Author’s note: This is a sequel/prequel to “Release Me”. Reading the first story is not required, but hey, why not?

It’s been almost twenty years since that week. To be honest, there are times I think it was all a dream. It was the dream of a soon to be seventh grade boy who had too much budding testosterone but no one to explain why he felt the way he did. I was on the cusp of not hating girls, with the exception of a few girls who ruled the neighborhood playground.

I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I don’t want you to think I was too afraid of them, but they seemed older, wiser and taller than I was at the time. Their names were Megan Stephenson, Amanda Bremerton, Colleen Pratt, and Sondra Pounders. They lived a few houses away from each other and were the female equivalent to the droogs of “A Clockwork Orange” in their matching clothes, attitudes, and the ability to bring others to tears. It was rumored they had set a house on fire just because they wanted to.

Megan was the oldest and the one who was in charge of the group. What she said was law. What she said was followed through. What she said was enshrined in our elementary school psyches. Amanda was the quiet one. She was the observer who blended into the background and soaked up all of the information she could about whoever the group was targeting. Colleen was the bubbly one. One would think she would be on the first one to leave the group when she finally came to her senses and learned the others were…can I say ‘bitchy’ to describe a twelve-year-old? Sondra was the muscle of the gang. Her strength was the stuff of playground legend. One time, five kids were trapped on the merry-go-round (aka, the hurler, vomiter, and death trap) as she would not let them safely get off the spinning terror of metal. You could see the green faces as they were unable to get off and no one could safely slow it down.

Now, to any adult they were a choir of angels; “Daddy’s Little Girls” who had anyone over 25 wrapped around their finger. Ask any kid at Carriage Hill Elementary and you’d hear everything from ‘they’re nice’, or ‘I call them a friend’ to ‘I do not fear death, I fear M.A.C.S..’ —which was what I called them, in secret while in another classroom.

I lived across the street from Coleen and there was a time when we kind of friends. We played tag against each other. I wanted to think I liked her, but, when one’s in fourth grade your thoughts about liking and loving are all over the map, which is what occurred on the week before we would all take that mighty step into junior high.

And even though I was supposed to make that one giant step from elementary school I could still be found on the swings at the park. The swing set had six swings, a tire castle, a sandbox and a slide that would burn your lower extremities in the forever hot Nebraska summer. I would rock back and forth slowly at first and then pick up speed, envisioning taking off into the clouds and flying through the air with my arms wide open. There were times that I felt like letting go of the chains and fly. However, on that day, I did not get to do that on my own power.

As the swing moved forward a hand grabbed the chain and I found myself flying through the air and, luckily, landing on my feet after stumbling for several feet. I turned to see Sondra still holding onto the chain. I was so wrapped out in my childhood fantasies and dreams I didn’t notice them standing there.
“That swing has my name on it, dork,” Megan said with a huff.
“There are five other swings,” I replied.
“Ohh, you can count.”
“We’re in the same math class, Megan.”
“Did he just say my name?”
“He did,” Colleen replied.
Amanda nodded and Sondra cracked her knuckles.
It was at that moment I realized I should have just walked away.

He four advanced towards me. Their shadows fell long on me, and I could feel the coldness from them. Zi didn’t want to cower or bow down to my knees begging for mercy. I’d get mercy form Colleen, maybe, but the other three would pummel me and throw me onto the wheel-o-death. I looked at the four of them and—stupidly, I might add-put up my fists.

“Are you kidding me?” Shonda laughed.
“I think he means it,” Megan commented. “Such an idiot.”
“You sure you want to take me on?”
“Yeah,” I replied with what little bravado I had. I didn’t know karate, didn’t know how to wield a bo staff, and had no wrestling training unless we count trying to mimic Hulk Hogan, but I refused to grab a girl like that.
I had hoped that placing a fighting posture they would think I was reacting like a cat raising its fur and just laugh it off. Shonda did not take it like that and punched me in stomach.

Shonda did not pull her punch and I felt like Marvis Frazier fifteen seconds into his fight with Mike Tyson. Shonda hit me in the chest a few times and then pushed me down. If I stayed down and pretended to be dead, maybe they would leave me alone.

“If you ever use my swings, yes, all of them, we will do this again, got it? Megan asked as she kicked dust on me.
I looked at her with eyes that wanted to cry but I didn’t want that to be front page news first week of school.

“Leave him alone and knock it off, your majesty!”
The voice had an accent to it, I couldn’t place it, but I felt the need to give her last rites as the MACS turned to her. She was standing in the sandbox.
“And who are you?”
“She’s a lost little girl,” Colleen replied as Shonda looked to Megan for the order to pound the strange new girl.
“I’m not sayin’ my name because you don’t care what I think. You don’t care about anyone else.”
“Oh, but we want to know it, so we can let your mommy and daddy know that you had a little accident on the playground.”
The girl drew a large circle in the sandbox and then looked at the four. “You can sure try. Who’s first?”
Megan nodded to Shonda and she approached the sandbox.
“Once you cross this circle, you’re gonna wish you stayed back there.”
“Sure, tiny,” Shonda mocked, but she was right. The sandbox girl was shorter than Shonda and didn’t seem like she could take her on.
Shonda never got to set her foot down onto the sand before she was eating said sand. One second, she was walking and the next her head was buried.
“Who wants to be next?” The girl asked as she raised her hands up. “C’mon, everybody step on up! Dish it out on me!”
Megan flashed her patented cold stare as she motioned for the other two to step back. Shonda stood up and had a look of absolute shock and nausea from swallowing too much sand. She walked back to Megan and then threw up a few feet behind her.
“You better hope you’re not here tomorrow.”
“Oh, but I will. And I so hope to get you to step here.”
The MACS left without saying anything more and the girl skipped over to me.
“They shouldn’t bother you again.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m Wendy. Wendy Joel.”

I tried to hold back all of the questions I had for her. The most pressing was why did she stick her neck out for me? She could have lived a life of never having to deal with Megan and her crew but instead she stood up to them. I wished I could have thrown a punch at Shondra

“I figured you lived by what daddy calls, ‘the southern code,’ and you’d never strike a woman; even if she deserves it.”
I nodded.
“The rule doesn’t apply to me,”she said as she lightly punched my shoulder. “You okay?”
“It hurts a but.”
“But you can walk? How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Your thumb.”
“Oh, you’re one of those kids? Cool, there’s hope for ya.”
“Did you just move in or something?”
“Oh yeah, just beyond the wooded area.”

The wooded area was a stretch of trees and a creek that divided the sub-division away from an open area of land. I had only gone through it a few times with a few of the other kids in the neighborhood. The creek would freeze over in the winter and allowed us to walk across at key points. Otherwise, we had to swing across the water on a rope that was lashed onto a tree by a kid who had grown up and moved away. There were grand adventures of tag, hide and seek, and stupid endeavors, such as standing on the ice and causing it to crack to see who all would fall in first. We stopped after Megan stated she found a dead body. She most likely put it there. I had no idea any construction had been going on, but in my defense, I was thirteen.

“Did you find the dead body?”
“Seriously?” Wendy’s asked as she pulled her red hair.
“Well, it’s been said there is one.”
“How did they die?”
“There are two stories. The first is Megan killed someone.”
“I can believe that. What’s the second?”
“A little girl got sick and lost in the woods and she died. I kind of think none of it happened.”
“I know a few ghost stories. Want to hear a few?”
“Okay,” I replied as we started walking in the opposite direction of the MACS.

“There’s this hotel in Atlanta, Georgia and a fire starts and engulfs the place. A cook in the hotel’s kitchen rushes up to save as many people as she can.” Wendy moved her hands a lot as she spoke. “She gives back for the fifth time and falls to the floor. She looks up to see the flames dancin’ about her and she reaches her hands out and another set of hands grabs her and lifts her up and up and they vanish. Two years later, when they’re rebuilding the hotel, workers could swear they saw a woman wearing white clothes and one of those funny cooking hats, walking down the hall and smiling.”
“So, she’s like a friendly ghost?”
“Kind of. Some said she was annoying and bossy but was there to defend others who couldn’t. I guess that’s why I do it too.”
I only nodded as we approached the woods. The rope was caught on the branches.on the other side of the creek.
“We’ll have to go a bit downstream where there’s a log to cross.”
“I got a better idea. Wait right here.”
Wendy walked a few feet back, then ran towards the creek and jumped over it. The coaches would love her during track season. The distance was at least eight feet, with the other bank being slightly higher. I stood amazed at the second miraculous thing I had ever seen. The first being someone standing up to Megan.
“Swing coming at ya!” Wendy shouted as she sent the rope over, allowing me to take only a few steps back without a running start. The swing-over required you to get far enough to plant your feet and to allow forward momentum to carry you up and over the bank.
I made it, but barely, as if my balance was off, I would have fallen into the water.
“How did you do that? I asked.
“Ya gotta be quick just do it sometimes,” she replied with a shrug.

