Page 11 of Infinite as They Come
“We were just messing around,” the kid grumbled, hands stuffed into his pockets as he looked at the boy on the ground. “Spencer deserves it, anyway.”
“That’s dumb.” I scoffed. “Don’t be dumb. Go home. Leave him alone.”
The boys mumbled out some words I couldn’t quite make out, sending Spencer some looks over their shoulders before walking away and over to the front entrance of the park. I turned to the kid, his hair still messed up and his lips trembling a little. When I looked down, I saw a scrape on his knee that made me wince a little.
“You okay?” I asked, holding a hand out for him.
“I think so,” he said, voice soft and croaky as he grabbed my hand.
I got him to his feet and I realized just how short he was. Smaller than those other boys for sure, his frame all slender and tiny as he hastily rubbed at his wet eyes. It was a quick motion. Like he didn’t want me to see him doing it, so I stared at a panicked looking Holly who was quickly making her way over.
“Is he hurt?” Holly asked, eyes all wide, and then she gasped when she saw his knee. “Come sit down. I have Band-Aids in my purse.”
“Here,” I said, putting his glasses back on him. They made his brown eyes even bigger as he blinked up at me, reaching up to push the frames along his little nose. “You sure you’re good?”
“I’m okay,” he said softly, looking over at Holly who was back on the bench and waving us over. “Who’s that?”
“My girlfriend.”
“Wow,” he said, grasping the straps of his backpack tight.
“Yeah, I know. Come on, she’ll help you.”
We walked back over to Holly together and she quickly dove through her purse, pulling out a Band-Aid. Spencer took a seat next to Holly, his little fingers wrapping against the edge of the bench as her eyes fell to his knee, tsking softly.
“Are your glasses alright?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Spencer nodded. “I have to be careful with them. All I have is one pair, and I already broke another one last year.”
“Youbroke it ortheybroke it?” I grumbled.
“Um…” His cheeks got all red. “They broke it.”
“Kids are so mean sometimes,” Holly said, rolling her eyes, her hands moving gently as she placed the Band-Aid on Spencer’s knee. “I’m sorrythose boys were so awful to you.”
“It’s okay,” he said, shrugging lazily. “I’m used to it.”
Holly paused. “You shouldn’t be used to something like that.”
“My mom and dad say when I finish school, I won’t have to see them ever again.”
A sweet little smile graced Holly’s face. “They’re right.”
“Hey,” Spencer said, picking up the card that sat on the bench seat. The one I had drawn on. “That’s the park.”
“Sawyer drew it,” Holly said, shooting me a smile as she gave the Band-Aid on Spencer’s leg a little pat. “There. All done.”
“I love the park,” he said, looking at me with big eyes. “I come here all the time.”
“You can have it,” Holly said. “It’s all yours.”
He smiled big, all bright and crooked. “I can have it?”
“Mhm. You can keep it.”
“Thanks,” he said, holding it to his chest. “Um, I have to go now. My parents get scared when I get home late. Is it okay if I go?”
“You can go. Will you be okay walking home by yourself?” Holly asked, tilting her head. “Those boys…”
