NOTE: The boys are around 6-7 in this little piece.
"Ca-leb! Pogue pushed Tyler and he fell and now he looks like he's gunna cry and remember it was Pogue! Not me!" Reid yelled over to Caleb, who was swinging on the swings while the rest of them were monkeying around on the playground.
"I didn't mean to! I swear! I'm sorry, Tyty," Pogue squatted down in front of Tyler, who was sitting on the floor and holding his knee with his hand, "I didn't see you!"
"Yeah right, you're just a big meanie, Pogo!" Reid pushed Pogue away, causing his to topple over onto his side, "Don't listen to his bullshit Tyler, he's just mean!"
"You cursed!" Tyler pointed his finger at Reid, his eyes wide and rimmed with tears, "You're not supposed to curse, Reid!"
"Yeah but Pogue knocked you over!"
"By accident!"
One of the arguing boys jumped onto the other and the next thing Tyler knew, Pogue and Reid were tumbling around and hitting each other, which just made those tears fall as he sniffled.
By the time Caleb came over, Tyler's cheeks were tear-stained and the other two boys had rolled down a hill, still fighting the entire time down.
"Are you okay, Tyler?" Caleb asked as he plopped down in front of the younger boy.
Tyler sniffled and nodded but kept his knee protectively cradled to his chest.
"Can I see?"
Tyler slowly lowered his knee and moved his hand so Caleb could see. There was barely a scratch there, it was just red and starting to bruise. "It hurts," Tyler mumbled pitifully, his lower lip sticking out in a pout.
"I think you're gunna be okay," Caleb said with a soft smile as he gently brushed some of the dirt off of Tyler's leg.
"Are you sure?" Tyler sniffled and wiped away his tears with the back of his sleeves.
"I think so… but just to make sure…" Caleb leaned down and pressed his lips to Tyler's not so fatal wound, "Now, it's gunna be okay," he smiled, "Okay?"
Tyler's face lit up with a smile as he nodded, "Thanks Caleb."
"It's nothing, Tyty," Caleb grinned and stood up, offering his hand to Tyler and pulling him up. "Now where are Pogo and Reid?"
"They rolled down that hill," Tyler pointed over to the hill the other two boys had rolled down, "They're fightin' Caleb and Reid cursed. He's not supposed to curse."
"We'll have to tell his mommy later then but how about for now you come swing with me, okay?"
"Uh huh," Tyler nodded happily and slipped his hand into Caleb's, pulling the older boy towards the swings, the two of them laughing the entire way.
Mrs. Garwin looked up from her magazine and looked around to see what the boys were doing. She smiled at Tyler and Caleb who were swinging happily but then frowned when Pogue and Reid were nowhere to be found. She got up to look around and spotted them at the bottom of the hill, still fighting.
"REID MATTHEW GARWIN AND POGUE VINCENT PARRY, YOU LET GO OF EACH OTHER'S NECKS THIS INSTANT!" She was speed walking down the hill and before either boy could respond, she had grabbed them by the ears and was pulling them up the hill.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Mommy, let go! I'm telling Daddy on you! MOMMY! OW!"
"Shut up, you big baby," Pogue kicked at him and then Reid kicked back, which only caused Mrs. Garwin to twist their ears, earning simultaneous shots of "OW!"
Reid and Pogue earned themselves a time-out and were stuck sitting on opposite sides of a bench while Mrs. Garwin took Tyler and Caleb to the ice cream truck. They came back happily eating their ice cream cones and sat between Reid and Pogue who were glaring at each other.
"This was all your fault!"
"Was not, stupid!"
"Was too, idiot!"
"You're a doofus!"
"Yeah well, you're… a dipshit!"
"MRS. GARWIN, REID CURSED!"