The house was hidden around a bend of trees just beyond the creek, but I had to wonder how anyone could have missed it was huge, almost like a palace of some type. It was so close to the creek that any construction should have been noticed.

We climbed a short hill up to the front porch. There was two-car garage and what looked like a barn to side. The land was too small to be a farm, but it was all green and had a few wildflowers dotting it. There were two cars in the driveway. One looked like it was from the seventies and the other like it had jumped off a sci-fi movie.

Wendy opened the front door and motioned for me to walk in with her. I stepped into what looked like a grand library or the White House with art on the walls, pottery and books on shelves that seemed to go on forever.
“Hey momma!”
“Wendy Jean Joel, where have you been?” A woman with dark hair walked in from a hallway and put her hands on her hips.
‘You said I need to meet the people, so I went and met the people.”
“And do ‘the people’ have a name?”
“This is Jeff,” Wendy stated and rolled her arms toward me.
“My name’s MaryAnne but you may call me ma’am or ‘Miss Joel.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Aw, Wendy brought a friend over, That’s so sweet.”
I looked up to a hallway that overlooked the living room to see a teenager that kind of looked like Wendy leaning over the railing.
“When’s the wedding?”
Wendy turned to me and pointed up. “That, is my sister, Anna, pay no attention to her.”
“Wendy,” Miss Joel said with a slight tone.
“She started it, mama.”
I didn’t recall telling Wendy my name.

Wendy’s sister, Anna, stepped down from the second story, walked by us, and gave a wink to her sister before walking to the kitchen.
“Do you want me to help you with dinner, mama?”
“I think it’s Wendy turn.”
Wendy looked to me and then back to her mother. If I was her, I think I’d be pleading with my mother to let me skip helping her but then I’d wonder how that would make me look to my guest.
“I’ll start on dinner, but you’re cleaning up Wendy Jean.”
“I’ll help you,” I replied.
“Thank you, Jeff,” Mrs. Joel replied with a smile.
“Thanks mama,” Wendy then turned to me and grabbed my hands. “Come on.”

Wendy led us up the staircase to the upper hall. I took a glance at the floor below and how it looked even larger from our vantage point. We walked down to the end of the hallway and made a left turn down another large hallway to a blue door.
“Papa calls this the dream room.”
“Dream room?”
“You think of what you want, and it appears, right in front of you.”
Being twelve, I had to think that maybe she was fibbing or maybe she was telling the truth. I had always wanted to play the newest video game system. However, my parents repeatedly told me I already had one and I’d appreciate playing outside instead of sitting in front of the TV. They were adults, so they never saw the MACS for who they truly were.

Wendy opened the door and turned on the lights to reveal what could only be described as the ultimate playroom-complete with a tube-tunnel system, slide, a ball pit and…sitting in the corner, a TV hooked up to the newest Nintendo system. The game system called to me, but it lost to the tube-tunnels as Wendy jumped indie and I followed her.

It felt like I was at a Chuck E Cheese, granted, maybe I was supposed to act “older” but at the moment, I didn’t care. Other kids, the ones who were thirteen and older, could laugh all they wanted to. I was sliding head-first into a ball pit.

“This all yours??
“Well, Anna too, but, she’s not too interested in it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Wendy replied as she vaulted herself onto a platform. “Boys take up too much of her attention.”
I nodded, as a part of me kind of felt the same about Wendy. She reminded me of that person you longed to give a valentine day card every day, but all all you can do is just hang out with her. That was fine with me.
“Papa said we could put whatever we wanted in this room. This was my all idea. Even down to the rope swing.
I nodded as Wendy grabbed onto a rope and swung across the pit. So, she could have swung across the creek without any effort.
“What do you think?” She asked,
“It’s incredible I would live in this room if I could.”
“I sometimes do. I just hang out, and only leave if I have to. Hey, want to see something cool?”
“Sure.”
“Follow me,” she motioned and then jumped into a tube. I swam through the multi-colored balls and followed behind her. We crawled for several feet until we reached a slide.
“Ready?”
“You have a slide?”
“Yeah, this goes to Papa’s game room. Goes pretty fast.”
“I’m for it,” I replied as Wendy dived down the slide and I took off behind her.

The slide down felt like a roller coaster as we twisted and turned around at a stead downward angle until we landed on a large mat in a small room. The lights in the room gradually lit up so we could see. Wendy opened a sliding door, and we were then a room with a pool table and an air hockey machine along with a large black leather couch.

I looked all around the room, trying to believe that not only did we go through what was the dream of any young boy: secret passages within a house but we end up in another room with more things to do. My eyes locked on two paintings hanging on the wall opposite of the couch. One was a painting of a girl standing in a forest with a sky filled with stars. I walked closer to the painting and the stars looked like angels. The other was a boy standing in a field, but with same “star angels” surrounding him.

“Those are Papa’s.”
“He painted them?”
“He had them created.”
“Wow,” was all I could say as they almost looked like photographs, except for the brushstrokes on the figures kind of washed out their faces.
“He calls it ‘Windows’ as a way to remember the past. Are you any good at Air Hockey?”
“No,” I replied as I shook my head and turned back to her.
“You’re gonna be a pro before dinner.”
I nodded as Wendy turned the air on and tossed over a mallet.

I’ll admit as a kid at the time and as a guy, food was the best thing to win me over. Mrs. Joel apparently knew this, as everything was on the table that I could think of. It was ‘Around the World in 80 Days’—food style with everything ranging from burritos, then calzone, and then something wrapped in what looked like rice.
The table was long and wide and everything on it looked like it taken off the cover of a “Joy of Cooking” cookbook. How did she have time to make all of this?

A new person was standing next to the table when we walked in. I assumed it was Wendy’s father as he stood so close to Mrs. Joel.
“You must be Jeff,” he said as he stood up, walked over to me, and held out his right hand. “Happy to me you. I’m Damien Joel.
“Thanks,” I replied as I shook his hand. He had a firm grip, and he winked an eye at me.
“Are you staying with us for dinner?”
“Yes, he is papa,” Wendy stated as she pulled out a chair and invited me to sit down.
“Told you Wendy had a boyfriend,” Anna announced as she stepped into the dining room.
Wendy’s face turned beet red.
“Anna,” Mrs Joel said with a stare told Wendy’s older sister.

We all sat at the table and plates were passed back and forth in such a synchronized fashion that to this day I have no idea how I managed to lift, turn, and pass these irregular sized plates. I looked at the members of the family through the corners or my eyes. Mrs. Joel had a dark, olive like, skin and she took small portions from all of the dishes. Mr. Joel was a thin man with fire-red hair, a trimmed mustache and eyes that seemed to shine. Like Mrs. Joel, he only ate small amounts from each plate. Anna looked a little like Wendy, especially with the hair color. And like Wendy, appeared to have more food on her plate than mine, and I thought I had too much.
“Where are you from, Jeff?”
“The neighborhood across the creek.”
Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Anna stopped eating and looked at Wendy.
“You went through the woods?”
“For a few seconds. You told me to go out and meet people and I did. It was a good thing too as there were four girls who like to pick on kids.”
Mrs. Joel looked to Mr. Joel, and he nodded.
“Yeah, they kind of rule over the neighborhood, but Wendy helped me with them.”
“I didn’t start nothing, Papa. I gave them multiple warnings.”
“Some people just don’t know when to back down,” Mr. Joel commented.
“Yeah, and when I saw them pickin’ on Jeff, I thought, that ain’t right and well, I drew the line and they crossed it.”
“What do you intend to do if it happens again?” Mrs. Joel asked.
“I’ll do it again,” Wendy replied with a shrug.
“Of course you will, Mr. Joel replied.
My ears weren’t burning. I didn’t have a hang up thinking everyone at that table thought I was this poor little kid who was being picked on by a squad of girls because I was a poor little kid being picked on by s squad of girls. I wouldn’t mind if Anna was with the next day to put Shonda in her place.
“I hope everyone has room for dessert,” Mrs. Joel announced as she got up from the table. The amount of food still on the table rivaled three family Thanksgiving dinners and I was pretty sure I had eaten three times my body weight but, sure enough, I wanted desert.

After dinner, we went back to then and continued to play air hockey.
“Like I said, if those girls come up to us again tomorrow, I’m going to do the same thing as before.’
“What if they come at you all at once?”
“Never had that happen before, dunno,” Wendy replied as she rammed the puck past me, scoring yet again. “We’re gonna have to work a bit on your game.”
“Yeah, I replied as I fished the puck out of the bottom of the machine and placed it back onto the table.
Wendy turned her head to Anna who was reading while sitting on the couch, which now looked brown. Maybe the light was playing with my eyes.
“Do you have to be in here, Anna?” Wendy asked with an annoyed tone.
“I don’t want to be, but I was asked to.”
“Why?”
“That’s for Mama and Papa to tell you, not me,” Anna replied as she returned Tom reading her book. “You know, young love and all that.”
“Mama! Can you make her leave!”
“No,” Mrs. Joel’s voice calmly replied.
“One day, Anna,” Wendy sneered at her sister.
“Yeah, sure,” Anna said as she turned a page in her book.
I shot the puck, and we continued playing for what seemed like hours until Mr. Joel stepped into the den.

