To have and to serve

The dog just stood there growling ready to pounce. It looked mad there, just growling and spit dripping down its wide jaws. It looked like it had rabies.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen. He had just been walking and he didn’t pay attention to where he was going and had walked directly in front of the dog and when he had backed away the dog had followed. He did the only thing his child mind could think of. Run!

He had kept running, but he had slipped. Then he stumbled off the road into the woods and scraped his knee.

Now here he was clutching his knee and looking at the animal who just wouldn’t leave him alone. He cried as the dog approached him.

“Stupid dog!” a voice yelled and there was a pained whine. He didn’t even know he had closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he was looking at knees. He looked up and a girl stood there looking down at him with a cute frown and her hands on her hips. She looked displeased. He noticed the dog was no longer there.

“Where did the dog go?” he asked the girl.

“You’re an Idiot” she huffed getting down on one knee and looking at his knee.

He got red in the face. “I’m not an idiot…I-I….did…was just….” He sputtered.

“You’re an idiot who can’t speak that’s what I know,” she said standing up.

“I’m not….”

“Why did you run and do nothing?” she asked. “You just sat there waiting for that dog to bite you”.

“I was just…..”

“Scared,” she said.

“No, I wasn’t. I was just waiting for it to……”

“Yeah, whatever. We need to get that knee of yours looked at before it starts…I don’t know the word” she said holding her hand out for him to take.

“Are you taking me to the hospital?” he asked the girl who was taller than him.

“Just for a cut? And you don’t want me to call you an idiot” she said with a smile.

He was silent.

“My bike is up. We’ll take it to my place. My mum’s a nurse and we can patch up your knee” she said holding his hand and leading him up to her pink bike that was on the side of the road.

“How did you see me?”

“You passed me screaming” she smiled. “Now get on let’s go”.

He looked at the pink bike which was nauseatingly pink. “But it’s pink” he whined.

“Do you want to walk? Because it’s really far and your knee could get infected if we’re not fast”.

He looked at the bike one last time and sat behind her. At least no one would see him.

“Put your hands around me” she instructed and soon they were moving.

He knew after a few minutes that her house wasn’t around here. They were moving further and further from civilization. Soon there were no houses. Just trees and more trees and they were going up and soon they were at a nice looking house.

He got off slowly and she got off removing her annoyingly pink helmet.

“Mum!” she yelled making her way up the steps and he followed slowly. Feeling all shy all of a sudden.

When he walked in, he saw a woman in a rocking chair.

“Oh Maddison,” the woman said softly. “You’re back early, and you made a friend,” she said her gaze settling on the boy who was quiet.

“He’s an idiot,” she said turning to look at him, and then he saw that they really looked alike. Well if she put her hair up in ponytails.

“Maddie! Where did you hear that?!” she scolded holding her arm.

“From you” she replied unfazed.

“Stop that now!” she said. “Now who’s your friend?”

“What’s your name?” Maddie asked.

“N-Nathan Grey” he stammered.

“He got chased by a dog and did nothing”.

“Maddie enough!” her mother warned. “Now get Nathan something to drink”.

Maddie hopped to the kitchen and the woman gave him a once-over.

“Now Ethan I’m Alison, Maddie’s mother”.

“Nathan” he corrected softly.

“Yes sorry, now take a seat and I’ll have you patched up”.

He made his way to the offered couch and the woman disappeared and then she came back with a box. Maddie dropped a tray on the glass table with a loud ‘CLANK’.

“Are you going to cut his leg off mum?”

“What?!” Nathan screamed.

“Maddie enough. It’s just a cut”.

“Yes, but isn’t it infected, and then it’ll start bringing out stuff and then you’ll have to….”

“Maddie it’s just a cut” her mother explained exasperated and she pressed something against the cut making Nathan whimper.

Maddie looked at him and he kept a straight face. With great difficulty.

She slapped a bandage onto the cut.

“There,” Alison smiled.

“Are you okay?” Maddie asked.

“Yes…of course I am” he could feel his eyes watering.

“Okay now you guys should just….get to know each other” she settled for that and left them alone.

“Juice” she offered.

His parents told him not to take things from strangers and he just followed someone who he didn’t know to her house. Well her mother was nice and did treat his cut.

“Yes,” he replied taking the cup from her hands.

“So Nathan, where do you live?”

“Really far from here”.

“What’s your dad do?”

“My dad is a lawyer”.

“My dad told me that lawyers are liars”.

“What does your father do?”

“My father is the chief of police” Maddison smiled and again he felt scared. “Catches all the bad guys”.

“That’s cool. When I grow up, I’m going to be a hero”.

Maddison laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“How can you be a hero when you ran away from a dog? You’re meant to be fearless and brave like batman”.

“You love comics?”

“Yes. If I wanted to be a hero, I’d be batman”.

“That’s cool. What do you want to be?”

“I’m going to be a singer,” she said smugly.

“You can sing?”

“Yes. I love Freddie….”

“Krueger?” he asked confused. “I didn’t know he could sing”.

“No you idiot. Freddie Mercury”.

“I’m not an idiot”.

“Yes, you’re ignorant. Boys” she groaned.

“I’m sorry I don’t know him” he apologized because she looked upset.

“You should be. I bet you listen to that stupid rock music that they just scream”.

“I’m sorry” he tried again.

“I forgive you” she huffed.

“Okay, maybe you can sing for me”.

She smiled and stood up. “I’ll sing a popular one. Just a line though. Mum said I have to save my voice”.

He watched her as she cleared her throat and did a pose.

~“Can anybody find me somebody to love?”~

“Wow!” he exclaimed.

