Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 02:02:51 -0700
From: Danny <m12@thedoghousemail.com>
Subject: Simon's Journal: Thirteen Days, Chapter 2 of 13

Simon's Journal
Volume I

Thirteen Days - The First Crusade
A novel by Danny


Chapter 2
February 17, 2004 Tuesday

      One of my favorite things to do is to take a nice
long hot shower in the mornings. I don't know why, I just
like them. However, this morning I wanted to get in and
out and back to my room as fast as possible, which I
accomplished in just under fifteen minutes.
      "Ha! A new record!" I thought aloud as I came
streaking into my room carrying my wet GoodNite, wet
towel and rag.
      I tossed the used GoodNite in the green pail by my
door like I do every morning and tossed my other things
into the laundry basket.
      For some reason, the dark cloud of my impending doom
had somehow lifted while I was in the shower. At least I
felt like it was a normal morning just like any other
day.
      I had to sort through my sock and underwear drawer
for a moment or two to find a pair of socks that matched
and get a pair of underwear. I stepped into my underwear
and pulled them up.
      "Ah! There is nothing quite like the feeling of
clean soft underwear against my skin, except for maybe
the feeling of wet, pee soaked underwear!" I couldn't
help but smile to myself at the thought.
      I sat on the side of my bed to pull my socks on
before opening my closet to get out my school uniform.
Once I dressed and my tie was tied, I peaked out my
bedroom window and saw that there was frost on all the
car windows again this morning; I grabbed my coat from
the back of my desk chair. More then likely it would be
warmer this afternoon and I wouldn't need it but it
looked pretty chilly outside and as it turned out, it
was.
      After I one more quick look in the mirror to be sure
I looked presentable to the world, I took my coat and
backpack out to the kitchen. Passing through the Living
room I noticed dad was not on the couch anymore. I walked
on into the kitchen and Mom was there in her pink robe
and big fuzzy pink slippers. On a different morning I
probably would have cracked some kind of smart-alecky
remark about her looking like a big fluffy pink bird but
when I spotter her the cloud of impending doom
materialize over me again. I can remember vividly the
feeling of my heart suddenly jumping into a violent
pounding battle within my chest and I was finding it hard
to breath let alone think.
      Without saying a word, I deposited my coat and
backpack on the floor by the backdoor. Roughly then, dad
walked into the room; our eyes did not meet but out of
the corner of my eye I did catch him looking at me; he
didn't look ferociously angry but then maybe he was past
ferocious. "What's worse then ferocious?" I thought.
      I swallowed hard, "Dang" I mumbled to myself feeling
that lump back in my throat as I moved to the breakfast
table and took a seat.
      Most mornings there is that little mindless chitchat
that goes on over every breakfast table in the world but
today no one said a word at our table. Mom didn't give
dad a peck on the cheek; no one greeted me with a smile,
a kiss or a "Good morning Son" either.
      I felt like I was eating my last meal before being
taken for execution. I can even remember thinking that I
wish they had got it over with last night so at least I
wouldn't still be fearful of what was coming.
      Once, almost once, I nearly worked up the courage to
say something, but, when I realized I had nothing to say,
I stuffed my mouth instead.
      Mom started clearing the breakfast dishes from the
table without a word or acknowledgement. Dad stood up,
looked at me and said, "Get your things. Let's go."
      Talk about confused. Never before had I witnessed
either of them acting like this. I slipped my arms into
the sleeves of my coat and zipped it up before slinging
my backpack over one arm.
      As I was climbing into dad's car I saw my bike in
the back of the garage and figured that my aunt must have
put it there the previous day or maybe she left it
outside and dad put it there. I had not given it a second
thought after she put it in the trunk of her car but I
felt some relief to know that it was safe.
      Without saying a word, dad started the car and
pulled away from our house but stopped down the street
just out of sight of the house.
      "Okay, here it comes!" I mumbled under my breath.
      Dad shifted the car into park, shut off the engine,
unfastened his seatbelt and turned in his seat to look at
me.
      I think all of my body functions just stopped and I
braced for the worst.
      "Your mom wanted me to ground you for trying to skip
school yesterday." He said it in such a calm placid way
that it caught me completely off guard.
      He looked out the back window and then back to me; I
couldn't look him in the eyes.
      "She also wanted me to give you a whipping." Again
with the serene tone.
