Monster Slayers MC-Book 1

MSMC Bk 1-Chapter 16

Chapter 16-Marley says YES!

Marley's POV

After about half an hour, Max came barreling down the hallway, yelling "Marley! Marley! Where are you?"

Right behind him was Sara, yelling at Max. "You monster! I'm going to kick your butt when I catch you."

I stood up and intercepted the two children, grabbing Max and Sara by the arms and holding them apart. "What is going on?" I said in my best mother's scolding voice.

"That little monster threw a toy and hit me in the back. If I hadn't been standing there he would have hit Christie right in the head." Sara said loudly.

"Max! I'm surprised at you! Why would you do something like that?" I said sternly, in shock that he had done something like that. Max was never violent.

"Christie was teasing me for riding Hunter's bike. She's jealous because I got to ride and she didn't." Max pouted.

"But throwing toys is not the answer to a girl teasing you. You know better than that. You just blew any chance of going on another ride. Now you apologize to Sara right away!" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, Sara. I just got angry because she was teasing me." Max said.

"Now march right upstairs and lay down and think about what you did and what would have happened if you had hit Christie in the head. You could have seriously hurt her, Max. I'm ashamed of you." I said.

That last part probably hurt Max more than making him apologize or having to take a nap did. He worshiped Marley and to know that she was ashamed of him for what he had done hurt. "I'm sorry Marley. I won't do it again, I promise." He said as his eyes began to fill with tears.

"Sara, go on back to the playroom and let Mama Mae know that Max is laying down, please." I told Sara and then led Max upstairs.

Max looked like he was walking his last mile and was fighting back the tears as he climbed the stairs next to me. I saw him into our room and made him lay down on the cot that Hunter had set up for him near the seating area. He began to cry in earnest as I looked down at him and my heart was sore and I was so tempted to stop scolding and comfort him instead but he needed to learn a lesson here. "I can't believe you tried to hurt Christie, Max. What were you thinking?" I asked.

"I was just mad because she was teasing me. She's always teasing me and I just got fed up with it. She said the only reason I got to ride Hunter's bike was because I am a boy, like that's a bad thing." Max explained.

"Well, I'll talk to Christie about teasing you but Max, violence is never the right way to handle a problem. You could have seriously hurt Christie. Do you understand that?" I told him.

"I didn't mean to really hurt her, I just wanted her to stop teasing me. They always tease me because I'm the only boy and they always want to play with dolls. UGH! I finally got to do something with a man and they were jealous." he said, laying on the bed with his arms crossed but fighting the tears. "Marley?"

"Yes?" I said.

"Does this mean we won't be terror buddies and that you don't love me anymore?" Max asked, trying not to cry.

"Oh no, Max. I will always love you and of course we will be terror buddies but you need to sleep here for now unless there is a storm. You know the rules." Marley smiled at him. "Now rest and I'll check on you in a little while." I said and kissed his forehead as I pulled a lightweight blanket over his legs and brushed back the locks of curly brown hair back off his forehead.