by Ruby Madden
“See dude! I told you!” Miguel smiled big and smacked Chase on the chest.
“Shh…shut up dickwad! She can probably hear you!” Chase growled under his voice.
“Ask her out, man,” Miguel suggested.
“To where?! We’re in the fifth grade!” Chase looked at his friend like he was an idiot.
“I don’t know, dude. Just like hold her hand or something.” Miguel shrugged, unsure. “My brother said that guys should try to hit all the bases.”
“What bases?” Chase frowned in confusion.
“Like in baseball. There’s first base, second base, third and home plate. You have to reach all the bases.” Miguel explained.
“Why would I want to play baseball with a girl?” Chase asked, completely in the dark.
“Naw, douchebag! You don’t play baseball with them. You gotta feel them up and stuff.” Miguel said it like Chase was supposed to know what he was talking about. When Chase continued to look at him with a blank stare, Miguel leaned in to whisper the details in his ear. “First base, means you kiss a girl. Second, is when you feel her boobs. Third is fingers or mouth below the belt. And home plate, is full-on sex.” Miguel whispered conspiratorially.
Chase just nodded his head as if he understood. He didn’t want to look like some dope, so he went along with his friend. He understood the kissing part. He even knew about boobs, not that any of the girls in his grade had any to touch. But he had no idea what he was supposed to do with his fingers or mouth below anyone’s belt. And sex was still a vague concept to him. Chase prayed that no girl would ask him to put his hands, let alone his mouth, down her pants. Yuck, he thought.
Raised voices and girls’ giggles in the back, suddenly drew Chase and Miguel’s attention.
“She’s so fat! Gross!” Chase heard Whitney say loudly.
“Yeah and she’s ugly too!” Another girl, Christine said, chiming in.
“Oh my God! She looks like Miss Piggy!” Whitney burst out, to all the girls’ amusement. Then she started oinking and all the girls mimicked her.
This time, Chase and Miguel got to their knees and clutched the back of their seat as the bus bounced down the road. Everyone else on the bus had followed suit, wanting to see what was going on.
“She’s such a freak! She should go sit up at the front of the bus with all the other dorks and the smelly bus driver.” Whitney smirked deviously. All the other girls nodded their heads in agreement with their team leader.
Chase’s eyes searched for the butt of the girls’ jokes. He scanned the seats and his eyes finally landed on a girl that he had never seen before, with tear-filled dark brown eyes. Wet tracks ran down her plump caramel-colored cheeks, stained pink with embarrassment. Her tears trembled on her chin and then fell to soak the front of her yellow shirt. And her full pink lips trembled.
The bus rolled to a stop and Chase looked out the window to see that it was his stop. He grabbed his backpack and high-fived Miguel as he stepped over his friend to get to the aisle. The crying girl also stood up, to leave the bus. Chase paused. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a deep sympathy for the girl.
As she walked past Whitney, Chase watched as the cruel girl stuck out her foot just as the chubby girl went to walk past her seat. The girl tripped over Whitney’s foot and she fell to the floor of the bus aisle. A sob broke past the girl’s lips and a smug sneer spread across Whitney’s face, as she looked down at the devastated girl. Then the pretty girl looked up at Chase and smiled sweetly, looking for his approval of her harsh treatment.
At that moment, Chase learned the valuable lesson that external beauty didn’t always match what was on the inside. Even his ten-year-old mind understood the lesson when he saw true cruelty in the pretty girl’s eyes. The beauty he had seen in those giant crystal blue eyes in her pretty pixie face, completely transformed. Chase saw her for who she was and it made his stomach turn. He dealt with a bully every day at home. He wasn’t amused.
He ignored Whitney’s smile and knelt down in front of the humiliated girl. Her jet black hair that was half down and half up in a side ponytail had fallen forward, covering her face.
“Here, let me help you,” Chase said, holding out a hand to the girl.
She looked up in surprise that someone was willing to help her in her hour of need. Her long sooty eyelashes were spiked with tears. When her sad chocolate brown eyes connected with his, Chase didn’t know why, but he knew that this was an important moment in his life. But he shrugged off the feeling as she reached out to take his hand.
