Escaping the Inevitable

I tossed my jersey up in my room before jogging back downstairs to watch TV. Dani was in there with Wolfie, playing with her doll. Dani seemed to lost in a world of her own; I went and plopped on the couch beside Wolfie, "What're you watching?"

"Videos." Wolfie answered.

My brother has a big thing for hardcore metal music. I don't see, exactly, who he gets from. The only hardcore music my parent's listen to is Black Sabbath, and that's just my dad.

So, Wolfie watched old videos from From First To Last and then Metallic. My brother is odd.

"Hey! Where's Tyson?" I heard Uncle Butcher say.

I figured he was referring to me; "Hey, Uncle B."

Butcher put his bag down, "Your mom told me you went ape shit on some kid."

"Ape shit?" I muttered, "Did she say those words?"

Butcher laughed, "Yep."

Dani got up, "You got into a fight, Joe?"

"Yeah, Zi." I replied to her, "I did."

"Why?" She inquired with her big hazel eyes.

"Ugh," I scratched my head, "This kid called mom a name."

"What?" She didn't relent.

"It's a really bad word that made me mad."

Dani's lips curled up like my dad's, "Did you hurt him?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Good!" She sounded just like dad.

"So, you're suspended, huh?" Butcher plopped down on the arm chair, "Your pop rake you over the coals?"

My dad had come in just then, "He's off the hook; he was defending Sunny."

Uncle Butcher had this look in his eyes that I couldn't place. It was clouded over with a smile, "Good job, Joey. I bet that kid won't mess with you anymore."

"I hope not. He was asking for it; literally."

Dani tapped my knee, "Literally? What do you mean?" 

My dad sat down, picking Dani up and sitting her on his lap, "He means that kid actually wanted Joey to hit him."

Dani gasped, "Why?! He's crazy!"

"He's a creep." I muttered.

"Did you get in trouble?" Dani asked me.

"Yeah," I told her, "I'm suspended."

"Ooh!" She giggled, "Daddy, you aren't mad?"

My dad shook his head, "Nope."

"You're lucky, Joe." Dani smiled.

I shook my head, "Not really. I just did what I had to."

We all carried on with quiet conversations until my mom called us in for dinner. We all went into the dining room, I went to the kitchen, "Ma, you need help?"

She smiled at me; her hair in a thick, loose bun, "Yeah, thanks, baby."

I just nodded, grabbing drinks and taking them in. I went back, helping my mom with the side dishes; "That's your punishment, dude," Butcher began, "Helping."

"For your info, B, he volunteered." My mom smirked at him; I love when she smirks.

We all sat down, mom filled our plates with this amazing faux-chicken salad that my dad loves. Due to his stomach problems there are some things he can't eat, and chicken in some variations is one of them. The salad is good, she rarely makes it because the faux-chicken is rare at the vegan store she shops at.

"So, tell us what happened," Butcher started, "What did the kid say? How big was he?"

I shook my head, Wolfie grinned across from me, my mom sat with Dani on my right, "Bruno is big. He's like Hawaiian and wrestles." I told them.

"What'd he say?" Dani piped up, "Something bad?"

"Yeah, he did," My mom said for me, "Joey was just defending himself."

"He's really big?" Dani asked and I nodded, "Where you scared?"

I thought about it; I wasn't, "No, I was pissed." I told her.

Dani giggled, "Did he cry?"

"Probably." Wolfie answered, "Everyone was talking about it."

"Even at the elementary school?" Butcher asked.

"Yep," Wolfie said, "Bruno is really big, Uncle B."

"Joey," Dani touched my arm when mom walked over to sit by my dad, "Can I ask you something?"

I leaned over, "Yeah, Zi."

She bit at her lip, "Was it about daddy and mommy?" She whispered.

I frowned and nodded, "Yeah. Why? Is someone bothering you?"

Dani nodded, her eyes darting over, "This bigger girl," She leaned over and sunk into my ear, pressing her hands to cover her voice so only I could hear her, "She says mean things about mommy."

I sighed, then I slipped into her ear, "You want me to tell mom?"

Dani shrugged again, "I don't want to get in trouble."

"You won't." I smile at her, "I'd beat her up for you, but she's a girl."

Dani smiled, giggling, "Thank you, Joe."

"No problem."

Wolfie gave me a funny look when I sat forward to eat. I waved it off, my dad then cleared his throat at us, and raised a brow. "What's going on?"

Dani looked frightened, "Nothing." We both said.

My mom smiled sympathetically, "Aww, leave 'em alone, Frank," She patted his arm, "They're sharing a secret."

"Hey, no fair!" Wolfie exclaimed, "What is it?"

"None of your beeswax." Dani stuck her tongue out at him.

Butcher laughed, along with me, "Good one, Danzi."

"Thanks." She grinned.


After dinner Dani and I went to my room where I was showed her my baseball jersey; she really likes that stuff. She doesn't know the dynamics, but she likes the cheering and the game.

But, I knew that Dani wanted to talk about the bullying more than baseball. She sat on my bed while I fiddled with jersey, folding it and unfolding it. She looked over her little math homework, "Joey, what do I do when they say mean stuff?" She asked curiously and out of the blue.

"Well, it depends, what do they say?"

Dani looked on the verge of tears. I hated to see her cry, "They say mommy is the B word and daddy is a pig. I don't like them."

"You should ignore them," I told her, "I know that, that doesn't always work."

Dani shook her head, "Mrs. Martinez says that, but they start calling me names," She had a pleading tone to her voice, "They call me bastard. I don't know what that means!"

I frowned, "I'm sorry Dani, you aren't a bastard."

"What is a bastard?" She asked wiping her eyes.

"It's just a mean name people say." I told her.

"I don't like that school," She mumbled, "Nobody likes me."

My little sister, little Danzi, who just turned 7, says nobody likes her. Why wouldn't you like her? She's a sweet kid.

"They're just jealous because mom is cooler than theirs." I put it gently.

"I don't think so." She replied, "I only have one friend, Joey."

I sighed, "Danzi, you don't have one friend, you have three. Me, Wolfie and your friend from school."

Dani shook her head again, "I wish you still went to school with me, Joe. Next year, I'll be all by myself. You and Wolfie will be together and I'll be alone!"

I got up and went over to my bed and hugged Dani, "It's okay, Dani, it'll get better. Everyday, after school, you can hang out with me and Greg and Troy. You can come riding with us."

Her eyes lit up, "You promise?"

I nodded, "I promise."