Crash ~Justin Bieber~

Chapter 26 ~ Kick And Shove

(Rachel's POV)

I almost doubted William's judgment once. One day in the leafy park grounds that surrounded our homely street in Toronto, I believed for one split second that my big brother and my hero was wrong.

I had been playing on the swing sets, and I was doubled over on a swing, hanging by my stomach and staring down at my shadow on the sand beneath me. Justin and Randy were building a fort in a tree not far from me, and little Joshua Lewis was following behind them begging incessantly to be included.

"You are too short to help!" Randy shouted.

"And not strong enough either!"

Randy and Justin were both eight years old and in a testing time in their lives. They believed wholeheartedly that they were the strongest, wisest and tallest eight year olds around.

I was in my very own phase and I was enjoying being six. As I kicked my feat off of the ground and swung back and forth on the swing, I was one hundred and ten percent convinced that I was able to fly. I was sure that once my baby teeth fell I would sprout wings on my back, and Randy and Justin would be so very jealous.

"Joshua, go away! We don't like you! You're a dork!"

"Just let me help, Randy please!"

"No - we hate you! Go away!"

I shook from my swing and fell back on my knees. Joshua had shoved my brother backwards and his own cry had awoken me from my trance.

"That was a mistake!" Justin called, "A big one!"

Soon Joshua was crying hovelled over on the ground as Justin sent kick after kick into Joshua's crimpled sides. Randy stood tall and fought the same victim, not listening to my warnings, and kicking Joshua without pause.

"I will tell William! I mean it! Stop it now!"

I received no response so I ran down the street to my only known rescuer.

"William! William, come quick! They are fighting! They are kicking Joshua Lewis!"

He was mowing the lawn at the front of our house but he laid down his housework immediately to follow me fast. When Will and I arrived back at the park Joshua was nowhere to be seen and Randy and Justin stood guilty at the base of their fort, their foreheads sweaty from the sun.

"What happened?" William asked, his voice strong and commanding, "Were you fighting?"

"Joshua pushed Randy. So I kicked him"

I stood behind William so sure that Justin would soon regret his crime. William didn't let us kick and he didn't let us tease.

"Good man,"

William ruffled Justin's hair before shaking Randy's too. He praised them loudly and laughed at Joshua's defeat. But why would he do that? Joshua had only wanted to play. Randy teased him first and he only shoved him back in retaliation.

That night I asked William if he had made a mistake. He told me that he had not and that Justin had been worthy of no punishment.

"You protect your family, wrong or right, you have their back"

"But they kicked Joshua"

"If you have to kick, then you kick"

William told me that when someone threatened one of your own, there was no such thing as reasoning.

"You protect your family. You protect what's yours. Nothing else matters"

I said I understood him and I went off to bed.