“How is everyone?”
“Good, Papa,” Wendy replied.
Anna gave a thumbs-up and continued reading.
“I think it’s time for Jeff to go home.”
Wendy looked to her father, allowing the puck to get past her. I was finally able to score a goal.
“I probably should go. I told my parents I’d be at the playground.”
Mr. Joel nodded.
“Let’s go Jeff.”
Wendy turned the air hockey game off, and we walked out of the den and back into the living room which appeared to have a red hue to the pottery and wall color. I looked to see if there was a window as the sunset may have caused that but there were no windows in the living room, at least not ones that could cast such a light on everything. We left the house and walked down the small hill. The sun was still out, hanging brightly in the sky.

“Let’s meet again at the playground,” Wendy said as we entered the woods.
“What time?”
“Let’s go for eight. They can’t all be ready to go and bully people at the same time so early in the morning, right?”
Yeah,” I nodded as Wendy grabbed onto the swing and swung across the creek instead of jumping as she had before. I followed her and soon we were at the entrance of the woods across the street from my house.
“You want to come in?” I asked.
“I need to head back. Mama has a few chores for me to do and I’ll need to do them before asking if I can go out tomorrow. I think she’ll let me, but I need to make sure.”
I nodded and walked backwards a few feet. “I’ll see you at eight.”
“I’ll be there before you know it,” Wendy replied as she walked back into the woods. The strange thing was that I could no longer see her after she had taken a few steps.

I walked across the street to my house and opened the front door.
“Sorry, I’m late!” I yelled as I slammed the door.
“Jeffrey Allen Robison!” Mom hissed as she stepped out from the kitchen. “You’re going to wake your brother.”
I looked at the clock over the mantle, it read three PM.

I spent the rest of my day, well, from after dinner, which I admit I wasn’t really hungry but decided to eat anyway, to looking out my bedroom window in the direction of Wendy’s house. The tress were too thick but I swear I could see the roof in the distance. I wanted to go back to her house, but I’d have to have to have a reason to come at a late hour, and where we lived, eight o’clock was late, even if the summer sun was just setting in the sky.

I thought about telling my parents about Wendy and her family. Maybe we could all go over there and have a grand introduction. I wasn’t sure if my parents would have anything in common with them, but it was something I was thinking about. Maybe we could have a dinner and our parents would just talk all night allowing us to run all over the upstairs and avoid having Anna having to trail us. For a moment, I was sad that I didn’t have an old brother who could, maybe take her attention.
I could have sworn I saw a light flash from behind the tree line.

In the morning, I ran out of the house and straight up to the park up the road. I knew I’d have only a few seconds before one of the M.A.C.S. would sound the alarm and all of them would be on me. Maybe they were already there, just hiding out in the tire fort or just beyond the brushed that formed the northern border of the playground area. They would step out from the foliage with bloodshed on their minds. I would be dead meat if Wendy wasn’t there.

“Jeff! You made it.” Wendy yelled from the sandbox. She was standing next to a giant sandcastle. The castle was as tall as she was, with a large front door which. I had to wonder how it was staying together,
“This took a little of time. What do you think?”
“It’s amazing,” I replied as she motioned for me to follow her inside the castle.
I ducked down past the arch and into the middle of the structure. I stood up so I could look out the side but then realized I couldn’t see out; the wall was too tall.
“I never got to build these when I was younger. Never had enough sand.”
“How is it taller on the inside?” I asked.
“Would you accept magic?”
“Yeah,” I replied with a smile, “I think I would.”
“Hey! Who’s shabby castle is this?” The telltale voice of Megan boomed through the walls. “Too bad we’re going to have to tear it down.”
“Stay in here,” Wendy said as she held up a finger, “I’ll be right back.”
“There’s four of them, and they’re going to knock the walls in on us.”
“Nope,” Wendy said as she ducked out of the castle.
I could see the legs of Megan and Colleen. I assumed and Shonda and Amanda were on one of the side walls.
“So, it’s new girl.”
“So it is,” Wendy replied as she brushed off her legs.
“What are you doing in our park again?”
“Oh, ‘pu-leaze’,” Wendy countered in a heavy southern accent. “You four think you can call dibs on whatever chu’ want. Let’s do this again. The first one to step across this line gets to take one for the team.” She draped her shoeless foot across the sand and made an arc in front of the castle.
“What is that supposed be?” Megan asked.
“It’s either a moat or just the result of my foot drawing in the sand. Either way, it means to back off, Megan.”
“How do you know my name.”
“Got my sources.”
“Jeffrey must have told her,” Amanda said from the other side of the wall I was next to.
“Got yourself a little love nest there, little girl? I’ll explain some things to you about Jeffery.”
“I know all I need to know, Megan. So, if the four of you don’t mind, I’m going back inside this castle, and you can either hush up and leave or come in and play with us.”
“So, Jeff’s in there. Got a little girlfriend now, little Jeff?”
“Whatcha doing in there, Jeff?” Colleen asked in a sing-song voice. As much as I knew what she wanted to think and that she wanted me to reply so she could just say something else to make me other angry or afraid I stayed quiet.
“Jeff and I were just about to play a game of kings and queens. Where the queen comes out and defends the king from four witches.”
“Did you just call me a witch?” Megan asked.
“If the boot fits, you just go and lace it up, Kay?”
I heard feet moving in the sand and then saw Shonda’s face hit the sand twice in less than a day.
I could see the started look in her eye as Wendy stepped way from her.
“Who are you?” Megan asked.
“I’m the girl you don’t want to mess with. I’ve seen more than you’l ever dream about, girlie.”
“Grab her!”
The other two ran toward Wendy and the next thing they knew they too were lying in the sand.
“How did you do that, you little freak. I’m telling my dad.”
“Great idea. My papa would love to meet him.”
“My Dad is an attorney. He will sue you.”
“My papa was a fighter pilot who fears nothing, and my mama makes a great ‘bless your heart’ casserole. They can’t wait to meet you.”
I stepped moved close to the entrance of the castle as Shonda, Colleen and Amanda stood back up.
“You’re a freak,” Megan spat out with maybe a bit of something that sounded like fear and anger.
“Been called worse, how about you? Come on, Meg, it’s your turn to step across the line.”
“No, I’m telling my dad. We’re all telling our parents and the police.”
“If that’ll make you happy, you go on and to it,” Wendy replied as she stepped back into the castle.
I moved to the entrance to see the four of them run to Megan’s house.
“We’re going to get in trouble.”
“Yeah, they’re going to demand to speak to Mama and Papa. And I’m all for it. They’ll be as Happy as a dead pig in the sunshine.”
I had no idea what she said but judging from the grin on her face I assumed it was a good thing,
“Now, this castle needs two thrones. What do you say?”
“Yeah,” I replied as I grabbed a handful of sand and moved it to the far side.

We spent the day running around the neighborhood chasing the imaginary and embracing the impossible as things I thought were a part of my soon to be gone childhood were still there. I was having fun jumping over obstacles and leaping into danger. Wendy said nothing could harm us, she said ‘I guarn’tee it’. Naturally, I took that as invitation to do the dumbest things I would ever do, I climbed the tallest tree in the neighborhood.
We made it almost to the top and looked around at the houses that looked like dolls or ants would walk out from them. The wind blew slightly and I looked to Wendy as she stared into the distance.
“So pretty,” she said and then looked down.
“It’s incredible,” I replied.
“Yeah.”
If only my mouth could come up with the words my brain was thinking, but I thought it was be weird. Looking back, I regretted saying the words I wanted to say at that moment but I was told by friends, books, and television that I was too young to think of that four-letter word. The word ‘love’ existed only to state my desire of food, video games, and siting with a bowl of cereal watching Saturday morning cartoons. I wasn’t supposed to think that way about girls.
Yes, I had a similar feeling for Coleen, but I was in fifth grade and her association with Megan and the others soured any future that a “MASH” fortune teller ever preached. I almost sent her a special Vantine’s Day card but chickened out because I didn’t care to hear the chorus of “Jeff and Coleen, sitting in a tree.” However, at that moment, I was sitting in a tree with Wendy.
“I can see my house from here,” she said and pointed ahead of us.
I could barely make out the roof, but it was a building beyond the tree line of the woods so, I assumed it was hers.
“Wendy?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think they’re really going to tell their parents?”
“Yeah, they’ll do it. It’s what they do. And you know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna live in this tree. Make my own house.”
“Could we build slides. Make our own big version of ‘Chutes and Ladders’?”
Wendy nodded.
“What are you doing in that tree!” A shrill voice cut through the air.
I looked around before recalling no one else was with us in the tree. There were, however, several people standing at the bottom of the tree.