She stood up awkwardly and Chase reached down to pick up her New Kids on the Block backpack. He smiled at her warmly and he let her limp past him so that he could protect her back from any more mean pranks. Chase looked down at Whitney. Her mouth hung open in shock that he hadn’t gone along with her cruel joke. She sat up straighter, snapped her mouth closed, and gave him a sheepish look, trying to save face.
“We were just messing around, Chase,” She said sweetly.
“Yeah.” Chase responded doubtfully, then turned and exited the bus.
Chase hopped down from the last step of the bus and looked around to see where the girl had gone. He spotted her yellow top, ruffled denim skirt, yellow socks, and white Keds. She was headed in the direction of his house. He didn’t recall ever seeing her before in the neighborhood and wondered which house she lived in.
He quickly jogged over to her. “Hey, wait up,” Chase called out.
The girl quickly wiped her eyes as he caught up to her and started walking along beside her.
“I’ve never seen you before. You live here?” Chase asked curiously.
“Um, y-yeah. We j-just m-moved in.” Her voice hitched as she tried to pull her emotions together.
“Cool. So, what’s your name?” He continued.
“D-Daylen Daniels,” she said softly.
“I’m Chase McCoy,” he said as he hefted his backpack up higher on his shoulders.
“Nice to meet you, Chase,” Daylen said, keeping her head down.
Chase could tell that she was still embarrassed by what had happened on the bus. She refused to look at him, finding the concrete sidewalk more fascinating.
“Don’t worry about those stupid girls, Daylen. I think you’re pretty.” Chase admitted, wanting to make her feel better.
Once more she looked up at him, shocked by his kindness. Her large almond-shaped eyes seemed to search his for honesty. Chase became bashful and now it was his turn to look down at the sidewalk.
“T-Thanks.”
“So uh, what grade are you in? I’m in fifth.” Chase asked, wanting to know more about the new girl.
“I’m in the fourth grade,” Daylen answered, relaxing marginally.
Chase stopped in front of the cracked concrete path that lead up to his house. “This is where I live. Where’s your house?”
Daylen pointed to the house right next door.
“Really? I saw movers the week before school, but I never saw you. Do you not play outside or somethin’?” Chase asked, still surprised that he hadn’t seen her.
“I was busy unpacking my room and helping my mom unpack in the other rooms,” Daylen explained.
“Oh, okay,” Chase said. He wanted to keep talking to her. He’d do anything to keep from going in the house though Daylen cut that thought short.
“Um, well, I better get inside before my mom starts to worry,” Daylen said awkwardly.
“Oh yeah, cool. I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow.” Chase kicked at some loose rocks on the sidewalk. “Uh, you can sit with me on the bus if you want. I mean, only if you want to?” Chase offered and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“Uh, sure. That would be nice,” Daylen said. “Um, thanks for h-helping me, Chase.”
“Sure man, no problem. It was nothing. Girls are stupid.” Chase shrugged it off and then realized what he’d just said. “Uh, I mean…I-I didn’t mean all girls. Those g
irls are stupid.” Chase stumbled over his words.
Daylen actually giggled and for the first time since he’d looked at her on the bus. She smiled brightly. “I get it.”
Chase was shocked at the change in her face. Earlier when he’d said she was pretty, he was mainly just trying to be nice. But her prettiness grew by leaps and bounds when she smiled. It lit up her entire face. Her large cheeks rosy and her eyes sparkling.
“Well, see ya tomorrow, Chase,” Daylen said as she started to walk to the house next door.
“See ya, Daylen,” Chase called out to her back.
He turned to look up at his house. His smiled faded away, he inhaled deeply, and then sighed resolutely as he made his way to the front door.
Chapter 2
Daylen stood in front of her mirror after she was dressed for school the next morning. She wore her white stirrup leggings, an oversized hot pink t-shirt with ‘Hey Dude’ written in white and tied to the side of her left hip. She put on her matching pink and white slouch socks and Keds. Her hair once again was half up, half down and curled into tight banana curls. A pink clip wrapped around the base of her ponytail to make it stand up high and to the side.
