the day i turned 11 was the day jimmy johnson turned mean. we was all playing in the creek and jimmy up and left without sayin a word. my feelings were hurt cuz it was my birthday and he never even said so much as hello. and then he up and leaves like he's got somethin better to do. bet said she'd take care of it if i wanted, put a dug beetle in is sandwhich bag or somethin. then louie piped in with "yeah, i'll provide the dung." well we all thought that was funny and it turns out all i needed was a good laugh cuz afterward, i didnt think once about jimmy. next day jimmy didnt come to school. i walked past his house on my way home and saw him through the window of his bedroom. next thing i knew i was popping rocks of the glass to get his attention. took three big ones for him to turn, and the minute i saw his face i knew somethin was wrong. real wrong. from where i was standin it looked like he had two black eyes and a fat lip. he cracked the window and leaned in. ".....sorry i left yur party without sayin nothin sandy......." his words cracked as he spoke. i yelled back, "jimmy, come down here right away, let me see you better, what happen, was is bet? louie? ill get back i swear. they only said somethin about a beetle! i swear jimmy i'll-
"i can't come down there, and you better go sandy," he said barely loud enough for me to hear. "well, you'll be back tomorrow right? i mean, at school, right....?" i hollered back. his response was delayed. "yeah, i think so, maybe....don't tell anyone about this k?" "'bout what jimmy your face?" "yeah, and about seein me, about me talkin to you." my palms grew hot. "well one things for sure is im gunna pop louie a good one for doing this to you-" "its not louie, i'll tell you later, bye sandy." he inched the window shut and left the room. i stood there for a moment, feelin like burstin through the front door of jimmy's house, and rescuing him from whatever he was so scared of. maybe it was his pa, i thought. it wouldnt be the first time, but it sure had been awhile.

i walked home with the workings of rescue in full swing. aint no one deserves to be hit, and jimmy needed me. when i got to the front porch i saw aunt verna sittin with louie and sis. they was playin some sort of dice game. "aunt verna." i said, "i need to talk to you straight away," i said, "aint no waitin for later, this is a death situation, or, could be soon." aunt verna always knows when im for real. she said, "well then lets get to it child, you lead the way, we'll first have to find a quiet place to sit." louie and sis went inside. they knew from past experience that when i had to talk serious to aunt verna, they was not invited. we went to our usual talking spot, which is what aunt verna always called it, our talking spot. we sat right down face to face and she said "im all ears child." thats when i just started cryin. couldnt help myself. didnt even know it was comin. aunt verna just sat there watchin me for a few moments, then she held me close as i wept uncontrollably into her cotton blouse. "there there child, its alright to cry....its alright to cry...." i remember those words real well cuz for some reason i kept tryin to pull myself together to speak, 'specially cuz i wasnt sure how much longer jimmy had till it was too late, but aunt verna kep' telling me to cry. finally when i didnt feel like cryin anymore i pealed myself back from aunt verna and told her everything. told her about the party at the creek and how i was all mad at jimmy for leavin. told her about the beetle idea and louie's dung. told her how jimmy didnt come to school and how i saw his face all beat up in the window. told her how his pa used to hit him but that jimmy said he didnt anymore, but that i was sure it was him. told her i could tell by the way he kept his voice so quiet. told her that jimmy needed me, and it didnt matter that he left from the party 'thout sayin goodbye. that i didnt want jimmy to say goodbye, ever. told aunt verna that we gotta save him straight away. thats where i stopped to take a breath. aunt verna was holdin my hand which felt good cuz i was shakin all over. and she said "looks like we've got ourselves a serious situation now dont we? and i know aint no one's as equipt to fix it as you are...." "and you right aunt verna? you'll help me right? think i might need you to talk to ma cuz she's your sister and she listens to you. and you guys know what its like being kids together and dealing with friends caught in situations like this right aunt verna? jimmy can share my room with me, tell her that. tell her jimmy's pa dont even have to know. tell her we'll just take him and not say a word about it. not one word. and i can home school jimmy in my room straight from what i learned in class that day, cuz thats when its the freshest." i saw that aunt verna was smiling. not a whole face smile like she gets when she's cooking, just a touch of lift in her cheeks, and in her eyes. "sandy, listen to me now. i will talk to your mamma first chance i get. i want you to go clean your room real good, and make an extra bed for jimmy. im not sayin he's movin in straight away, but we should get as ready as we can. come to me after your room is ready, ill be right here child, and don't say anything to the others. we'll make it right, i promise. ok, go on now." i turned towards the house and saw sis and louie crouched down on the porch, ears pressed through the wooden posts. they saw me and sat up. "we dont care what you say, we're savin jimmy too." their shoulders were pressed together so tightly is was like they was the same body. "ok" i said "help me clean my room." as we ran inside i glanced back at aunt verna. she was sitting in the same position i had left her in. but her hands were now in her lap, and her face was turned towards the ground. her eyes were closed and she was swayin just a little. i knew what she was doin. she was thinking. real hard. we was gunna go get jimmy tonight, i knew it.