Best Friends (BxB)

Kindergarten

Chapter One:   Kindergarten

The bell rang.

"Jamie, it really is time, honey. It's time for your first day. You're going to have so much fun. I promise. School is awesome, sweetie."

His mom's voice made his tummy feel warm and cozy. When she talked softly like that, he was filled up with love. Which was why he pushed his face against her, held tighter to her leg and shook his head, rubbing his nose back and forth on her jeans.

She sighed, and put her hands in his hair, the way he loved. "What do I do now?" she murmured under her breath, desperately wishing the teacher supervising the kids on the playground would catch her eye and help. She didn't really know what to do. Momming was way harder than being an accountant.

But both of them looked up, surprised, hearing wild, desperate sobs approaching.

Around the corner of the school yard fence, came another woman, probably just her age, mid thirties, long brown hair, glasses, and in her arms, clutching desperately to her, hysterically crying was another boy.

The moms exchanged looks, and Kelly tried to convey her utmost sympathy to a fellow woman in distress. She could tell the other mom was embarrassed by the way she hid her face in her son's hair. Kelly's heart went out to her.

"Sweetie? See that boy crying?"

Jamie looked up briefly from his mom's leg. His pale blue eyes wide open and a little scared to hear another boy crying so hard. He nodded, and put his thumb in his mouth.

"Don't Jamie," She said in passing, pushing down his thumb. He bit his lip instead. "See him? He's scared to go to school too. I guess. Even though school is SO much fun. I bet he needs a brave friend to help him. Will you be my brave boy? Come on, let's help them."

Jamie looked up at her, unsure.

"Remember what we always say, sweetie? 'Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.' "

"Maya Angelou," he said, his voice very quiet.

"That's right, honey."

Her parents thought she and Danny went overboard, reading poetry to their son since he was a tiny baby. But even though she was someone who felt a kinship with numbers, words held a power to change the world. That's what her husband always said, and being head over heels in love with him, she agreed. But also because he was right.

And here she was, able to use the quote they had stenciled on her son's wall, in a perfect situation. She couldn't wait to slip that casually into a conversation with her often times condescending mother.

"What do you say, honey? Can you be his rainbow?"

Jamie looked at the other boy, hands in his mom's hair, kicking his feet against her waist, clutching her desperately.

"Let's take a deep breath, honey, and put on our bravest faces." His mom made a funny face, trying to look tough, and put her fist on her heart like a warrior. "We can do this!" Then she smiled down at him, eyes twinkling. "Okay?"

He mimicked her, putting on a brave face that slowly slipped away the closer they got to the other people.

"Hi, I'm Kelly, and this is my son, Jamie," his mom said in her friendly voice. She was a sweet mommy and everyone liked her.

The other woman looked at her, and Jamie thought it was strange how scared she seemed. But also how her face changed seeing his mommy smile at her.

"Dana," she replied, trying to smooth down her hair, which was caught in the little boy's fingers. "This is Noah." She tried to turn around so they could see her son's face, but it was plastered to her neck. They could only hear his wailing. "He's a little scared to go to school." Then grimaced at the understatement.