Root for the Underdog

By Leighton W Vary, Jr

Peter was a small boy, skinny, with very thick glasses, and the target for Chuck, and the school bully. But Lenore could no longer sit by and allow Peter to be tortured day in and day out. Lenore was large for her age, larger than many boys in Junior High. The day she declared Peter to be her friend, she kneed Chuck in the groin and warned him to leave Peter alone. Peter fell for this girl who was the first one to treat him like a person; he was in love with Lenore. Peter and Lenore began to study together, and she achieved 'A's from that point on.

Peter had been the butt of his classmate's practical jokes and the target of Chuck meanness since kindergarten and truly believed he was a geek, perhaps even subhuman.

Something happened, and Chuck had a change of heart. He apologized to Peter and Lenore and asked to be their friend; a friend that Lenore grew closer and closer to leaving Peter to bring up the rear, the third man out. As a high school freshman, Peter met Carrie and fell for her, but never got over his love for Lenore. Lenore and Chuck married, as did Peter and Carrie. However, fate stepped in and took Chuck and Carrie out of the picture. What happened after that was beyond Peter's fondest dreams.
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Leighton W Vary, Jr
• Release date: Aug 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463795002

Book preview

Root for the Underdog

By

Leighton W Vary Jr.

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2018 by Leighton W Vary Jr.

All rights reserved.

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Other Books by this Author

Second Chances

To Protect and Serve in Mountain View County

Carry On Constitution To Save the Galaxy

Cover Design by

Joleene Naylor

Contents

Chapter one: Peter and Lenore

Chapter Two: Disney Land and Football

Chapter Three: Peter Rogers - Third Man Out

Chapter Four: School, School, and More School

Chapter Five: Life Goes On

Chapter One

Peter and Lenore

It was the first day of the new school year, and the members of the sixth-grade class of Reservoir Memorial Elementary School had all grown two inches or so and gained several pounds since they had left the fifth grade three months earlier. All, that is, with two exceptions:

Peter Rogers had not grown any appreciable amount, nor had he gained any weight; he had probably lost a few pounds. The other exception was Lenore Johnson; she had grown nearly five inches and had gained almost ten pounds.

Peter was a small boy, thin to the point of emaciation, smaller than everyone in his class and probably smaller than most of the fifth-grade class. He was cursed with weak eyes and as a consequence wore large, thick glasses. His nose was too large for his face and because of his diminutive stature his front teeth looked too large for his mouth. All-in-all Peter looked either like an owl or a gopher. As a result of this, Peter was the butt of every practical joke and was fair game for the school bully. Peter had two things going for him, he was a very polite person, and he had an IQ over 150 Peter was a genius.

Lenore was the tallest person in her class and probably taller than many of the boys in Junior High and also outweighed everyone in her class without being fat. She was a natural honey blond, with very dark blue eyes and an ideal complexion. Lenore was of average intelligence, but she was quite athletic. Lenore loved to play football.

As the bell rang for the students to begin their classes, Peter walked toward the main door of the school building and attracted the attention of the school bully, one Charles Chuck Swanson. Chuck angled over to intercept Peter. He knocked Peter to the ground and planted his foot on the back of Peter’s head forcing it into the sand. Peter struggled but could not get himself out from under Chuck’s foot.

The teacher that was supposed to be monitoring the yard looked over and then turned and entered the building. Peter’s classmates, who had been his classmates for several years, stood around and laughed. Peter finally quit struggling and waited, trying not to breathe in too much sand.

Everything does come to an end; even Chuck had to get to class. So, Peter got up out of the sand. He was the only person in the yard, and the final bell rang signaling that he was already late for class. Peter entered the building and started to go to the boy's room when a hall monitor stopped him and told him to get to his class.

When he entered his classroom, Mrs. Thayer looked at him and raised her voice, Mr. Rogers, you are a filthy mess! What is your excuse?

Peter opened his mouth to answer when Mrs. Thayer almost screamed, Here is a hall pass. Go clean yourself up. And don’t come to school looking like that again.

Peter took the hall pass and went to the boy’s room and cleaned himself up as best he could. When he returned to his classroom, everyone laughed as he walked to the only empty desk in the room. Walking to the back of the room a boy’s leg shot out and tripped him. Laughter again. Peter stuck out his chin and got up and walked to his desk and took his seat.

Lenore watched the things that were going on and frowned. She didn’t seem to like what she saw, but she didn’t know what to do. She turned and looked at Peter, he had turned his face toward the wall, and he seemed to be in a Herculean struggle to control himself. Finally, he turned and opened his book and started to work.

Peter noticed Lenore that very first day and quietly, hopelessly wished she would notice him. She was so pretty, and she was the only classmate that did not torture him.

The class was in the science hour and had just seen a film concerning the operation of an atomic power plant. As the film ended, Mrs. Thayer, shrilled, Mr. Rogers, what did you learn from this film?

Peter stood and looked at the teacher, Mrs. Thayer, I learned that a nuclear power plant operates on the heat generated by the nuclear decay of the radioactive material in the power rods, heating water thus driving a steam generator to produce the electric power. I also learned that regulation of the power rods is extremely critical and if a mistake is made, we have a Chyrnoble event.

Mrs. Thayer’s jaw dropped, and her eyes grew wide, Very good, Mr. Rogers, very good.

Lenore, what did you learn from the film?

Lenore hemmed and hawed a moment and then said weakly, I’m sorry, Mrs. Thayer, I didn’t understand most of it.

Well, perhaps, Miss Johnson, you should study with Mr. Rogers. He seems to have grasped a great deal from the film.

Lenore looked back at Peter, Yes, Mam. She said quietly. However, studying was far from her mind. She would rather be practicing her placekicking and passing the football.

Several weeks later saw Peter the daily victim of Chuck and the butt of many practical jokes by his classmates. Lenore entered the classroom about ten minutes early from the lunch break. When she entered, she thought she was alone until she heard a sound from a back corner of the room. She saw a figure at Peter’s desk; head down, his shoulders heaving as the sobs came.

She walked back and put her hand on Peter’s shoulder. Peter looked up a question in his eyes, What?

Peter, what’s wrong? Then she saw that Peter wasn’t wearing his glasses, Peter, where are your glasses?

Peter croaked, Chuck threw them up on the roof.

Shall I tell the janitor?

Mrs. Thayer has gone to tell him.

After a few minutes Mrs. Thayer came into the room with Peter’s glasses, "Mr. Rogers, this had better not happen again. I’m not going