Title: Father’s Day

Author: Zenia

Rating: G

Archive: WWOMB yes, anyone else, ask first.

Webpage: www.oocities.org/ztovarich/index.html

Series/Sequel: Nope.

Email: ztovarich@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: They’re not mine, never will be. Please don't sue.

Feedback: Please, it sure would be nice.

Warning: High sap content.

Father’s Day

By Zenia

He had been playing happily, making designs in the sand when a shadow fell on him. He looked up and swallowed hard. Jamie, Ron, and Taylor, six graders and the biggest bullies in the neighborhood stood over him.

AJ scrambled to his feet.

“What do we got here? It’s a baby.” Ron stepped forward.

Jamie pulled on his shirt. “Did your mommy dress you?”

“We don’t like little babies in our playground.”

AJ pressed up against the ladder of the slide. “Leave me alone. I’m not a baby.” His voice shook with anger and unshed tears.

Ron grinned. “Aw the baby’s gonna cry.”

Taylor shoved him hard. “Is that what you’re gonna do baby? Are you gonna cry?”

He shook his head but he was. His lower lip trembled and he looked around frantically for Rick. He knew there was no hope of his brother coming to his rescue. Rick had abandoned him in the sandbox promising that if AJ stepped a foot out of it he’d hog-tie him to the jungle gym. Then Rick had run off to play baseball with his friends.

“What’re you looking for baby?” Jamie shoved him to the ground.

AJ gasped as the coarse sand scraped his palms.

“Hey! Leave my brother alone!” Rick stood at the edge of the sandbox his face flushed and sweaty.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Ricky. Ya want me to shove your face into the dirt again Ricky?” Taylor laughed.

Rick walked bravely over to AJ and pulled him to his feet. “You okay.”

He nodded and hid behind his brother’s back.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size Taylor? You like pickin’ on little kindergarten babies?”

“I’m not a baby,” AJ complained.

Rick nudged him gently and stepped forward. “I want you to leave my brother alone.”

“Or what,” Taylor sneered.

“Or you’ll regret it.”

Taylor shoved him. Rick stumbled back a few paces but didn’t back down. He clenched his hands into fists and glared.

Then Taylor nodded his head toward Jamie.

Jamie laughed and grabbed AJ.

“No.” AJ squirmed. “Let me go.”

“Sure.” Then he pushed AJ hard into the jungle gym.

AJ’s mouth hit the metal bars. He cried out at the pain and he could taste blood. Tears filled his eyes and he turned just in time to hear a loud roar and see Rick throw himself at Jamie.

Jamie screamed for help and the other two boys joined in the fight. They pulled Rick off and held him on the ground. Then they started to pound on him.

For a moment AJ stared in numb horror. Then he crawled away knowing that he had to find some way to make them stop hurting his brother. In the grass he could see a few rocks. He gathered them up, putting spares into his pockets. Then aiming carefully he threw them at the bullies, hard.

Faster and faster he threw them, suddenly furious that they would pick on him, that they would hurt Rick. They were mean and they deserved it. He threw and threw even as they ran away.

Rick grabbed his arm and shook him. “AJ, enough! AJ! AJ!”

AJ blinked up at his brother all his strength draining from his body. He fell to the ground.

His brother sank to the ground with him. “You okay?”

He nodded. “You’re all bleedy.”

Rick’s nose and mouth dripped with blood and his eye was swelling shut. “That’s what happens when you get into a fight. Thanks.”

“They wouldn’t leave me alone. They said—what’s wrong with having Mom dress me?”

Rick laughed and then hissed in pain. “Nothin’ AJ, there’s nothin’ wrong with it. C’mon let’s go home okay.”

“Mom’s gonna be mad at us isn’t she?”

“Naw.” Rick stood up. “Let me handle Mom okay.”

“Okay.”

Mom wasn’t too happy when she saw them. Rick’s clothes were ripped and he was bloody and bruised. And he, he was dirty and his lip felt as if it was too big.

“My God, what happened?” Her eyes widened in shock.

AJ opened his mouth to tell her about the bullies but Rick interrupted him.

“I got into a fight. AJ tried to help me and got hurt.”

Mom sighed. “Oh Rick. How could you?”

“They started it!”

She shook her head. “It’s bad enough that you got into a fight but did you have to drag your brother into it?”

“I’m sorry Mommy,” AJ said.

“Oh honey, it’s not your fault.” She hugged him.

