The gang By DanboyII A bunch of us were sitting around in the evening in a neighbors backyard. I was a skinny fourteen year old. My friend Bobby was a year younger and his sister, Jean was a year older than me. Another boy Jim was about thirteen, there were two girls Ann and Catherine who were my age and Barbra, a stocky twelve year old. Jean was several inches taller than me and probably weighed 140 pounds, while I was about 5’4" and likely weighed no more than 115. The conversation turned into a discussion about who the strongest and best wrestler was amongst us. Since I was the biggest and oldest boy it was quickly agreed that I was the toughest boy without any test to prove it. Catherine was the tallest of all of us and was a thin girl while Ann was about my height but was very heavy, maybe 180 pounds or so. Neither of these girls considered challenging me as neither was very athletic. Barbra just sat and listened as the opinion of many seemed to believe that Jean, being older and much bigger than me, was likely the strongest, and toughest of our group. My friend Bobby knew that his sister was a very strong girl and admitted that she was much tougher than himself. The talk continued until Jean and I agreed to wrestle. I was not confident that I could win. Actually, I felt quite the opposite. Jean was a very solid girl who played a number of team sports at school and good looking though she was, she was considered quite a tomboy. I had played touch football with and against her many times and I knew that she was good. So did others. When we picked teams, she was always one of the first chosen. We squared off began to tangle. We grabbed each other’s arms at the biceps and tried to pull or push each other off balance. I put my leg behind hers in effort to push and trip her down in the like it is done in school yards all over the world. I was very tentative with my action, but to my surprise Jean went down just like I had wanted. I couldn’t have been more surprised. I didn’t follow up my advantage and so we all considered that the match was over and I had won. Everyone congratulated me and said that I was truly the toughest of the group. I bragged about it some but did give Jean credit for being a very strong girl. The next day I went to Bobby’s house and coming through their back yard met Jean who told me that Bobby was off running an errand and would be back soon. Then she told me that she had let me win our wrestling match because she didn’t want to embarrass me. She wanted to wrestle me again to show me that she could beat me. We squared off same as before. And I tried to trip her down just as I had before. It didn’t work. Jean was so strong that she didn’t move. And then she bent me back like in slow motion till I was off my feet and laying across her thigh. Instead of dumping me on the ground, she held me there for a very long time, taunting me to get free. Finally, she dumped me on the ground, stood over me and announced that I should get up and she would do it again. I got up and she overpowered me just as she said that she would and held me on her thigh, demonstrating total control over me before dumping me on the ground at her feet again. I gave up!! I told her I thought she was fantastic and I hugged her and asked if she was going to tell the others. Jean was very nice and said that she really didn’t care and wasn’t going to tell anyone provided I didn’t make a big deal about it either . CHAPTER 2 Late that same afternoon Jean and I and Barbra arrived in the same neighbors backyard as the day before. There were friendly hugs of greeting all around but then Barb began to assert herself for the first time. Her family had only recently moved to town so we did not know very much about her except that she was a very attractive dark hair’d beauty with a stocky though very feminine figure which was coming into full flower. Confronting Jean, Barb said that she knew that Jean had allowed me to win the little wrestling match on the previous evening. She demanded that Jean wrestle with her so that she, Barbra could prove that she was the real champion of our little group. Jean tried to beg off because there was such a difference in both their size and age. Barbra was barely five feet tall and probably weighed about 110-115. But Barbra was very forceful and finally Jean agreed to wrestle just to get it over with. They began to grapple by clutching at each other in a manner similar to the way Jean and I had started. Suddenly Barbra pushed Jean’s arms away and bore in and locked her arms around Jeans waist with such force that the air was squeezed out of Jean accompanied by a loud grunt and whooshing sound. Jean made a futile attempt to pull Barbs arms apart but Barb swung Jean about so quickly that she was nearly helpless almost immediately. It seemed like Barb squeezed, lifted, swung, and then threw Jean to the ground in one motion that lasted only about a second. My mouth must have open with my jaw dropped about a foot watching this little girl overpower the much larger and very strong girl who had just beaten me so easily that very morning. Barbra was on top of her in an instant. She straddled Jean and began to pin her down. Jean struggled frantically, gritting her teeth and