Ch. 17
"Hey, Dylan."
Dylan, who was currently sulking while laying on his bed, glared at Centipede through narrowed eyes. "Go away!"
"Yeah, can't do that. You and me gotta talk."
"I don't wanna!"
"Me either. But we gotta. Mind if I sit down?"
"No! Go away!"
Centipede shrugged and sat down at the edge of the bed. Dylan rolled over, kicking out at Centipede's lanky body. Centipede, meanwhile, perched just out of reach of Dylan's feet, watching the older boy until he gave up and laid still again.
"Got that outta your system?"
"Go away!"
"I'll take that as a no," Centipede said with a sigh. "So, guess you never heard Jimmy's backstory, huh?"
"He's a liar!"
"Nah, Dylan, he's not."
"Yes he is!" Dylan cried out. "No one's that mean to kids! He made it all up."
"You ain't met anyone like Spiker and Sponge, Dylan."
"Who?"
"Jimmy's aunts, though if you ask me, I never woulda guessed they're related. Dunno what happened with that family tree, but at least they were the only rotten apples. And rotten's the nicest thing I can say about those two old hags."
Dylan snorted. "Bet they weren't that bad."
"Oh, you think?"
"Yeah! Bad grownups make you go to school and eat gross food and don't let you watch TV! They don't make you do chores or hit you or anything like that! That only happens in movies, not in real life!"
"Who toldja that?"
"Grandma!"
"Ah, shoulda guessed." Centipede felt a flicker of pity run through him as he explained,
"Hate to break this to you, Dylan, but... yeah, sometimes, grownups are just as bad as they are on TV."
"Nu-huh!"
"Yeah-huh. And sadly for our boy, he got stuck with two of them right after his parents died, poor kid."
"Yeah, well, he probably deserved it!"
If anyone else had said such a thing about James in front of Centipede, he would have cheerfully strangled them with his bare hands and to hell with the consequences! Hearing the same words from Dylan did make Centipede grit his teeth in anger, but memories of his own youth stopped any anger from overtaking him. After all, he'd mouthed off to his own father in the past, hadn't he? Taking a deep breath, Centipede asked,
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you think my boy deserved what his aunts did to him?"
Dylan shrugged. "'Cause."
"'Cause why?"
"I don't know," Dylan whined, burying his face in his pillow.
"'Cause you know it ain't true?"
"No!"
"You think anyone deserves to be treated like that?"
"I dunno. And anyway, he's lying."
"Like I toldja, no he ain't. Me and the others, we lived on that hill too and we saw what Spiker and Sponge did to Jimmy."
"How could you live there?"
"Well, we were just regular old bugs once, ya know."
"You were?" Dylan peeked out at Centipede, skepticism apparent in the eye that peeked out from the confines of the pillow.
"Sure. What, you never hold the story? Figured all of New York musta heard it by now."
"No."
"What about when we came here? You and your grandma musta seen the commotion last summer, right?"
"I dunno. In the summer, I watch TV all night."
"That sounds about right," Centipede said with a sigh. "Well, lemme clue you in."
Centipede briefly described life on Spiker and Sponge's hill, the situation with the green crocodile tongues, and the family's journey on the giant peach. Normally, if left to his own devices, Centipede would add details upon details to the story, even if they were (as Mrs. Ladybug and Mr. Grasshopper were to put it) "a bit removed from the truth." This time, however, Centipede didn't bother embellishing anything as he was far more interested in Dylan's reaction. Surprisingly, the older boy remained still and quiet throughout the narration, not bothering to ask questions or indeed show any emotion at all, not even when Centipede got to the part where the family arrived in the city just as Spiker and Sponge were attempting to remove James from their family with stolen firemen's axes.
"So, yeah, that's what happened. Been a heck of a ride, but we made it through okay. As for old Spiker and Sponge, well, they sure got what was comin' to them."
