"Robert!" I yelled to him as I ran over to his body. Crap...
I was in fourth grade when I first met him. I had known him since kindergarten as we had both gone to the same school. I hadn't talked to him until I hit him in the face with a dodgeball in gym class, in the spring of 2000. We had just gotten home from our schools spring break, and our gym teacher thought it would be a "fun" day.
"Okay class, first we're going to plat freeze tag..." Everyone cheered. "Then we'll use the parachutes for a few turns..." Even bigger cheer. "Then we have two options for the rest of class. You can either have free choice in this gym, or you can go outside and play dodgeball on the track." More cheers. "Ready... Set... Go!" Everyone started yelling and giggling.
We played a game of freeze tag, which I never really liked to begin with, but still had fun. Then we used the parachute, which was always everyone's favorite activity to do in gym class. Then finally, we had everyone separate to two sides of the gym. Half was for free choice, and the other half was for dodgeball. 8 out of the 26 students chose dodgeball.
"Okay, free choice kids, have fun. Dodgeball kids, follow me." We all followed her like ducklings following their mother, until we reached the field. The balls were already layed out in a line, and tape was put down to mark the court. She made two groups of four."Alright. You know the rules. When I blow this whistle, go after them. I'll go in and check on the other kids, then I'll come right back, okay?"
"OKAY!" We all yelled back simultaneuosly.
TWEET! The whistle blew and everyone ran forward in a blur of color and laughter. Everyone grabbed a ball, and we started almost immediately. They were flying all over. We had a plan. Keep all of the balls on our side, then when they don't have anymore, pelt all of them back at them. It was the perfect plan, and took a lot of planning and devious whispering for a bunch of third graders.
Once all of the balls were on our side, the plan was put into action. We each grabbed two, and readied our aim. "FIRE!" One of the girls on our team yelled. We all let loose, throwing them as hard as out little arms could posibly manage.
One of the balls I had thrown hurled straight at this little boy's face. The world seemed to move in slow motion as I watched the ball hit him square in the bridge of his nose, bending the center of his glasses and popping out a lens. He fell to his knees, cupping his hands over his face.
"Robert!" I yelled to him as I ran over to his body. Crap... I thought to myself. He looked up at the crowd of people in front of him. A drip of blood came from his nose, and he wiped it with his left hand, looking down at it.
"Can someone take me to the office?" He asked. Nobody answered. He was kind of weird, nerdy, the odd man out. But so was I.
I stuck my right hand out for him to grab. "C'mon. I'll take you." He hesitantly reached out with his clean, blood-free hand. He grabbed my hand as I pulled him up. We fumbled around in grass looking for his other lens.
We walked toward the school, his hand pressed against his nose. "How did you know my name?..." He asked quietly.
"What?" I answered back.
"How did you know my name?" He said again, a little louder.
"I've known you for a few years." I replied. "I don't know. I guess I'm just good with names." I shrugged. He looked up at me. I was about six inches taller than him. I have a feeling he's not going to be very tall when he's older. I noticed him looking at me and looked down as well. He blushed and looked away. "Are you okay" I asked, touching his shoulder. He shrugged my hand off his shoulder, wiping it off. "Oh... Sorry." I said, inching away from him as I opened the door.
I held it open for him and he walked through. We walked a little bit more in silence until he finally fixed it. "I'm sorry..." He barely made a sound when he said it.
"You're sorry?" I asked. He nodded. "W-Why?" I said, giggling a little bit.
"I'm sorry I pushed your hand off. I'm not used to... people." He said, blushing again. He pushed his glasses up as he looked back up from the floor. Looking forward, he continued. "I've never really been close to anyone. I mean as you can see I'm not what most people would consider the 'class hunk' where everyone is crawling over eachother to be my friend. I'm quite the opposite actually. You're the first person whose ever talked to me at this school who wasn't a teacher, or forced to work with me...." He looked up at me again. "I've gone to this school for almost five years and I've never had a friend..."
"Oh Robert..." I started, looking down at him. "I'll be our friend."
"Okay." He said. "First things first, if we're going to be friends, call me Bo. It's my nickname."
I thought about it for a second, then replied. "Oh, Bo... I like it..." Bo... cute nickname.