whipping her arms and upper body about in an all out effort to dislodge her tormentor. Jeans wild expression intensified and her face became very red as Barbra methodically captured each of Jeans wrists and pinned her solidly to the ground. Barb moved her position so that her knees were pinning Jeans upper arms and she was sitting on Jean’s chest so that Jeans boobs were squeezed between Barb’s muscular thighs. Barb was now in total control and could let go of Jean’s wrists and still hold her pinned. I thought that Jean could surely throw the small girl off her but she couldn’t do it no matter how she tried as Barb just rode her expertly, holding her position with very little difficulty. When Jean stopped struggling, Barb add insult to injury by first doing a double bicep victory pose and then squeezing Jeans boobs with her hands. Jean screamed for her to stop and pleaded "I give" several times before Barb stopped and let her up. Jean sat up, rubbing her side and tried to catch her breath. Her face was still very red and her expression was one of wild eyed discomfort. Barbra, who wasn’t even breathing hard, moved behind Jean and kneeled and began to gently massage her neck. Jean looked at me with questioning wonder and said, "My God, she is strong." She repeated herself several times but then to my complete surprise when Barb asked if she wanted to try again, she said that she did! I couldn’t believe what was happening. This little girl had destroyed Jean, yet she wanted to try again. They went at it once more. This time Barb yanked Jean about several times demonstrating that she was much stronger than the bigger girl. Then she twisted Jeans left arm behind her back and as she pulled her about, Barb put one arm around Jean’s waist while maintaining the arm lock. Then she pulled her about and lifted her off her feet and dumped her face down on the ground. Again, she was on her quickly gathering Jean’s other arm so that she now held both arms in the painful behind the back position while straddling her at the waist. Barb bounced up and down on Jean’s back several times as she pressed both the arm holds up further onto the shoulder blades. Once again Jean was hopelessly helpless and this time in significant pain. "I give, I give, I give", Jean croaked. "Not this time, honey," Barb said with such a calm voice. "I own you now, honey - you are mine - so say it". Barb punctuated her demand with more bouncing and arm twisting. "Say it!" "I am yours. You own me. Please, I give," Jean responded obediently. With that, Barb released her and bounced up to face me. "You’re next, Donnie boy," she said just as the rest of the group rounded the corner of the house. Chapter 3 Ann and Catherine, Jim and Bobby rounded the house just in time to hear Barb’s declaration. "What’s happenin’?" Bobby and Ann asked the same question, almost in unison. I was dying. My mouth was dry as dust. Barb was going to beat the crap out of me in front of the others and there wasn’t anything that I could do about it. I had just seen Barb destroy Jean seemingly without effort. I was becoming resigned to my fate when Barb answered, "I was just going to show Donnie how strong a girl can be. I was going to give him a pony ride to the back of the yard. You’re just in time." For the group that had just showed up, it seemed a natural extension from yesterdays match between Jean and myself. They didn’t have a clue about how easily Jean had overpowered me earlier or how Barb had beaten Jean just minutes ago. I was dizzy and my legs were like soft rubber as Barb and I became the center of attention. Barb directed me to climb on her back as she turned away and put her hands on her knees. She was wearing blue shorts, sling back flat shoes, and a yellow tee shirt with the sleeves rolled up tight to her shoulders. This was the first time that any of us had seen Barb with much of her body bare. She looked extremely solid with very muscular legs and arms that looked stronger than any females arms that I had ever seen. I did as I was told. I climbed on Barbs back and she took hold of my legs. There I was, being lifted in the standard piggy back position by this powerful little girl. There were squeals and "wows" and applause as Barb marched off toward the back of the yard with me comfortably held on her back. It was quite an erotic feeling to experience the power of this little girl beneath me. She walked with ease and confidence and gave the appearance that I was not a very heavy burden. The others stayed back near the back of the house and waited for our return. As we got near the back fence, Barb began to talk. "Were you surprised that I was able to beat Jean?" "Yes," was all I could manage. "I own her and now I’m going to own you. It is up to you. If you agree that you are mine and that I own you then I won’t have to beat you up. If you don’t agree then I will just have to force you to give in to me." She had stopped walking and just stood still looking back at me over her shoulder. I quickly agreed that she did in fact own me. She made me repeat it twice and then turned and trotted back to the others. Reluctantly, I climbed off Barb’s back, which didn’t mean that I was climbing down exactly. Barb was so short that it seemed that I was