I was the newbie nerd 7th grader that was the unsuspecting victim of the Yuge 8th grader (Jr Hi school your roles are very well defined) that was known for sneaking up behind little pip squeaks like me and grabbing them in a bear hug and squeezing real hard. Great fun for all involved (except the pip squeak).
Good ‘Ol Ticonderoga No. 2 was freshly sharpened and ready to do it duty in the next class when the bear hug came. I wasnt straining to catch my breath one more time when the #2 was buried in his bicep up past the yellow paint. It was still in my hand dripping with blood when he started screaming and ran off down the hall.
The remainder of my Jr High years was pretty uneventful. Alls else I can remember is doing sand sculptures in art class listening to ABBA and discovering that I had a thing for math.
Holy smokes! I can see from that day forward, if any bully approached you, all you had to do was motion towards the pencil prominently displayed in your shirt pocket and they would find another target!
Ticonderoga #2...the “Anti-Bully” Magnet!
I got a “crazy Yankee” rep in 7th grade when I brained one kid and chased another down the hall after weeks of harassment by a pair of bullies.
I used one of those long handle poles with a hook for pulling down shades in the old fashioned high ceiling class room I wound up in after we moved from rural Michigan to Daytona Beach in ‘72.