There was a brief flash of red lights and the whine of a fire engine’s siren as it sped down the road in order to park in front of the tree.
“Here comes a ladder. Now we need some chutes,” Wendy replied.
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to climb down just as we got up here.”
I nodded and followed Wendy down the tree.

She made it look so easy as she gracefully jumped form branch to branch while I, more cautious of falling, took it slowly until I could see who was at the bottom of the tree: All of the MACS moms, three firemen and the MACS. I think they secretly hoped we would fall from the tree and gather got their wish as I placed my hand on what I could only describe as a wooden spike and felt enough pain to allow my other hand to let go and I felt myself fall along the collapsing branches.
“Stop falling.” Wendy’s voice was calm, a bit too calm for the situation but I stopped falling and found my feet firmly on a large branch wide enough to stand without having to balance.
“You okay?”
I only nodded as the rush of what had just occurred finally hit my brain and how I could have gone splat at the bottom or impaled myself on a branch.
“Nothing’s going to happen to you. Even when we get to the bottom, it’s gonna be cool.”
I looked at Wendy as she smiled at me. A right-minded boy would be freaking out at his near-death experience and the even nearer-death experience at the hands of several mothers who would then tell my mother. It would have to be a closed casket funeral.
The impatient faces below grew more and more impatient as we steadily made our way down. A fireman’s radio squawked radio gibberish as we jumped down the last four feet to the ground.
“Are you—” fireman was abruptly cut off by Megan’s mom.
“What were you doing up there?” She asked with so much anger that I could feel the words against my face. I looked to see Megan with her arms crossed and a partial smile on her face. She would allow her mother to dog the dirty work.
“I am telling your mothers. Where do you live?” She asked Wendy.
“Behind the woods.”
“Behind the woods? No one lives behind the woods.”
“I do. It’s a big ol’ house. You can’t miss it if you know where to find it.”
“That’s the girl who hit me, mom!” Shonda yelled out and pointed an accusing finger at Wendy.
“And I’ll do it again if you wanna get in my face again.”
“What is your mother’s name? I want to speak to her.” Megan’s mom continued to be the spokesman for the group. The fireman had given up and went back to his truck.
“I call her mama.”
“What is her name?
“Her name’s Mary Anne, but it’s best if you call her ‘ma’am’!” A voice bellowed out form behind everyone. It was Wendy’s sister, Anna, and she stood on the sidewalk with her hands behind her back.
“Are you, her mother?”
“No, I’m Anna. She’s my sister, Wendy.”
“Do you know she’s climbing trees and jeopardizing their lives?”
“It don’t surprise me. They’re just a-larking,” Anna replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “She’s always climbing trees. I used to climb trees. You probably did it too. Kind of kid thing.”
Megan’s mother’s face collapsed in on itself as she was losing an argument to a level-headed teenage whose voice never lost its happy tone.
“What is your address?”
“That I’m not sure of, we just moved in and all. Tell you what, I’ll take my sister and friend home and I’ll come back with my parents.”
“You do that,” Megan’s mom replied, and the other adults agreed. The MACS’ looked puzzled.
“Mom, you just can’t let her go!” Shonda shouted at her mother. “She made me eat dirt!”
“We’ll all meet back here, or at your house, Mrs. Pounders, or at the Stephensons. Just let us know when we come back.”
The crowd dispersed and the three of us walked down the street.
“Mama and Pa are going to enjoy this.”
“They won’t be mad?”
“Pssh,” Anna replied. “Papa will be as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine.”
“Is that a good thing?” I whispered to Wendy.
“Yep.”

We walked to the entry of the woods and Anna pivoted on her foot and turned to look at something behind us. She had a look sadness on her face, like she was looking at something in the distance, but not behind us. Anna gave a brief sigh and then walked into the tree line.

“Anna likes to do what she calls reflect.”
I only nodded as we stepped into the semi-darkness of the woods and up to the sharp banks of the creek. Anna was already on the other side, still looking into the distance behind us. I assumed, like Wendy, making the jump over the creek was too easy for her as well.

I grabbed onto the rope and swung across and I felt a wind against my back pushing me further onto the other side. I did not think too much about it at the time, I only assumed it was the adrenaline I felt from all that had happened that day. I turned back to the other side only to see it empty and Wendy was standing next to me.
“Jumpin’s faster,” she said as I let go of the rope and we continued our walk to the house.
“We’re really going to go back and talk with Megan’s parents?”
“Depends on what Papa says. He may just go or go with Mama.”
I wondered how the Joels would stand up against the Stephensons. Mr. Stephenson was a lawyer that was true, but he was a corporate lawyer, not one who handled criminal cases. He was laid back until he needed to be and that was seldomly when his wife demanded him to be. Mrs Stephenson was seldom laid back. Everything set her off. One ponders why she had three children when she held disdain toward every other kid in the world.
On the day she was a room mother at our school she demanded to know who had dropped one of the cupcakes that she had specially made on the floor. Her demands were in a tone that was just a hair below the call of a screech owl and we were all just fifth graders who treated a dropped cupcake as a challenge to wipe off just enough contaminated icing to get at the sponge cake below. They were good cupcakes and all they cost us was exposure to true true face of Megan’s mom. I suppose it was a “like mother, like daughter” situation with Megan slowly taking on her mother’s mantle so she could one day be be crowned Queen Banshee of Papillon High School.
The Stephensons were one of the few families that loved to deck out their house during every holiday. They held barbecues in the park for specific groups of people. My family was usually invited but I made valiant efforts to go, eat quickly, and then leave, lest I have the MACS at my back. If the Joels were there, I’d stay longer as they would probably leave me alone.

We walked up the driveway and I glanced again at the car that looked like it came out of the movie “Total Recall”. Perhaps Anna would drive us to school. It sure would beat having to take the bus or mom my driving me. Mr and Miss Joel were already standing on the front porch.
“We have to meet with some of the parents.”
“A neighborhood welcoming party. They are very welcoming indeed, Mary.”
“Not exactly,” Anna replied. “They’re riled about Wendy not standing down to their daughters.”
“And no Joel has has ever backed down from a battle,” Wendy said.
“No, daughter, no Joel has ever backed down from a battle to defend another.” Miss Joel said as she pointed fingers at her girls. “We cannot forget that.”
“I know,” Anna replied.
“I simply enjoy soirees,” Mr. Joel shouted and pointed in the direction of the woods.

I walked with Wendy as Anna, and their parents walked in front of us. We entered through the same way we came through earlier but something seemed…different. I could hear what sounded like a roaring river. Yes, during the winter and spring the water could get high and fast, but it was never as loud as it was at that moment. I abruptly stopped as Mr Joel took a step back and allowed his family to walk in front of him over an ornate bridge.
The rope was still there, it was tied to a tree and everything about the area looked the same except for that bridge! I followed behind Wendy and Mr. Joel followed us across the raging waters. Had the city’s installed it or was there another way to go that we must have stumbled upon in the sunset?

We walked up the street and I could see Megan standing with her parents. Mr. Stephenson looked like he didn’t want to be there, and Mrs. Stephenson had that expression that screamed she wears after blood. It she couldn’t knock a kid down a few pegs then she would take it out on her parents.

