Samantha

FOR MY CHILDREN & THE ONE DOWN THE STREET

Eight Years Old

Tommy sat up in the second branches of the tree. He peered through the leaves to the ground; looking at the brightness of grass grown in the shade. He was scared and could only manage to look up for the briefest of seconds; just a corner of blue covered by cloud.
But Tommy grinned. He had finally climbed a tree!
He breathed deeply and listened to the sounds of everyone else out for their recess. The last reccess before summer started. The air seemed to ride on the waves of excitement that was up in the throats of every child; round like a proud frog.
Tommy longed to feel this sense of excitement, too. Climbing up the tree, he found it.

Tommy sat on the ground at the bottom of the tree. His hands were torn up from trying to clutch bark when he came down. The sting was so strong; it kept away the blood. But small, thick gobs of blood plopped down from the scrape on his nose; deep and burning. His eyelashes were fat with unshed tears.
The recess bell rang and he stood up fast.
He gritted his teeth. He needed to tolerate this pain. He was capable.
Tommy ran. He ran as hard as he could, his faced grimaced, his fists in tight balls, his arms slamming back and forth; towards the school.
Pain ripped through his entire body. It made him run faster.
He reached the wall of the school and put a hand up on the sun-baked, yellow clay bricks. He bent down, breathing hard. His knees shook.
He heard the laughter.
He turned to look at the mass of children clotting the doors waiting to be let in.
The laughter rang louder in his ears.
Tommy's breath shallowed as he disconnected from the sight, and let his eyes see everything swim. He looked down.
His brown corduroy pants were torn.
No, he thought.
His bright orange hockey pajama bottoms shouted out through the shredded, stringy mess.
The laughter was for him.
He sat on the blacktop; head in hands. He stopped hearing.

He heard her sigh first; whispering passed his ears. Sissy, he thought.
He looked up to green eyes and blonde hair bouncing bright from the sun's sudden burst through the clouds.
She was looking at him, moving her lips nervously and shuffling her blue-sandaled feet. A red jewel sparkled from each foot.
"Hi," she breathed.
She was only in Grade One.
"What?" Tommy spit.
She bit hard on her lip. Her nostrils flared slightly, as her eyes narrowed.
She walked over and sat beside him.
"I bring my Teddy Bear to school everyday in my backpack," she said.
Tommy put his head back against the brick wall and covered his eyes. "So what?"
"I do not know what I would do if anyone found out. Especially if it was Andrew. That guy is dumb. Everyone would make fun of me."
He looked over at the girl, hands still to his head. "Bringing your bear to school is dorky."
She widened her eyes and smiled, nodding. "I know."
Tommy smiled at the girl, then covered back up his eyes.
He took in a ragged breath. It was over. Large tears seeped through his hands; leaving their dark splashes on his blue shirt. He gulped in large breaths of air. He stopped his nose from running freely.
He felt the warmth of her hand touching his forearm. Assurance.
"I just wanted to feel home," he choked out at her.