      I felt my bottom clench at that last word and I
didn't say anything, I didn't know if I should say
anything and I didn't know what to say if I was supposed
to say something.
      "You know, I skipped school several times when I was
a boy." he said.
      I was honestly surprised. My dad, the guy that gets
bent out of shape if someone goes through a traffic light
after it turns yellow or will confront someone that parks
in a handicap parking spot illegally actually cut classes
as a kid?
      "No way!" is what I wanted to say but I managed to
keep the words from passing my lips.
      He smiled coyly at me, "I know it's hard to believe,
but I used to raise my share of Cain. Someday ask your
Grandma about me and the vanishing cornfield, she'll
happily tell you about the time I burnt down a whole
field of corn behind the schoolhouse when I had been
trying to smoke corn silk with one of my friends while we
should have been in class instead." I finally made eye
contact with him and he smiled at me as he shared this.
      "Really?" I said.
      He raised an eyebrow, "I know you are going to do a
few dumb things as you grow up and try to find your place
in this world and that is okay! I am expecting that..."
he paused and the eyebrow came back down, "Uh, don't
think that is a free license to run amuck!"
      His mouth contorted into a smirk, "Just know we
worry about you, especially your mom. We love you a lot
and I think she reacted the way she did because she is
scared something bad might happen to you."
      He looked back out the rear window again like he was
expecting mom to come walking around the corner any
minute.
      "Have your fun, but do me a favor. Okay?" he paused
again.
      I shook my head.
      "Just don't do anything that is going to get your
mom worked up again for a while - like three or four
years, okay?" He allowed a small smile to form and looked
like he was expressing amusement at his own whit.
      "So, I'm not in trouble?" I needed clarification or
more accurately, my backside wanted assurance that it was
safe.
      Up when the eyebrow again, "Lets say your punishment
is to steer clear of your mother's wrath for a while.
Don't give her any reason to drop the hammer and I think
you and I both will be able to get out of the doghouse
soon enough. You know," he rubbed the back of his neck,
"sleeping on the couch might sound like fun, but it
really isn't all that comfortable!"
      We both smiled and that was all that either of us
said until we reached my school.
      Dad restarted the car and continued on down our
street. I sat in that backset looking at the back of my
dad's head and I think for the first time in my life I
saw him as more then just my dad but also as a real
person and realized that though he didn't say it very
often, I now knew he loved me. Last night he put himself
in the line of fire for me, if that isn't love, then I
will never know what is.
      As I was getting out of the car he called out, "Have
a good day!"
      I stopped about three steps from the car, turned and
mouthed to him, "I love you," and ran for the school
doors.
      School went normal for the first half of the day but
then after lunch I had gym. I've always been on the small
side, thus I am the one that is usually picked last for
teams or first out at dodge ball. So I'm sure you can
understand why I am not a big fan of gym class. However
today gym was a whole different event that I was not
expecting.
      After getting changed in the always-cold locker room
all the boys had to line up on the far side of the
basketball court to count off by fours and fours.
      "One-One, one-two, one-three, one-four, two-one,
two-two, two-three, two-four . . ." and so on.
      I was a five-two and we all got with our three other
teammates and waited to find out what we were going to be
doing. As it turned out we were going to be running
relays in turn. Ones went first and then twos and after
the fours went then each team started again with one
until the whistle was blown.
      By our third time around we were in second place and
not too far behind the first place team when our number
three guy tripped over his own feet and plowed face first
into the hardwood gymnasium floor. Blood splattered
everywhere! It was really gross.
      The girls on the other side of the gym had stopped
what they were doing and were all freaking out and
squealing at the sight.
      I somehow got to him first only steps a head of our
teacher. I had not thought, I just reacted and had taken
my shirt off and was holding it to his face.
      After our teacher, Mr. Shaffer had determined that
it was just a busted lip, he barked, "Mr. Leonard take
Mr. Winston here to the nurses office! Everyone else back
to the wall!"
      I remember being surprised that he actually knew my
last name. I don't think he has ever singled me out by
name ever before.
      I helped the boy to his feet. I didn't really know
him; well I know him but we are not friends. His names
Mike Winston and he is in a couple of my classes.