Centipede glanced over at Dylan again. The older boy had turned to look at Centipede fully, his face creased in a frown.
"Are you sure that's all true?"
"Sure I'm sure. Lived through most of it. And like I said, pretty much everyone in the city saw Spiker and Sponge pull their stunt." Centipede chuckled to himself. "No way they weren't gettin' thrown in the slammer after that!"
"So they really are in jail?"
"Sure are. And they ain't getting' out anytime soon. Believe me, we wouldn't stand for it." Centipede met Dylan's eyes. "What Spiker and Sponge did that night was bad enough. But Jimmy's been through worse, believe me. All that stuff he told you really happened, Dylan; the kid was treated like dirt by the people who shoulda been takin' care of him. I know, I know, your grandma said all that stuff only happens on the screen, but the truth is, what Jimmy went through with his aunts, they couldn't put on TV to show people."
Dylan stared at Centipede for a moment longer before turning away again.
"I still don't believe him," he mumbled.
"Yeah, I get it ain't pretty, but it's true. Believe me, I wish it wasn't; poor kid didn't deserve any of that." Centipede glanced down at Dylan, speaking a little more firmly.
"He didn't do a thing wrong, Dylan; Spiker and Sponge were bad people and they didn't care one bit that they were breakin' the law by treatin' Jimmy the way they did. That's what gets grownups sent to jail, kid, and it's why Spider and I weren't happy with you yellin' at Jimmy the way you did."
"I don't care."
"Well, we do. And I know this might be strange to hear, but we care about you too. I know it ain't fun for someone to constantly tell you what you have to do or how to act, but I ain't tryin' to mean to you. I just... I don't wanna see you keep gettin' in trouble when you don't have to."
"Then leave me alone! I just wanna watch TV."
"I know. But-"
"And I want cookies! And ice cream! And I wanna stay up as long as I wanna!"
"Dylan..."
"And I don't wanna go to school tomorrow!"
"Yeah, I know you don't."
"So stop being mean to me or else you'll go to jail too!"
"Hey!"
Dylan stayed curled up on the bed, refusing to look at Centipede. The many-armed bug sighed again, rubbing his forehead with a few hands.
"Look, I get it. I remember feelin' the same way you did, Dylan. My parents were always 'do this,' 'do that,' 'you can't do this,' and 'you can't do that.' Ain't fun, that's for sure, but... I can kinda see what my ma and pop were gettin' at now. And hey, you might feel the same one day."
"No I won't! And you're lying too! Bugs don't have parents!"
"Uh, pretty much everything livin' thing has parents, kid."
"Yeah, well... I still don't believe you!"
"Oh boy," Centipede muttered before getting off the bed. "Look, Dylan, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to. I can't force you to do that and I'm not gonna try. But what you said to Jimmy back there? I ain't standin' for that either. Fact is, he ain't got a mean bone in his body and Spiker and Sponge just wanted to someone they could beat around without gettin' caught. You tellin' him he deserved to be treated like that was dead wrong and you're gonna have to make it right."
"No I don't! I didn't do anything."
"Boy, like talkin' to a brick wall," Centipede muttered with a rueful chuckle. How many times had his own father said that about him? More times than Centipede cared to remember, really, but he doubted he'd been this bad. Still, despite everything, what Centipede really felt when looking down at Dylan was pity. Huddled on his bed, angry and upset at being removed from the only life and home he'd ever known, it had to be hard.
Probably why Jimmy still feels bad for Dylan.
"Alright, Dylan, I'll let you be for now. But... I gotta let the rest of the family know what happened and they ain't gonna be happy. Speaking as someone who used to be on the outs with his folks a lot, trust me, the best thing you can do now is stay in your room and really think over what you said and own up to it. It'll sting admittin' you screwed up, but... it'll feel better down the line. Wish I'd done more of that when I was growin' up myself. In the meantime, I can bring you up a grilled cheese if you want."
An angry grunt was Dylan's only response. Centipede sighed again.