“Was it good?” she asked.

“Really good” he replied.

“Thanks” she smiled looking away.

He smiled back and drank his juice. “When you’re done, do you want me to take you home?”

“That’ll be nice because I don’t know my way back”.

“Good then”.

“Mum we’re leaving now!” she yelled when they were done with their juice and she got her bike.

“So you must love pink a lot” he stated.

“Yes I do” she smiled. “Now get on!” she ordered.

He got on behind her and placed his hands around her waist.

“You should hold on tight”.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because this is like a hill. Going up is hard, but coming down is really easy and very nice and fast”.

“Is it safe?” he asked cautiously.

“Relax I’m batman and I’ve done it many times”.

“I’m not sure….” He started.

“Do you trust me?” she asked placing her helmet on.

“Y-yes I do,” he said burying his face into her back. She smelled like a girl. All sweet and flowery.

“Then just scream…..” and she was already pedaling.

He did scream really loud because it was really scary. He thought he was going to fall off. And it didn’t help that she kept screaming too for a whole other reason. He thought he was going to die.

“You can let go of me now,” she said.

Nathan opened his eyes still panting and happy he was alive and shakily let go of her.

“It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“No” he replied cleaning his eyes.

“Were you scared?”

“No” he replied defensively.

“Sure you weren’t...hero. Now tell me where you live” she said.

“Just go down there. Eleven blocks down from here” he said.

“Sure” and she was already moving.

Eleven houses later, Maddie stopped in front of a nice beige or cream house and she turned back. “Is this it?”

“Yeah. Thank you” and he was already coming down.

“So this is goodbye…..I guess” she said a little bit hurt that she wouldn’t get to see him again. But she wouldn’t show it. No way.

“So you don’t want to meet again? I thought we were….er we could be friends?”

She smiled “Sure. Now that I know your house and you know my house it’s going to be great!” Maddie was excited which was so not like her. She was mean but seeing her like this was nice.

He felt a thrill knowing he was the reason she was excited.

“How about tomorrow?” Nathan asked.

“Sure” she smiled and she of her legs on the pedal and pedaled away.

Nathan stood there until he saw her disappear.

He got into the house and his mum saw him and smiled.

“Who’s that?” his mum asked.

“No one” he replied nonchalantly.

“Then why are you smiling like that?” she teased.

“Nothing” he replied thrusting his hands in his pockets and puffing his cheeks.

“Nathan’s got a girlfriend” she sang.

“No, I don’t. She’s not my girlfriend!”

His mum assessed him. “What happened to your knee?” she queried concerned already making her way to him and getting down on her knee.

“I fell and I cut my knee” he replied.

“And then the girl patched you up” she smiled squeezing his cheeks.

“Not exactly” he replied.

“Will she be coming over?” she asked.

“Maybe” he replied.

“Good because she’s really cute”.

“Mum!” he cried over dramatically and his mum just kept smiling.

“Hush. Now go get ready. Your father will soon be back and then there’s also dinner”.

“Yes, mum” and he ran up the stairs.

He was really excited. Tomorrow he’d get to see her again and this time he’d prove that he wasn’t an idiot. He’d prove that he was brave and not a wimp. He’d show her why his mum called him a hero.

++++++

“You’re back” her mother stated watching her park her bike on the lawn.

“Yes,” she replied excitedly.

“Did he get home safe?”

“Yes and he wants me to hang out tomorrow. I need to pick a cute outfit that’ll match my hair ties”.

“So you have a boyfriend now?” she asked.

Maddie looked up at her mother and her excitement disappeared and she was back to her cool and collected self. She must have gotten it from her father.

“He’s not my boyfriend. Like I would ever like that idiot”.

“Maddison. We do not talk like that!” her mother warned.

“Yes ma’am”.

“Now go find what to wear for tomorrow then. Isn’t he your first friend?” she asked.

“I have other friends mum!” she yelled with her hands up storming inside the house and her mother just chuckled knowingly.

She couldn’t wait for the day to end and so tomorrow she’d get to meet her new friend. Even over dinner, she couldn’t stop smiling and that earned her looks from her father.

“What is with that face Mads?”

“Nothing” she sighed.

“She made a friend today Thomas. A sweet boy….”

Her husband choked.

“Who is he?” he asked in his chiefly voice.

“He’s just a boy Thomas” Alison chuckled.

“Tell me about this boy” he turned to his daughter.

“He’s an idiot” Maddison shrugged indifferently. Opposite of what she was moments ago.

“Mad…..”

“No Alison” Thomas smiled.

His wife sighed.

“Yes Maddison”. “And never forget that all boys are idiots”.

“Yes sir” she saluted.

He turned and smiled at his wife.

“You see Alison. All boys are idiots”.

The next day Nathan was impatient. Was she going to come? Maybe she wasn’t with the way he screamed like a girl yesterday. No, she was excited when he suggested it. He knew she’d come and his mum had done nothing but watch when he was full of doubts.

“She’ll come Natty. Just calm down” she said without looking up from the magazine she was reading.

He had an idea then. He’d take a walk and he’d meet her when she came riding. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

“I’m taking a walk”.

“Sure honey, but not too far”.

“Yes mum,” he said.

He put on his shoes and he’d go and wait for her at the beginning of the road.

He made it off his lawn and was just three houses down when he got some visitors.

“Well if it isn’t tiny Natty” a big boy teased which caused his companions to laugh.

Nathan just ignored them. It was the right thing to do anyway.

“We saw you yesterday. Riding on a pink bike. So embarrassing”.

“Are you sure you were