Speaking to the problem some folks are having with Tim's reaction to his bully:
I grew up in a fairly isolated area, thinking I was a superhero (not literally; just thinking of myself as the hero in every game, and assuming that other kids were weaker than I was because no one was around to teach me better).
When I did run across a bully, at first my reaction was "I need to be careful not to hurt him"... which proved to be silly when I actually lost my temper and really tried to whale on another kid in 5th grade. After that experience, I decided that fighting was pointless, win or lose, and focused on being faster and more mentally agile than any bully. Of course, this led to me calling the class bully "nipple-nose" and running for my life during each recess break, but I digress...
I can't remember the exact line early on, but Tim's reaction to Scott struck me as believable partly because there WAS the established fear of BEING hurt, and partly because as a kid I remember thinking "he's just a dumb bully, and I don't really want to hurt him".
But again, YMMV. My odometer says "Another great Union Dues tale, Jeff!"