CHAPTER 1 – The Rabbit and the Fox
It’s me Grant.
The thing you have to understand about Josh, is that he is a dreamer. He can only take so much reality before he snaps. Massive head explosion. Brain goo everywhere. This hinders him socially somewhat, but offers advantages too.
If you are like most people, you are probably trapped on the world in which you live. Josh dallies there only under the duress put upon him by those around him. Dragged back constantly by irritated friends, family, acquaintances. It’s considered anti-social behavior. And as you and I know, when it comes to labels like “anti-social,” what things are considered to be is all that really matters. He is by no means popular with the world. Which is ok, because he doesn’t like it so much either.
Still, all things considered, he’d rather be popular. But the dreams are overwhelming, and letting them win is in the end, more fun than fighting them. In his head, he is a champion of sorts, but not just that. For one thing, he’s me. He’s also Lori and Beth, (we’re his three favorites) and everyone and everything else too.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Page 2
But right now, see where he is? Playing kickball with the rest of the boys, and a couple o’ girls. Me and Lori and Beth and everything else are the farthest things from his mind. In fact he hasn’t even invented us yet.
It’s the third and final inning, and Josh is up to kick. The real world is exciting enough for now. And even though Josh hasn’t invented me yet, I’m here and watching. The human mind works like that, believe it or not.
I’m sitting on the large wall overlooking the school yard. Looking down on him. Crouched and ready to kick. I can barely recognize him. All tiny and skinny, and brighter blonde hair than I’m used to seeing on him. Big old buck teeth. Before the braces. I dunno about you, but I like him much better this way. I can’t help but smile a little.
It’s the third and final inning, and Josh is up to kick. The real world is exciting enough for now. And even though Josh hasn’t invented me yet, I’m here and watching. The human mind works like that, believe it or not.
I’m sitting on the large wall overlooking the school yard. Looking down on him. Crouched and ready to kick. I can barely recognize him. All tiny and skinny, and brighter blonde hair than I’m used to seeing on him. Big old buck teeth. Before the braces. I dunno about you, but I like him much better this way. I can’t help but smile a little.
Page 3
“We miss anything!?” Lori says, and she pounces onto the wall next to me. (Right hand side.) She is her usual punky, lanky, purple mohawked self.
“Course not. I paused it for you. Where’s Lori?”
“Gettin’ popcorn. You can pause this thing?”
“Apparently so. Either that or all the kids in the school yard were frozen by some kind of super villain.”
“Or Professor X.”
“Professor X can’t freeze people.”
“X-Men 2.”
“Oh right,” I nod.
“Yeah I never got how he did that.”
“There was nothing to get. It was stupid.”
“Oh I get it now,” she nods as Beth lands on the other side of me in one of her overly baggy sweatshirts. Grinning sweet, she passes the popcorn.
“Course not. I paused it for you. Where’s Lori?”
“Gettin’ popcorn. You can pause this thing?”
“Apparently so. Either that or all the kids in the school yard were frozen by some kind of super villain.”
“Or Professor X.”
“Professor X can’t freeze people.”
“X-Men 2.”
“Oh right,” I nod.
“Yeah I never got how he did that.”
“There was nothing to get. It was stupid.”
“Oh I get it now,” she nods as Beth lands on the other side of me in one of her overly baggy sweatshirts. Grinning sweet, she passes the popcorn.
Page 4
“Lookit Josh! He’s like four!” she comments excitedly.
“Seven, actually,” I inform.
“So um, how’s this game work, exactly…” Beth says scrunching her face up, as she blocks the sun with her hand, squinting down at the scene.
“It’s like baseball, with kicking,” Lori ‘splains.
“Oh right, I’ve played that,” Beth says nodding in recollection.
“You have?” Lori says with an odd look.
“I made her play,” I explain.
“Ooh I wish I could’a seen,” Lor grins.
“Seven, actually,” I inform.
“So um, how’s this game work, exactly…” Beth says scrunching her face up, as she blocks the sun with her hand, squinting down at the scene.
“It’s like baseball, with kicking,” Lori ‘splains.
“Oh right, I’ve played that,” Beth says nodding in recollection.
“You have?” Lori says with an odd look.
“I made her play,” I explain.
“Ooh I wish I could’a seen,” Lor grins.
Page 5
“I’m gonna kick a homer!!!” Josh shouts into the outfield.