"Alright. I'll... come check on you later."
Dylan stayed put as Centipede left the room and shut the door. With his face to the wall, the older boy listened until he could hear the bug's footsteps retreating. As soon as he was gone, Dylan grinned and slipped off his bed, poking around under the scattered clothes. In truth, Dylan wasn't all that concerned with being scolded or punished just because he'd called James a liar (which Dylan was still convinced he was). After all, he had a plan for the next day and Dylan just knew that not only would he not get in trouble, but he'd get everything he wanted too.
************************************************************************************************************************************
Miss Spider closed the door to James's room and made her way over to Dylan's door. She listened carefully, but heard nothing other than quiet breathing. Well, at least the older boy wasn't throwing a fit. That was the last thing any of the family needed right now, especially given the discussion that was sure to follow.
Miss Spider descended the stairs and entered the living room just as the others were settling into their seats and accepted a mug of coffee from Mrs. Ladybug.
"How is he?"
"Sleeping well. I gave him chamomile tea and it has helped. I do not think he will have any nightmares tonight."
"I should hope not," Mr. Grasshopper said, taking a sip of his own tea. "I still can't believe Dylan would say such things to James. I know he's still a child, but still."
"Are we sure he's a child?" Earthworm piped up. "Because if you ask me, what Dylan said to James doesn't sound like anything a normal child would think up."
"Oh, he's a normal kid, alright," Centipede said with a sigh, leaning back against the couch. "It's how he was livin' that ain't normal."
"Ahh, a most astute observation, Centipede," Mr. Grasshopper said with a smile.
"Eh, what?"
"I agree with you."
"Oh-ho, I'm battin' a thousand today."
"Humph." Earthworm tapped his tail against the floor. "Need I remind you our living arrangement is an odd one and yet James is perfectly fine?"
"James had his mother and father too," Mrs. Ladybug reminded him. "And they were clearly remarkable people to have raised him the way they did. Dylan only had his grandmother and as we discussed last night, her methods of child-rearing haven't exactly brought her success."
"I am guessing, though, she would disagree on that matter?" Miss Spider asked.
"Oh, most likely." Mrs. Ladybug shook her head and sipped her own tea. "I didn't see her today, but I did meet with Dr. Harmond. She's having surgery tomorrow afternoon to remove her kidney stones, but he's worried about her health. She has several other conditions that are going to get worse if she doesn't start making changes and that, of course, will impact her ability to care for Dylan."
"Which brings us to our current dilemma, does it not?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.
"Indeed." Mrs. Ladybug finished her tea and set her cup down on the living room table with a sigh. "While Amelia's recovery could go smoothly, Dr. Harmond expressed concerns with her current condition. Depending on how well Amelia does during her surgery and immediate recovery, he's going to recommend she be moved to a long-term care facility. There's no guarantee how long she would have to remain there, but it would mean Dylan would need to remain with a foster family for some time. However, Dr. Harmond also believes that Amelia's current health issues will it difficult to care for Dylan going forward and is going to recommend to Rachel Gould that the new placement for Dylan be a permanent one."
"Hold on a sec, what kinda issues we talkin'? I thought she just had kidney stones."
"That's the main issue, yes. But Amelia, like Dylan, hasn't been living the healthiest lifestyle and it's starting to take a toll on her."
"Eh, I dunno, Mrs. Ladybug. Plenty of folks don't live the healthiest lifestyles and they raise kids fine, don't they?"
"Of course they do. However, when it comes to removing a child from a guardian's care, all angles must be considered. Dr. Harmond is speaking strictly from a medical point of view and someone who refuses to care for themselves, even when it causes them long-term damage, is not someone who could be responsible for a child."
"That does make sense," Miss Spider noted. "After all, Amelia did not bother with teaching Dylan healthy habits."
