AN: He will put up with insults, physical abuse, and 'kick me' signs. But heaven help you if you touch his book. Nowadays, I'm sure he'll probably just look at the offender and either gas them or…talk to them.
BEWARE THE BOOKWORMS.
Christineoftheopera-Anyone wanna take bets for when we get a new shrink?
Johanna Crane-I despised that book.
Just-Me-and-My-Brain-Until the...incident...at the pond.
He's minding his own business, his nose buried in a book on psychology, when a shadow falls across the page.
"Whatcha readin', Ichabod?"
"Nothing you'd enjoy." he says, his voice distracted. He's come to the section on phobias and he's…HEY!
The book is jerked from his hands and someone else laughs. He takes a deep breath and stands up, his hand held out.
"I'd like my book back, please."
"Yeah, bet ya would." Bo Griggs grins at him. "Too bad."
It happens too fast to really register. One minute he's standing there and the next minute the book is in his hand and he's beating Bo around the head with it.
It doesn't take more than a minute for Bo's lackeys to pull him off and pin him down, but Bo now has a bloody nose and a bruise that might have been caused by the hardback's corner.
"C'mon, let's go."
"Huh?"
"I got a date with Sherry." He's lying. Well, not about the date, but he's got two hours.
One of them kicks him in the ribs before moving off down the hill. Jonathan waits a few minutes before pulling himself up, fixing his glasses-he'll have to tape them again-and settling back against the tree to finish his book.
THE END