Dan Murphy was larger than life. His presence filled up the room more than Brian Blessed’s booming voice. People were naturally drawn to him. Dan being the center of attention wherever he was at was just the natural outcome of Dan being there. Some people think it was his striking blue eyes, or his physical frame also being larger than life. The truth was that Dan was an extrovert who took great interest in others. The personal stake he put into who he met, made him a man of action. Dan not only would say the right thing to make people like him, but also do the right thing.

Dan’s impressiveness had a colossal downside, it casted just an impressive shadow over his son Charlie. There was the pressure for Charlie to live up to his legendary father. There was never a demand by his dad, this sway came internally and from others. The saying the apple doesn't fall from the tree gives people the unconscious expectation of another saying like father, like son.

Once Dan saw that his shadow was not letting the sunlight reach his son, the concerned father carefully culled his branches. He was going to give his son the space needed to thrive but also be close enough to reach out if Charlie faltered. The first course of action Dan took was stopping people from calling his son Little Murph. His son was either also a Murph if his son wanted to be called Murph. Then he made sure he let his son lead the conversations they had. His son and his son’s interests would forge how their relationship would move forward. Dan made the mistake of assuming his son would like the same things as him because as everyone knows the saying went like father like son.

Charlie responded well to these changes. Those branches not hovering over him let the sunshine reach down to him and he reached up to it. The clearing made it so instead of trying to live up to a living legend the teenager was able to just live up to who he was. Most importantly Charles realized that he only had to live up to one person’s expectation, his own.

The more confident version of Charlie was on full display as his dad was dropping him off at the cookout. Instead of taking the chance of not being around the giant oak, Charlie asked his dad to stay. It would not be free to have that outgoing man willingly pass up some good bbq food, nice cold drinks, and new people to meet on a summer day. He wanted that Oak to enjoy being in the woods for there would be enough room for the sapling to grow.

***********

Naomi and Andy Walton could not wait for Simone’s, their daughter, ride to show up. It was getting harder and harder for them to conceal the joy they had in their heart about her plans. The plans themselves were not a big deal, only going to a simple cookout. It was with who she was going, Rachel Lablanc. That girl was their daughter’s best friend. Their daughter had a best friend.

Simone was always treated as an outsider by her classmates. That her feelings did not matter to them. She was nothing more than comic relief to them. This led to Simone not being confident in herself. Now, having someone to share with was making Simone find her footing in life. This friendship was like a Red Bull and added so much energy to her.

The loving mother and father would have loved to attend the cookout also, but could not. They already had plans. They promised Simone’s brother that they would take him to see a movie he was looking forward to watch. The parents going back on their word would come off to Simone as them watching over her. This lack of faith in Simone would hinder their daughter’s growth.

Simone was starting to come into her own. Before the David project, she would have turned down going to the cookout. The last time she was cordially invited to an outing was a cruel prank by some of the girls in her class. They invited her to go rollerskating and never showed. There was no way she would take the chance of being the butt of someone's joke once again.

Now instead of trying to find an excuse to not go to the cookout, their daughter wanted to go without them. Just asking for permission to miss out on the family outing on her own was another sign of her growth. She knew how important keeping their word was. Their daughter did not feel the need to have them be there to catch her if something caused her to falter. The cookout was not important or essential enough for them to go back on their word.

Hearing the honking horn made Simone quickly dash to the door. The joy and excitement of being with her friends made Simone be lost in the moment. Their daughter’s joy for the little things in life made their heart beat faster than the door that closed behind her. Their daughter’s love for life was a dream come true.

Then another pinch me moment came when that door opened up just as quickly as it closed. Simone came running back in to kiss and hug both of her parents. After showing her affection to her mom and dad, Simone happily yelled up the steps to her brother Steven “See ya Steve, and I hope you enjoy the movie.”

************
“You guys better be on your best behavior,” Lori said to Blake and Tom. She wanted no immature shenanigans from those two today. This cookout was not the time and place for their brand of humor. She knew that they could not read the real audience, everyone at the cookout, for those two could only readeach other in the crowd when they were joking around.