“Damien Joel. This is my beloved, Mary Anne, and I believe you have already met Anna and Wendy.”
“Pleasure,” Mr, Stephenson replied as he shook Mr. Joel’s hand. “I’m William and this is my wife, Sheila, and-”
“Mister and and Mrs Joel, we need to discuss your daughter’s behavior toward my daughter and her friends and to the neighborhood.’ Megan’s mom wasn’t interested in introductions as she went straight right into it.
“Of course,” Mr, Joel replied as he turned to Anna and Wendy. “Now, what I have heard from my girls is that Wendy and her friend, young Jeffrey, were climbing a tree, specifically that one.” He pointed to the tree one house down. “You were afraid they would fall from the tree and asked them to come down. They did as they instructed. Very good job in keeping the neighborhood kids safe, madam.”
“I agree. There are uncaring people in this world. It’s a godsend you’re one of the good ones,” Miss Joel added.
“Yes, as Wendy and young Jeffrey told me, they were almost caught in a disagreement with some ne’er do wells. The scuffle was avoided when everyone decided to leave the situation alone. That is astounding, Will and Shiela. We must all try to take care of the future generation.”
“Mr. Joel, your daughter, Wendy, attacked my daughter.”
“I believe these two never touched. I taught my daughters to never initiate a fuss, but to try and talk the hostilities down. Of course, youth can be overzealous and talk fails. We then must draw the line. Make a circle in the sand and stand up to defend ourselves. Megan never entered the circle and Wendy never touched her.”
“My daughter has bruising from your daughter!” Mrs. Stephenson yelled.
I looked to the Joels. Their expressions stayed calm, even Wendy. I know that if anyone was yelling at me and about me, my knees would be shaking.
“Sheila, now, I’m sure her bruising is from a possible trip and fall a few days ago. Perhaps one of her friends tripped and fell against her, causing her to brush against something. Say, a bookshelf at her friend Shonda’s house?”
“Is that accurate, Miss Pounders?” Mr. Joel asked as Shonda and her parents stepped up from the side.
Shonda stood with all eyes looking at her and then looked down to the sidewalk.
“Yes,” she muttered.
“Ah, very good. Just a missive of the time. Children have no concept to it and it all blurs together. Just like that,” Mr. Joel said with a snap of his fingers.
“Mr. Joel?” Shonda’s father asked and brought his hand out.
“Yes, you must be Reginald. Great name, by the name. Never let anyone call you Reg or Reggie. Makes a total mockery of the name. It’s the name of a king’s advisor, very important in a society of a kingdom.”
“Uhh, yes, and this my wife, Helen and daughter Shonda.”
“Very nice to make your acquaintance.”
“We were speaking with William and Sheila about the importance of keeping our children safe in this neighborhood. That no one should feel threatened or ashamed to play as they wish to.”
“I agree,” Mr. Pounders responded as he looked at the Stephensons.
“Well, I suppose we can say that there was a missed communication between all of the kids.”
“They can be guilty of being mendacious at times,” Miss Joel stated with a smile.
“Yes, well, it was nice to meet you. Perhaps we can get together sometime.”
“We would be honored, William. Absolutely honored. Good day to you as well, Reginald.”
Mr Joel shook their hands and then lead his family down the road back to the wooded area.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jeffrey,” Wendy stated as stopped in front of my house.
“See you, Wendy. Oh, I have to go with my mom to shop for school. Do you want to come?”
“You can go with Anna and meet up for shopping.”
“I can go shopping?” Anna replied with glee. “If I can, then I’ll take her with me.”
“You’re also going to take her school,” Miss Joel added.
“I’ll take the young and loving couple to school too,” Anna replied with a wink to me. “I’ll be nice.”
“Duly noted,” Mr. Joel replied as he nodded to me and started walking across the street.
“Can I get a new purse? I’m going to need a sweater. I’m thinkin’ white.”
“See you, Jeff!” Wendy shouted as she ran into the woods.

I looked up the street to see the Stephenson’s and Pounders still out. Mrs. Stephenson’s voice was loud again but I couldn’t understand anything except one sentence: “What the hell just happened, Will?”

I then remembered the bridge! I ran to the woods and to the edge of the creek. The bridge was gone, and the rushing water was tranquil.

It took a few minutes to explain to my mom that I was going to the mall with Wendy and Anna. She was almost unwilling to let me go until Anna persuaded that she would bring me back in one piece, even if she had to sacrifice Wendy in the process.
We drove nine miles from Papillon to the Crossroads Mall on one of the busiest streets in Omaha. The car glided silently down the street, and I was amazed that Anna knew how to reach the mall and found a parking spot near the door.
“You two stay near me ‘kay?”
“You’re just going to go to the boring stores and then to the bookstores.”
“Boring? They’re clothes, Wendy. Nothing boring about that.”
“You told mama you’re only goin to get a sweater.”
“No, I said I want to get a sweater. She didn’t say I couldn’t get more.”
My mom had given me twenty dollars, telling me to not buy anything at the mall due to the prices That was fine with me as I planned to use said money at the food court and perhaps a bit at ‘Diamond Jim’s”, my dream arcade at the time.
However, I decided to allow the Anna and Wendy to take control of where we went. There were a few stores Wendy and I would not go into. I didn’t want to go in due to the mannequins looking like they had nothing on themselves and my soon to be hormonally controlled brain would shut down and I’d simply stare. Something I would never was to let Anna or Wendy notice.
Wendy just said the stuff bored her and she couldn’t care less.
“If she buys anything more than a sweater, I’m letting mama know. Not that I’m jealous that she’s got more money to spend, it’s more about the principle of what she told man and papa. And I plan to keep her honest.”
“You wanna walk home?” Anna asked as she stood behind us.
“No,” Wendy replied with a sigh.
“Do they have burgers here?”
“At the food court, down that way.”
“I want one. I’ll buy hour lunch, Wendy.”
“Is that a bribe?
“Why no, it’s just me showing how much I just love my little sister,” Anna replied with a look in her eyes that kind of frightened me. I wondered what would happen if someone really annoyed her.
We started down the corridor, passing the various stores. I walked next to Wendy as Anna skipped ahead of us. She was literally skipping which caused Wendy to copy her and I followed behind her until we reached the center of the mall, an area brightened by the high canopy that shot up into the sky above the double-storied area. We took the escalator to the second floor and Anna ran straight to “‘Mercian Burger”-a place I had never eaten at. As I usually spent my money at the arcade, which was now below us and beckoned me to come down and spend money on “Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja” or “N.A.R.C.”
Anna ordered a huge number of fries along with the largest burger I had ever sene in my life, and some meals for us. We sat down at a small and unbalanced table next to a “Eu de Perfume” kiosk. I was just about to take a bite when my eyes locked onto what I thought only existed in my nightmares.
“Why are they here?” I asked as I lowered my head.
“Who?” Wendy asked.
The MACS had walked into the food court, along with a tall teenage boy. They had not noticed us looking at them, but that soon changed.
“Who is he?” Anna asked as we all looked in their direction.
“That’s Colleen’s brother, Henry, but everyone calls him Hank.”
I never liked Hank as he always found a way to sneak in a barb or best left unsaid comment. He, along with a few friends, were known to drive a car down the road and make fun of kids who are just walking down the street. There was one kid who had enough of it and threw a rock at their ancient, it-kind-of-resembles-a-car and he got out to tower over said kid and belittle him for doing something to his car. Yes, that would be me.
“This kitten’s smitten,” Anna replied with a smile on her face. “I think I’ll like this school.”
“He doesn’t get involved with his sister’s life. I think he’s just here because he has to.”
“I know the feeling,” Anna remarked, and Wendy slapped her sister’s arm in response.
Hank’s eyes looked in our direction, and girls eventually did too.
“The two of you stay here. I’m going to go and talk with him.”
Anna got up and walked toward the MACS and Hank.
“This is gonna end with her draping his arm around her or with him kissing the ground.” Wendy stated as took a bite of a French fry, “She’s kind of boy crazy like that.”
“What if she does put his arm around her?”
“I’ll have Colleen as a sister-in-law one day,” she answered with a shrug.
I shuddered at the thought of having Colleen as a relative as long as she was friends with the others. If I was Wendy, I’d lock myself in the ball-pit room or trap her in the walls and forget I ever saw her.
We watched Anna move across the food court and waved to the group, Megan and Shonda’s faces had a death stare on them while Colleen and Amanda looked in our direction. Hank, well Hank’s attention was transfixed on Anna. I couldn’t tell at that moment what he said but as soon as he said it we witnessed Anna’s hand slapping him across the face.
That got me to my feet. Wendy took a few seconds to take a sip on her soda before she stood up.
Hank stumbled a bit but then moved to push Anna away, but, somehow, he missed and tumbled to the ground.
“Really? You go there?” Anna yelled as she turned around to look at Hank.
“She’s having a dying duck fit. If he does what I think he’ll do. Won’t be pretty,” Wendy replied as she picked up Anna’s container of French fries. “Anna’s nice, she just handles people differently when they pick on others.”
I nodded as Hank got up and took a swing at Anna, missed, and found himself on the ground once again. The MACS traded expressions, and now Megan and Shonda were looking at us.
They started walking in our direction and I felt I had two options: One to jump over the kiosk our table was next to and high tail it out of there, or to expect to get beaten up by one, or both of them since talking my way out never worked. I was about to bolt when Wendy grabbed my shirt.
“We’re not going anywhere. I mean, what are they gonna do to us?”
“What are you doing here?” Megan sneered.
“School clothes shopping. Same as you,” Wendy replied.
“They don’t have a thrift shop at the mall.”
“Too bad. Lots of good stuff there if you know where to look.”
The four of us focused on the one-sided fight occurring across the way. A fight that had the attention of several other customers and I wondered when mall security was going to show up.
Hank stood back up and tried to circle around Anna, who amazed everyone as she performed several backflips away from Hank and landed with her hair still all in place.
Hank took one more attempt to strike and found himself clotheslined. He was a junior in high school. He was on the football and wrestling teams and there he was, with the wind knocked out of him.
Anna kneeled over and whispered something in his ear. She then stood back up, brushed her hands down her pants and her shirt before looking at the four of us.
“Did she just do that?” Shonda asked as we all looked a Colleen who walked over to Hank.
“She can teach you, if you want,” Wendy replied as she moved her left foot in a half circle. “Just step across the line.”
“Did you eat any of my fries, Wendy?” Anna asked as Shonda and Megan walked backwards and hurried back to Colleen and Amanda.

