Everett - Age 7
July 10, 2003
“Fuck off, Bennett!”
Those are the first words I ever heard Cooper Sorenson speak, right before Bennett Miller’s fist connected with my jaw. Benny had his own special way of welcoming new kids to the trailer park. Since Momma and I had just moved in two days ago, I was officially fresh meat. I braced myself for more hits, but none came. Confused, I looked up in time to see a mass of black curls launch itself onto Benny’s back. What came next can only be described as a feral cat attack. There was scratching and teeth and…was that a hiss?
“Goddammit, Cooper! Get off me, you little psycho!” Bennett screeched before managing to dislodge the tiny tornado from his back. He kicked what I finally realized was a small boy before turning and stalking off with a “watch your back, newbie” growled over his shoulder.
Little Bit popped to his feet, brushed his riot of black curls out of his face, and grinned brightly at me. When his big brown eyes met mine, I quickly realized that this was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. I would need to ask Momma for some Pepto later because my stomach suddenly felt like that time Granddad and I got caught out on the lake during a storm.
“Hi. I’m Cooper. Cooper Sorenson. I’m six years old. What about you? Where’d you come from? I’ve only ever lived here. Never been nowhere else. Prolly never will. Oh! Don’t worry about Benny. He’s a jerk, but I’ll protect you. Why you still sittin’ down there?”
The little guy spoke so fast it took a full minute for my brain to catch up once he stopped talking.
“Um…yeah… I’m Theodore Everett Davenport, Jr., but Momma tells everyone to call me Everett. She says I’m my own person, not just my daddy’s shadow. I just turned seven last month. Momma and I moved here from Texas. She figured it was best to be as far away from my dad as possible when his last lesson in bein’ a man left me with a black eye and busted lip.” I felt my cheeks blaze red because I hadn’t meant to admit that. My cheeks heated even more, because I realized where Cooper was brave, I was a coward. I’d never hit anyone in my whole life. It just felt wrong. Dad was only trying to toughen me up, but it never stuck. I feel bad that Momma had to leave everything behind because I’m so weak.
He stuck out a tiny hand. I stared at it for a while before realizing he was trying to help me up. My hand engulfed his, but there was a surprising amount of strength in the noodle pretending to be his arm. Once off the ground and standing at my full height, I realized that Cooper was a full head shorter than me.
“Wowee…you’re tall! Are you sure you’re only seven? You’re bigger than my cousin Mikey, and he’s ten. You must eat a lotof veggies. Old Mr. Greg always used to tell me that eating my vegetables would make me big and strong, but who wants to eat that?! They’re so boring and gross. Now cake…cake, I can eat all the time. Too bad I don’t get it often, only when they serve it at school. I hear you’re supposed to get cake for your birthday too, but Mom’s never done that for me before, so I don’t know if that’s true or not. Bu—”
“You’ve never had a birthday cake?” I cut in, managing to keep up with Cooper’s rambling this time.
“Nope. Have you? Oooh, what flavor? Was there ice cream? What about candles? That’s how they do it in books, you know.”
“Uh…yeah. Momma makes me a cake for my birthday every year. Strawberry is my favorite with vanilla ice cream, and there’s always a candle on top.”
“You guys must have been rich before you came here! The last time I asked for a birthday cake, Mom said, ‘money don’t grow on trees, so stop askin’ me to waste it on somethin’ stupid.’ So I stopped asking. I know how to follow the rules…usually. Dad makes sure I regret it when I forget. I don’t like to forget.”
The frown that had taken over his face was out of place on this boy who radiated happiness like the sun. “When is your birthday?” I ask.
“It’s only a month and a half away. Why?”
“I’ll ask my momma to make you a cake. Everyone needs a birthday cake.”
Cooper gasped and jumped forward, locking his arms around my waist. The kid sure could cling. He tilted his head back to look at me, his eyes extra shiny. “Do you mean it?” he asked. I nodded. A single tear slipped free. “Can we be best friends, Everett? Nobody has ever done nothin’ nice for me before. You’re the best person I’ve ever met, and it would sure be great if we could be nice to each other forever.”
“Yeah, Little Bit. We can be best friends. I think being nice to each other sounds like a real good plan.” The smile that took over his whole face made my stomach feel all jumbled again. I really needed to go ask Momma for some medicine.
Cooper - Age 8
Oh boy.It sure is high up here. I might have messed up big this time. I don’t know why I always fall for Bennett’s teasing! He’s so full of it, as Momma D would say. He just makes me so mad. He had no business pickin’ on Sam. He’s a baby! I don’t know why Bennett, who is almost eleven now, wants to spend his time being mean to a six-year-old.
Of course I had to go and stick my nose right in it. I shoulda told him to kick rocks. Heck, I shoulda just punched him in the mouth. Bein’ grounded would have been easier to deal with than this. I look over the edge of the roof again, and my knees start to wobble.
“What’s the matter, Cooper? You gonna chicken out?” Bennett shouts before he starts making bawking sounds and flappin’ his arms like a chicken.I’m gonna kick his ass one of these days.
“You shut your mouth, Benny! I ain’t never been a chicken, and I ain’t startin’ today!”
I swear I can hear Teddy sigh, even from way up here. When I look his way, he looks terrified. “Come on, LB, he ain’t worth it. Why don’t you come on down, and we’ll go see if Ma got us some popsicles when she went to the store?”
“I can’t, Teddy. If I back out now, then Benny wins. I’ll be danged if I let a bully beat me.”
Bennett and his friends all laugh at this. “We already won, Cooper. You just can’t admit it.”
“Bullshit!” I shout, before I cringe and look around. My parents may be too out of it most of the time to care about how I talk, but if Momma D heard that, I’ll be on dish duty for a whole week. She won’t let me get away with smooth-talkin’ Teddy into doin’ ’em for me, either. “A bet is a bet, Benny. It ain’t over ’til time runs out.”
“Well, you better hurry up! Time’s almost up,” he hollers back. “Either you jump, or you and Sam do whatever I say for two weeks.”
