Chapter 8
Lee: Ten Years Old
“Do you need another blanket, honey?” My mom emerged from the hallway of our apartment, carrying at least two extra quilts and the comforter from her and dad’s bed.
Casey, Shaw, Vail, and I were all squashed together on the living room floor, right in front of the TV.
After we left Casey’s house, Mom had brought us straight home and put together a space on the floor for us to sleep on.
It was late, probably the early hours of the morning, and yet Ma was moving around, making sure we were safe and comfortable.
But I knew she had spent long hours working at the dry cleaners during the day, then came home, switched off with my old man so he could go to work at the airport while she took care of Gran and Gramps.
She was exhausted. Yet here she was, doting on Casey like she was her own daughter, making sure she was okay, comfortable, and served us all some hot tea.
Casey was lying on the floor between Shaw and me, with Vail stretched out along our heads.
That guy had seriously lost it back at her house.
He was definitely a skinny kid, yet he took that guy down and kept him there with his fists for a solid two minutes before the police showed up.
No one could snap him out of whatever realm of crazy he’d fallen into…
no one, except Casey. All she did was call his name, just like the rest of us, and he seemed to snap out of his fog.
She had that effect on him.
She had that effect on all of us.
She snuggled down under her blankets after my mom hugged her goodnight, whispering words of encouragement.
“Your mama is a strong lady. They said she’d be all right and on her feet in a couple of days.
So don’t you fret about it and get some rest, honey,” she whispered to my friend before taking her empty cup and tucking her in.
Despite the chaos and shitty way the night had played out, having this girl lying beside me was enough to make me smile again.
I was always jealous of Shaw every sleepover, being the one to hold her hand while they slept.
Now, I got a chance to snuggle close and knew what it felt like to have her beside me.
We all settled down. Ma went around turning off all the lights, and double-checking the locks, then disappeared down the hall to the room she, Dad, and I shared.
The four of us laid there in the dark, the only light coming from the nightlight in the hall, which cast a comfortable glow, illuminating just enough that I could make out the shapes of my friends.
Behind me, Vail collapsed in a heap and was asleep in seconds.
I didn’t know how he could sleep so peacefully after what he did.
I’m pretty sure he managed to beat that guy within an inch of his life.
He was damn lucky it was a break-in, and he was a minor.
Yet, he remained utterly stoic once Casey had calmed him down, acting as if nothing had happened.
We all had been questioned and sent home with Ma while Ms. Cooper was transported to Ashland General.
On Casey’s other side, Shaw settled down, but I knew he was aware of every creak and unfamiliar sound.
Occasionally, he would lift his head, studying the dark shadows of the room carefully, before he laid his head back on his pillow.
It took him a little longer than the other two, but eventually, he passed out, too.
I, however, laid awake, thinking about what I’d just seen.
I knew Shaw was fucked to hell, but Vail?
He always seemed so in control, so disciplined.
Tonight, he wasn’t. He lost it when he attacked that guy, and what I saw was messing with my head.
I worried for him. I saw someone who was actually hurting inside despite acting like a pompous ass half the time.
I reached up, finding his leg, and gave it a little pat.
Don’t you worry, bro. I got you. Just like you always have my back, I’ll have yours. I thought, smiling to myself. I didn’t know what I would have done without these three.
I remembered my first day in second grade when I arrived at Harley Elementary. All the fucking kids in my class came at me, pushing me down into the mud, throwing rocks and shit, calling me names I knew would make my old man go quiet and seethe in his easy chair in the corner of the sitting area.
And then…
It all changed.
Rocks came raining down on my attackers, giving them a taste of what it felt like to be on the receiving end, and I looked up to see a girl with long, wavy dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin cursing and shouting at the others.
The sight of her as she had defended me, coming to my rescue without another thought, I remembered that feeling in my chest when the others scattered, and she walked right up to me and held out a hand to help me up.
The way she smiled at me, the dimples revealing themselves in her cheeks, the shift from fury to sweetness so quick it threw me for a moment.
But I gratefully took her hand and got to my feet.
“You’re Lee, right?” she asked me, tilting her head back to see my face, and grinned.
“Uh, yeah…”
“I’m Casey Cooper. This is Vail and Shaw.” She gestured over her shoulder.
It was then that I realized she wasn’t alone. Two boys, one bronze-haired, the other pale blond, were with her, shouting obscenities at the other kids who had ran off.
“Don’t listen to those idiots,” she glared after my attackers, who had run to a safe distance on the other side of the playground, gathering beneath the metal jungle gym. “They’re mouth-breathers.”
I laughed at her choice of name-calling and looked over myself, taking in the cuts and scrapes I’d gotten from their assault.
My palms were skinned from when I fell, and I was gonna be hurting for sure.
I held back my tears at the sight of the blood on my hands.
I didn’t want these guys to think I was a baby.
But when they spotted the red droplets, all three flanked me as they accompanied me to the washroom so I could clean up.
Even though it had been the boys’ room, Casey came in, climbing up on the counter and swinging her legs, waiting patiently as I washed myself off, while the other two had chosen to take a leak in the stalls.
“Thank you guys for helping. You didn’t have to…
” I mumbled, still nervous and unsure. Were they expecting repayment in some way?
I didn’t have any money to give them. My parents were so poor I was wearing clothes that were falling apart and, in some cases, too small.
My shoes had holes in them, and most days, I didn’t have lunch.
The girl, Casey, raised a brow at me, looking confused, “Of course we did. Why would we just stand by and watch? You did nothing wrong.”