Mall security was called but they allowed us to leave as soon as Hank tried to attack Anna. It was not a pretty site with him staggering and swearing, looking as if he was acting a scene from “Dawn of the Dead”, complete with the blood effects. I looked at the MACS, with Coleen shying away from everyone while Megan never kept her eyes off of us. Her glare was icy. I felt like we killed her dog or something—I always suspected Hank had done that a few yers ago.
“I don’t regret doing that. I’m saddened ‘bout what he said.”
“What did he say, Anna?”
“Just some bad stuff, Wendy, like mama used to talk about.”
Wendy nodded as we reached the car and got back in for the trip back to Papillon
“Anna met this guy a few years ago and he was mean to her.”
“Mean?” Anna scoffed. “He was a murderer.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. He killed a lonely boy who only wanted to be his real self. Once he found a new life; they took it away.”
I wondered if the Joels were part of witness protection. That would explain their house: the government could build it quickly and quietly and they could hide in plain site in a small town in the middle of the country.
“He didn’t deserve to die like that,” Anna mused as she adjusted her mirrors, then turned the key.
“Mama and Papa have to know what happened.”
“I know. I know. I don’t want to think what would happen if that yokel walked up to our house.”
Would Hank attempt to do that by himself or would he get his friends involved? I didn’t want to think they would wreck their house hurt them in some act of revenge.
“Papa would be happier than a dog at a butcher shop.”
“Mama won’t.”
“Oh, mama would have done the same thing I did, maybe more.”
“Do you think his parents will come to your house?”
“Probably, and I think mister brawn for lack of brain’s gonna try something stupid with some friends. That type always does.” Anna replied.
My thoughts went back to the days of my David vs Goliath experience with the car and a rock.
We drove back to town with Anna talking about the places they had lived: London, Atlanta, Montgomery and now Papillion. I still thought they were a part of some governmental protection plan or maybe Mr. Joel was a secret agent who moved throughout the country, keeping his family safe in a house with multiple secret passageways. Maybe there was an underground lair of some sort where he had meetings with a shadowy committee who knew everything about the area he was going to. I mean, he knew all about the Pounders and the Stephensons. Did Wendy and Anna know their father was a master of espionage or were they unaware of his real job?

We drove up the slight hill to the driveway to see their parents sitting on a porch swing I didn’t recall had been there.
“Looks like we’re going to have to explain a few things,” Anna commented as Mr Joel stood up and walked to the edge of the steps.
“We?” Wendy asked.
“I’ll do the talking.”
“All yours. I’ll stay in the car.”
“I need you to back me up. Are you with me, Jeff?”
I nodded as I unlocked the door.
“Had a little scuffle and the plaza, did we?” Mr. Joel asked as he looked over our heads and into the distance.
“He had it coming, Papa.”
“There were better ways to handle it, Anna Renee Joel.”
“Yes sir.”
“Anyone really hurt?”
“Just an ego.”
“His parents will want to talk with us,” Mrs. Joel said.
“As they should, dear. As they should. I do love these neighborhood parties. We need to host one.”
“Do I have to come?” Wendy asked.
“Of course you do, Wendy. You’re my back-up.”
I darted my eyes between all of then as they continued to talk about meeting up with Hank and Coleen’s parents.
“The party cannot start without us. Shall we go?” Mr Joel with a twinkle in his eyes. “We’ll take your car, dear,” he commented to his wife as he skipped down the steps and went to the barn-like structure net to the house. The large door opened, and he went inside.
“I still think he deserved it.”
“He probably did, Anna Renee,” her mom replied as she walked in the direction of the barn.
“You may wan to cover your ears,” Wendy whispered as she stood next to me.
I was about to ask what she meant when a loud rumbling filled the air and a car that looked like it came out of a gangster movie. It was a pristine black body car with rear doors that opened in a reverse way from any car I had ever seen on the road.
Miss Joel stepped into the front passenger seat as the three of us climbed in the past, with me in the middle of the sisters. Mr. Joel revved the engine, and we took off down the small hill and onto the road so fast I couldn’t figure out how he managed to do it without throwing us all to the side of the car. I looked back but could no longer see the house through the trees and at the speed we were traveling we made it to the end of the block in seconds. Mr. Joel brought the car to a complete stop and then turned onto the road without looking either way.
The turn was just as fast as the one he made as we left the house, and the next left turn was just as swift as we turned onto my street. The car rumbled and roared until we reached yet another turn, but Mr. Joel slowed down this time and coasted to the side of the road in front of Colleen’s house. Someone looked out the living room curtains in the house. I assumed it was Colleen. Next thing I saw like the night before with the other neighbors with their whole family stepping out.
Mr. Joel got of out of the car and waited for all of us to join him before he took a step forward.
“No speaking unless you must, Anna, Wendy.”
“Our lips are sealed, Papa.”
“How about you, Jeffrey?”
“Yes sir.”
“Excellent.” Mr Joel replied as he turned to the approaching neighbors. “Mr. Benjamin Prat, Missus Sylvia and these must be your children, Henry and Colleen?”
The Pratts looked surprised, but their expressions changed into slight agitation.
“Apparently, your daughter and my son got into a bit of fight. A fight that almost got him arrested. Can you tell me what happened?” Mr. Prat’s eyes shot toward Anna.
“First off, Mr Prat, you have a splendid looking home, don’t they dear?”
“Very colorful,” Miss Joel replied.
I looked at the house and wondered what color they were looking at. The Prat’s house was brown except for the terra-cotta roof that was a slight orange.
“Oh, I am so, sorry, introductions are in order,” Mr. Joel put his hand out.
“I am not interested in getting to know you,” Mr. Prat replied as Hank stepped forward and I could see his nose looked broken and he had a slight limp.
“Very well,” Mr. Joel pocketed his hand and cleared his throat. “You, sir, have failed in your job to teach respect for others to your son.”
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Prat interjected.
“Your son lives up to his surname.”
“She attacked me!” Hank yelled. “Coming over to talk and put her hands all over me.”
“Was this before or after you verbally attacked her?” Miss Joel asked.
“Hank did not start this, she did!” Mrs Prat pointed a finger at Anna.
I looked to Colleen who shifted her posture multiple times. She didn’t want to there.
“Since you’re here, now, I think we should contact the police and have statements taken.”
“Yes, Benjamin, a caliber idea. We should indeed have the authorities here so they can hear what Hank said. What was it, lad, ah yes, “an actually cute nigger bitch.”
All eyes turned to Hank.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You then resorted to grabbing her breasts and laughing.”
“Hank!” Mrs. Pratt screamed.
“She was freaking me out, walking over to me and talking like we knew each other.”
“So, Benjamin, please call the police so they can settle this issue. Or, if you prefer, we can call it a draw between our children and allow the world to continue and hope everyone can live a better life.”
“I am on to you,” Mr Pratt yelled as he stuck a finger out and tapped against Mr. Joel.
Wendy turned to me and whispered, “not good.”
“Manners, Benjamin.”
“You are not going to talk your way out of this. Your children run wild all over, destroying property and hurting others.”
“Please tell me what property has been vandalized?” Miss Joel asked.
“That tree!” Mrs. Pratt pointed down the street. “That tree is over one hundred years old, and she was climbing in it.”
“And that tree,” Mr Joel replied as he looked up the road, “Is about fifty years. Is that tree okay to climb?”
“You are trying to change the subject.”
“Not at all, sir. I may ask if you obtained permission from the trees that make up your home?”
“Your daughter needs psychiatric help.”
“My daughter has seen more pain and misunderstanding than your boy will ever try to understand He’s afraid of the unknown. He fears people who are different than his reflection.”
There was an odd silence, and I could see the other families, the Stephensons and the Pounders.
“Do you parents know you’re with these people?”
I only nodded and then looked away from Mrs. Prat.
“We have reached an impasse,” Mr. Joel said with a sigh. “You so remind of a man I once knew named Richthofen. Nice chap, but he didn’t heed my words that it would be dangerous to go out that night.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mr Prat exasperated.
“Pity. Then please identify with this: Teach you boy manners or someone may one day break more than his nose.”
“Are you threatening my family?”
“No, no, for you are doing such a bang-up good job of that yourself. Good day.”

I sat in silence during dinner, not wanting to bring up anything up to my parents, since the other parents had not told them anything about the past few days. I imagined a small mob of pitchforks and torches slowly advancing upon our house and I would have to talk about everything. We were just about to have dessert when there was a loud knock on the front door.