Daylen prayed that she looked cool enough that the other girls didn’t make fun of her again. She also hoped that Chase still thought she looked pretty and remembered to let her sit with him on the bus.
“Daylen! Get some pep in that step and get down here to eat, before the bus gets here.” Her mother shouted up to her.
“Coming, mom!” Daylen yelled back.
She grabbed her NKOTB bookbag, blew her customary goodbye kiss to her Jordan Knight poster, and ran out of her bedroom. Daylen sped down the stairs and around the corner, into the kitchen. On the table were a bowl and a box of raisin bran next to it. Her heart sank at the sight of the healthier cereal choice. She wanted something extra sweet with some food coloring for good measure.
“Don’t give that look. Eat your cereal. You don’t need all that sugar.” Her mother, Pat, scolded, reading her mind.
Daylen collapsed in her chair and slumped down, pouting. It was the only sign of defiance she could get away with and she took it. Her stomach growled, but it took all she had to get the bland cereal down her throat.
“Here is the permission slip and check for you to join orchestra and to get your cello. I’m putting it in your bookbag so you don’t forget. Make sure you give it to Miss Penny.” Pat opened Daylen’s backpack and slid in the two pieces of paper. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, mom.” Daylen fidgeted in her seat for a moment, building up her bravery. “Do I have to play the cello? It’s soooo big! Most of the girls are picking the violin.” Daylen complained.
“You don’t need to be like most girls. Now finish your cereal before you’re late.” Pat said, officially ending the discussion.
“Orchestra is so lame,” Daylen grumbled under her breath.
“What did you just say?” Pat turned and gave her daughter the classic black mom stink-eye.
“Nothing.” Daylen shrunk down in her chair, fearing the wrath of Patricia Daniels.
Pat was a no-nonsense nurse practitioner. She was a recent divorcee, which gave her time to focus solely on her daughter. And she strove for nothing but perfection from Daylen.
“That’s what I thought. Joining the orchestra is for your own good. If you’re busy with after-school activities, you won’t have time to run in the streets. And it’ll give you some culture.” Pat leaned down, putting her at eye level with her daughter. “Now don’t question me again. You understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Daylen said softly. Resolutely.
“Good.” She kissed Daylen’s temple. “Now get going. The bus will be here any minute. I don’t want you to miss it like yesterday. I can’t be late for work today, messing around dropping you off.”
Daylen grabbed her bookbag and headed out the front door. She started down the sidewalk and saw Chase standing at the bus stop. Her stomach flip-flopped at the memory of his kind words. She still couldn’t believe how nice he was when she knew that he was one of the popular boys and in the fifth grade too. The fifth graders ruled the school.
Chase McCoy was the cutest boy Daylen had ever seen. His sandy blond hair had the slightest curl at the ends that fell in his eyes. His lips were unusually full for a boy, though what made her swoon the most was Chase also had the biggest, prettiest light brown eyes. When he’d helped her up off the floor of the bus, Daylen had noticed his long blond-tipped eyelashes and that his amber eyes had flecks of green in them. It wouldn’t be long before he took Jordan Knight’s place in her nine-year-old heart.
As she approached the bus stop, Daylen sighed in relief when Chase looked up and waved happily at her. She smiled brightly at him as she stepped up to him.
“Hey, Daylen!”
“Hi, Chase,” she said softly.
“So do you like it here?” Chase asked curiously.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s alright.” Daylen shrugged.
“Where did you move from?”
“Indianapolis.”
“Why did you move to Illinois?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” Daylen blurted out.
“Sorry. I was just wondering.” Chase said sheepishly.
“My parents got a d-divorce.” Daylen whispered and stuttered out the last word like it was a dirty word.
“Oh…” Chase replied awkwardly. He noted how embarrassed Daylen looked and decided to confess his thoughts to make her feel better. “I wish my parents would get divorced.”
