Why So Dapper?

Chapter 1

Miles's P.O.V

"Stick your tongue out! Stick your tongue out, Miley!"

I look down at the floor, sick to my stomach. Why can't they just let me get to the nurse?!

"Come on, Miley! Why don't you twe-"

The nurse's door flings open, to my relief, and the boys stop laughing. As some sick kid makes his way out of the room, Axer smacks me in the back of the head. I turn around to find him smirking. He lifts his hand once more, but I run quickly inside before any damage is done.

"Sick again, Miles?" The nurse shakes her head continuously. "That's the third time this week," she says. "And it's Monday."

I look down at my feet, clad in those new yellow sneakers that Jordan and Axer ruined. I sigh. "I know, Ms. Beckett, but this time it really really hurts, I swear!"

Ms. Beckett gives me a skeptical frown but reaches for the phone anyway.

"A'ight, kid, I'll send you home," she sighs, still shaking her head in pity. "Come back tomorrow feeling fine, ok?"

"Ok." I nod.

I hear snickering in the hallway. I guess the boys never left.

"Dodododododo!" I hear them screech. "Dodobiiiiiirrrrd!! Doodoo bird!!! Haha!"

How mature. I wonder who they're making fun of now.

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Dodo's P.O.V

There they were again, those boys; Axer, Branden, and Jordan. Making fun of my name. I don't blame them. You don't find a Dodobird Wilson everyday. Axer ain't too swell of a name either, but Dodobird is above and beyond, so to them, Axer is still ok.

"What's your mum's name again? Duckpants? Priceless!!!" Axer screeches. I wince. Mom has been in the hospital for quite a while now, and the nurse had the same reaction when she found out her name. I don't see the problem. Besides, Mum doesn't go by her full name anymore. She goes by Duckie. I go by Dodo.

I am the third child in my family, and my two younger brothers don't have it all too good either. My older sisters' names are Crocodator and Alligile. They're twins. Codi is older than Alli by barely a minute. They're seventeen. My younger brothers' names are Rugcarpet and Polkastripes. Rugs is eight. Stripes is five.

That leaves me; Dodobird. Dodo. Everyone calls me Dodo but Mommy. She calls me Bird.

At home, our names sit just fine with us. To everybody else, not so.

"Dodobirrrddddd!!!" Branden screeches into my ear, shoving me to the ground. I land on my hands, lifting myself back up easily, only to be forced back to the ground.

"I wasn't done, idiot!" Branden shouts, striking me across the face with his bare hand. It hurts, but I don't let them see any sign of a wince or a grimace. I just stare at them, every single one. "Sit!" He commands, smirking when I don't listen. He kicks my stomach so that I can't breathe. "Sit!" I sit. He grins. "Good birdie." He ruffles my hair. Axer and Jordan repeat him, then Jordan signals for them to follow him away when the nurse's door clicks open. When a pair of dirty, beaten-up, yellow basketball sneakers steps out, my jaw drops. Standing there is the most beautiful kid I've ever seen; golden-brown hair, stunningly vibrant green eyes, faint golden-brown freckles spread about his nose and cheeks. He takes one look at me and smiles. I smile back and realize that he's smiling out of pity, smiling out of what looks like understanding.

NO WAY!

Why would he ever be teased by those three lame excuses of guys?

"Hi," the kid waves, reaching out a hand to help me up. Wait, was I still sitting down? "I'm Miles," he says as I straighten up a bit, pat down my dark hair.

"I'm..." I think for a moment. He's going to laugh, no doubt, but then again... "Dakota," I blurt, before my brain can actually think it over. Great. Now, if we become friends, he'll find out I lied.

"Was Axer after you, too?" Miles asks sweetly, still giving me that understanding smile.

I nod. "And Branden. And Jordan."

"Same," he says. Suddenly, he looks at me all goofy-eyed with a lopsided smile. He reaches out his hand. "I'm Miles."

"I know. You told me already," I laugh.

"Oh. Right! And you're Delilah," he says.

"Yep."

"Wait... no, you said you were Dakota..."

Oops. "Yeah, I... that's my middle name. Delilah, I mean."

He nods. "Dakota Delilah? That's why they were calling you Dodobird? Fools."

I feel my cheeks turn a little red out of guilt, but it quickly passes when Miles starts telling me about his name and why they bother him and all that jazz.

Pretty soon, Miles's mom, a really nice, curly-golden-haired lady named Sophia, comes to pick Miles up. She invites me over to their house later to hang out with Miles. Apparently he has an older sister that we can hang out with too.

Axer and his minions bother me a few more times in English and Science class, but at the end of the day, I come home smiling because I made a friend and now officially have a bully-buddy, which is awesome. Truly, truly awesome.