By the time Gus saw it coming, it was to late. The boys fist connected with his cheek, sending a red hot burst of pain rushing up his face. He fell backwards, hurting his tailbone. The other kid laughed, advancing toward him.
"Hey!" there was an angry bark and both Gus and the other kid turned to gawk. Shawn was storming toward them, obviously having seen the whole thing.
Shawn was tall for being in the seventh grade, and strong. He had hit a growth spurt and seemed to be getting taller and stronger by the day. His green eyes blazed with fire. He walked straight over to Gus and helped him up. Then he strode over to the other kid and got in his face.
"Hey!" he repeated, "who do you think you are to be beating on my brother?" he yelled.
Gus shocked, stood silent and motionless.
"You and him? Brothers? Yeah right!" he laughed again. The next events where a blur.
Shawn hauled off and decked the other boy, then jumped on top of him and began beating him. A crowd gathered, eyes brimming with blood lust as the watched the two twelve year olds writhe on the grass in a shrieking punching ball.
Shawn fought his way to were he had the other kid pinned down on his back. He delivered on more solid punch before releasing him and standing up, wiping blood from his bottom lip.
"If I ever find out you lay a finger on him again, it'll be ten time worse, got it?" he spat.
The boy cradled his face in his hands and a bloody nose mingled with the tears that streamed down his face. He nodded wordlessly.
Shawn turned to Gus.
"Your bleeding," Gus whispered, looking at the cut on Shawn's bottom lip.
"Its nothing," Shawn shrugged and threw his backpack back over his shoulder. "So are you."
Gus lifted his hand and delicately touched his cheek. Sure enough, he felt the warm liquid against his fingertips.
"Here," Shawn dug around in his pocket, then pulled out a Band-Aid and handed it to his best friend.
"But your bleeding," Gus repeated, pointing at Shawn's lip.
"Its just a split lip. I'll put something on it when we get home." He pushed it into Gus's palm and started walking in the direction of his house. Gus, still in shock, hurried to catch up, trying to match his strides with Shawn's longer ones. He pressed the Band-Aid onto his cheek.
"You didn't have to do that." he mumbled.
"I know. But were buds, Gus. That's what you do for each other. Were like BFF's but closer, like…" he scrunched up his face as he tried to think of a word to describe them.
Brothers? Gus offered silently.
"Brothers." Shawn decided. He stopped abruptly and looked at Gus.
"What?" Gus asked.
"Promise." Shawn held out his fist for a fist bump.
"Promise what?" Gus asked, confused.
"Promise we'll be friends forever." Shawn kept his fist out.
"Shawn… that's stupid…" Gus whined.
Shawn looked hurt. He dropped his fist and stared at the white tips of his Converse All Stars. Then Gus's eyes found the cut on Shawn's lip. He sighed.
"I promise."
Shawn's head jerked up and he grinned, "Great!" he exclaimed, happily. Gus smiled and shook his head. What an idiot. What an idiot he had for a brother.