A/N: So I wrote this mainly because I have been dealing with the aftermath of bullying due to my being Arabic after 9/11 happened. The thing is those people didn't believe in the same things we believed in but I got bullied anyways because they couldn't differentiate between us and them. So this kind of helped me deal with that even though Puck is Jewish. I don't like to live by prejudices because of it.
When I met Puck at my daily park time I never expected what happened. He didn't understand what Puck had to do with the bad people who blew up those big buildings in New York. He was in Ohio when it happened. It made him sad that his mom didn't like his friend but it wouldn't stop him. He was determined. If his mom was fine with it before it happened she would be fine with it now. Nothing's changed. Puck told me it was a different type of people but that his people used to be the same as them before they separated from them. I just didn't get it. Luckily Puck's mom is still okay with us being friends but we really only see each other during school, between classes, during lunch, and at recess. I remember when I met Puck at the park that day. I was three and Puck was two. Puck had never been to the park, so he was curious about the slide, and was looking in from the bottom when I came sliding down and kicked him in the nose sending him falling backward. His nose was bleeding heavily. I had tried to stop but the slide was too slippery and I was going too fast. I ran up to him to try to help.
"I'm sorry! Are you okay?! Please don't hate me! Let me take you to your mommy!" I reached a hand out to help him up. I saw the tears streaming down his face and tears welled up in my eyes too. Before I had a chance to say anything else Puck was running away and I was chasing him so I could apologize. He saw Puck ran up to a woman he assumed was his mom and ran up to them so he could apologize.
"Ma'am, are you his mommy?" I asked timidly.
"Yes I am. Do you know what happened to my son?" I looked down ashamed.
"I-it was an accident ma'am I promise. He was looking into the slide as I came down a-and I t-tried to stop ma'am! I did but I couldn't, a-and I hurt him, and I don't want you to hate me I'm s-so sorry!" I was crying by that point. Puck wasn't mad though, and she quickly comforted me.
"Oh Yakiri, its okay you didn't mean to. We are not mad." I was clutching her, and crying my eyes out when I felt another tinier hand on my shoulder. When I turned my head to look I saw it was the boy I kicked. Why was he smiling when he just got hurt? I stared in confusion. Why wasn't the boy upset with me? Then the boy held his arms open. Did he want a hug? Finally the boy pulled me into one and waited for me to relax.
"No cry." Is what the boy said and that made me cry harder and hug him glad that he wasn't mad at me. That's when I heard someone shouting my name. The voice sounded relieved, yet worried, and angry all at the same time. I turned and saw my mommy's mad face fast approaching, and whimpered hiding my face in the boys shoulder. Mommy never got angry at him. He was scared. Before mommy could say anything Puck's mommy told her what happened and she calmed down.
"Finny? Come here sweetheart." I let go of Puck and threw myself into her arms.
"I didn't mean to mommy! Please don't be mad at me!" She held me to her and soothed me.
"Finn honey I'm not mad. I know what happened now. I was just worried sweetie. You can't run away from me like that no matter what okay? You always stay in my line of sight. Do you promise?" Mommy stuck her pinky out so we could lock them together. I linked mine in hers.
"I pinky promise!" I smiled and hugged her. She let go of me and addressed Puck.
"Honey are you alright? That looks like a nasty boo-boo."
"Icky owie!" Is what was said in response.
"Very icky." She looked at his mom and smiled softly.
"My name is Carole Hudson. I'm a nurse at Lima Memorial. Would you like to come to my house to clean your son's nose? I have a first aid kit from the hospital." Pucks mom smiled.
"Oh that would be nice thank you." Mommy waved that off and suddenly looked apologetic.
"It's the least I could do after what happened. Besides I would do it for anyone." It looked like my mommy and Puck's mommy were becoming friends. Apparently Puck thought so too because he smiled at me and gave me a hug.
"Funny." I looked at him confused.
"Huh? What's funny?" My mom laughed and told me he was calling me Finny. I laughed. Then I looked baffled and asked Pucks mommy what to call him.
"His name is Noah." I smiled and said.
"Hi, Noah! I'm Funny!" I grinned like a dork as out moms laughed and Puck hugged me again. On the way to our house our moms started taking about various things one of them being that they are Jewish.
One day when I was in school the teacher turned the T.V. on in the classroom. All we saw was two big buildings falling to the ground. We were told that people died and got hurt and we were told who did it and why it happened. We thought that they were naughty people who shouldn't have done that. But the people who did it weren't Jewish. So that. is why I'm sure you can see my confusion as to why she didn't like them now. When my mom told me why I couldn't be friends with Puck I was angry.
"That's stupid! It's not like they were the ones who did it!" Mom got mad and yelled at me. That's the maddest she has ever been.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK FINNEGAN MICHAEL!" But I just screamed back and threw a tantrum.
"NOAH IS MY BEST FRIEND AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT!" I stomped up to my room and shouted.
"I HATE YOU!" I slammed the door and got in my bed sobbing into my pillow.
Me and Noah snuck around for weeks when one morning I woke up and my mom was teary eyed and sleeping. He was getting picked on by everyone who used to be his friend now except for me so by being his friend I was getting bullied too. Of course the teachers stopped them every time but it still happened. Mommy didn't let me go to the park or to Pucks house anymore so that was the only way we were able to see each other. I was wondering why she didn't wake me up. When I didn't see her in the kitchen I went slowly up the stairs and saw she was asleep with used tissues all around her and tear tracks on her face. I ignored the pang in my tummy. That couldn't be my fault. I climbed on the bed and pushed the tissues to the floor and cuddled up to her side my head resting on her chest.
"Mommy?" I whispered causing her to stir in her sleep. I kept trying to wake her up until she opened her eyes. They had red squiggly's that were never in her eyes before and they were puffier than I remembered. They looked like the little crab eyes that I see on The Little Mermaid all the time. As soon as she was fully awake and took in the little face with tear-filled eyes she scooped him into a tight hug and let him cry.
"I-I'm sorry mommy! I love y-you, I don't h-hate you, I don't! I-I'm bad! I-I made y-you c-cry! I'm s-sorry!" I had one hand clutching her shirt, and the other hand thrown across her shoulder in an awkward hug. Her hand was rubbing up and down my back as she shushed me.
"No Finny you are good. I know you don't hate me. I know. I shouldn't have yelled at you honey I should have explained it to you but I expected you to understand and just listen. I was the one who was bad not you. Okay? You're my good boy. I love you." I felt her kiss the top of my head and snuggled up to her.
"I love you too mommy. But..Why can't I be friends with Noah? He's my best friend and none of the kids ever want to play with me at the park. He's the only friend I have." My mom melted at that.
"You can be friends with who ever you want honey. I'm sorry. I was wrong to tell you that you can't be friends with Noah." I got excited.
"Really? Can I call him mommy?! No! I wanna go to his house! Please mommy? Pleasseeeeee!" She laughed.
"Yes honey. Let me just call his mommy and see if it's a good time okay? I have to apologize to them too you know."
"Can we do that later? You look like Sebastian mommy. I don't think Noah's mommy will like that very much. Crabs are yucky." She tickled my feet after I said that. It was my most ticklish spot but shhh! It's a secret!