I got up to some pretty embarrassing things in the younger days man. Had a few very rebellious little streaks. My word how things change.
--- Story 1 - the BB gun --- (Didn't get away with)
One time, I took a BB gun in with me to school (as in UK school, I think I was around 13-14 at the time). Well, I spent the whole of science class shooting this kid on the opposite table across the class in the head (how ridiculously dangerous and immature I know). Every now and again he'd shriek out in pain and my entire table side would crack up, but every time he complained about me "shooting" him with something, the teacher (Mr Friend) would just tell him to stop telling porkies.
Well, eventually one of my mates (sat a few seats beside) said he wanted a go. And I kindly told him to f off. Well, he then tried to grab it off me (in jest) and I told him if he didn't let go I'd shoot him with it (again, jokingly). To which he stuck his hand up and shouted "Sir, sir! he's got a gun! He's got a gun!". The teacher, then came up to inspect, and sure enough found my Smith & Wesson BB gun. He didn't really tell me off, but instead sent me to the head of the science dep (Mr Willmott) who did give me a right rollicking.
Anyway, Mr Willmott told me the only way I could get my gun back, was if I got a letter from my parents giving permission for it to be given back. I waited about a week, and then forged one. That day, as I walked up to his office, letter in hand. I saw a target stuck on the outside of his door, with holes in it that were quite clearly from my BB gun. I didn't think much of it beyond thinking he was clearly having a good time with MY gun. Anyway, I knocked on the door and handed him the letter. To which his response was throwing the letter in the bin and saying "I have no idea what gun you are talking about", he then slammed the door in my face. And I left empty handed lol.
--- Story 2 - the suicide bomber --- (Got away with)
Back when I was a young teen, you have to appreciate, times were very different (way pre- 9/11). There wasn't this Islamaphobia that exists today. Nor really much issue with Islam or minority terrorism at all (outside of the Ireland/NI stuff). Had what I'm about to tell you been done today, or back then with a less kind soul, I and half my class probably would have faced some serious criminal charges.
Anyway, this same science teacher Mr Friend, always seemed to have a soft spot for me. he was the kindest, most honest, gentle and downright creepily understanding teacher I'd ever met. Taking advantage of this, and the fact that I was Asian (Bengali) my white friends over a period of a few months, kept filling Mr Friends head with fake stories about me and my past. They'd tell him I had a shady past, full of sadness, death and shocking occurrences...that I was a bit messed up, and so on. They kept this up, and I thought little of it, and even played along for a laugh. The more they did it, the more he seemed concerned about me, and the more nice he'd be to me. Letting me off the hook all the time, forgiving me for stuff other kids would get told off for etc.
Ultimately, the stories became more and more extravagant, and more and more people got involved. And eventually ended up being that a few years back in Bangladesh, I'd been involved in a mass riot where a bomb blew up and killed an entire coach full of people, and this had seriously disturbed me, that I was a manic depressive etc. He actually kept me behind a few times after lesson and would try to reason with me....saying things like...
"Look, if you have any problems at home, or with anything, just let me know, you can always talk to me"
to..
"Honestly, not every thing's bad, things will be much better for you now, never fear"
and...
"If you're ever thinking of doing anything...don't, just come and talk to me first"
Anyway, this all culminated in to a crescendo to this giant hoax, which by now half the class was in on. Everybody kept pushing it to go further, really taking advantage of Mr Friend. Eventually, to finish the hoax off with a bang, we (as in many of the lads from class) actually built a make belief (fake) bomb, made out of test tubes and piping from the labs. Stuck it in my bag, and then the lads made an elaborate ploy to the teacher about how they all thought I was about to do something stupid, and that I may have a "bomb" in my bag. As evil and crazy as the hoax sounds...
At the time it was hilarious. Half the class sat there watching Mr Friend sweating profusely the entire lesson. He kept looking at me with this innocent fearful gaze as if he was indirectly pleading with me to be cool. He didn't say a word to me all lesson but just kept smiling and sweating madly, and almost shaking too. Anyway, at the end of the lesson, he asked me to stay behind. Half the class ears pricked to the other side of the door waiting to hear what he was going to say to me. What DID he say?
"Whatever it is you're about to do....don't"
"You don't have to do this...trust me...I promise things will be better for you if you don't"
He never even made a swipe for my bag. Suffice to say, I was shocked at his kindness, and sensing his fear and a sense that the hoax had gone far enough, I just told him that it was all an elaborate hoax that most of the class was in on. That it was never meant to have gone this far. And even showed him the fake bomb. I apologised and told him I had no such history, and that he needn't have any such worries.
Instead of going crazy at me, he just gave the biggest sigh of relief, along with a massive hug lol.
After which he said,
"NEVER do anything like this ever again....EVER" and left it at that. Could not believe how far we'd all taken it, and that we all got away with it too.
.