"Exactly. Her own health is a reflection on how Amelia cares for herself and with her being Dylan's sole caregiver, not taking responsibility for her health shows she cannot handle the responsibility for his health. Given his proclivity for sweets and his refusal to eat regular meals, Amelia has put Dylan at risk for developing the same issues she has. As a physician, Dr. Harmond cannot turn a blind eye to that."
"Understandable, though his diet and sleep schedule aren't the only bad habits Dylan's grandmother taught him."
"They aren't," Mrs. Ladybug said, nodding in Mr. Grasshopper's direction. "That's Rachel's department; she's in the middle of documenting Dylan's over-all demeaner and well-being. She's gathered all of the information regarding Dylan's mother and what the neighbors have observed and she's been speaking with some of his past teachers regarding his performance in school. We will most likely all have to give our own statements regarding our experiences with Dylan as well. Everything will be presented in a family court in front of a judge and a decision will be reached then."
"So, medical observations of both Dylan and his grandmother, outside observations, and personal experiences. Huh, that judge is going to have a field day," Earthworm muttered.
"Indeed. But that won't happen for another two weeks and unfortunately, Dylan is going to need somewhere to stay until he can be placed with a long-term foster family."
Now it was Mr. Grasshopper's turn to sigh. "My dear Mrs. Ladybug, I'm sorry to say, but I must put my foot down about this. This morning, I was steeling myself for another fortnight of Dylan's tantrums, but after this most recent incident between Dylan and James? No, I'm afraid I cannot agree to his remaining with us that long. I don't like having to turn away a child in need, but Dylan needs more than we can give right now."
"Agreed!" Earthworm flopped down on the floor. "And the sooner the better, if you ask me!"
"I must agree as well," Miss Spider said. "Dylan is... hard to get along with, yes, but it is not truly his fault. Like Mr. Grasshopper, I would have agreed to let him stay with us for a bit longer had it only been us that had to deal with him. But Dylan has gone too far with how he spoke to James." Miss Spider paused for a moment, her eyes narrowed. "To tell James he was not speaking truthfully about how Spiker and Sponge treated him was bad enough, but to tell James his aunts were correct in hurting him? No, I cannot and will not have that."
"Is James truly alright, Miss Spider?"
"As best as can be expected, I think. He did eat some of the onion soup and some bread and butter. But he was very quiet and did not wish to talk much. And... I think he has been having more bad dreams than he is letting on. That is why I gave him the chamomile tea tonight. I hope it will help."
"If the kid ain't tellin' us something's botherin' him, that's a problem," Centipede admitted. "He knows we're not mad at him, right?"
"Of course he does," Miss Spider assured him. "My guess is that he does not want to worry us."
"Which puts more of a burden on James," Mr. Grasshopper said with a frown.
"Indeed it does," Mrs. Ladybug agreed. "And it's not fair to him at all. I know Dylan's been rude to James, but telling the poor dear that he deserved Spiker and Sponge's awful treatment means he's crossed the line from rudeness to cruelty. As such, I also have to agree that Dylan cannot remain under our roof."
"But then, where would he go?" Miss Spider asked. "And when?"
"He'll likely have to remain here through the weekend, if just because of the inclement weather. But thankfully, Rachel and several other case workers have been compiling lists of foster families who are used to taking in more difficult children. She could probably have him sent to one of the families she knows and perhaps they'd even be willing to keep him long-term. Depending on what the family court judge says, of course."
"Good luck to them."
"Easy, Earthworm, Dylan's still just a kid."
"So is James."
"Yeah, I know. And I also know Jimmy feels bad for Dylan too."
"That he does," Miss Spider agreed. "Or at least he did before Dylan was so cruel to him. That is why he wanted to speak with Dylan earlier today."
"Nah, he still feels that way; I could tell." Centipede chuckled ruefully. "I think he was worried about how Dylan when he asked me how mad I was when I was gonna talk to him. Even after all that, Jimmy didn't want to another kid gettin' too much of a scolding."