Daylen looked up in shock, always surprised by the honesty of the older boy. “Really?”
“Yeah, my dad’s a jerk.” Chase grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Daylen blinked at him in disbelief. She had never heard a kid badmouth their parents before.
“Is your dad a jerk too and that’s why they got divorced?” Chase asked.
Daylen shrugged her little round shoulders. “I dunno. I guess. They yelled a lot and my mom said my dad has a new girlfriend.” She confessed sadly.
Chase nodded his head solemnly. “Yeah, my parents yell a lot too. Well, really only my dad.” He kicked a rock as the bus pulled up.
Chase let Daylen step onto the bus first. Since they were one of the first stops, the seats were still relatively empty. Instead of going to the back where she knew those girls would sit, Daylen chose a middle seat. She plopped down and slid over to the window. Chase immediately sat next to her. She looked at him with wide eyes, still amazed that he had kept his word.
The bus made its way around to all the nearby neighborhoods, filling up quickly. Daylen watched as Chase’s friend looked at her in the seat he normally sat in with his buddy. She prayed that he didn’t kick her out, but he just shrugged and sat across the aisle from Chase.
“Hey, dude. This is Daylen. She’s gonna sit with me, so those stupid girls don’t mess with her anymore.” Chase informed his friend nonchalantly.
“Sup, Daylen? I’m Miguel, the coolest kid at Dickson.” Miguel put emphasize on the word ‘dick’ and gave her a sly smile.
Daylen slapped a hand over her mouth and giggled happily at him.
“Don’t listen to him, Daylen. He only thinks he’s cool cause his brother teaches him nasty stuff to tell at school.” Chase playfully punched his friend.
“Fine. You’ve got the face. But I’ve got the moves.” Miguel said as he pop-locked from one hand to the other, rolling his shoulders as he went.
Daylen and Chase, both burst into fits of laughter at Miguel’s antics. The bus rolled to a stop and the pack of popular fifth-grade girls piled on. Daylen’s laughter died a quick death in her throat as Whitney shot daggers at her. It was obvious that the popular girl was furious at where and who Daylen was sitting with.
Unable to keep her remarks to herself, even to impress Chase. Whitney stopped and scowled down at Daylen. Her gang of friends,
right behind her.
“What are you doing sitting there, Fatso? I said to sit with all the rejects in the front,” Whitney sneered.
“Leave her alone, Whitney. She’s sitting with me now.” Chase defended her.
“Yeah, she’s cool people.” Miguel chimed in.
Whitney smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. “What-ever!” She exclaimed as she flipped her hair and proceeded to the back of the bus with her troop of evil minions.
“Sorry about that, Daylen. Don’t even worry about her. They’re just-”
“Stupid?” Daylen used his favorite insult and gave him a small smile.
“Yeah.” Chase grinned.
“So…hey, man. You not interested in Whitney anymore?” Miguel leaned over the aisle to ask quietly.
“Naw, I thought she was cool, but not really anymore,” Chase revealed.
A huge smile spread across Daylen’s face at this revelation, though she remained quiet.
“Rad! Do you mind if I ask her to be my girlfriend? I like girls with attitude. Harder to tame.” Miguel smirked, obviously quoting something is older brother had said.
“Go for it.” Chase shrugged.
They rode the rest of the way to school listening to Miguel regale them with stories about his big brother and how he planned on asking Whitney out. When they got to school and poured off the bus, Whitney and her gang immediately tried to surround Daylen, circling her like a pack of ravenous wolves. Daylen braced herself, ready for a fight though she had never fought in her life. She tried to hold in her fear, as well as her tears. And as was becoming habit, Chase swooped in to save the day.
Chase wrapped an arm around Daylen’s shoulders. “Come on, Daylen. I’ll walk you to your line.”
Whitney saw this and stormed off in a huff. As he walked her over to the fourth-grade line waiting to enter the building, all the little girls in her grade tittered with excitement. Then Chase released her shoulders and she walked to the back of the line. All the girls stared at her in awe.