a little lower to the ground on her back than when I was standing. We all sat around on the back steps and talked. Barb’s body and her carrying of me were the main topics. She explained that she had been a gymnast since the age of 4 or 5. She also told us that as part of her study of gymnastics and modern dance she had also been lifting weights for nearly 4 years. Then she told us that I was really very light and that she would prove that she was much stronger by carrying Ann the same way that she had carried me. There wasn't much discussion except for an admission by Ann that she actually weighed 190 pounds, because Barb got up and ordered Ann to climb on her back just as she had me. Ann also did as she was told and there they were. It was a strange picture, such a small girl lifting and then carrying such a big girl. Barb carried her to the back of the yard just as she had me. We all watched as Barb stopped and stood near the fence talking to Ann. Suddenly, I realized what was happening. Barb was telling Ann the same things that she had told me. She was giving Ann the opportunity to give up and agree to being owned by Barb or face a wrestling match with the little strong girl. I knew Ann would give in. Finished with the discussion, Barb Carried Ann back and we all applauded. Next, Barb turned her attention to Catherine. She said she wanted to wrestle her. Although nearly 3 years older and a foot taller, Catherine pleaded to be left alone. Barb kept after her and finally pulled her up. Catherine was a very thin girl but being so tall she probably weighed between 10 and 20 pounds more than my own 115. Barb pulled her about, twisting her arms and then applying a headlock. She then began flipping Catherine about so that poor Catherine’s long skinny arms and legs flailed about in desperation. Finally Barb captured her wrists in her hands. She pulled her arms toward her so that Barb was able to grasp both the thin girls wrists with one powerful hand. She then pulled, dragged and swung the poor girl about, forcing her to her knees and then back up again. She ignored Catherine’s pleas that she stop. Finally, after demonstrating complete control over the tall girl, she held her with the one hand holding the girls two wrists and demanded in front of the group that she admit that Barb owned her. Catherine quickly agreed. I was the only one beside Barb who knew that she had now gotten the same agreement from four of us. I was sure that the two boys would be next on Barb’s list. Chapter 4 It didn’t take long. Jim and Bobby both poked fun at Catherine for what they said was , "giving up without a fight". Catherine said that she wasn’t a fighter and she wasn’t a boy and that Barb was very strong for a girl. She argued that it didn’t matter that she was bigger, taller, and older. Barb, she said, was so very strong and experienced that Catherine suggested that she could probably beat either Bobby or Jimmy and maybe even me. Jean and I nearly croaked at the mention of me. I couldn’t believe it was happening so quickly. Catherine couldn’t have done a better job laying the ground work for Barbra if she had been coached. Barb took the lead by first defending Catherine and telling all of us that Catherine was not a weakling but had shown some strength in resisting even though we did not perceive it as we had watched. For a moment, it hit me just how strange it was that we were all sitting there listening intently to the youngest, smallest girl in our group who was clearly and carefully working her way toward "owning" each of us and establishing herself as our leader. It was no surprise to me or Jean when Barb challenged Jim to a wrestling match. Jimmy blustered that he didn’t feel like it today because he had on clean jeans, a sore elbow, and orders from his mother not to fight with girls. But Barb was ready. She countered that in teasing Catherine, he had already offered to wrestle the taller girl and maybe show her some moves. She then said that she was ready to take on both Bobby and Jimmy at the same time. This got everybody’s interest very quickly. All us bystanders urged that the match begin. Jim and Bobby both saw the opportunity that Barb was giving them. Together there was little chance that Barb could win even though she had demonstrated a lot of power by carrying Ann around and as a team there was little chance that either of them would be embarrassed by the little strong girl. "Come into my parlor, said the spider to the flies." The three stood and the challenge began. Jim and Bobby took up positions on opposite sides of Barb. They’re strategy was to draw her into a position so that one of them could get her from behind, throw her down and then both take positions on top and force her into submission. But every time they got to a position even close to having one of them behind her, Barb would make a 90 degree turn and end up with both boys in front of her. Suddenly, Barb spun and leaped at Bobby. She had him around the waist from behind and threw him to the ground before any of us knew what was happening. She didn’t follow up her advantage but instead turned her attention toward Jimmy who hadn’t moved. Bobby scrambled to his feet and beat a short retreat to get some distance between himself