eagleimaggs_7@yahoo.com
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"I assure you, sir, this is the finest milk you could ever acquire."
Little Ezra Standish stood in the middle of the elementary school
playground in his favorite red coat and black trousers. Although he
was only 7, his speech patterns were that of an adult.
"I don't know Ezra. My momma told me never to gamble." Nathan Jackson
gave the southern child a curious look. He'd only been at this school for
a few weeks, and he hadn't made any friends. Especially ones from the south.
"Its quite alright, Mr. Jackson. I understand perfectly. I will search
out another in need of libations. I'm sorry to have bothered you." The
little gambler turned to leave but a soft hand on his arm stopped him.
"Well, okay, Ezra. I don't think this one time will hurt anything."
Nate swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Standish remove a deck
of cards from his jacket pocket. He wondered exactly what he had gotten
himself into.
"This is called high card. All you have to do is pick a card and then
I shall do the same. Whomever has the highest card wins. Easy enough?"
Ezra gave the other child an innocent green gaze.
"Sounds about like it. Okay." Jackson waited until the kid had finished
shuffling then extracted a card. He almost smiled as he glanced down at
his queen, but knew it wasn't good to give way your hand.
"Well, let us see your card, Mr. Jackson." Little Nate turned the queen
over and let a smile touch his lips. "Very well done indeed, however, I'm
afraid I win." The young boy watched crestfallen as the little gambler
showed his card, the ace of spades. "Better luck next time, sir." Standish
patted Nathan on the back and was about to go in search of another sucker
when a lanky child obstructed his path.
"You been cheating some more kids outta their milk, Ezra?" Vin Tanner,
who wore buckskin pants and moccassins topped off with a crisp white shirt,
stood toe to toe with the little gambler.
"Why, Mr. Tanner, what ever gave you that idea?" Standish tried to feign
innocence but the glare from the other child told him he had failed.
"Well, I guess from the looks of Nate's face, I have a strong case."
Vin crossed his arms and LEANed on his right foot. He had met Ezra the
first day of school and instantly knew he was up to no good. So the little
buckskin took it upon himself to protect the innocent children from the
cheat.
"I'll have you know, I played fair with Mr. Jackson."
Vin snorted. "That'll be the day. Chris wants you over by the sandbox.
He said we may have trouble and need you to lie our way out of it."
Standish attempted a look of disgust, but the twinkle in his eyes told
another story. The little gambler gathered his backpack and set off toward
the destination, leaving a lonely looking boy in his wake.
"You okay, Nate?" Tanner hated to see anyone in trouble.
"Yeah. Thanks Vin. I guess I was just hoping.." The little boy let his
voice trail off and downcast his eyes.
"Its okay. Why don't you come join us. From the way Chris talked, we
may need all the help we can get. And if I remember how you helped little
Mary with her skinned knee the other day, you may just come in handy."
Vin was happy when he saw the joy light up Jackson face. He knew how hard
it was to get accepted when your different.
"I'd really like that."
"Then come on, lets go." The two set off in Ezra's wake not knowing
what lay ahead.
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"This is mine." Buck Wilmington was tired of trying to talk sense into
the hellion in front of him. He and JD had claimed the sandbox as their
fort yesterday and now the new kids had decided to take over.
"IS not. We got here first and so its ours." The little curly blond
put her hands on her hips and stared defiantly and the bully.
"Why I outta..."
"Buck. You know our mas' said to never hit a lady." Chris Larabee had
grabbed his friend as he was about to lunge for the girl.
"She ain't no lady. She's a demon in a girl's body."
JD Dunne couldn't help but laugh at the stricken look that crossed the
girl's face. He was a coupla years younger than the other kids' but Buck
had thought if he followed him around he'd be safer. JD was rethinking
that now as he watched the seven girls' surrounding them. He was about
to suggest defeat when he noticed Vin, Ezra and a new kid headed their
way. *Alright, reinforcements.*
"Easy, Buck. Their new here and don't know the rules."
