Big Brother Danny

You Don't Want To Know

"What eight year old says 'trust me. you don't want to freakin' know'?"
"Trust me. You don't want to freakin' know!"
**************
Danny Reagan hated reading class. It wasn't that he was a bad reader, he just... wasn't good. His mother constantly reminded him that at eight, he didn't have to be the best reader; after all, he had only learned to read three years ago. Although.... he should be good at reading now- after doing it for three years. Danny hated reading almost as much as he hated math. Nothing could top his hatred towards math- except maybe his annoying sister.

"Daniel?"

He looked up.
"Will you read next?"

He felt his face grow hot, "where did Sydney leave off?" He wondered quietly.

"Weren't you reading along?"

Embarrassed, and looking down, he admitted, "she went too fast."

"You should have still been following along."

Danny heard some snickers from around him, and desperately looked at the page, hoping, pleading, the paragraph would jump out at him. There was a very obvious laugh-turned-cough, and he wanted to die.

A girl student looked around, and seeing that the Sister Anesthesia was occupied, she quickly leaned over and pointed to the paragraph.

"Thank you," Danny mouthed. He placed his finger beneath the word and started reading.
"I-I'd lo-Love to j-j-j...." he couldn't pronounce that word. Danny felt suddenly very panicked.

"Join," Sister Anesthesia called out, not looking up from her book.

"Join you, said Al-ex as... he t-took the hoe to r-rehmohve the seeds". He heard more snickers, wondering why they were laughing. He was reading the damn thing, wasn't he?

Before he could continue, Sister Elizabeth came hurrying in and whispered something to Sister Anesthesia. "Children, I need to go take care of something. Daniel, read two more paragraphs then pass it to Suzie." She scurried from the room, and Danny regretfully continued.

"But my fa-family's more i-i..." he paused, trying to dissect the word.

Roger- Danny's sworn enemy- stated loudly, "what's the matter, Reagan? Can't read a simple word?"

"I can read it!" He growled back. He took a breath, "I'm-port-ant."

"I'm-port-ant!" Roger laughed menacingly. "He can't even pronounce it right!"

Danny jumped from his seat, "shut up, Roger!"

"What're you gonna do? Miss-pounce words for me?" He laughed, "Ooh! I'm so scared!"

"Stop it, Roger!" Sally, who had helped Danny find the place, frowned deeply. "I think Danny was doing a fine job."

"See how stupid you are? You need a girl to defend you!"

"I do not!" Danny yelled; he walked over to Roger and punched him in the jaw. For an eight year old, he had a strong left hook. "Shut up and let me read!" He took his seat, then stood back up. "Anyone laugh, and I'll deck ya!"

**********

Walking through the playground, after school, Danny was solemnly making the trip home. His six year old sister trailed behind, holding his five and a half year old brother's hand. All throughout the day, Roger hand teased, taunted, and tormented the poor Reagan. Danny wanted to yell and cry and disappear all at the same time. He hated that he let Roger get to him. While he was lamenting the terrible day, a hard ball of mud hit him in the face. He growled and wiped most of it away, only to see Roger standing in front of him.