and Barb. Barb stalked after Jimmy who danced away. Barb returned to a position in front of us and waved for both boys to come and get her. They did begin to move in again but did so with very slow cautious movements. This time Barb suddenly feinted a move toward Bobby again and as he stooped and stumbled backward she turned and drove directly toward Jimmy. She was so fast! Jimmy tried to move back too but she had him by the crotch and shoulders so quickly. She lifted Jimmy and body slammed him before Bobby even stopped moving backward. Barb ignored Bobby and flipped Jimmy on his back twisting both his arms behind him in a painful double hammer lock position. She straddled him and began to apply pressure. Jimmy screamed for Bobby to help. To Bobby’s credit, he tried. He came at Barb from behind and grabbed her around the neck intending to pull her off Jimmy. But Barb hunched her shoulders and just kept tormenting Jimmy. Bobby was no more of a distraction or irritation to Barb than a few flies buzzing around her ear. Barb pulled both Jimmy’s wrists into position so that she could hold them with one hand, reached around and flipped Bobby around her and down onto Jimmy’s back so that he was lying crosswise on top of Jimmy. Barb then stood and released her hold on Jimmy’s wrists in favor of a headlock that whipped Jimmy up and back into a kneeling position and then on back so that the back of his head was headed toward meeting the soles of his feet. There wasn’t any real chance that that was going to happen because Bobby’s body was in the way being squeezed in the vice of Jimmy’s forced backbend. Both boys were alternately screaming and gurgling with unintelligible sounds. Pleas for help and the words "I give" could also be heard. Barb held the position giving the boys ample time to effect an escape if one were possible. She held them for many minutes to show them and all of us that she was the one in total control and that she and she alone would decide when they would be released from their predicament. Finally, she told them to shut up! She demanded that each of them in turn admit defeat and agree that they were Barb’s property to do with as she might see fit. They must say that they agree that they are owned by Barb. The now familiar demand did not surprise Jean or me. Chapter 5 That night at the dinner table I couldn’t seem to concentrate on the meal, the conversation, or much of anything. My mind kept drifting back to the events of the day. Without recounting everything, I was struck dumb by the situation that had emerged in our group. Of the six of us, little Barb had physically destroyed four and had threatened the other two, one of which was me, into an agreement of total submission. This little twelve year old kid had threatened to beat the crap out of me and I had succumbed without a fight. The worst of it was that I knew that I had given in because I also knew that she could probably kill me with her bare hands if she had a mind to. After totally humiliating Jim and Bobby, Barb had lectured us. She did it with an eloquence far behind her years. She had been so confident, so seemingly knowledgeable, that we all sat in silence, hanging on her every word. She told us that we were all hers. She told us that each of us had given up to her in one way or another and had agreed that she owned us. When she first said it, some of the group looked at me and at Jean. When we offered no indication of disagreement, they at first had a questioning look that faded into a picture of bewilderment and then into one of open mouthed attention. She told us that we were going to be her gang or club. She then told us that unless she changed her mind, the membership was closed and those listening to her voice were the only members that the club was going to have. She said that she had already picked a name. We would be the "Bandits". We would be a one for all and all for one group, just like Robinhood and his band of Merrymen. If we did any robbing, as bandits often do, we would take only from the well to do and give only to the have nots, just like Jessie James and his gang. She then announced that Jean was to be her lieutenant and that I was to be her boyfriend. She said she would share me with Jean sometimes or possibly even with the other girls. In no case were any of us to have a boyfriend or girl friend outside the group without Barb’s approval. She talked as though none of us boys were there. She seemed to be talking to just the girls for the first twenty or thirty minutes of her lecture. To say that she was persuasive is an understatement. As she strolled back and forth in front of us, one moment thoughtful and the next making an authoritative point, it became more and more clear that she was our leader, both physically and mentally. From head to toe, her small but powerful frame held our attention. Those short muscular legs rippled as she moved and her bare arms changed shape in subtle ways as she clasped her hands or used them to punctuate her talk. We were mesmerized. The next day when I came out of school, I found Jean waiting for me. Although I was in the same class with Ann and Catherine, we hadn’t had any classes together so I had not seen them. Barb’s school was several blocks