      I walked him out of the gym, still holding my shirt
to his mouth for him, he was crying pretty hard but he
was walking okay. I didn't realize I was only wearing my
gym shorts, socks and runners until we hit the hallway. I
was glad everyone was still in there classes or that
might have been pretty embarrassing. I really don't know
why, but being out of the gymnasium without my school
uniform and wearing no shirt made me feel completely
naked. The reason I found that odd is because at home I
would rather walk around in just by underwear briefs or a
Goodnite and I spend just about the entire summer with
only a pair of shorts on, with no shirt or shoes unless
we are going someplace. My mom used to chase me around
the house when I was younger trying to get me to put my
clothes back on and I guess somewhere back in those early
years she stopped trying and just let me run around
however I wanted to. My dad is fond of telling about the
time when I was five years old and we were at some
wedding and right in the middle of the "I Do's" I came
running up the isle wearing nothing but a smile. I don't
remember that, thankfully but I hear about it quite
regularly.
      The nurse's office was in the back of the school
offices so we had to walk in the front door to the
offices. The school secretary went all nuts when she saw
all the blood that by now was all over both of us as well
as my shirt being thoroughly stained with it. The noise
she made reminded me of the time our neighbor's dog
Buster caught a rabbit and the rabbit let out a ghastly
scream. I had never known rabbits could make any noise at
all but they sure can. The secretaries shrill cry brought
out the vice-principle and a few other faces I didn't
know. The nurse came around a corner soon after and took
us both back to her office with the vise-principle right
behind us.
      "I suppose you two were fighting?" the vise-
principle retorted. "Mr. Leonard I seem to be seeing a
too much of you lately!"
      "We weren't fighting!" I said over my shoulder with
a little too much attitude as we walked into the all
chrome and white nurses office.
      I got some enjoyment out of seeing him puff up so
big only to be burst like a balloon when our gym teacher
spoke from behind him, "Not fighting Mr. Graff! Mr.
Wilson fell while running the relay and I asked Mr.
Leonard," he pointed at me, "to escort the boy here for
me!"
      I turned to see Mr. Shaffer sanding in the doorway
looking big and athletic with his gray t-shirt with the
cut-off sleeves, matching shorts, white tube socks and
pearly white trainers all topped off with his silver
shinny whistle that he wore around his neck as if it were
an Olympic medal. Draped over one shoulder was what I
first thought was a bright yellow towel.
      Mr. Graff huffed, sucked on his teeth and said,
"Well... okay then." and retreated from the room,
obviously displeased at not being able to chew me up and
spit me out like three-day-old gum. However, I made a
mental note to avoid him at all costs in the coming
weeks.
      Mr. Shaffer smiled at me and I returned it just
before his face went back to its normal bulldog sneer.
The nurse was tending to Mike who was still crying and
Mr. Shaffer tossed what I had mistakenly thought was a
large bright yellow towel into one of the two plastic
chairs beside me.
      "You can't be running around the halls half naked!"
He said to me, "Put that shirt on after you get washed up
and then come back to class!"
      I held it up with only two fingers so as not to
stain it with Mike's blood and saw that it was in fact a
really huge yellow t-shirt with our school mascot on the
front. A tough little badger with teeth bore ready to
attack.
      I looked back up at him to say thanks but he was
gone.
      "You can wash up in there." The nurse pointed to
another room off the side of her office while she
continued to patch Mike back up.
      I dropped the shirt back in the chair and walked
through the door pushing it open with my elbow and found
the light switch on the wall just inside the door. I had
been in the nurses' office before when I got the flu at
the beginning of the school year but I had never been in
this part of the room before. To the left there was a
small set of shelves with different things like gauze,
bandages, wraps and other medical type stuff sorted
neatly.
      On the wall opposite the door was a tall white metal
cabinet with chrome lever style handles and a stack of
what I thought were white sheets on the top of it. At the
time, I didn't give them much thought, but now I am
wondering if they were really sheets.
      To the right of the cabinet was another examination
table just like the two in the other room and beside that
was a white handicap accessible sink just like in each of
the boys' bathrooms (I can only assume they have them in
the girls bathrooms too) but this sink had big silver
lever style handles like in a hospital, a big tall spout
and one of those sprayer hoses, too. I washed the blood
from my hands, arms and chest and looked in the mirror to
see I had blood on my right cheek, too. I have no idea
how it got there but it was there so I washed my face
too. I had to walk across the room to get to the paper
towel dispenser that hung on the wall behind the door to
dry off and I managed to drip some on the floor on my way
over despite my efforts not too.