Before those two could begrudgingly say yes Lori heard an enthusiastic “don’t worry we will.” from behind. She laughed because the voices behind the harmonic humorous response were Charlie and Ming. She knew there was nothing to worry about those two. They had respect and empathy for others all of the time. Lori also knew those two knew she was not talking to them.

“Blake, Tom this is Ming and Charlie. They are cool.”

Lori’s seal of approval did not affect the Brat Princess’ entourage on the two visitors to her court. Blake wanted to joke so bad about what he perceived as Charlie and Ming sucking up to Lori. They were such easy targets to the troublemaker. How could these two act like they don’t want to put other people beneath them to set up the pecking order? Lori’s boyfriend knew not to make a smart comment about those two being ass kissers if he wanted to kiss Lori when they sneak off into the basement or better off her bedroom later.

Tom also did not shoot out any of the jokes he had loaded in his brain. He took Blake’s lead. The follower could take either Lori or Blake being mad at him but not both of them. Plus being nice to those two would make him look good to Renee. That girl might one day come around to see the mistake she made by breaking up with him. Tom wanted her to think he changed so when she wanted to be with a real man she would come running back to him.

Lori’s boyfriend and his lackey said it was nice to meet him. Their greeting was as cold as the cans of pop and beer in the cooler. Being brushed off did not deter Ming or Charlie’s greeting from being as bright as warm as this day was. Blake and Tom’s indifference intensified were the clash of style.

The uncomfortable feeling coming from the lack of any interaction between two of the people from Lori’s court and two of her new friends quickly went away. Naomi and Rachel running up the stairs to see their friends brought much-needed noise to the awkward silence. Those two just hopping into a conversation with Ming and Charlie eased the tension from the unwillingness of Tom and Blake to engage.

************

The only thing which was sourer than the crab apple Jolly Rancher in Amanda Travers’ mouth was the look on her face. She was as bitter as that small hard candy in her because of how who she thought was her best friend, Kat Korkowski, was acting. Kat finally came around to calling Amanda what she wanted to be called instead of Mandy, but then Kat declared that Amanda had to call her Katherine in turn. The young girl who was becoming a woman could not understand why Kat was being as petty as a diva who only got one instead of two slices of lemons in their water.

Kat was not being petty, but defensive. The young girl who was also becoming a woman was protecting herself from getting hurt. Amanda going with her Christian name made Kat’s insecurities grow. Going formal was a way to place distance between people. Formality was cold and stiff, not warm and cozy the way friendships should be.

The sour look on Amanda’s face grew as the gate opened as two more guests came to the cookout. The sight of Simone Walton was like a shot of vinegar to Amanda. The sour look on the bitter girl's face grew seeing this new arrival. Now Amanda had not only to deal with her friends not accepting the changes she wanted to make but another one of the reasons for making those changes in the first place. Amanda could not believe how and why this was happening to her. She was trying to become a better person yet she still has to face her despicable past.

Amanda used to be a classmate of Simone and was as proud as a bad dog about how she treated the girl. The girl trying to turn a new leaf in her life was one of the leaders of shunning and picking on Simone. Inviting the outcast to the fictional rollerskating party was her idea. Seeing the smile on Simone’s face was a huge reminder of that mean prank. That was the same joyful smile Simone had when she was invited to the nonevent. That was the same joyful smile Amanda took immense pleasure in making Simone lose.

Not wanting to steal that smile away once again Amanda looked for a quick out of the backyard. Naomi was already up the steps of the patio and talking with Lori so Amanda’s best safe refugee from having to confront her past would be going to the basement. The basement door was underneath the patio and the girl, ashamed of who she was when she was Mandy made a beeline to it.

Even with their relationship being cold, Kat knew something was majorly wrong with her friend. Amanda might have been pushing her away, but she was not rude. The look of dread overtaking her friend's bitter face was also a huge sign. The distance between Kat and Amanda, was like an answer to any of the Rock’s questions, it did not matter at this moment, Kat’s friend needed her and she was going to be there for her. She also made a beeline to the basement.

