Scott Parker, the local bodybuilder champion, stands near a worn wooden picnic table. His bronzed skin glistens in the sunlight, taut over rippling muscles that stretch the fabric of his maroon gym shorts. Al, the tall, slender runner, approaches with a determined stride, his wiry frame a stark contrast to the hulking figure before him. The neighbors murmur, anticipation rising in the air.
"Scott, I've had enough of your boasting," Al says, planting his hand firmly on the table. Scott throws his head back, laughter booming across the yard. "You want to arm wrestle me? With those toothpick arms? My biceps are bigger than your legs, pal!" The crowd titters, and Scott flexes, his massive 21-inch arms bulging, veins standing out like cords. Scott's herculean build is on full display.
The two men lock hands. Scott's grip is crushing, his confidence clear. Al meets his gaze, eyes steady, unblinking. "Let's give them a show," Scott boasts, flexing his enormous chest and glancing at the admiring neighbors.
"Come on, Al! You can't be serious," Scott grunts, his face reddening as the crowd leans in. But Al doesn't flinch; his gaze never wavers, unbothered by the spectacle. Slowly, inexorably, Al begins to press Scott's arm down, the impossible happening before everyone's eyes.
"This is for every wife you've tried to impress," Al says, his voice low and even. The punch lands with a resounding "POW" on Scott's jaw, sending the muscleman sprawling to the ground unconscious. Gasps echo through the crowd, a mix of disbelief and awe.
Mrs. Keller, one of the neighbors, steps forward, her voice trembling with astonishment. "Al, that was incredible. How did you do it?" Al shrugs, a quiet smile on his face, basking for once in the spotlight. As Scott disappears behind the fence, his reign as the neighborhood show-off is over, leaving Al the unexpected hero of the summer.