      While I was toweling off my face I heard the door
close behind me. I turned around to see a spiky red
haired short boy with his back to me. He went to the
white metal cabinet, opened the two doors and with no
warning or regard for my presence at all he pulled his
pants down to his ankles which alerted me that he didn't
know I was in the room.
      I must have made a noise, maybe I gasped or
something, I honestly don't know but I am sure I made
some kind of noise because he stopped dead and spun
around to face me naked from the waist down but what had
caught my eye was not his boyhood member but what was
bunched up around his ankles. I knew I was staring but I
couldn't stop myself anymore then I could stop myself
from wetting my bed at night; not that I would want to
but still. The moment seemed to last for several seconds
before either of us reacted. In a moment of realization
his hands shot down to cover his privates and I tried to
say something.
      "I-I-I am sorry! I-I was just..." I pointed to the
towel dispenser but I was still staring down at what was
wrapped around his ankles, other then his pants I mean.
It was plain to see that it was a pair of very wet Pull-
ups. There was no mistaking it and the boy seemed to be
so shocked that he just stood there covering himself and
not even trying to say anything. He looked like a little
red haired, ghostly white, freckled rabbit cornered by a
fox.
      I wanted to say something, I wanted to tell him I
wet too, I wanted to make him not be scared but instead I
just said, "Um, I-I will go."
      I fumbled with the handle before I could get the
door opened just enough to allow myself to escape and
close it again fast.
      I stood for a few seconds facing the door, my hand
still grasping the knob, my nose only a fraction of an
inch from it. I was breathing hard; my heart was beating
so hard I thought I was going to pass out. It was only
when I heard a moaning sound that I was snapped back to
my senses.
      I turned to see Mike lying on one of the two
examination type tables holding what I guessed was a
towel wrapped around ice to his mouth. The nurse was
nowhere in sight and I figured she was probably calling
his parents or something.
      "You okay?" I asked.
      He lifted the towel from his face, turned toward me
and I saw that his bottom lip was hugely swollen but had
stopped bleeding. He was also very pale and looked
absolutely miserable.
      I winced at the sight as sort of an acknowledgement
to him that I knew he couldn't talk. He rested the towel
back on his face and I turned to pick up the yellow shirt
left for me by Mr. Shaffer. I pulled it over my head and
struggled to find the two armholes. I pulled it down over
me and it hung on me like I was wearing a yellow tent.
      "Bit big on you isn't it?" I turned to see the nurse
walking back in with another towel of ice, which she
placed on Mikes right knee.
      I had not noticed that he had skinned it up too but
just before she laid it there I saw that it was pretty
grossly gnarled, too.
      When the nurse turned back to me she smiled, "You
look cute like that."
      I felt myself flush.
      I looked down and the shirt was half way down my
calves, the short sleeves hung past my elbows and the
tough little badger on the front was all the way down by
my privates.
      I smiled back and said, "Yea it's a little big but I
like it!"
      I had never worn one of the school shirts before and
I felt bigger then life at that moment.
      "His mother is on the way to pick him up so you can
go on back to your gym class." She handed me a little
blue piece of paper. I recognized it at once as a hall
pass.
      "Okay! Um, Mike take care okay?" I said.
      Mike only groaned.
      "He'll be fine." She said and I retreated from the
room.
      Mr. Graff was standing talking to the office
secretary when I emerged. He gave me a grim look and I
waved the blue hall pass at him like a white flag of
truce and walked out of there as fast as my little feet
could carry me without running.
      The halls were still empty except for the school
janitor wheeling the orange mop bucket down the hall away
from the gymnasium. I thought he must have been cleaning
up the mess Mike's face had made on the gymnasium floor.
      When I walked into the gymnasium it was empty. I
looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was
six minutes until the end of the period. I ran across the
floor, my two shoes pounding out a rumbling rhythm of
echoes that seemed to bounce off all the walls sending
back the sound of a drove of stampeding rhinos.
      I dashed down the flight of stairs to the boys'
locker room, only touching every third step. Near the
bottom I could hear the commotion of everyone talking
while they changed. When I entered through the door
several boys looked at me and laughed when they saw the
huge shirt I was wearing. Mr. Shaffer stepped from his
office and that stopped all comments directed my way. No
one ever crossed Mr. Shaffer. We've all heard rumors that
he once paddled a student just for looking at him wrong.
