Page 40 of If You Stayed

The problem with giving kids advice was that it often came back quickly to bite one in the ass.

On a Thursday morning, Ramona, Ava, and I ran errands all morning. I figured it was a good way to show Ava the miscellaneous tasks that popped up throughout the week. Our final stop was at a Home Depot. Ramona stayed in the car to make a few business calls, leaving me and Ava to head inside to get the supplies I needed.

“So you are busy all the time,” Ava noted as she grabbed a cart for me to push.

“All the time,” I echoed. “But it’s a good busy. I like being busy.”

“Me too. Plus, it’s kind of cool to see how things start inarchitecture and then seeing the finished product.”

“Exactly. The reward is great.”

“Do you have a favorite project you’ve built?”

“There’s a couple—”

“Oh my gosh, look, Cory! It’s lard ass,” a person said as Ava and I rounded a corner. There stood a pair of twin teenage boys, and I knew instantly from the comment who the dickheads were. Beavis and Butt-Head.

Ava’s vibrant personality almost completely dissipated instantly, and that reaction broke my damn heart. It was like watching a shining star be burned out in an instant. Now I was angry.

The twins started snickering and making oinking noises. Ava stepped slightly behind me, trying to hide herself.

“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you two? Knock it off, assholes,” I blurted out. Was I allowed to call teenage boys assholes? Who knew? Didn’t care. All I cared about was making Ava feel safe and protected.

Before they could respond, a man rounded the corner. A big, big man. A man who was probably twice my size.

“Did you just call my boys assholes?” the beast fromBeauty and the Beastasked as he puffed out his chest and walked toward me.

I could’ve shriveled up and said no like a little punk, but Ava was still hidden behind me, and I wasn’t going to allow those teens to get away with the disrespect toward her.

I puffed out my own chest and nodded. “Yeah, I did. Because your boys are being beyond disrespectful toward thisnice young lady. I don’t like bullies.”

The grown ogre looked at his two boneheads. “Were you bullying her?”

“No, Dad! We weren’t!” one of them stated.

“Yeah! We were just saying hi,” the other lied.

Ogre looked at me and tilted his head. “You hear that? They were just saying hi to a friend.”

“By oinking at her and calling her lard ass?” I bit back, getting even more annoyed as the words fell from my mouth.

Ogre looked at his sons, a small smirk on his face. “You oinked at her?”

The boys didn’t respond, but snickered to themselves, shoving each other.

“Was it like this?” Ogre asked. “Oink-oink-oink?” he said, looking in Ava’s direction.

I stepped in front of Ava to shield her from his eye contact. “All right, that’s enough.”

“I’m just making a joke.” He laughed, patting my shoulder. “But maybe little Miss Piggy should avoid a cookie every now and again.” He then shoved a finger to his nose, pressed it down, and made more oinking noises toward Ava.

And.

I.

Blacked.

Out.

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