Notes

The ball went though the bushes and after leaving the back yard it kept going and going, as if it was nt going to stop. "No!" a scream was heard and then tears. "Benny is gonna take our ball!" six years old, Maxwell yelled and without second thought, he started running after the ball. He got through the hole under the fence, that was exactly as big as the kid's size, and ran acriss the street. Glad he found his ball stopped under a sycamoore tree. He quickly went for it when he suddenly felt a poke on his shoulder. "Are you looking for my ball, Maxie?"

Even though Max knew well who was standing behind him, he had to turn to see. Well that croaky hoarse voice, couldn't come from anyone esle than Benny himself, the neigbourhood biggest bully, and every kid's nightmare. Benny was only 11 but he was tall and kind of fat, as exactly as his father, so he looked older. He had no problem using his huge body to get what he wanted, and little Max knew it well, but he was quite a rather young boy for his age. "It is my ball, not yours. Now leave me alone." Max said in a brittle voice avoiding to look Benny straight in the eyes. The very next second Benny frowned and his fist was raised in the air, a few inches over Max's face.

Without a breath, Everett jumped over the fence, this summer he had become a bit taller than the last one so it was not so easy for him to get through the hole anymore, and ran for his younger brother. Before Benny's fist land on little Max's face, Everett had already jumped on the bully's back and was fighting with everything he could to take the big boy away from his brother. But Max was so shocked and amazed at the same time, by his older brother's bravery taht he just standed there with eyes wide open. "Go Max! Go!" Everett yelled with all his strength. Benny took advantage of Everett's attention ot Max, and threw him down easily.

"I told you to run! Why didn't you...?" Everett told to Max as he landed beside him. His knees would soon have some huges bruises. Max whimpered "I'm sorry" he started crying. "Yeah! Good! Cry you little chit, and ou should start cry too, you bastard!" Benny said to Everett meaning the word. It was no secret that Everett's dad was not the same as Max. Everett had no memory of his father and he hated the fact that his mother kept telling him how good a man he had been and the reason he was away was not his fault. But Everett couldn't feel any form of sympathy of that absent man who, to the young boy's eyes, had abandoned him and his mother. Anger, real wrath, started growning in Everetts heart "What is it you, stray dog? You want to call your daddy for help? Oops!" As Benny kept saying things like that, Everret's anger kept growing and growing and when Benny grabbed little Max by his Tshirt and pulled him up, making the kid cry even louder, Everret couldn't control hima nympre. His face was burning red by his hate and warth, but what could he do? He was tiny himself, next to Benny, trying to stand up and kick him would be stupid and wouldn't save his little brother. "Prepare to remember this day forever, crybaby!" Benny said with drops of salliva landing on little Max's face.

"NO!" Everett yelled and suddenly that Max kept holding tight between his hands suddenly burst, basically a hole appeared letting on the air out and with pressure it left Max's hands and went straight for Benny's face. Benny let Max fall from his hands just to touch his nose who was now huge liek an eggplant. It was now Benny who started crying and he left running to his home, yelling for his mommy.

Everett went to Max and helped him stand up. "Oh no!!! Look at your elbows!" the boy said as Max's elbow's were bleeding bad from the fall, tears were still on his face ut they were just the old ones, since now there was a hige smile on the younger boy's face. "You did it Everett! You made Benny go away!" Max's voice was loud and cheerful, but Everett seemed to only care about his brother's injury, "I did not do anything, it was just good luck" Max said with no particular interest "now stop, moving I need to see these wounds." "No! No! It was you! I saw it! You amde the ball hit Benny's face!" Max kept saying but Everett had more important things to worry about now.