I am pretty sure it is just some made up story that gets
passed down from one year to the next, but still, he is
big and looks like he sharpens this teeth on the bones of
children so no one would ever dare cross him.
      "Good job today Mr. Leonard. You reacted fast today.
I like that! Now if you could just move that fast in our
relays you might have a chance of making the Junior
Varsity Squad."
      His bulldog face lifted into a smile again. "And
tuck in that shirt! You look like a little boy! Oh and
you can keep it! I imagine your gym shirt is going to be
little more then a rag now. Be sure to take good care of
that, it's a Junior Varsity Squad shirt and I expect you
to earn the right to continue wearing it!"
      He tried to look mean and sound as if he was barking
but I knew better now.
      I smiled back and said, "Yes Sir! I will!" I started
to say thank you but he didn't let me.
      "Go change before you are late for your next class!"
Now his bark was back to normal.
      I weaved through the other boys and got to my locker
feeling ten feet tall. Several boys were already
showered, dressed and leaving. A few were taking there
time talking about the blood and retelling what had
happened for those that had not seen the impact for
themselves.
      I stripped, tossed everything into my locker and
then ran to the showers with my towel only partially
wrapped around me! I didn't really wash but since it is a
school rule that everyone must shower after gym I figured
I better at least go through the motions. Heck, almost
all the boys did the same thing all the time because they
wanted to limit any time in there where other boys were
seeing them naked. I only let myself get semi-wet before
racing back to my locker where I dressed in record time.
Not to get to my next class but with the feeble hope of
spotting that red spiky hair boy again.
      I was slipping on my shoes and thinking to myself
that I didn't remember ever seeing that boy around the
school before. He wasn't in any of my sixth-grade classes
and he looked too small and too young to be in seventh-
grade. I had to find out who he was!
      Unfortunately, by the time I was dressed, had
stashed all my gym clothes and shoes in my gym bag and
had started for the door Mr. Shaffer summoned me from his
office.
      "Mr. Leonard!" I slid to a halt about five feet from
the door.
      I turned around and saw Mr. Shaffer coming out of
his office holding a pile of clothes.
      "Be a champ and take these to Mr. Wilson would you
before he leaves?"
      "Oh yea! Sure I can do that!" I said forgetting to
add Sir but he didn't correct me on it this time.
      I smiled and calmly took the clothes but inside I
was jumping and shouting.
      "Friday after school, I want you here for practice!
You do as well Friday and you will have a place on the
reserve squad with a chance to earn a spot on the first
squad."
      "YES SIR!" I shouted and raced out the door, up the
stairs and back out through the gymnasium, the first bell
had already sounded and the halls were wall-to-wall
students and teachers.
      I knew it was hopeless to try to find that boy in
the halls now but I wasn't going to give up. He was in
this school somewhere and I would find him again and I
still had a small hope that he might still be in the
nurses' office.
      For the third time this week I entered the school
office. The secretary was on the phone and when she saw
me with my arms full of clothes she must have known they
were Mikes and she waved me to go on back.
      I was glad not to see Mr. Graff this time and I
popped in the nurses' office and my shoes squeaked on the
tile floor as I stopped. Mike was still lying on the bed
with the ice on his face. He didn't move; I thought he
might be asleep so I quietly set his clothes on the
chair.
      The nurse was not around and I wanted to look in
that other room again. I knew there was little chance the
boy was in there still but I had to check. I left my gym
bag on the floor next to the two chairs and moved to the
door, which was fully shut this time and I had to turn
the knob to open it. The light was still on and I only
peeked in a bit but I didn't see anyone in the room.
Sensing that the coast was clear I opened it enough to
get my head in for a complete check. Nope, the room was
empty. I pulled my head back out and checked that the no
one was watching from behind me before stepping all the
way in and closing the door behind me again.
      I went right to the white cabinet and opened it.
      "GASP!"
      Diapers, Pull-Ups, Goodnites, baby-wipes, and even
cloth diapers! It was like looking into a treasure chest.
I reached out a hand and touched the cloth diapers and a
shiver ran down my spine.
      "WHOA! I can't believe it! There are enough diapers
here to diaper a small army of bedwetters." I exclaimed
as my whole body tingled with excitement.
      "I have been going to this school for over five
months now and I have never, not even once seen any other
student wearing one of these!"
