Big Brother Danny

"Special"

Danny Reagan knew he was different. Even at five years old he could tell he was different. His parents called him "special". They would kiss him good night and say, "good night, my special boy". They would tell him he could do anything he wanted, and not to let anyone get in the way.

When he was in second grade, he knew what "special" meant- it meant different. And not in a good way. He had gotten in trouble that day- that awful day he learned he couldn't read. That awful day he learned his handwriting was a mess. That awful day he learned what a bully was and what a bully did. That awful day when bullies entered his life.

At ten, Danny had to tell Sister Mary that he was diagnosed with AD/HD and dyslexia. The bullies called him a "retard"; they called him stupid, a baby, illiterate. He got dentetion and his first broken bone that day.

Throughout the Reagan's education, there were bullies. As long as there were bullies, there was a hyperactive boy sitting in detention and cleaning erasers. One day, when he was seventeen, he was sitting in his seventh billion detention when there was a knock on the door. Danny looked up, then to the desk at the front of the room. Sister Ann was gone, helping with a kid that got sick or something like that. He returned to his work, and the person knocked again.

If being Shy (and being raised in a cop family) taught Danny anything, it was how to read people. He learned early on of these people called "hypocrites", who said one thing and did another. They would tell him they'd do or stop doing something per his request, then do the opposite. Just by the knock he knew the person was shy, maybe scared or unsure.

A boy Danny hated stood and opened the door. "Whaddaya want?"

"I don't want anything."

It was a female voice, with anger laced through her speech.

"Then what are ya doin' here?"

"Waiting for you to move your ass."

Danny looked up. She didn't seem so shy anymore. She didn't look like why he had imagined either. He imagined a brunette in twin braids, modestly dressed, not very attractive, with thick rimmed glasses. What he saw was the complete opposite. This girl was blonde, wearing a skin tight shirt and short black skirt. She wore matching black heels and a choker with a silver rectangle in the middle of her neck.

"Oh-ho. We're testy, are we?"

"No, we are not testy. I am annoyed. Is Sister Ann here?"

"What's it to you?"

"Lay off, Rog," Danny was surprised to hear that come from his mouth. "Let her drop off whatever it is and get back to work."

The blonde pushed past Roger, "thank you." She placed the Manila envelope on the desk, and felt all eyes watch as she left the room, only slightly pushing Roger into the wall.

"My sister," Danny's friend, Jimmy, leaned over his desk and whispered.

"Your sister?"

"Mm. I'll introduce ya two after this."

****************

"Yo, Linda!" Jimmy yelled at the blonde who was conversing with a few guys.

"Sorry, boys. Family calls." She smiled at them as they groaned their disproval. She walked over to her brother, and tripped on a small rock.

"Wups," Danny caught her from falling, and helped her stand.

She blushed and fixed her shirt, although it was fine.

"Nice entrance, sis."

"Shut up, Jim."

Jimmy faked a smile, "Linda, this is my friend Danny. Danny, this is my baby sis Linda."

"I'm sixteen. What's such a baby about that?" Linda questioned as she held her hand out for Danny to shake.

"Don't expect me to start singing 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen'." Danny shook her hand as her smile broadened.

"You know The Sound Of Music?"

"Who doesn't? It's a little too... chick Flicky for me, but the family likes it."

"Chick flick? The Sound Of Music is not a chick flick. It is a musical master piece, just like West Side Story."

"Sorry," Jimmy interrupted. "You'll have to excuse my sister. She's a moody musical ho."

"I am not a ho!" Linda argued, but with no contempt in her voice. Obviously, Danny deduced, her family (or Jimmy at least) called her a ho regularly.

"Linda!"

Linda rolled her eyes, "excuse me, but I have to go shoot down yet another over hormoned admirer. Nice meeting you, Danny."

"Likewise." He grinned as he watched her walk to the boy who had called her name.

"Linda. She's something else, huh?" Jimmy smiled and started walking towards the basketball court nearby.

"Oh, she's something alright." If only Danny knew how she would become one of the focal points of his future.