“No,” Rick said angrily, “it’s my fault.”

“I’m disappointed in you Rick. Go on get cleaned up. I’ll bring you some ice for your eye.”

“Yes ma’am.”

AJ went to follow Rick upstairs when his mother stopped him.

“Let me clean you up baby.”

“But—” He sighed. “Yes Mom.”

After she cleaned the blood on his chin and lip she gave him an ice pack for Rick. “Give this to your brother.”

“Okay.” He went up to his room.

Rick was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. “What do you want?”

“I brought ice.” AJ held it out.

He grabbed it.

“How come we couldn’t tell Mom about Taylor and them?”

“Are you stupid?” Rick sat up. “Do you know what’ll happen if we tell Mom? She’ll call their parents and get them in trouble.”

“But—but they’ll stop.”

“You are stupid. You can’t tattle on them. You wanna be a snitch? Then nobody’ll play with us or wanna be around us. Is that what you want,” Rick asked angrily.

“No.” AJ looked down at the ground. “I don’t want them to tease me anymore.”

“Sit down.” When AJ settled next to him Rick wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “They won’t hurt you no more. If they do they know we’ll tell everyone how a kindergartener made them run away. Trust me, you beat up a bully and they never hurt you again.”

AJ nodded. “All right Rick. I just don’t like that Mom’s mad at you when it’s my fault you got into a fight.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s Taylor and Jamie and Ron’s fault. They shouldn’t be picking on kids littler than them.”

“I wish Dad were here.”

Rick looked at him and frowned. “Well he ain’t.”

“But we coulda told him couldn’t we? I mean, he wouldn’t have called their parents. He woulda understood.”

“Yeah, I guess he would have.”

“I miss him Rick. I miss Dad.”

“Me too,” he whispered. “Me too.”

**********

“AJ, we’re gonna be late. C’mon.” Rick tugged on his arm. “Why are you dragging your feet? I told you not to worry about Taylor and them didn’t I?

“I’m not.” He stopped and stared at the ground uncomfortably.

“Then what is it?”

“Mrs. Tanner said that we’re gonna make Father’s Day presents today. All the kids are gonna tease me ‘cause I don’t have a dad.” He twisted his shirt in his hands. “I don’t wanna go to school.”

“The kids aren’t gonna tease you. You do have a dad.”

“But who am I going to make the present for?”

Rick stood quiet for a minute then he said, “Mom. Make the present for Mom. She’ll love it. And now that Dad’s gone, she’s got to be our mother and our father. I bet Dad would be proud of you if you did. I bet he’d look down from heaven and smile.”

“You think it’d be okay?”

“I sure do.”

“Thanks Rick.” He smiled.

“What are brothers for?” Rick tousled his hair. “Now let’s go before we’re late.”

They weren’t late, but just barely and Rick had been right, none of the kids teased him about Dad. And Mrs. Tanner thought it was a really nice thing to do for his mom.

He told her it had been Rick’s idea, but he didn’t think she believed him. She had been Rick’s kindergarten teacher too.

So he sat most of the morning at the crafts table, carefully pasting pieces of crepe paper onto a pop bottle. It was going to be the most beautiful, most perfect vase his mom had ever had. Even more beautiful than the ones Aunt Dee gave her for her wedding.

When he was done he stared at the sticky, brightly colored bottle and smiled. Mom would love it. Maybe he could get some flowers to put in it. As he stared at it he got another idea. AJ chuckled and went to ask the teacher for a piece of white card paper.

**********

He and Charlie Pratt were playing with a rubber ball in the kindergarten play area when the shouting started.

“Fight! Fight!”

AJ dropped the ball and ran to the chain link fence that separated them from the main playground. All he could see was a group of boys.

“Hey AJ isn’t that your brother?”

He looked really carefully. It was. It was Rick. He and a couple of friends were beating up Taylor and the other boys.

He smiled and looked around. Mrs. Tanner was in the corner of the play area trying to talk Jenny off the jungle gym and the teacher’s aide Melissa was putting a bandage on Robbie’s knee. AJ took a firm grasp on the fence and started to climb. Then someone grabbed his leg and he looked down.

“What’re you doing,” Charlie asked.

“Rick might need help.” He shook off the hand and finished climbing. When he was on the other side he grinned at his friends and waved.