      I suddenly was aware that I was thinking out loud
and none to quietly.
      I started to close the cabinet door but had to touch
the cloth diaper one more time before I closed them back
into the darkness of the cabinet. I went back to the door
to make sure that no one had heard me or was coming. It
was still safe; I slipped back out of the room and went
over to stand at Mike's side.
      "Mike?" I whispered.
      He didn't move or make a sound.
      I put my hand on his shoulder, "Mike, you okay?"
      His head turned toward me and he opened his left eye
to look at me past the towel of ice.
      "You okay Mike?"
      "Ib okay." He said faintly through the towel.
      "Were you sleeping?" I asked.
      "I thib tho." He said.
      I signed a small breath of relief that he had not
overheard me.
      "Does it hurt a lot?" I asked.
      "Yeb." He answered.
      "Mr. Shaffer had me bring you your uniform and
things, they are right over there on that chair..."
      Just then the nurse came back in the room with an
obviously concerned woman whom I guessed must be his mom.
      "Oh my little Mikey baby are you okay? Oh my sweet
precious boy mommy is here!"
      OKAY, even for me that was embarrassing. I turned to
the nurse, "I brought his things." I pointed to the pile
on the chair.
      "That was very sweet of you!" she said and reached
into the pocket of her white doctor style coat and pulled
out one of the blue hall passes and handed it to me.
      "You better get to your next class!" she said as she
put her hand on the back of my head and gave me an ever
so slight nudge toward the door.
      I reached down and swooped up my gym bag as I left.
      Had she heard me? Did she know?
      "No! No! She couldn't have heard! No! No one heard
me! Mike was sleeping! She was not even close to her
office! No, she couldn't have!"
      I was thinking and trying to convince myself all the
way to the west hall where my locker is. I stuffed my gym
bag in and pulled out my books for the rest of my
afternoon classes.
      I had all but forgotten about the red-haired boy as
the image of that cabinet kept dancing past my mind's
eye. I don't remember much about the rest of the day. It
mostly just sort of blurred by like someone had pressed
the fast forward button on my life.
      At the end of the day, I was standing at my locker
taking out all of my books and stuffing them one by one
into my backpack. I also decided to take my gym clothes
home today though I usually only took them home on
Fridays to be washed because after a week of gym classes
they would start to get a bit funky. I mostly wanted to
take them home today so that I could wear my new Junior
Varsity Shirt to bed tonight.
      I slung my backpack over my left shoulder, slung my
gym bag over my right shoulder and kicked my locker door
shut. When I turned around I was standing face to face
with Peter Alderman, the meanest kid in seventh grade. He
was also the tallest as he had been held back two years
back in third grade.
      Now, there are a few things every self-respecting
boy in my school knows:
      Never make fun of Superman's costume!
Never spit into the wind!
Never try to unmask Batman!
Oh, and you never mess around with Peter Alderman!
      "You that kid that tripped my friend Mike?" His
breath smelled of old socks and pickles and it made my
eyes water or maybe I was so scared that my eyes were
tearing up. I don't know.
      "I-I didn't trip him? I-I was helping him?" my voice
went high.
      "That's not what I hear." He stepped closer looked
down his long nose at me, "I hear you tripped him so you
could beat him in a race."
      I could see his fists clenching.
      "No! No! It wasn't like that at all!" I was on the
verge of crying now and I knew it showed.
      Just then Peter broke into a roaring laugh, "Dude! I
am just messing with you! You are okay! I know you helped
my bud out! Thanks!"
      He punched me in my left arm as a gesture of good
fun but it hurt like fire. I forced a smile and a fake
laugh!
      "Yea you're okay man!" He said as he walked away
followed by his three gorilla wannabe friends who were
rumored to be just as mean as he was.
      All the kids that had been around were looking at me
like they couldn't believe I was still standing there and
still alive. I on the other don't think I have ever been
more scared in my life! It would not have bothered me at
all to live my entire life and never have met Peter
Alderman face to face.
      Looking around at all the eyes there were on my I
think I said something like, "Huh!" and excused myself
through the crowd of gawking faces and made for the front
door with my heart still in my shoes.
      Once outside the wind was really whipping around and
feeling pretty cold. I ran over to dad's car that was
right were it always is after school. I threw both bags
into the backseat and climbed in after them.
      "So how was your day?" dad asked.