My parents look at each other wondering who it would be. Dad got up from the table and walked down the stairs to the landing area where the front door was.
“Hey, Ben, what’s going on? What happened to you, Hank?”
And with that, I no longer wanted my pie. I only wanted to dart out the back door and run to the woods.
“We’re hoping your son can answer a few questions for us, Greg.”
“Come in. Jeff!”
Mom looked at me and then walked down the stairs.
“Hank! That looks like it hurts.”
I followed Mom and saw Hank’s face, with his nose covered with more gauze and tape. There was still a little blood around his nostrils. Mr. Prat looked at me and then back to my dad.
“Jeff, can you tell me exactly what happened at the mall earlier today?”
“Was there a robbery?” Mom asked. “I should have said no to letting you go.”
“No, Bridget. A fight broke out between my son and the sister of Jeff’s friend.”
“The girl you were telling me about?” Mom asked as everything looked at me.
I had to carefully plan out my words. Too much emphasis on what happened would cause chaos in the living room. Telling the lie Mr Prat and Hank wanted me to say would hang with me forever. It would save me from being accosted by high school clowns in a car, but it would still be a lie.
“Hank’s just minding his own business when a crazy girl comes and hits him in the face. No provocation. And don’t get me started on her dad. He’s crazy.”
“Well, Jeff, is that what happened?” Dad asked.
“Yes, there was a fight, but I was too far away to see or hear what happened. They were just fighting, and Hank ended up on the floor a few times.”
Hank’s nostrils, for what could be seen of them, flared.
“Where do they live, Jeff? Mom asked,
“On the other side of the creek.”
“Across the creek?” Mr Prat exclaimed. “Nothing’s across that woody area except unused land.”
“They have a two-story house.”
“Greg, can you come with me to see them? We’ll drive by.”
“Sure, Ben. Jeff, let’s go.”
I didn’t want to go anywhere with Hank. Mr. Prat had a heavy duty truck that the neighborhood kids used to pile into the back, and he’d drive everyone around, at least before the MACS dipped their poisoned thoughts in and the kids never wanted to ride again. Dad and Mr. Prat rode in the front seat with me wedged between them. Hank sat in the back of the truck on the corner near the passenger side. We drove to the end of the block, made a right-hand turn and then another right-hand turn less than thirty seconds later. We drove down a gravel road with grass and rocks covering the surrounding land.
“There’s nothing here, Dad. It’s just fields.”
Mr. Prat stopped the truck and looked at my Dad. Dad then looked at me.
“Jeff, where is the house?”
“It’s across the street and the creek from our house. I’ve been over there. There’s where the driveway is…or was.”
The two looked at me and Mr. Prat scowled as he started to turn the truck around. “Are you sure it’s not on the next street?”
I nodded as Hank slapped his hand on the side of the truck in frustration.
“You’re sure?” My Dad asked.
I nodded and jumped out of the back of the truck. I didn’t want to cause any problems for the Joels, but I also did not want my dad or the Prats to think I was a stupid kid without a sense of direction. However, at that moment I was at a loss, and I really did feel kind of stupid. There was nothing but a field of rocks and tall grass.

“Nothing’s here dad,” Hank whined.
“We’ll check with the police, son. Let’s circle back to the house.” Mr. Prat replied.
“I’ll walk back home dad,” I said while avoiding the look of daggers in Hank’s eyes. It looked like he blamed me for not getting his revenge that evening.

Mr. Pratt drove us home and Hank jumped out the truck and walked up the street back to his house. He yelled a few good obscenities and waved his hands in frustration. I looked back to the woods.

“Jeffrey, come inside. We have to talk.”
I immediately felt like I had done something wrong by not being able to show where Wendy lived. “Yes sir.”
We walked into the house, and I went to my room and awaited the gang-up by my parents to throttle the truth out of me but how could they believe the truth as I didn’t know how to describe it myself.
I thought about packing a small bag and jumping out the window. I would have to pack light and quickly before the door opened.
The door opened before I could reach my closet.
“Sit down, Jeff,” Dad said in a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry, maybe I got confused where their house is. I’ll pay more attention next time I go over there.”
“That’s not important right now. I need you to tell me what you know your friend’s family.”
“They’re house is huge and has anything you can ask for. Wendy’s parents are nice.”
“Sounds like they handled Reg and Ben well.”
“Yeah, they were calm about everything, but Wendy’s sister, Anna Renee, well, she’s kind of not.”
“Can you tell me a bit about Anna?” Dad asked as he walked across the room and looked out the window.
“She has red hair and kind of dark skin, but kind of lighter than Wendy. She likes to wear white and wanted to get a white sweater today before what happened with Hank.”
“She just went up to and started hitting him?”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I guess she was just doing what her dad said.”
“He said: No Joel has ever backed down—”
“--from a battle to defend another,” Dad finished as he looked at me like he had seen a ghost.

I woke up in the morning and immediately went up to park, but I wasn’t exactly sure why. I didn’t feel like ‘playing’ anymore. I wondered what came over me as I sat on the swings and looked around. The sun was just coming up. At the hour where every other kid was up watching “The Smurfs” with an overflowing bowl of Golden Grahams and a few GI Joes and Legos on the floor with them I sat trying to make sense of everything and I wasn’t succeeding.
“Hey, Jeff,” Wendy’s voice cut off my concentration.
“Hey Wendy,” I replied with little emotion.
“Sounds like you’re thinking of something important,” Wendy replied as she climbed onto the swing next to and began moving while standing up.
“Not really,” I said with a shrug.
“Well, I am thinking of something important. Want to hear it?”
“Sure, I replied as Wendy accelerated her swinging. I could not fathom how she was able to do it but somehow she was standing in the swing and going so high the chain slackened a bit. She then jumped off the swing and flew several feet. Wendy looked like an angel as she glided and touched without any effort.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Everything you do.”
“I’m not too sure, really,” Wendy said as she walked back to the swings and stood in front of me. “Like you, I’m of clueless about my life.”
“How?”
Wendy did a light spin on her feet and looked at the ground. “I never know what’s going to happen, but I try to fight my way through it.”
“Hear that, Shonda? She still wants to fight,” Megan called out.

We looked to see the MACS standing on the curb, just shy of the entrance to the park. I had to wonder if one of them was always on the watch for me or Wendy and to move in with the verbal attacks that only pre-teens did.
Shonda ran towards us and I, like an idiot at the time, stepped in front of the fist that was meant for Wendy. I had never been punched before and I hoped to never experience it ever again as every nerve and muscle in my abdomen screamed out in pain to a brain that was having a brain fart moment, unable to process the messages as it concentrated on Shonda’s cold expression. I was certain she didn’t really care who she struck and was happy to connect with something.
I went down on my knees in the dirt with an agonizing, unbearable pain that I felt like throwing up the lone blueberry muffin I had an hour earlier.
Shonda took a few steps back and went into a fighting stance.
“Take her down, Shonda!” Amanda uncharacteristically yelled.
“You okay, Jeff?” Wendy asked as she walked over and stood between Shonda and me.
I only nodded due to the milkshake action occurring in my gut.
Wendy turned back to Shonda and then dragged her foot across the ground, carving out a half circle. “Cross this circle and it will be the last thing you’ll do.”
“Bust her ass!” Megan yelled to Shonda.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” Wendy cautioned and sighed.
“Whatever you did last time isn’t going to happen again.”
“That’s true,” Wendy replied with a nod.
Shonda took a step and pushed her hands out to Wendy, but she kept her feet a mere inch away from the border.
“Is there a reason to do this, Shonda?”
“Shut up and fight!”
“My Pa said I should talk and work things out.”
Shonda lashed out her right fist but only connected with the air as Wendy took a step back. “You always listen to your daddy?”
“I’m trying to, but you sure ain’t helping.”
Shonda took another swing and again met up with thin air.

However, Wendy fell to the ground as Megan charged and tackled her, followed by Amanda. Colleen, however, didn’t join into the fray. We looked at each other for a split second and to the carnage before us with a two-against-one fight with Wendy grappling with Megan and Amanda.

Shonda stayed clear of the circle, even as Megan screamed for her to help them. All the girls got several hits in on each other until Wendy rolled away and, miraculously vaulted herself back onto her feet. Her eyes were wild, and her shirt was mottled in dust.
Megan and Amanda stood up and walked in Wendy’s direction.
“You’re so dead when you walk into school on Monday. I will make sure your days are hell!” Megan sneered. Late in sixth grade we were taken to the junior high and shadowed a seventh grader so we could get a glimpse on how life was going to be after summer. I was partnered with someone who I think was named Jennifer. I can only guess because she never told me her name, didn’t tell me much about her day or how the classes were. No, she treated me like the kid brother she wished didn’t exist.
Megan, on the other hand, made friends with what I called the MACS JH squad: Melinda, Ashley, Charlotte and Sabrina. She was absorbed into their group so much one would assume she had been attending the seventh grade the whole time and just had to slum a few hours in the sixth grade.

“As long as you leave him alone, do what you gotta do,” Wendy replied.
“Are you in love with Jeff? Looks like you’ll finally get the Valentines’ card you never got.”
Melina’s comment was not at hurtful to me as she wanted it to be, at least I didn’t show it. It was true, I never received one Valentine card in sixth grade. Not. A. One. My dad told me not to worry about it as cards that others are forced to buy meant nothing at all. He said that he never got cards at school except for one. He never told me who it was from, but he did say she was his best friend, so it meant a lot to him.
“Maybe I am, Megan. It’s sad no one’s ever gonna love you. It's not your fault. You just don't know any better.”
Colleen fought back a snicker, but Megan saw it.
“Shut up, Colleen!”