away. She was in sixth grade, one year short of junior high. Without a word, Jean fell in along side me and we started the half mile walk home. "Are we nuts, or what?" I looked at her, asking the question that I thought was on both our minds. "You mean Barb?" "Of course I mean Barb. We’re slaves to a little twelve year old kid. Are we wimps, or cowards or what?" "Well, you didn’t fight her. She just carried you around on her back like you weighed about as much as a giant size bag of potato chips. And you gave in to her just like that! In my case, she beat the shit out of me! I still can’t believe that she’s so strong. She beat me easy." "That may be why I gave up, you know. I saw what she did to you and I also know how strong you are and what you did to me," I said. "I know," she said as she put her arm across my shoulders as we walked along and gave me a little hug. "You didn’t know it but last winter I wrestled Perry Green in the gym at school. He’s a football player and goes about 230 or so. He beat me but it must have taken about twenty minutes for him to do it. And I very nearly pinned him several times before he got me. Perry said I was one of the toughest, strongest people that he ever wrestled. And now Barb beats me twice in about five minutes and I never even got a hold on her. She is one strong little broad. Maybe we’re lucky that she picked us to be in her club. I’d rather be with her than against her." We both nodded agreement to that. "Hey, Jean - if I’m light as a bag of chips, how about you giving me a ride home?" I had really liked the feeling of a strong girl lifting me when Barb did it and now the idea to ask Jean to do it just suddenly came to me. Jean gave me a sly look. "Oh boy, I can see it now. Every day you’re gonna want some girl to carry you home." "Not just some girl - you," I said quickly. Obligingly, Jean stopped and bent so I could climb on her back. I climbed on and off we went. My hands on Jeans shoulders and upper arms felt the solid muscle that I already knew was there. Being a slave to Barb may have it’s fringe benefits, I thought. Chapter 6 The next few weeks went by quickly. The Bandits (that’s us) met nearly every day after school. We usually met in the yard next to the house owned by Jean’s and Bobby’s parents. We met there because we liked the yard even before we had become a club. Bobby did the grass and Jean had been taking care of the flowers for sometime for the elderly couple that lived there. They, the Whites, didn’t seem to mind at all and sometimes offered us iced tea. Mr. White was always in a wheel chair. There was no question who the boss was. It was Barb. She had us all doing stretching exercises to limber up and then a variety of other exercises intended to build strength and endurance. It was through these more difficult movements that we all gained even more respect for Barb’s ability. She could do sit ups endlessly and often did 50 push ups in perfect form. Sometimes she did hand springs and then walked on her hands. None of us could walk on our hands and Jean was the only one who could do any significant number of push ups in good form. Hand springs were out of the question. I became sway backed after just one push up and neither Ann or Catherine could do any. Barb put Ann on a diet and started spending a lot of time with Catherine, teaching good form for the exercises and also some wrestling drills. Barb would give the exercise instructions to Jean who would lead the rest of us while Barb would toss Catherine around like a stuffed toy. The admiration and yes, loyalty that we all would feel for Barbra grew quickly. She was tough as nails, strong as a bull, and cute as a button. Our leader was certainly one very unusual combination. As Barb’s designated boyfriend I did have the responsibility to take her out. But it didn’t happen all that often, at least not at first. Barb and I weren’t even attending the same schools because she was still finishing her last year of grade school and I was in my second year of junior high. I was actually spending more and more time with Jean, who was a year ahead of me, but at least for this year, in the same school. We walked home together almost every day. And on many of the days, Jean carried me as she had that first day after our group had been formed. That part was nothing short of FANTASTIC!!! Jean would do it after only teasing me a little and sometimes she was the one to start the little play. She would always start carrying me at the entrance to an alley about four blocks from home. We rarely saw anyone during that part of the trip so it was our own private little game. Sometimes it was piggy back and sometimes it was sitting full on her shoulders and then it got so that I would just climb onto her proffered hip, put my arms around her neck, while she would put her arms around my waist and carry me like a mother carries her small child. The nice thing about that position is that we could look at each other face to face and talk as she carried me along. I think the real enjoyment that comes from being lifted and carried by a good looking, feminine strong girl is that feeling of the lifters power that the rider receives without being subjected to the pain and discomfort that comes with