"Speaking of which, how did your talk with Dylan go, Centipede?"
Centipede shrugged. "Well, I was surprised he'd never heard our whole story before; didn't even occur to him that we were once regular bugs. But even after I gave him the facts- yeah, yeah, I stuck to the facts- he still didn't believe it. And... he still doesn't believe he did anything wrong."
"Not too surprising, really," Mr. Grasshopper said with a sigh.
"No, it isn't," Mrs. Ladybug agreed. "But still, I'm disappointed."
"Do not be," Miss Spider said. "We have had only a short time with Dylan; his grandmother has had nine years. It will take a long time for him to learn better behavior."
"Indeed. And unfortunately, we cannot force James to live with this kind of treatment for however long that may take. He's been through enough ill-treatment; he doesn't need more."
"True. But... can you at least keep tabs on him to make sure he's not gonna end up somewhere worse?" Centipede asked.
"Of course. And we can still help Dylan; we just can't house him here. If all else fails, we can see about sponsoring him to attend a boarding school for troubled children. I know such places exist and while some are worse than others, some are quite good."
"An excellent idea and one within our means," Mr. Grasshopper agreed. "But all in good time. At the very least, we can do our best to make sure a good foster family takes him in."
"Will he ever be able to go back to his grandma's, though? Or is this it?"
"Again, that's up to the judge. But even if Amelia isn't able to care for Dylan long-term, I'm sure they would still be able to see each other."
"Something good to hope for," Mr. Grasshopper said. "Now let's focus on getting through the rest of the week and the storm this weekend."
"With Dylan cooped up in the house, that'll be torture," Earthworm muttered as he crawled sadly out of the room. "Maybe I'll just stay in my dirt piles."
"I'm sure we'll make through just fine."
Perhaps, Miss Spider thought as she headed for her own room, but the question was, would James be alright? She knew her sweet boy would not mind being indoors with them for the weekend, but after tonight, how could she ask him to remain near Dylan? After all, if Dylan truly did not believe he had done anything wrong to James, what was stopping him from saying such hurtful things again? Or, worse, taunting James over his deceased parents, something Spiker and Sponge had rather enjoyed doing?
Well, they would think of something. If nothing else, keeping the boys in separate parts of the house would probably be best. And perhaps keeping Dylan confined to his room when not in school was a suitable punishment for his behavior toward James. Yes, Miss Spider thought with a nod, yes that was a good idea. She would bring this up to the others tomorrow and had little doubt they would agree. Obviously, they would let Dylan attend to more personal matters if needed, but otherwise, having the older boy remain in his room would probably do James a world of good.
Slightly cheered, Miss Spider paused in front of James's room and pushed open the door. The room was dim, but she could make out James's sleeping face and was relived to see his peaceful expression. Smiling lovingly, Miss Spider stepped up to her son's bedside and watched him sleep for a moment. The blankets were still tucked around the little boy and his breathing was slow and even. Miss Spider reached out a gloved hand and ran it over James's cheek. In his sleep, James gave a soft sigh, but didn't stir. Good; perhaps he was in the middle of a wonderful dream.
"Sleep well, my James." Miss Spider gently kissed James's forehead. "All will be well. I promise."
As she turned away, Miss Spider once more caught a glimpse of James's otter on his toy shelf. The little stuffed toy was still on top of her favorite truck, but she had slid forward somewhat, as if curled in a comfortable embrace atop the hood of the truck's cabin.
James was right. That little otter truly does look happy on that truck. And unless she was mistaken, Miss Spider was certain the truck felt the same.
Well, then, that meant everyone was at ease in James's room tonight and that was what mattered. With luck, there would be no bad dreams here tonight and tomorrow would be better. After all, Miss Spider remembered, James would be finishing his project tomorrow and she and the rest of the family could hardly wait to see what their smart, creative son had come up with.
Of course, what Dylan was planning on would not be nearly as enjoyable.