*****************

Dan Murphy's presence was still looming large like an ancient Oak tree. He planted himself in the corner of the patio so the shade would not fall on the entire backyard. The rest of the adults just gravitated towards him. They came to introduce themselves to the new guy, and they stayed for the laughs. Then their stays were prolonged for everyone was an equal part of the conversation.

Charlie was in the full sunlight of others not having the expectations of him being a carbon copy of his dad and this bright summer day so he was growing. This growth spurt made him throw shade on Blake and Tom as they tried to put down Lori’s brother Luke. He also was able to provide cover for Lori from the hate storm Blake tried to make for her.

Blake could never rest on his laurels to feel good about himself. He was not confident enough in who he was so he depended on putting others down to lift himself up. If he could not make those strangers feel lower than him then he was going to have them know that Lori’s brother was.

The perfect chance of placing himself on top of the heap came when Lori was talking about her trip to California. Blake mocked Luke by saying “Does Luke wear a two-piece or a bikini to the beach.”

Lori immediately quashed Blake’s bad behavior. “Stop that Blake. You are not being funny.”
Tom wanted to have some fun and he could not pass up on one of his favorite pastimes, picking on Luke. He also had the green light to proceed from Blake starting the put-down session. “Lori, come on it is fun picking on Luka.”

Blake said “Plus you started it. It is so much fun to make fun of Luka. He will never be the man I am. You are becoming just as soft as him.”

The Brat Princess saw this as a chance to come back. Lori could use her verbal loom to spin a verbal tale to save her friendship with Charlie and Ming. Instead of presenting the bullying she did as good old fashion ribbing, Lori told the truth. She knew telling the lie would make her lose herself. She much rather be who she was becoming than stay friends with Charlie and Ming. Also if she did not come clean she would not be friends with those two. They would be friends with who they thought she was.

“Blake, Tom! I told you two to be on your best behavior. It is not cool or nice to pick on anyone. It is so not cool to pick on someone who is not here. Plus you wouldn’t say anything to Luke’s face if he was here now. You would be afraid that he would make you Black Eye Blake once again.

“Yes, I came up with calling Luke, Luka. I got our mom to put him in a dress. That was in second grade. I messed up and us picking on him went on too long.

“Ming, Charlie that is why I volunteered at the David Project. It was a punishment for being a bully. I am nothing more than a bully, like those kids who picked on you. I should have never hidden that from you. I did not come there for friendship, but was forced so to learn a lesson”

Defending his honor like a southern gentleman Blake said “Those were sucker punches. Your sissy brother could never best me in a fight.”

Right then the canopy from Charlie’s growth started to cover them. “Blake you are right those were sucker punches. Luke punched a sucker. You are nothing but a weak little sucker.

“Lori, you are wrong, you were a bully. You are not one anymore. At least you are not striving to become one. We already knew you were a bully. Those are the only kids who end up volunteering for a week or two. You might have been forced to work with us, but you stayed on when we became friends.”

Ming joined in “I can see why Lori did not tell us you two were cool. She did not want to lie. You two are not supporting her. You two are not learning from your mistakes. Lori is and that is why I am happy that she is my friend.”

Blake puffed up and Tom stood beside him to form a united front. These two twerps were not going to punk them down. “You two shut up. I do not have to put up with what you have to say. You are meaningless. You are the rejects who found each other in the trash heap where you were thrown.”

The Brat Princess was about to storm her own court and make her triumphant return. This time instead of attacking the weak, she was going to be their champion. Before the chamber door was knocked down, and the Brat Princess was able to rush into verbal combat, Charlie handled the two upstarts. “Again Blake you are right about one thing. You do not have to put up with what we have to say. You listen to Lori and act like the man you claim you are or you can leave.”

Blake saw a way to save face and took it like a thief. On his way to the door the beaten man said “I am leaving. I am done with this and also I am done with you Lori.”

Lori was becoming stronger but was not yet strong enough to face Charlie and Ming right now. The shame of them finding out about the Brat Princess was too much to deal with. The pedestal which she felt she needed for them to like her was knocked from underneath by the truth coming out. As she went away to distance herself from this fall from grace Charlie and Ming stopped her.