From one of the stalls, the toilet flushed, and the one called Vail stepped out, zipping up his pants, not at all put off that there was a girl in here with us. “Those guys are going to end up in a dumpster someday,” he said casually.
“Vail!” Casey scorned as he washed his hands. “Don’t say things like that!”
He just shrugged. “It’s true. That’s what my dad…” He stopped, biting his lip for a moment, before he playfully flicked the water in her direction, making her squeal. I smiled at the sound while he dried off his hands, and Shaw emerged, head down and silent.
“Anyways, I know those guys were mean to you, but not all the kids here are like that,” she said to me.
“Naw, most are pretty cool. But Hunter and his goof-troop are dumb shits-”
“Vail!” Casey scolded him again, but he only grinned in response to her chastising tone.
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back a bit. “Do you like tetherball?”
“Sure,” I said, not wanting to admit that I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Let’s go play, then. I challenge you first.” He led the way out, with Shaw following silently behind him.
Casey reached over and took my hand and walked ahead, tugging me along behind her.
A smile curled up on my lips at her confident walk as she led us across the courtyard to a free spot where a ball connected to a long chain was hanging off the top of a pole.
Vail ran ahead, claiming it before another kid could, and Shaw trudged along, hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped.
That kid needed to relax a little. He seemed… high strung.
Casey released my hand and ran ahead, laughing as she peered over her shoulder at me.
The sun hit her face, the lighter strands of brown in her hair shining, and I fell in love at that moment.
Before I could run after her, I caught sight of Shaw over her shoulder, sprinting back in my direction, his focus solely on me, and he looked pissed.
Whoa, whoa… what was his problem? I froze where I stood and lifted my scratched-up hands, hoping he’d stop and explain what he was so pissed about. It was then that Casey glanced back as her friend raced past her, and her smile disappeared.
“Lee, duck!” she screamed.
I immediately threw myself down, the sound of the air swishing hard overhead, as though something had just missed me by centimeters.
Shaw leapt over my body, and I could hear him tackle someone, the sounds of rocks scraping across the pavement, of metal clanging on the ground loud in my ears.
I peeked over my shoulder to see Shaw had taken down a guy nearly twice his size, and a metal bat was lying on the ground beside him.
Shaw grabbed the kid's head and smashed it back into the pavement again and again, over and over until the kid stopped moving altogether.
In the background, I heard other kids screaming, footsteps running, and next thing I knew, Casey was helping me off the ground again, while Vail tried to pull Shaw off my would-be attacker.
“You fucking try that shit again, DeLuca, and I’ll take your fucking eyes!” Shaw screamed just as several teachers came running over.
“Mr. Bishop, language!” One shouts over the massive crowd that had gathered. “You know better than to… than to… oh my god. Oh. My. God! Someone call Principal Weiser! Get the school nurse! Where is Shaw? Where is he?”
But Shaw was gone, as was Vail. Casey was tugging on my hand, pulling me through the crowd just as the teacher began making demands of the students. “Did Shaw do this? Who saw? Anyone? Did anyone see Shaw do this?”
But no one stepped forward with information.
No one volunteered as a witness, and it was minutes later that Casey guided me into a trailer behind the school where cleaning supplies are kept, and we found the other two.
Shaw had his shaking hands under the running water in the corner, with Vail murmuring to him.
“Shaw! Are you hurt bad?” Casey ran over to inspect his hands, but when he raised his head, his deep blue eyes met my gaze and held it. He said not a word but gave me a small nod, which told me everything.
That day, I found my extended family.
I rolled over where I was lying, facing Casey’s back, and smiled.
Slowly, I reached out, my fingers barely skimming over her back, until I found a lock of her long, dark hair.
I wound it around two of my fingers, stroking the soft strands with my thumb.
I could hear her breathing softly beside me in her sleep, and sure enough, when I craned my neck over her shoulder, I could see her and Shaw had their hands clasped.
Lucky bastard. But again, he needed her.
Just like Vail did when he lost his shit.
Just like I did when I needed to remember that I was worthy.
That there were people who cared about me, and that this whole world wasn’t fucked.
There were good people, like my friends.
We cared. And if it weren't for us, shitheads like Mark DeLuca, Hunter Tremblay, and their gang of “mouth-breathers,” as Casey once called them, would be terrorizing everyone at our school.
We kept them at bay. We were the only ones brave enough to stand up to them.
I knew that I was viewed as the muscle in our group, even at ten.
I was a foot taller than everyone else and twice as wide.
I was made for fighting, though I didn’t like it.
I felt like I didn’t belong here in Harley since my family was dealt a shit card in life, or maybe we were being punished for something?
I hated it here. I hated fighting. I hated the divide and the injustice.
I felt like I was weak for not clicking with this life.
But I was strong.
My three friends made me strong.
Together, we were the best versions of ourselves. We looked out for each other and everyone else. We were a team, and we believed in each other.
Beside me, Casey sighed and rolled over, facing me.
Next thing I knew, she snuggled into my chest, one arm falling over my side.
I felt breathless as I adjusted to the shadows of the room and could make out her pretty face.
In her sleep, I noticed how the corner of her mouth lifted when I wrapped my arms around her and held her back.
I thought about Vail and how that lucky manipulating bugger got to kiss her tonight.
She nestled in some more and relaxed, falling back into a comfortable sleep.
Behind her, Shaw was breathing slow, steady breaths, and I knew he was okay.
Gazing down at her face, I knew I would never take advantage of her like this, so instead of getting the kiss I wanted, I lightly pressed my lips to her forehead, brushing her hair with my fingers, and fell asleep, holding my girl in my arms, and my two brothers close by. We were together, safe, and strong.