“Nuh uh!” shouts the pitcher, back.
“If he does, we’re golden,” I explain. “Bottom of the third and final inning. We’re down one run and got a man on first.”
“Hush Grant, we all know how kickball works,” Beth informs.
And Lori sticks her tongue, to which I shrug.
“You got ‘em Josh!” shouts Lori.
“You da man!” adds Beth.
“Kick it outta the park, little man!” I chime in.
And we each munch a handful of popcorn. Nobody can hear us or see us. Not even Josh. Still, we like to think every little bit of support helps.
“Nuh uh!” shouts the pitcher, back.
“If he does, we’re golden,” I explain. “Bottom of the third and final inning. We’re down one run and got a man on first.”
“Hush Grant, we all know how kickball works,” Beth informs.
And Lori sticks her tongue, to which I shrug.
“You got ‘em Josh!” shouts Lori.
“You da man!” adds Beth.
“Kick it outta the park, little man!” I chime in.
And we each munch a handful of popcorn. Nobody can hear us or see us. Not even Josh. Still, we like to think every little bit of support helps.
Page 6
The pitcher rolls the ball up fast, so it bounces up on the ground. It’s a little off course, but Josh rushes up to kick anyway (he always does and) POW!!! The ball flies off into the outfield.
“Uh oh,” Lori comments as a chubby kid, rushes under it, shouting out to the others.
“I GOT IT!!!” he shouts once and then again: “I GOT IT!!!”
The big red kickball falls fast, and bounces hard off the tips of the boy’s fingers. He falls to the ground clutching them in agony. And crying. Lori, Beth and I all cackle happily.
“Yes!” shouts Lori.
“He dun got nothin’! Nothin’!” adds Beth merrily.
“Go home kid! Go home!” I shout to the kid who’d been on second and for some reason idiotically held there until the fat kid dropped the ball, even though there were already two outs. But he trips over third base and then scrambles over to it. As the left fielder collects the ball, and tosses it home.
“Uh oh,” Lori comments as a chubby kid, rushes under it, shouting out to the others.
“I GOT IT!!!” he shouts once and then again: “I GOT IT!!!”
The big red kickball falls fast, and bounces hard off the tips of the boy’s fingers. He falls to the ground clutching them in agony. And crying. Lori, Beth and I all cackle happily.
“Yes!” shouts Lori.
“He dun got nothin’! Nothin’!” adds Beth merrily.
“Go home kid! Go home!” I shout to the kid who’d been on second and for some reason idiotically held there until the fat kid dropped the ball, even though there were already two outs. But he trips over third base and then scrambles over to it. As the left fielder collects the ball, and tosses it home.
Page 7
Josh takes a long lead on second. I watch, grinning. He’s the winning run now. It’s all on him. And lookit him all grinning and happy. And why shouldn’t he be? That was a damned fine kick. His eyes drift for a moment down to his sneakers. And he sees one’s become untied. How was it Hank (Josh’s dad) had said to tie ‘em right? The rabbit and the fox go round each other...and then the rabbit loops in a circle...and tricks the fox into running round and getting stuck in the hole...and then they both become a tree together? No that’s not right. Josh scratches his head. He is in the tree now thinking of a way for the fox to catch the rabbit. We are all shouting at him to dive back into second, but he can’t hear anyone else in the real world, anymore than he can hear Lori, Beth and me.
And as he is pondering a way to save the bunny from the fox, he is tagged out. And the other team rejoices, whilst Josh’s team shouts cusses at him.
“What the hell Josh! What the hell!? We lost the game! We lost!”
The big black kid who was team captain, shoves Josh, and he falls onto the ground. He doesn’t get up just stares at blue sky above. White cloud looks like a turtle.
“Boo! You suck!” Lori shouts.
“Shut up, Lori,” Beth says, head in hands.
“Oh right, sorry...you know how susceptible I am to group mentality.”
And as he is pondering a way to save the bunny from the fox, he is tagged out. And the other team rejoices, whilst Josh’s team shouts cusses at him.
“What the hell Josh! What the hell!? We lost the game! We lost!”
The big black kid who was team captain, shoves Josh, and he falls onto the ground. He doesn’t get up just stares at blue sky above. White cloud looks like a turtle.
“Boo! You suck!” Lori shouts.
“Shut up, Lori,” Beth says, head in hands.
“Oh right, sorry...you know how susceptible I am to group mentality.”
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