wrestling holds and throws. Then Barb and I had our first real date. She told me that she wanted to go to a certain movie. She was dressed as she usually was with short dark skirt, this time a pale pink blouse of thin, almost transparent material, and black flat sling back shoes. She wore no stockings and no makeup. The sleeves of the blouse were three quarter length raglan so they easily hid her muscular arms from view. But the skirt didn’t hide much of her legs, those obviously powerful legs that shouted strength and athleticism with every step. We walked hand in hand to the theater. And we didn’t talk much but I noticed the many heads that turned to look, not at me of course but at those great legs and the rest of that very feminine body that was not so subtly hidden from full view. It was such a strange feeling to be in total awe of a five foot girl several years my junior. The feeling would fit better if Barb were about five years older than me and had the body of a muscular 6’5" blonde Amazon. But there she was, a dark haired beauty to be sure, but in a little five foot package so short that even I could almost look down at the top of her head. We took seats on the isle near the back of the small theater. Just as the feature was starting, three guys in leather jackets came in and took positions at the side of the theater two rows behind us. They were talking rather loudly, making jokes liberally sprinkled with four letter words and banging the seats to punctuate their laughter. As the credits flashed at the beginning of the movie, they began to take delight in mispronouncing the names of the people. I thought or hoped that the noise would stop when the movie really began but it didn’t happen. Barb looked at me and said that I should tell them to please settle down. "Barb, those guys belong to the "Scorpions". I saw it on the back of one of their jackets when they came in. They’re a mean bunch. Probably just looking for some one to say something so they can start a fight." Without answering me, Barb turned, stood up and in a steady voice said, "Hey guys, would you please settle down so that people can watch the movie?" The guy closest to us stood up and moved slowly out the row to stand two rows back but directly behind Barb. I stood up and took Barb’s arm and whispered that it might be smart to leave. "Are you standin’ in a hole, kid?" The guy was big, about six feet and at least 220. "Shut up and sit down, kid, before I put you over my knee and give you a lesson in respect," came loudly from one of the other Scorpions who had remained seated with his feet hanging over the seat in front of him. Loud laughter came from all three. The big guy stepped into the isle and moved toward me because I had been sitting in the isle seat and was now in between Barb and him. Suddenly, Barb reached in front of me and grabbed the guy’s belt and pulled the unsuspecting bully into the row behind us. She pulled him about three seats past our position and then reaching for the collar of the jacket somehow had this big guy flying up and over our row to crash head first into the back of the seat one row in front of us. Instantly, Barb was standing on a seat and then walking on the tops of the seat backs for the two steps that it took her to drop into the row just behind the other two leather jackets. The one closest to her was just beginning to rise when Barb grabbed him by the hair, yanked his head back and broke his nose with a wicked chop that was only a blur until it ended with the sound of a large twig breaking. The guy gave a gurgling scream and bent over below the seats. The third guy rose just in time to find his head in a choke hold. Barb pulled him back over the seat exposing his stomach to one sharp blow that knocked him limp. In a show of her tremendous strength, Barb took the jacket in one hand and a claw full of nuts from his crotch in the other and literally tossed him over the row she was standing in to crumple to the floor one row further back to the accompaniment of an agony scream much louder than the sounds coming from the guy with the broken nose. The whole thing was over in less than twenty seconds. Barb turned her attention to the guy with the nose job for a moment. Grabbing him by the hair she pulled his head back and said, "Tell your buddies not to mess with the Bandits and from now on stay out of this show." I wished with all my heart that she hadn’t said that. The only sound came from the first guy, in a heap three rows away who mumbled in a whimper, "I think my shoulder is broke." Barb came out the isle to meet me. "Let’s get out of here. These guys have spoiled our evening," she said. An elderly woman sitting on the other side of the isle looked at Barb and smiled. "Thank you, young lady," she offered with a nod. Chapter 7 The next day the school was all abuzz. The story was that there had been a rumble at the theater and several of the Scorpions had been injured. The vice president of the gang had a broken collar bone and one of the other members was in the hospital with a ruptured testicle. It was rumored that at least one other gang member was home with a smashed face. It was said that by the time the police had arrived that the six to eight toughs from a gang on