Prompt #33: Seeing Red

—

Eight year old Benny Weir was not one to be trifled with. Sure look at him in six or so years and you may think he's slightly insane, but the farthest thing from your mind would be a kid with borderline anger management issues.

Benny was slightly taller than average. Just tall enough to be taller than most kids, but just short enough that he didn't have to bend down to talk to his best friend Ethan, who was all around smaller than average.

He was smart, although he tended to fall asleep in most of his classes, and was often in the elementary form of detention. He was quite and guarded, only ever acting like himself when he was around Ethan, and then there was the previously mentioned borderline anger management issues.

Of course most of this could probably be blamed on his parents, who were in the middle of pretending like they weren't going to get a divorce.

"Hey Benny! Wait up!" Ethan shouted, trotting after his friend.

They had been running towards the big green slide, trying to see who could get there first, and Ethan had accidentally pushed Benny over in his hurry to win. Now the brunet was storming towards the nurses office with scraped up knuckles and a wounded pride.

Benny turned around the corner of the building and out of sight.

Ethan slowed, thinking for a second, before starting off again. It was a risk, cutting beside the kick-ball field, but it was a risk he'd have to take.

He had taken about two steps when, "Hey noodle-legs! Catch!" Ethan spun quickly, just in time to feel his stomach drop before a red rubber ball collided with his face.

He could feel his nose squish slightly as his head was snapped backwards and he fell, dazed and holding a bleeding nose on the hard pavement.

Sick cackles of laughter rose from the group of boys who had thrown the ball. "Awww, is the wittle baby bweeding." Said one, leaning over Ethan.

The other boys came up, crowding around. One drew back and kicked him in the stomach.

Ethan yelped, drawing in around himself as another boy kicked his shins and another hit him hard in the back.

"Get up little baby! Get up!" The first boy started the chant, bending down and grabbing Ethan's hair. Wrenching it back he forced him to look up. "I guess you're just not good enough."

Benny walked slowly back from the nurse's office, hands shoved deep into his pants pockets. He'd been an idiot, he knew that. He'd apologize to Ethan as soon as he found him and after school when they played Ninjas, Zombies, and Penguins 3 he'd let the smaller boy win.

Benny rounded the corner and began scanning for Ethan.

"Huston that's a negative on the swings." Benny mumbled to himself. "And scanning, there appears to be a large group of stupid gathered near the kick-ball court. Investigating closer, over and out."

Benny walked slowly closer to the group, keeping his hands shoved into his pockets to hide the newly acquired Peanuts band aids wrapped around his knuckles.

He stepped closer.

Benny saw red.

Ethan curled painfully on the ground, glaring up at the laughing boys and trying to stifle his bleeding nose.

"Awww, sorry~ Didn't mean to hurt you little baby."

A tired sarcastic reply was on the tip of Ethan's tongue when a fist collided with the boy's face.

He relaxed and lay back, a hand over his nose and a faint smile on his lips as a familiar voice yelled,

"EAT SNOOPY!"