      I closed the car door and buckled myself in, "It was
great!" and I proceeded to tell him about everything,
except for the red haired boy and the diaper filled
cabinet.
      He was really proud when I told him that I might
make the Junior Varsity Squad and was more then willing
to let me stay after school Friday to try out for it. He
said he would just pick me up late. I must have been
talking nonstop all the way home because before I knew it
we were pulling into the driveway.
      I nearly fell through the sliding door on my way in
when my gym bag got snagged on the handle and I guess it
was funny because mom and dad both laughed.
      I guess my excitement about everything showed and it
seemed that mom was no longer mad at me as she let me go
on and on retelling the whole story I had just told dad,
again leaving out the bits about the diapers and the boy.
      She wasn't as big on the idea about me getting into
sports as dad was and to be honest, this morning I wasn't
so big on the idea myself but I sure am now!
      I was also surprised when neither of my parents knew
who Peter Alderman was at all. I mean, I thought everyone
in the world knew about Peter Alderman and his crew of
nasties.
      All through dinner I went on and on until mom
finally told me that I needed to eat more and talk less.
She and dad didn't say too much to each other during
dinner but I did catch them eyeing each other and making
funny faces now and again.
      After dinner, without being told I went to my room
and did my homework. I had quite a bit of math to do. I
really don't like math, I just don't get fractions but I
did it all and I read another chapter out of the book
Rumble Fish by S.E. Henton which I have to read for my
English class each night and then we talk about what we
read the next day before we start our regular class work.
      That is probably the most boring book I have ever
had to read in school. Most of the time I just read the
first couple paragraphs and then the last couple
paragraphs and I can bluff my way through any questions
the follow day. I've got nailed a couple of times and my
teacher has told me that I need to pay closer attention
when I am reading. Why can't they pick something good to
read like Harry Potter or one of Ray Bradbury's books?
Those all rock!
      Anyway, after I finished my homework I was about to
get changed and craw into the bottom of my closet to
write all of this down when my dad called me. I found him
in the den working on the bills or something.
      "You have a phone call." He said to me.
      "I do?" I said sounding shocked since I almost never
get any calls.
      I picked up the phone from his desk, "Hello?"
      "Hello Simon, this is Mrs. Winston, Mikey's mom."
The voice on the other end said.
      "Oh hello Mrs. Winston!" I exclaimed, "How is uh,
Mikey?"
      "Oh he is doing a lot better! The doctor had to give
him eight stitches but he is just fine."
      "Eight stitches? Cool!" I said before thinking and
dad looked up from his bills and gave me one of his
looks.
      "Oh sorry, I mean I am glad he is okay." I quickly
corrected myself.
      I thought I could hear her chuckle a little through
the phone.
      "Oh he should be back to school in a couple days and
that brings me to why I am calling." She sounded very
different then when I had seen her at school early today.
      "Would you be a dear and bring Mikey's homework to
him tomorrow? I've already called the school and they
said they will be sure to tell all his teachers."
      I paused for a moment, "Um, Mrs. Winston I don't
know where you live."
      "Oh I'm sorry sweet heart I thought you did, we do
not live very far from you. We are just over on
Pocono..."
      I cut her off, "Oh yea I know where Pocono Street
is!"
      She asked, "Do you know the house with the yellow
and green shutters?"
      "Yea I know that one! It is the one with that really
big tree in the front yard right?"
      "That's the one, deary. So you wouldn't mind
bringing Mikey's books and things to him tomorrow?" she
was getting that honey sweet sound to her voice again and
sounding more and more like the lady I had seen at the
school.
      "Oh yea sure I can do that, uh wait" I pulled the
phone down a bit from my mouth, "Dad, is it okay that I
take Mikey, err, Mike his homework tomorrow after school,
you know the one I told you about?"
      "Of course!" he said without looking up at me.
      "Yes Mrs. Winston I can bring them!" I said back
into the receiver.
      She went on to thank me several times before the
call ended. I hung up the phone and said, "Thanks, dad!"
before running out of the den heading back to my room.
      "Don't run in the house!" I heard him call after me.
      I slowed to a fast walk the rest of the way to my
room and closed the door behind me.
      I was still in my school uniform which was rare for
me but I guess I was so excited about the day and kept
thinking about the boy and the diapers so much that it
didn't occur to me to take off my uniform and put on
something more comfortable.