Those two knew their friend was feeling weak so gave her some of their strength. They reassured her that the details about what was already known did not even slightly change their friendship. She was making amends for her past and they were friends with who she was becoming not who she was.

The support from Charlie and Ming made Lori not feel bad about being dumped for a second time by Blake. In fact, those two being there for her made her feel good about losing her boyfriend. In life, it is better to be around people who base their connections on lifting up others instead of putting others down. True connections came from being there for each other, not just being around others.

***************

As the friendship between Charlie, Ming and Lori was growing stronger, the same was happening between Amanda and Kat. Seeing Simon had Amanda shaken as well as James Bond’s favorite cocktail. Facing up to when someone failed at being a good person was hard enough. Now Amanda had to do so without any true support. The two people who would understand her plight, Matt and Renee, were not at the cookout yet. Kat was being a pain with not supporting the changes which Amanda was making in her life.

The situation became worse when she saw Kat coming into the game room of the basement. The girl who needed to muster strength had no time to deal with the protagonist who should have been an ally. Just wanting to be left alone Amanda with all the strength she had left said “Just go back out there Katherine. I don’t have time to deal with you.”

“Amanda I am here to help you and call me Kat.”

Kat respecting what Amanda wanted to be called along with going with her nickname threw the exposed girl off. Amanda did not have the energy to try to hide being off-kilter and said “Don’t you mean Katherine?”

“This is not the time to deal with you pulling away from our friendship Amanda. You might not want to be close with me anymore, but I care about you. I came here to make sure you are alright.”

“I am not pulling away from our friendship.”

“Then why are you being so formal, having me call you Amanda. You are Mandy, my best friend.”

“I am growing up. Mandy is a reminder of who I was. I do not want to be that girl.”

“That is you pulling away.”

“No, you are my friend and dear to me. I am trying to not be the mean kid who picks on kids I don’t like.

“That girl who came to the party. Her name is Simone Walton. She goes to my old school district. I used to pick on her all the time. I made sure she felt like an outsider. I played mean tricks on her just to laugh. She was just like Luke, never did anything to me but I made her life miserable. I want a new start and have to face what I did. It is not fair. I am changing and she wouldn't see it.”

One of the great side effects of helping others grow was it also made the person grow. Kat now understood her own fears and insecurities led to a huge misunderstanding between friends. “Amanda I am sorry. Not calling you Mandy felt like a wedge separating us. There are so many changes going on now in our lives calling you Mandy just felt safe and comfortable.

“You can face Simone. You feel bad about what you did. Tell her. Tell her you are sorry and be nice to her. She can accept it or not. Respect her decision. If she doesn’t just stay away from her.”

Then as she was extending her hand, Kat continued talking “Come on. I will be right next to you as you do so. You need to tell her how you feel and I think she needs to hear it. That people can and do change for the better.”

*************

Today at the cookout was the big reveal of Tracy Armstrong's new hairdo. This was going to be a big surprise for her friends. The girl did not tell anyone or had even given a hint she was thinking of going with something different. The change was unforeseeable so the initial reactions will be as honest as someone on sodium pentothal.

Tracy was a little nervous about her friends liking her new look. The change might have been for her but she still wanted their approval. The uncalled for nerves intensified when she approached Lori and two boys. She did not know them and if the hairdo was more of a “hairdon’t” then she would be making a bad first impression on them.

The pointless worrying went away when Tracy saw the look on one of the boy’s faces. He definitely liked what he saw. Then an added ego boost came when Lori said “Tracy, those highlights look great. Right guys?”

Charlie, the boy whose smile widened, was the first to say anything. He did not need any encouragement from Lori, so right after the question, he said “Those highlights really help bring attention to your eyes.

“I am Charlie Murphy and it is my pleasure to meet you Tracy.”

Tracy’s smile and confidence grew. Seeing the girl’s reaction made Ming choose not to follow Lori’s lead. Tracy did not need any more of an ego boost. The words might not even truly register to her. That girl was sharing a magic moment with Charlie. His friend was smitten and she was open to it.

