakes his head. “Pfft yeah, of course he’d listen to me…..what’s with the shirt?” Harry looks down at Jamie’s shirt that has the word violence crossed out. (🚫)

“Oh it’s the anti violence design the peace club made. We’re protesting this fight.” Harry looks behind Jamie and sees a group of other kids wearing the shirt and holding the signs.

“At this point I’m convinced there’s not a club that you aren’t apart of.”

“And you’d be right.” Jamies says. “Hey! We have an extra shirt here.” He rustles through his satchel and hands harry another shirt. “I bet you’re just as against this as we are given that it’s your friend being subjected to the violence.”

“You know, friend’s a strong word-“

Before he could finish, a voice from behind calls Jamie’s name.

“Jamie! Hey, Sorry I’m late!” Melanie jogs up while she’s adjusting her anti violence shirt. “Oh Henry hii. Are you here in protest too.”

“Oh uh yeah!” he takes the shirt from Jamie and slips it on over his hoodie. “I not a fan of violence at  all. And this given situation effects me personally. it’s my friend Elmer who’s up against Germ.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible! Jamie don’t you think we should do more than just protest?”

Another voice chimes in. “Nah, I think you guys should sit this one out” Veronica who had been standing close to the three casually eating popcorn interjects.

“Veronica?? Are you just going to stand here and watch this, you’re his sister? And what are you, eating popcorn?” Jamie looks at her perplexed.

“Some kid is handing it out.” She points to a kid walking around selling little boxes of popcorn. “And trust me, he’ll be fine. He’s durable. Plus sometimes people gotta take the punches they deserve. Metaphorically and literally in this case”

“Exactly!” Harry agrees with enthusiasm which causes both Melanie and Jamie to look over at him confused. He sinks into himself a bit. “I mean…. No”

“He’s coming!” Someone from the crowd shouts.

“Here take these signs!” Jamie says handing signs to Harry and Melanie. “Now come on.” He runs to the other side of the crowd with Mel and Harry following behind.

“Good luck! Germs not easily persuaded though!” Veronica shouts to the three. “I would know.” She says to herself before eating another bite of popcorn.

The three meet up with the few other protestors. Harry looks a bit confused. “So what we just hold the signs up and-“ He’s Interrupted by a clash of lightning. This causes the lights to go out. A single light down the hall flickers back on and Germ’s silhouette appears.

Elmer sticks his head out from behind the restroom door. “Hey what happened to the lights???”

“Where’s Elmer.” Germ’s voice calls out his voices sounding deep and menacing. The whole crowd points back towards the restroom door.

There’s a brief moment where Elmer rethinks the whole situation. But it’s too late, Germ begins walking towards the restroom. All he can do is slip back into the restroom.

Down the hall the other protestors become less vocal about their cause as Germ walks past them. Jamie on the other hand walks right up to him

“Germ please hear us out! First of all,, really cool entrance. Secondly, Fighting is never the answer! You guys should just talk it out!”

Germ doesn’t stop walking, or even look over at Jamie, but still answers, His voice sounding less intimidating than before. “Firstly, that was actually Brutus’s idea.” He turns back and shouts “Nice idea Brute!” Brutus who’s standing far behind with his hand on a light switch uses his electricity powers to shock it which turns the lights in the hall back on. He gives Germ a thumbs up. “Secondly.” He turns back around eyes back on the destination of the men’s restroom. “Sometimes violence is the answer when the question is a pint sized doughe bag who treats every one like shit.”

“I know he’s,,, not too tolerable now. But everyone deserves kindness, respect and, to… not be beaten to a pulp.” Jamie says really trying to sound convincing.

Germ stops in his tracts and does look down at Jamie this time. He lightly puts his hands one Jamie’s shoulders. “Listen. I would like to believe that as much as you would. But in this world you will learn that is not the case. There are people who are rotten to the core, no chance of redemption, and I have vowed to make sure those assholes know that the only place they belong is with their heads on the pavement beneath my sneakers.”

Jamie doesn’t know how to respond. So he does nothing as Germ removes his shoulders and continues down the hall.

Elmer is in the restroom looking frantically for something. He rummages In his coat pockets, then pant pockets “Oh fuck, where’d I put it?”

The restroom door swings open and Elmer jumps.

“It’s 3:20.” Germ calls as he enters the restroom.

“Hold on hold on, I’m not ready! Let me remove my coat. I don’t want you to get it dirty.” He takes off his coat, double checkin the pockets. Digging through the left one he discovers hole. “Dammit” he says under his breath before hanging up on one of the restroom stalls hooks. “Oh I need to remove my tie too. Don’t need that getting in the way.” He chuckles nervously. But his attempts to stall are proven useless when Germ grabs him by his shirt collar and holds him up.

