Reply #3: I remember schoolyard swarms--it was like a hive mind took over and even [View All]

[vixengrl]

if you didn't know who was fighting, you saw people running and got your run on, too to see if you could catch a glimpse of it. We had people in my junior high pulling icepicks and whatnot on each other. And watching it was a casual and even pleasant activity.

"You know them?"

"I think I know that one guy, but I don't know that other guy. You?"

"Naw, damn! That would hurt."

"No shit."

And then a guidance counselor and an aide or a security guy would wade in. But it was just a regular thing that happened in school. We'd talk about it later like "I saw where his shirt was all bloody" or "Did you see the guidance counselor tackle that one kid?" We didn't have metal detectors yet and half the people I knew in HS at least had pocket knives or mace in case they had to show up for a beating. And I went to a pretty decent HS. I never had to throw hands myself but being a girl I did get shots to my reputation by way of rumors and probably in one instance might have benefited from kicking someone's ass--but I was taught self-defense more than ass-kicking, so it never occurred to my mind like I should get shit over with by burying somebody.

There was one girl I could have. But I let her go because I had a circle of different friends and she couldn't bother me, anyway. It wasn't worth catching detention over.

I don't know any teens well enough to ask if they still "rumble" as we did in days of yore.