Big Bully

Young David Leary is tormented by Roscoe 'Fang' Bigger. David actually reports Fang's theft of a Moon rock to his teachers, setting in motion Fang's arrest. The incident marks a pivotal early clash between them.

David's parents announce a move to Oakland, and he is openly ecstatic about leaving behind Fang and starting fresh. The relocation signals a new chapter in his life and future. The move shapes the trajectory of his adulthood.

Twenty-six years pass and David is now divorced, raising his son Ben. He accepts a teaching gig in creative writing at his old school, hoping to reestablish himself professionally and personally. The new job plunges him back into school life and its currents.

David meets the eccentric Lundstrums, Art and Betty, and begins rekindling a relationship with his old flame Victoria. The new social circle adds pressure and color to his daily life as a teacher and father. The sequence deepens his involvement in the community.

Librarian Mrs. Rumpert remains a fixture, still waiting for David to return Green Eggs and Ham. The situation becomes a running, light-hearted motif as he juggles writing, teaching, and family life. Her waiting creates a tiny, humorous through-line in the semester.

Ben starts picking on Kirby, drawing David into a tense encounter with Kirby's father, Ross Bigger. The office meeting marks the return of old tensions in a new generation. The dynamic between the two families quickly intensifies.

After a fire drill, David talks with Ulf, and at a bar he, Alan, and Gerry reveal that Ross grew up in an orphanage after his family vanished following juvenile hall. The disclosure casts Ross in a more sympathetic but intimidating light. It helps explain the power dynamics at the school.

As Ross escalates his bullying at school and at home, David grows increasingly paranoid. A colleague named Clark worries that David is cracking under pressure. The tension tightens around David's professional and personal life.

David's son Ben and Ross's son develop a cautious friendship after a frank discussion, suggesting that younger generations can break the cycle of bullying. The family dynamics begin to shift as the kids find common ground. The change foreshadows a broader resolution between the two households.

David and Ross meet by the old see-saw where Ross accuses David of never standing up for himself. David admits snitching to get Ross into Juvenile Hall, revealing a long-buried guilt. The confrontation marks a turning point in their feud.

In a tense game of cat-and-mouse after hours, David flees to his childhood hiding place in a cave. Ross chases him onto a waterfall where David strikes with a piece of driftwood, sending Ross into the river. Fearing what happened, David contemplates turning himself in.

During their fight, Ross's obsession is laid bare when he reveals he stole the Moon rock to become an astronaut, and his fang is chipped in the struggle. The two men reconcile, and their families begin to plan anew. At semester's end, David prepares to move to New York as Victoria returns Green Eggs and Ham, and Ross's family follows, hinting at a shared future.