The crowd gasps.

“Ok, haha, stronger than you look” Elmer chokes. “And you already look pretty strong”

“Better to beat you with.” He smiles grimly.

Elmer learns a new emotion, Fear!. But the feeling doesn’t last long as he thinks up a solution. He puts his hands on Germ’s shoulders confusing him. “I bet!” He pushes his body weight up lifting his knee with enough force into Germ’s chin to cause his head to go back upon impact. This also causes him t drop Elmer.

“Well that was unexpected.” Veronica says through a mouthful of popcorn.

From the back of the crowd someone says “last call to change bets!”

Elmer lands flat on his ass. He gets up and dusts off his shirt collar. Germ a few steps in front of him hods his chin. He removes his hand to reveal that the blow caused him to bleed a bit.

As usual with any small victory, Elmer becomes a bit too cocky. “Haha! thats right, looks like the dork can put up a figh-“ he’s cut off by a punch in his gut.”

The crowd gasps.

He holds his stomach with both of his hands becoming unbalanced. He drops to the floor landing on his knees. “Wooph, sturdy blow. Give me a minute.” He sits groaning in pain. Germ wipes the blood from his mouth. He looks down at Elmer who is now curled up on the floor.

“That’s only one small part of what you deserve.”

“Wait!” Elmer calls. “I can, im not out yet.” He tries getting up.  “I can still-“ he vomits mid sentence then makes himself cozy on the floor once more letting out more groans. Germ looks at him in disgust for a moment. Seeing that he clearly out levels his opponent he walks out the restroom. The crowd splits to let him pass. He meets up with Brutus who high-fives him. “What do you say about Beast Burger for lunch?” Brutus nods and they’re gone.

Jamie, Melanie, Harry and Veronica make their way into the restroom as the crowd disperses becoming a bit easier to push through.

“Well you sure did surprise us all with that one hit.” Veronica says after throwing away her empty popcorn box.

“That must’ve been some blow to the gut.” adds Harry tip toeing around the mess of puke.

Jamie and Melanie try to help him back on his feet, to which he shoos them away.

“Are you ok?” Jamie asks.

Elmer groans louder “Shut up Jamison! Last thing I need right now is your dumb voice in my head.”

Jamie looks around at the others as if saying “what did I do?”

Outside the restroom door Jay pokes her head inside. “Hey, what’s going on in here?” She walks in drying her hands with a paper towel. She spots Elmer on the floor along side the mess. “Oh… you ok dude?”

“He’s fine. Just learning about life and stuff.” Says Veronica nonchalantly.

“What’s this” Harry picks a corked beaker up off the floor.

Elmer lifts his head to look over. He sees Harry holding up the beaker.

He groans and lays his head down on the floor again. “It’s a formula that I was gonna inject into that meat head.”

“A formula that does what??” Veronica sternly inquires.

“Just put him to sleep..”

“You were gonna kill him?!?!” Harry exclaims.

“No you dumbass. what part of sleep don’t you understand.”

“How long would it have lasted????” Veronica probes

“I dunno. A week or a month, I can’t remember. Just to keep him out of my hair for a bit.” Elmer says as if it’s no big deal

“A month?!?” Harry says

“For fuck’s sake, Get your ears checked Harper! Yes I said a month!”

Veronica, aggravated yet knowing that yelling at him won’t do anything says. “Well thank god you plan failed. I hope you learned something from this.”

“Yeah, I should check for holes in my pockets before leaving the house.”

“Dear god, you should still be trapped in that lab.” She says very quietly.

“What?!” Elmer aggressively wipe his head to look over at her.

“Nothing. i’ll see you outside. Come Jay” Jay follows and they both walk out.

The others just stand in the restroom quietly and awkwardly.

“You guys can leave too yeesh. Im uncomfortable as it is after the punch, I don’t need y’all here too.”

They leave Elmer to lay with his vomit on the restroom floor. Outside the three stand there quietly.

“Should we tell the janitor?” Melanie says breaking the silence.

“I suppose.” Harry agrees.

They begin to walk off but stop when they realize Jamie still silently standing by the restroom door.

“Come on Jamie.” Harry calls to him. “I know you wanna help him but, he’s like the last person you should help honesty.”

“I think I’m slowly realizing that...” Jamie says in an uncharacteristically monotone voice. He catches up with the other to find the janitor.

Elmer dies.

Jk