There was a deafening silence, not chirp of a bird or the sound of the wind. Megan stomped towards Colleen and, I, for some reason, scrambled to my feet to once again place myself into mortal danger, this time by a frenzied Megan.
I stood between Megan and Colleen and closed my eyes as Megan’s fist flew but missed. Instead, Megan plummeted to the ground with a large red mark on her face, courtesy of Wendy.
Amanda and Shonda stood with their mouths agape, as was mine, as Megan shrieked and let out a howl that rivalled the tornado alert siren that sat on the top of the hill, right next to the elementary school, I might add.
Wendy barricaded Colleen and me as Amanda and Shonda were still lost on what to do.
Megan got to her feet and felt her face. There was a large mark that would become a bruise. That worried me as it would give her parents along with the Pounders, and the Prats. I could already hear Mrs. Stephenson’s voice echoing back the shrill cry in answer to her offspring. She ran up the street like a track star and yelled in horror at the sight of Megan’s and face.
“Megan! What happened!”
Megan pointed at Wendy, causing Mrs. Stephenson to march over to the three of us.
“You again! You have been causing trouble since you first got here. Did you hit my daughter?”
“I did,” Wendy replied with no emotion.
“You’re coming with me!” Mrs. Stephenson shouted and reached for Wendy’s arm.
“Megan started it!” Colleen’s words caused another moment of silence from everyone.
“She, I, mean we,” Colleen pointed at herself and then at Amanda and Shonda, “have been teasing her and Jeff. It kind of got out of hand.”
“You don’t have to defend her, Colleen.”
“It’s true! Each time Megan would have one of us come up to them and today she wanted to do it herself.”
“She’s lying, mom!”
Mrs. Stephenson was at a crossroads: to outright believe her heavenly angel of a daughter or to look at the contradicting evidence and conclude Megan was a bully, an emotional brutalizer or, in short, a bitch.
“I want the phone number to your parents.”
“We don’t have a phone,” a voice called out from the side of the road.
Mrs. Stephenson closed her eyes, shook her head, and turned around to see Anna.
“I am holding you responsible for her!”
“Okay,” Anna replied with a shrug, “but you may want to put a compress on her face. It’ll help with the swelling. Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll be right here when you get back.”
My eyes widened. I did NOT want to be there when she returned as she would summon the entire neighborhood, and this time arm them with blowtorches and chainsaws. Mrs Pounders took a still crying Megan from the park and kept a wide berth away from Anna.
“You should probably go with them,” Anna motioned to Amanda and Shonda, causing them to hightail it across the street towards the Pounder’s house. Anna walked towards and stood in front of Wendy.
“Are you telling Papa?” Wendy asked,
“Tell him what? That you finally did something right?”
Wendy scowled.
“We gotta let him and Mama know what happened.”
Wendy nodded and then looked at me and Colleen. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it still hurts a little,” I replied as I rubbed my stomach.
“Hot punch to the gut, eh?” Anna asked.
I nodded.
“What about you?” Anna looked to Coleen, causing the Wendy and myself to do the same.
“I…I’m okay.”
“Are you ‘okay’, or ‘okay’?” Anna asked.
“I think I lost my friends.”
“They weren’t friends,” Wendy said.
Yeah, you need new friends,” Anna replied.
Colleen took a deep breath and looked to the ground for what seemed to be an eternity.
“I’m sorry, Jeff.” She said in a low whisper. “I just…”
I looked at Colleen and nodded my head.
“She’s over there, dad!” Hank’s voice cut through the tender moment, followed by the Stephensons, Mrs. Bremerton, some random households and my own! Megan’s mom must have used the neighborhood phone tree to gather the mob. I could see my dad running up the street, probably fearing that I had finally been beaten up by one of MACS and he had to see if I had survived the ordeal.
“This is gonna be bad,” Colleen said.
“No, but it’s about to get a bit confusin’”, Anna said as she turned around to face the crowd, along with my dad.
My dad stopped moving and stared in our direction, particularly at Anna.
“Anna?”
“Hello, Gregory.”

Mad About You

My Dad closed his eyes for what seemed like forever and slowly opened them.
“I’m still here,” Anna replied, “but the crowd calls.”
My dad stood next to Anna as Hank and Mrs. Stephenson stood in front of them.
“Gregory, do you know this girl?”
“I know her parents.”
“Do they allow their children to bully others?”
I wanted to stomp my foot, stick my pointer finger out and march up and tell her how it really was but Hank’s menacing glare made me stay where I was.
“I can assure you, Sheila, Mr. Joel--”
“Mr. Joel,” she scoffed. “You make him sound like he’s such a great man.”
“He is,” Anna replied.
“The two of you have been causing so much trouble. Do you know what she did?” Mrs. Stephenson stammered as she pointed with a shaking at Wendy.
“No,” dad replied as he looked back at me.
“Just look at my daughter’s face!”
Hank took the opportunity to grab onto Anna. Dad took several steps away, as if he knew something was going to happen, because I assumed he would have tried to stop Hank. Anna twisted her way out of his grasp and pushed him away. Hank landed once again on the ground in front of Wendy. Hank then kicked at Wendy’s feet, leaving a mark, but Wendy didn’t flinch as Anna rushed up to Hank and lifted him off the ground and back onto his feet, only to throw him down again.
The gathering neighbors weren’t exactly sure what to do. They were expecting some brutish and imposing threat with Wendy and Anna but instead saw a teenager defending her little sister.
Hank got to his feet again and turned to Anna, but my dad stepped in between the two of them.
“Out of my way, Mr. Robison!”
“Hank, you need to stop.”
“No! I’m gonna kill her!” Hank roared as he tried to step my dad.
Dad then surprised me by shoving Hank in the chest, and once again he took yet another pratfall.
“Hank!” Mr. Prat’s voice echoed.
“Enough!” Dad shouted as Mr. Prat darted towards his son. He looked at all of us but couldn’t do anything, as everyone saw Hank’s tirade. Mr. Prat grabbed Hank by the arm and helped him to his feet.
And as if the situation couldn’t get any uglier…
“I’m not through with you!” Mrs. Stephenson railed at Anna as Megan stood nearby.
“Megan’s a bully,” Wendy said.
“How dare you!”
“Well, she is,” My dad replied with a shrug.
“Why are you defending them, Greg?”
“Because I know them. Everyone needs to go home and calm down.”
“Did you just tell me to calm down? Mrs. Stephenson huffed.
“Yes, Shiela, I did, and you should,” dad replied as he looked at Anna.
“This is just like that basketball game,” Anna said with a smile.

I looked back and forth between my Anna and my dad.
“We better go,” Wendy whispered as the crowd dispersed with Hank glaring back at us.
I nodded and walked away with Wendy and Colleen. The thought of wanting to stay with my dad and Anna drifted out of my mind in seconds and I only felt relief that SWAT did not have to come with a water cannon to break up the masses.

We sat on the corner of the street in front of my house.
“You dad’s pretty good at standing up to Megan’s mom.”
“Yeah,” I hesitated to bring up the times I had cried from the emotional damage four girls could pile onto one kid and admitting my dad saw his son, who was supposed to be brave, collapse into a fetal position.
“I’m sorry, Jeff…I don’t have a good excuse, I guess.”
“There’s never a good excuse to be mean,” Wendy commented. “But we should forgive the ones who matter to us.” We looked at Wendy as she stood in the middle of the road. “I gotta go, Jeff. See you tomorrow.”
Wendy didn’t wait for my reply as she ran into the woods.
“Is she okay?” Colleen asked.
“I think so, maybe she had to go home and let her parents know what happened.”
“Are they going to be coming after everyone?”
“No, at least I don’t think so,” I said as we stood up. I stole a few glances from her.
“So, could we hang out sometime?” Colleen asked.
“Sure, but if you don’t want to during school, I understand.”
“We are in a few classes together,” she replied as she shuffled her feet, “and we wouldn’t want to get lost on the first day, would we?”
I shook my head.
“I better get home and talk to my parents. Let’s hope I don’t have to talk to Megan on the way back.”
“Do you want me to walk with you?”
Colleen shook her head. “I’ll be okay. Maybe I can flip her over my head.”
I grinned at that and watched as Colleen ran back up the hill.

I sat back on the curb and closed my eyes. It then hit my pre-adolescent turmoil: I really liked Colleen. It was more than just waving to her or wishing we could play on the swings. It was something more. It was something I never wanted to talk to my parents about…which made me wonder where my dad was.
I looked back up the road and saw him walking with Anna. They were quiet with a bit of space between the two of them. Dad stopped walking when he reached me, and Anna continued walking to the woods.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Anna. It doesn’t have to go like this.”
She looked back to us. “One day, Greg, we can be released.”
“It can be tonight, Anna.”
“I wish it could be,” Anna as she vanished into the woods.
Dad continued to look at the woods and then turned to me. “We’re not going to talk to your mother about this.”
I nodded.