Ming had a new goal, to gracefully find a way to excuse him and Lori from being around those two. He found a legit reason when he saw Simone and Rachel talking with a couple. That couple must be Matt and Renee. Lori told Ming all about those two. He knew about Matt’s love of science and Renee racing and he wanted to meet both of them. “Hey Lori, is that Matt and Renee? You said you would introduce us. I want to hear about how he came up with the modifications he made to Renee’s bike.”

Lori was so happy hearing those words come out of Ming’s mouth. She also was looking for a way to let those two alone. She knew herself too well. If Lori stayed she would try to help those two get along. Forcing them together might cause them to resist what was naturally occurring. Charlie and Tracy would most likely become self-conscious of what others were thinking instead of just being themselves. “Yes that is them, come on let’s go.”

Before Charlie and Tracy could join them, Ming said “See you two later.”

************

Amanda had Kat by her side as she was opening the basement door to rejoin the cookout. The girl was ready to face the past so she could move forward on her journey of personal growth. As she walked closer Amanda reached out to hold Kat’s hand. Kat became an emotional crutch so Amanda had the strength to stand up to her bad decisions.

When Amanda finally made eye contact with Simone they both momentarily became like popsicles, frozen and stiff. Rachel saw her friend's involuntary pause and instinctively reached out to hold Simone’s hand. No thought was needed, friends go into autopilot when they see their friend in need. Rachel did not know what was going on but wanted Simone to know she would be her friend’s emotional crutch.

Matt and Renee could feel the tension and become bystanders. Whatever was between Simone and Amanda was not their business yet. They wanted to stay neutral, but they would not be able to. Not taking a side is still making a choice, a judgment. It is saying that the wrongdoing was not bad enough to warrant any resolution.

Amanda broached the tension of the silence “Simone, can we go over by the patio table and talk?”

Simone was staying right there. She was not going to fall for Mandy asking to speak in private again. That was the trick which Mandy used to fool her into going to that one-person rollerskating party. The week leading up to Simone being stood up, Mandy would talk about how much she was looking forward to being closer friends with her rube. Simone’s reply was as simple as Mandy must have thought she was “No.”

“I want to talk to you about how I treated you.”

Not having the want or need to fit in anywhere gave Simone the strength to not try to please anyone just to belong. “Whatever you have to say to me can be said here.”

“Simone, it is important and private.”

“No, you mean it is a lie. Like you lied to me about looking forward to hanging out. That you thought we would become good friends. That you and the other girls were going to accept me. I am not going to fall for that again.”

“Simone, that's exactly what I want to talk to you about.”

“Then do it here. Gloat in front of everyone how you made me cry so many times. How you made me feel unwanted.”

Giving this apology was important to Amanda. Kat knew this and tried to play Nelson Mandela and negotiate a suitable compromise between Amanda and Simone. “How about if your friend went over to the patio with you two Simone.”

To Rachel, this good natured attempt to broker a suitable meeting place felt like those two ganging up on Simone. Rachel knew all to well how much Amanda tortured her friend and was not going to let this happen again. “How about for once Mandy listens to Moni. Whatever she has to say should be said in front of everyone. You know so she does not lie, like she did about wanting to be Moni’s friend.”

The big issue about giving the apology in public was it might not be accepted. Amanda was not strong enough to handle such a public rejection yet. Knowing she was forgiven would make saying sorry a public event easy. All she could do at the moment was assure Simone her intentions were true. Doing so with no trust was going to be hard. “This needs to be done between me and you Moni.”

As Amanda was trying to convince the tough crowd things took a turn for the worse for her. Ming and Lori joined the group. Lori was happy that Amanda and Kat joined that group before them. Introducing them all at once would make it easier for the groups to naturally mingle. Lori was who brought this group together. Instead of being a unifying factor by being all of their friends, her presence was going to cause more splintering. She greeted the group by saying “I’m glad that everyone finally met

The past pain of being picked on by Mandy became fresh to Simone. All of the ploys which were used were in the forefront of the girl’s mind. She had to protect herself from more pain so lashed out after hearing Lori’s greeting. Those words were a lie to her. Lori was friends with Mandy, one of Moni’s bullies. Lori had to know those two knew each other. How much Mandy loved to bring up and laugh about her jokes. Plus Lori was nothing more than a bully. That was why she had to volunteer at the David Project.

