Broken

Sticks & Stones

August 2,2001

The large boys laughed as they pushed the much smaller and considerably weaker boy to the ground. He flew headfirst into the gravel road and had to flail his arms in front of him to protect his face. Light soft skin,torn by the rocks,he gasped at the sudden pain.

"Come on,Pee-Wee,fight back." Conner urged. Conner was the head of the first grade bully pack,the alpha. Mainly because he was the biggest kid in the grade. The smallest boy in the grade was Paxton Webb,naturally being the one to be picked on and bullied the most.

Paxton was short and skinny,underweight for his age with ghost white blonde hair and countless galaxies of freckles in constellations all over his body. Two large light blue eyes blinked behind thick lensed glasses. He was always quiet and constantly had his nose in a book,large books advanced for his age tucked under a skinny arm.

"I'm not going to fight you,Conner." He returned shifting his position in the ground and wiping a bloody nose they had given him before pushing the boy to the ground.

"Why not? I'm sure your mommy wouldn't care. Oh wait of course she wouldn't,dead people don't care about anything." Conner jabbed at Paxton's dead mother but he said nothing,gritting his missing-tooth ,crooked smile. "Come on take a swing."

"No." He refused firmly standing shakily to his feet. Just as he stood up strait,Conner snickered kicking him hard in the stomach,this time leaving no excess time for thought to put his hands out falling back into the ground face forward,gripping his stomach.

Paxton coughed and gasped trying desperately to inflated the small lungs with oxygen. His glasses had skittered off his nose and he couldn't think strait as to where they were or if they were even intact. These beatings happened practically every day after school but he would never get used to them.

Unable to move or breathe he curled up into a ball,the fetal position and struggled for air hoping they would soon grow bored and leave him alone. Suddenly he heard the loud swish of powerful brakes and boots crunching over gravel.

"Hey!" A strong powerful voice scolded in the background. "What do you think your doing?" Paxton heard The smaller feet of Connor and his friends running in retreat only to be stopped and lectured about something he couldn't make out and suddenly felt large hands touch his shoulder.

Paxton clenched his body,still struggling for breath until deep soft words soothed him.

"Hey,buddy,you okay? It's okay,now they're gone." Paxton cracked and eye and saw a kind tan skinned fireman hovering over him. "Can I take a look?" He offered kindly and Paxton loose send allowing the generous man to sit him up. The fireman noticed his distress. "You having trouble breathing,buddy?" Paxton nodded and he turned to the fireman who had just lectured the kids,now walking over.

"Stills, being me some O2 small mask." The fireman Stills nodded and jogged off. Paxton looked up at the strong young man with his wide blue eyes. "This happen often?" He asked and Paxton shook us head quickly not wanting to give them any more reasons to beat him. "Come on,don't lie to me buddy. Lying never got anybody anywhere." He said simply. The firemen had coal black-brown eyes that seemed to cut into his mind as if he could read it.

Soon Stills returned with an oxygen mask. Paxton shivered slightly at the scary looking piece and the fireman seemed to know that too.

"Hey buddy,I'm gonna just out this over your nose and mouth and it's gonna help you breathe okay?" As he explained Paxton calmed a bit but still was thick with uncertainty. "Here." He offered pulling the mask over his face first. It was too small and only fit over his nose,squishing his lips downward:he looked so funny Paxton started to laugh,coughing a bit. He nodded and put his small hands out as a symbol to permission to wear the funny mask.