Unfortunately by the time he got close enough to the fight, several teachers and the principle Mr. Hurley were pulling the boys off each other. AJ sighed in disappointment.

“Rick Simon and Taylor Jordan,” Mr. Hurley said, “I should have known the two of you would be participants in this. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”

Taylor glared and Rick looked up at him innocently. When Mr. Hurley looked at the other boys, Rick winked at him and smiled. AJ bit his lip to keep from laughing.

“Mr. Michaels, Mr. Williamson, would you please escort all these boys to my office. Okay, everyone back to the playground, there’s nothing to see here.” He glared at all the kids. Then his eyes lighted on AJ. “And what are you doing here Mr. Simon?”

AJ twisted his hands and said in the voice that always made his mother’s lady friends melt, “They were hurting my brother.”

Mr. Hurley sighed. “Come on, let’s get you back to your class. I’ll overlook it this time, but I don’t want to see you here until next year, regardless of how much danger your brother is in. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

**********

“You grounded,” AJ asked.

Rick was lying on his bed, hands tucked behind his head. “What do you think?”

“How long?”

“Two weeks. But boy is it worth it. Just to see that weasel crying when his dad came to pick him up from school.”

“Thank you.”

Rick looked at him. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me. I gotta reputation ya know. I can’t let people beat up on my little brother. That’s my job.”

“Thanks anyway.”

He shrugged.

“Mom made cupcakes. She gave me one for a snack.”

“I know. But I can’t have desserts for two weeks either.” Rick sighed.

AJ reached carefully into his pocket. “That’s why I saved it for you.”

He sat up and took the cupcake. “Are you sure you wanna give it to me?”

“I’ll get another one after dinner.”

“Ya know, sometimes you’re kinda cool…for a baby.”

AJ tried not to smile. “I’m not a baby.”

**********

He had decided that he hated Father’s Day. Hated it more than going to the dentist or skinning his knee or getting pinched by Aunt Edna. Mom had been crying all day and Rick was grumpy and all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

AJ fingered the vase he had kept hidden under his bed. Mom was in the living room, flipping through old photos of Dad. He picked it up and with a gulp, went to give it to her.

Her eyes were red and her makeup was smeared. She was still crying.

“Mommy,” he said, softly.

“Yes honey?” She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

AJ walked over to her and laid the vase in her lap. “Happy Father’s Day.”

“Oh AJ, it’s beautiful.” She ran her fingers over it gently. Then she put it down and pulled him into an embrace. “Thank you baby.”

“It’s okay Mommy. It’s okay to be sad.” He pressed his face into her shoulder and she started to cry again.

**********

Rick was standing in the middle of the room bouncing a basketball. “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I gave Mom her present.”

“So.”

AJ shrugged and rummaged under his bed for his school folder. When he found it he clutched it to his chest.

“Why don’t you go play or something?” Rick scowled at him.

“I don’t want to play.” He stood up and walked hesitantly over to his brother. “Mom really liked her present. Maybe next year we could do one together?”

“If you’re still alive to see next year.” He glared at him.

AJ took a deep breath. “I made you something,” he said quickly and thrust the folder into his brother’s hands.

“What?” Rick looked at the folder for a moment then opened it slowly.

He was pretty sure he was having a heart attack but it was too late to take it back. He had made Rick a gift, a clean white piece of paper with Popsicle sticks pasted in the shape of a heart. He wrote ‘I love you’ inside of the heart and his name, his full name at the bottom.

Rick just stared it.

“I know it’s stupid. And-and maybe I am a baby. I’m sorry Rick. I—”

“AJ, shut up.” Rick looked up at him. “It’s not stupid. And don’t say that it is. I haven’t been nice today have I?”

“You just miss Dad.”

“Maybe, but I don’t got a right to take it out on you.” He put the gift down carefully and stood up. Then before AJ could say anything, he hugged him tight against his chest. “I love you too ya know. It ain’t stupid to say. Dad said you should tell people you love them, every day, even if they do know. I love you AJ. But if you tell my friends I told you, I’ll punch your lights out.”

AJ laughed. “Don’t worry. I know you got a reputation. You think we should go downstairs and tell Mom we love her?”

He pulled away. “I think that’s a good idea. I’m glad I thought of it.”

“You didn’t—”

Rick covered his mouth and then blushing, kissed his forehead. “Let’s go.”

AJ nodded, deciding to let it slide.

Rick held out his hand and AJ took it, squeezing it gently.

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