      I hung my uniform in the closet and stripped down to
nothing, as I was about to toss my underwear into the
laundry basket I stopped and noticed a funny stain on the
front of them. It wasn't pee, I know too well what that
looks like, no this was kind of hard and yellowish. I had
never seen anything like that before on my underwear. I
sniffed it but couldn't smell anything other then what
normal day old underwear smell like. In the end I tossed
them in with my other things from the day and got out a
Goodnite and slipped it on.
      I went to my desk and got my notebook that I do all
of my writing in and a pencil. I also got my extra
blanket from the foot of my bed and my pillow and headed
to my closet. I was just about to close myself in when
the sudden urge that I needed to poop hit me. I really
hate when it sneak up on me like that.
      I jumped out of the closet and ran from my room,
down the hall and into the bathroom. I only just made it
in time to get my Goodnite pulled down and get my butt
settled on the seat when it all came out of me like a
violent volcanic eruption. It just kept coming and
coming. It was kind of liquidy but not quite diarrhea.
When I was finally done and had cleaned myself up, I
pulled my Goodnite back up and flushed the toilet. I
flipped on the fan, a bit late but at least I was
thinking of others having to walk into the bathroom after
me.
      I started washing my hands and felt my belly gurgle
a couple times and I thought how odd a sound that was.
      After I dried my hands, I left the bathroom and went
to the dining room were mom was setting at the dinning
table working a jigsaw puzzle. This was almost always
where mom was in the evenings so I knew she would be
there.
      "Mom, my belly don't feel so good all of a sudden."
And right on cue it gave another big gurgle sound.
      She got up and felt for a temperature by putting her
lips to my forehead, "You don't feel hot."
      She brushed my hair with her fingers and my belly
let out another gurgle and a small burp popped in the
back of my throat.
      "Okay, come on!"
      She put her arm around my shoulders and led me to
the kitchen. She left me standing in the middle of the
kitchen as she went to the silverware draw to get a spoon
and then to the refrigerator where she produced the
Pepto-Bismol bottle.
      "Oh mom, not that stuff?" I whined.
      "Now stop that! It will make you feel better by
morning. Now open up." And she spooned the vial pink
concoction down my throat.
      I gagged and gasped as it went down.
      "Oh stop that! It's not that bad!" she said.
      Dad walked in, "Oh no! Not the dreaded Pink Poison!"
      Mom shot him a look, "You're not helping!"
      "Don't worry son! That stuff will only kill if you
take two spoonfuls." he said laughingly.
      And without warning mom shoved a second spoonful of
the stuff into my open mouth as I was making a face after
the first spoonful.
      That one nearly made me blow chunks right there on
her clean kitchen floor but it somehow managed to stay
down. Dad on the other hand was laughing up a storm.
      I wasn't feeling bad at all before the Pepto but now
my stomach was cramping and I had little beads of sweet
forming on my upper lip.
      It must have showed on my face because my mom asked
me, "Are you going to be sick?"
      I swallowed a couple times and stood breathing open
mouthed.
      "You okay?" dad said not laughing anymore.
      I waited another moment before the feeling started
to pass and I was able to answer, "I'm okay now."
      "Okay, off to bed with you!" Dad said, swooping me
up like a little kid in his arms.
      "Now honey, don't shake him all up!" mom said as he
carried me out of the kitchen.
      He cradled me in his arms, my head resting on his
shoulder. It had been a very long time since he carried
me like this and I had forgot how nice it felt. He took
me to my room and freeing one arm he managed to pull down
my bed and then laid me in it. He patted the side of my
bottom through the Goodnite.
      "Where's your pillow?" he asked looking around my
room looking a little confused.
      "In the closet." I point over to the open closet
door.
      "In the closet?" He said under his breath as walked
across the room to the closet and retrieved it, the extra
blanket and my notebook.
      "Huh!" is all he said as he slid the closet door
shut.
      He lifted my head and slid my pillow under it.
Before pulling the covers over me he slipped two fingers
under the waste band of my Goodnite and tugged them up on
me tight just like he always used to do when I was
little. He pulled the covers up to my chin and then took
the other blanket and covered me with it too. He tucked
me in so tightly that I couldn't move.
      "You probably just had an overly exciting day today
is all. I am sure you will be fine in the morning." He
messed up my hair as he said that.
      Before leaving he laid my notebook on my desk and
then left turning off the light on his way.