"Rules. What rules? There ain't no stinkin' rules for playing in the
sandbox when we want too. And even if there is, you'll have to fight us
for it." The dark-haired girl step slightly in front of the blond and stared
into Chris's cold gaze.
"What seems to be the trouble here, gentlemen?" Ezra had caught the
last of the 'threat' and knew he had to diffuse the situation as soon as
possible.
"No trouble, just a misunderstanding." A girl who's hair resembled a
pink top spread her hands out toward the little gambler and batted her
eyes.
"Well, now that I see such lovely young ladies before me, I do believe
that."
"They ain't ladies. They's demons." Buck was still huffing.
"I ain't no demon. Your just mean." Cassie stuck her tongue out at Wilmington
and quickly ducked behind her friend Maggie as he lunged at her again.
"Could you just let us have our sandbox back and everything will be
okay." Chris tried reasoning with the little hellions before a battle could
ensue.
"YOUR sandbox. I don't see your name on it." Maggs could be just as
belligerant as Larabee.
"Now, girls. There should be a simple way of solving this." Vin sauntered
up to stand next to his best friend and let a slow grin cross his small
lips.
"Sure there is. Go away so we can play." Kim stomped her foot and glared
at the buckskin youth.
Mog, Penny, Judy, and Diana came to stand beside their friends' when
they saw the defiant looks being thrown at them. But before they could
settle the dispute a baritone voice interrupted their conversation.
"I think, brothers', in times such as these it is wisest to concede."
Josiah Sanchez had come to a stand still near the quiet Nathan.
"I ain't conc- or whatever that means. I wanna finish our game of cowboys'
and indians', and I ain't leaving until they give the sandbox back so we
can play." Wilmington took a coupla steps forward and came nose to nose
with Maggie.
"Okay, you wanna play. We'll play." In a split second the dark haired
girl decked Buck and was about to pommel him when she was knocked off her
feet by a flying tackle from Larabee.
Hands and feet were flailing as was words children were not suppose
to know much less use. After about 15 minutes of the rumble, it was over
and the women were victorious. Cass and Diana had split lips' but were
smiling. Mog and Penny were gonna have black eyes but they didn't care.
Kim and Judy were bleeding from a coupla cuts on their legs from hitting
the edges of the box, but the grins belied the pain. And Maggie, well Maggs
was smiling triumphantly at the black dressed boy at her feet who would
definitely be feeling the pain come morning.
"I really am sorry about that. I don't usually fight so unfairly." The
low moan was Maggs only answer. She wiped at the blood oozing from her
nose and laughed at the sight that greeted the seven girls'.
There lying on their backs were seven boys who had made a reputation
in the playground as the bad bunch, but unfortunatley had met their match.
"Come on girls', recess is over and I'm in the mood for chocolate."
Maggie smiled at the six around her as they slung their arms over each
others shoulders and turned to go to the cafeteria for some well deserved
desserts.
"Remind me to kill you Buck." Chris gritted out the threat as he looked
at his fallen companions. Josiah and Nathan seemed to have the minimal
amount of damage with busted lips. Poor JD had a black eye forming and
skinned knees. Buck was doubled over grasping his bruised shins and Ezra
had blood leaking from an open wound over his eye. But where was Vin? Larabee
looked around franticly for his best friend and finally his gaze fell on
the buckskin boy about 3 feet away. Chris rose slowly and limped to the
prone form.
"You okay, cowboy?" Larabee did a quick visual inspection and found
a few bumps and bruises but nothing major.
"Chris?" Tanner turned slightly to look his friend in the eye.
"Yeah," Larabee answered worriedly.
"Lets just give them the sandbox next time, okay?" Vin closed his eyes
as he heard the laughter from the other children around them. Not only
had they been beaten, but beaten by a bunch of girls.
Chris sighed and sat down heavily beside Tanner. "You got it, pard."
Larabee then laid back and listened to the incessant giggles and swore
he would never like girls' in his lifetime.
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I don't know if this is exactly what Mog had in mind, but heres my contribution.
Maggs
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