Hello, first time poster. I’m trying to remember the title of a short story, and it may be by John Updike or John Cheever. Pretty sure one of those two. I’ not certain about these details but here’s the gist …
Protagonist is a writer himself, I think. He’s at a party at the house of a friend in the neighborhood, he has a fair amount to drink. (I know, could be either so far, right?) The friend’s son is a young alpha-male, good at sports, winning with grownups, cocky and confident. There’s another boy at the party as well, a young nebbish, reminds our protagonist of himself in a way he doesn’t like.
Flash forward to the end … He sees the second boy out walking fast, scared. He’s being tailed by the first, a bully. Writer tails after both, catches the two just before the beating. Grabs the cocky kid, screams at him, makes a fool of himself, sends him away. Then turns around and screams at the weakling as well.
any help?