“Now, Pum…” said Miss Urb. “...why don’t you use your words? If you lose your temper, they’ll know they hurt you.”

“Mama, I tried.” Pum sobbed, standing before his mother like a one man show. “Those kids are so stupid. They don’t care what I say.”

“Your mother’s right.” said Mister Urb. “You can’t go around getting violent with people. It’s just not the way to get ahead in this world.”

“What about this?” Pum’s mother grabbed a basket off the kitchen counter and began to fill it with snacks from the pantry.

“What’s this for?”

“If they don’t like you, make it harder to.”

“You want me to hand them a gift basket?”

“Great idea, honey.” Mister Urb put his arm around his wife. 

Pum’s parents left him in the kitchen trying to visualize the basket working. There was no way it would work, he thought. Not with what she put in it. So Pum took out some stale chips and vegetables, then scoured the studio apartment for anything he expected they would like. He put a lot of consideration into each item that followed. He knew Ricky Buble was a big fan of Shy Monster, so he put in a game cartridge he wasn’t playing anymore. Helga Shants loved crochet so he added a fresh ball of yarn stolen from his mother’s craft area.

After assembling potentially the greatest gift basket intended for a small group of teenage bullies in history, Pum had trouble sleeping. His eyes wouldn’t stay closed; he was so excited to give the others their gifts. He knew the moment they saw it, they’d be his friend for the rest of his school career. The bubbling energy within him drove him to his desk, where he grabbed a pen and paper. Pum began to write a letter for the basket that would explain the offering in case he was too nervous when the time came.

Barely a couple hours in bed, Pum hopped up ready to go. He skipped breakfast, didn't even say hello to his parents, and headed to the bus stop basket in hand. Other students peered at the contents and were intrigued, but nobody was friendly enough with Pum to pry into what he was doing. He held a gentle smile the whole ride to school, ignoring the kids leering over their seat-backs to laugh at his face. There was a plan in place and nothing would derail it.

The bus emptied out in front of the school and Pum was the last to step off the stairs. His eyes trailed left and right, knowing that his soon-to-be friends were waiting somewhere.

“Want me to walk with you?” offered Shaun Telman, a classmate.

“No, I’m meeting friends.”

“Okay.” Shaun replied with a shaky defeat in his voice.

Finally, he caught Helga leaning against a tree just outside the gate to enter school. Ricky was sitting on a bench behind her and a few other kids came from inside the gate to join up. Pum smiled wide and walked forward up the walkway, both his hands on the basket.

“Whatcha got, Urb?” Ricky asked, reciting Pum’s last name with such disdain that it sounded like it could be the name of a famous villain.

“It’s for you guys!” Pum recoiled, handing off the basket.

Ricky plopped the basket onto the bench and stood to check the contents. All the bullies crowded around when Helga pulled out the rolled up letter that Pum wrote. A sharp fear struck his stomach as he recounted the writing of the letter late at night. While the presents seemed to be getting a neutral reception at the least, he realized then that the letter was not going to be received quite as well. The fear struck again when Helga didn’t read the letter silently, but began to read aloud with a cruel smirk edging upward. More and more students gathered to hear what was happening, a giggling base of noise in the crowd began. Pum’s mind was racing to avoid the embarrassment that he was moments away from enduring. He knew he could put an end to it all, but remembered his parents cautioning him from losing his cool. He stood and listened, all eyes darting back and forth from Helga to him as she started at the top.

Even though we’re not friends now, I know we can be. We will be! You’re all super cool and maybe I could be cool like you if we were friends. - The crowd exploded in laughter and Helga stowed her own and quieted them to continue. - Sorry that I’m always such a loser, I just need to do well in school so I can get a good job and move my family out of Lowside. - It was silent for a moment aside from the small group of bullies cackling away. - Hopefully, we can hang out outside of school so you can see I’m not always a loser! Anyways, looking forward to having new best friends!

Pum looked around at the student body awkwardly staring back. He started to suck in a little bit of air, feeling physical humiliation. Shaun shoved his way through the crowd and took Pum by the shoulder, walking him away from it.

“Let’s hang out later!” Helga shouted, standing up on the bench. Ricky and the others were rolling with laughter while Pum felt his life was literally over.

“I thought it was nice.” Shaun said.

“It was stupid. They’re stupid.” vitriol radiated from Pum’s words.

“You should probably take the day… or a week…”

Pum waited at the edge of school grounds sitting on the curb with tears in his eyes and watched everyone file through the gate, their faces bright and cheery. He knew going home was the smart thing to do, but anger was brewing inside of him. The entire school was against him, all because of a kind gesture. 

“You’re right mama, they’ll know they hurt me.” Pum whispered into the air.

Minutes after the final bell, as classes were mid-session, Pum entered the school. He walked past counselors who asked him what was wrong. He marched into the nearest building, into the first classroom.

“Can we help you?” the teacher asked.

With a large breath, Pum’s body expanded to fill the room, blasting the teacher back and students against the back wall. He released the air and then on to the next. In the following room, Helga sat in the front row.

“Little Pum Urb. Want to be my frien-”

Pum stopped her mocking before it got in too deep. She and her classmates were flattened into the wall. Afterwards, he stepped into another room. Shaun sat near the back and looked confused when Pum walked in. Pum left the moment he noticed him. The teacher of Shaun’s class pulled an alarm and had Pum detained. From school, he was sent to juvenile detention where he began a life of crime in prison, running weapons for powerful people. Pum was always on the defensive after that day at school, always a breath away, ready to Puff Up Real Big.