the other side of town had managed to straggle out of the theater and run away. According to the story told by the Scorpions in school most of the mysterious other gang had been injured to the point that they could only stagger or crawl away. They couldn’t explain why the police hadn’t caught any of them. I didn’t know what to do. The Scorpions that were there last night certainly had recognized me but none of those guys were in school. I didn’t have long to wait. My first class was Biology with Mr. Wise. He was a small, excitable man with a tiny mustache and very little hair on the top of his head. He eagerly told the class that he and his wife had been in the theater last night and had seen what appeared to be a small girl beat up the three gang members all by herself. He was certain that it was a girl because he saw a skirt and legs when she walked across the backs of some seats to get to the three guys who were making all the noise. The kids asked a lot of questions and Mr. Wise gave a very accurate description of what actually happened. When asked if the girl was alone, he admitted that he didn’t know. He said he thought that she left with someone but he wasn’t sure that they had been together before the fight and it had been just too dark to tell who it might have been. He said "before the fight," and then corrected himself to, " before she destroyed them, there really was no fight," and won uproarious laughter. Before lunch, Mr. Wise had told his story to six classes of students plus most of the teachers. The Scorpions were the laughing stock of the school, but not to the faces of any of the gang members of course. The Scorpion president, Arnie Kling, was waiting for me at lunch time at my locker. His eyes were so cold. "Better keep your mouth shut and you could do that stupid teach a favor by tellin’ him to close his. Maybe we won’t break both his legs." He strolled away with his characteristic swagger just as Jean arrived. Students and teachers alike ate lunch in a wide range of places. Some in the cafeteria but when the weather was good, many went outside and sat on the grass or on the steps or at one of the picnic tables that were sprinkled about the school lawn. There was a little hill to one side leading up to a picnic table under an old beautifully shaped oak tree. From this spot you could see very nearly the entire campus. It was the nicest spot of all. And all the students and all the teachers knew that it belonged to the Scorpions and was off limits to everyone else. Jean and I walked out the side door of the school and stopped dead. There stood Barb. In response to our questioning looks she said, "I’m cutting a few classes today. Thought things might be a little warm over here. Have they said anything to you?" I told her what had happened. Barb was so cool. She stood there in the short skirt and light blouse, her standard uniform, with her hands on her hips listening intently. "That’s them up on that little hill, right?" "That’s them," I said. "The one sitting down is Arnie Kling, their leader. The other one is Jack Lake." "Let’s go say hi," said Barb with a smile. Jean quickly explained that non gang members were not welcome on the hill unless they had been summoned by a gang member. Barb said that that was a very silly rule and she thought it should be changed. So …… up the hill we went. Neither Jean nor I were happy about it but we knew that we really had no choice. It seemed like the whole school was watching. When we reached the top Barb led the way to the table and gave Arnie a little wave. Arnie’s eyes were big as saucers as he went into his feared stare down mode. Before he could say anything, Barb spoke. "Here’s the deal, Arnie old buddy. My name is Barbra. I’m the leader of the Bandits and this is Jean and Donnie, two of my officers. And I’m the one who beat the crap out of three of your stooges at the theater last night. Now I like this picnic table a lot so I’ve decided that the Bandits will be taking it over…………." "You ain’t doin’ shit, yo……", was as far as Arnie got when Barb’s arm shot out and slapped him so hard that he was knocked backward off the bench. It sounded like the crack of a whip. He was lying on his back with his feet on the bench where he had been sitting. Big Arnie, at 5’10" and 180, had been stunned by this little girl. Arnie scrambled to a standing position, shaking his head all the way as he tried to clear away the fog. For some reason, I had the feeling that he might be hearing a train whistle. His henchman moved to his side but did not move to attack, as I thought he would. "Now don’t interrupt or I will hit you again. That is very bad manners and I will not put up with it." Barb continued to address Arnie in a low, calm, unhurried voice. Actually, her calm was a bit frightening since it was coming right after she had delivered such a wallop to Arnie’s face. "As I was saying, the Bandits are laying claim to this table. You’re out and we’re in. There are a lot of people watching us and I don’t want you to become forgetful and try to come back here, so I’ve decided to break one of your arms to help you remember. It’s your choice which one." The two bullies starred at her with the strangest looks that I had ever seen. COMMENTS PLEASE