Moni’s stare at Lori was as sharp as the words which came out of her mouth. “You know not all of us just did not meet. You set me up to. You acted like our friend just so Mandy could pick on me. You are nothing but a bully. You like to make other people hurt.”

The only person who was hurt more than Lori by those words was Amanda. She saw the damage her actions had done. Simone was a sweet trusting girl and now she has an underlayer of being a bitter cynical one also. That girl did not trust others. There was the worry that acts of friendship were just a lie. A setup for Simone to be the punchline once again.

Facing what she has done was a moment of truth for the change Amanda wanted. The girl at the crosswords could stay being Mandy by saying nothing or keep on becoming Amanda by giving her mea culpa.

“Simone I know you don’t trust me, but you are wrong. Lori had no idea we knew each other. I never told her where I used to go to school. I never really talked about my past that much. Even with not changing I was ashamed of how I treated you and some of the other kids.

“If I knew you were going to be at this cookout I would not have shown up. I saw you walk in with your friend with that smile on your face and it hurt me. It hurt me that I found joy in taking that smile away. You were so happy to see Lori, your friend, that you did not notice me in the corner. I ran into the basement to hide from you. I did not want to face you.

“My best friend Kat came and got me. She gave me the strength to try to apologize to you. That is what I wanted to talk to you about. I was not as strong as I thought I was. I could not do it in front of other people. You might say no. I could not handle that little rejection.

“You are so much stronger than me. You handle rejection. You are the better person. I am sorry that I used to pick on you. I am sorry that I made you think the worst of others. I am trying to change. I am trying to become more like you.

“I am going to leave so you can enjoy being here with your friends and make new ones. You deserve it.”

Lori was the next to talk. This was also a crossroad for Lori. She could try to defend herself, after all she was innocent. Instead, she went to comfort her vulnerable friend. She understood the reason behind the hurtful words. Lori was learning the lesson of empathy her father was teaching her. Those words were to build a wall to protect.

“Moni I was a bully. I am trying my best not to be one anymore. I would never do anything to hurt you. You are sweet, kind, caring, funny, and interesting. You care for others and are helping me to be able to do the same.

“I hope you can keep on not judging me for my past and see me for how I am now. See me as having the best intentions. I never want to hurt anyone I care for. I care for you.”

After Lori was done repairing the damage of her bad reputation, Simone called out for Amanda to come back. Hearing the request felt like being called to the principal’s office to Amanda. She did what any student did when they heard those instructions over the PA system and slowly walked back to accept her faith.

“Mandy, stay. I believe you.”

They might have been a few words but there was so much meaning behind them. Simone wanting Mandy to stay was her treating her former tormentor how she wanted to be treated. Everyone should be given a chance to make right the bad decisions they made. They might never become friends, but they can be friendly with each other. Those words showed that Moni follows what the David Project was all about, accepting others for who they are.

Then looking at Lori’s pain came to Simone. She thought the worst about her for no good reason. It was outlandish to think that Lori's time at the David Project was just to make Simone feel small. Lori laughed too much and made too many connections for her intentions to be anything other than what they appeared, Lori becoming a better person.

Tears from causing another pain were filling Moni’s eye as she said “Lori I am sorry…..”

Before more words could come out of the apologist's mouth full absolution was given. Lori hugged her friend to manifest their connection and said “There is nothing to be sorry about. Now quit feeling bad. The hamburgers and hot dogs smell done, so it is time to eat and enjoy being around your friends.”

The group started to make their way to the grill. Lori being the ultimate hostess made Simone feel better about herself. The group started to mingle more naturally. Moni was quick to calling Mandy, Amanda. That was her way of showing her she was giving Amanda the benefit of the doubt about her turning a new leaf. Matt and Renee stayed quiet. Their thoughts were on how, if given the chance, reconciling with Luke would go. Would they be able to build an inroad rebuilding the friendship Amanda did with Moni or would they be rejected for they could get Luke to believe in their remorse?