Back to 3rd Grade

The Mighty Dean

My eyes are burning with tears from both pain and embarrassment. The only thing I can do is sit there and prey no one sees me.

I then see two familiar sneakers in front of me. I look up and see Dean standing there. He offers me his hands to help me up. I gratefully take them and stand up.

"Ow." I whisper. My knees and palms burning.

"Are you hurt?" Dean asks me.

"I'm ok, I guess." I reply.

Dean looks at the floor, then up to the boy. "Do you see what you did?" He yells at the other boy.

"So?" The rude boy says "she is low enough to the ground to pick it up."

"Shut up! You little-"

"Dean!" I step in front of him. His face softens and he looks down at me.

"Yes." He says.

"It's fine. Lets got sit down." I tell him quietly. He nods and fallows me to the table.

My food is all over the ground so I have nothing to pick up except my pride. I pick my head up and walk to the table proudly, with Dean at my side. We were literally 3 steps from the table when the boy had to make one more comment.

"Hey shorty!" He called "When you're done being a charity case for though guy over there, come shine my shoes, will ya?" He exploded with laughter and so did his gang of friends.

"Hold this please." Dean grumbles to me pressing his trey in my small hands.

"Dean, what are you-"

Dean walked up to the rude boy told him to shut up then hit him in the face. I laughed and put my hand over my mouth to stop myself.

"What the hell man!" The boy said holding his eye.

"I told you to shut up." Dean growled at him "Don't make fun of my best friend."

Dean let the boy go and he took his brownie from his trey. He turned and walked back to where I was trying not to laugh. He took his trey back and offered me an arm. I took his arm and we walked to the lunch table. When we sat down we both burst into fits of laughter.

"Good job Dean." I complement him.

"Thank you." He says dramatically, then takes a bow.

"You got him good."

"Hell yeah!"

"Dean Mary Jonas! Language!"

"Right sorry." I continue to giggle as Dean gives me the brownie he took from the rude boy. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks!" I say starting to eat the sweet treat.

"I better get a new nick name for that." Dean laughs between bites.

"What's wrong with the name you have now." I ask.

"The 'Mighty Dean' sounds stupid." Dean informs me.

"Ok, then I'll call you Trouble." I reply with a wink. We both laugh and continue our meal in peace, ignoring the world around us.