The summer we turned thirteen (Published)

The summer we met: Crybaby

James

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"My eyes must be deceiving me," Jasper remarked.

I averted my eyes from him instantly. Ignoring his jabs was the only tactic that had ever successfully made him leave me alone.

And it still hardly worked.

"Because there is no way that the Jamie the crybaby I know dares to attend a summer camp all on his own," he said.

I winced at the nickname. Jasper had been calling me that since the start of fourth-grade when I tripped over my shoelaces one day in gym class and hit my face on the wooden floor. My response had been to cry; I was in pain and humiliated after all. That same humiliation was beginning to creep over me now, and I felt it kick up a notch when Jasper finished his sentence saying,

"Unless he brought his imaginary friends along to keep him company."

I glanced up swiftly.

That voice didn't belong to Jasper.

It belonged to Mike Douglas. Mike was Jasper's partner in crime, who was just as cruel if not more than Jasper was. They were standing side by side, looking intimidating like always.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, hoping the fear would go down with it. I didn't know how to stand up for myself. I could hardly handle Jasper by himself, but I most certainly could not handle him when Mike was around. It was two against one, an unfair fight: a bully's favorite kind.

But then, I remembered maybe it wasn't two against one this time.

I had Evan now, and we were friends. Surely, he wouldn't let them pick on me this way, right? I looked to him for moral support.

I noticed he had moved to an entirely different corner of the room.

He refused to make eye contact with me.

Jasper chose that moment to call his name.

"Evan, how are you going to survive sharing a bunk with crybaby Jamie? I heard he's afraid of the dark, so you might need a nightlight and to sing him a lullaby," he taunted.

Mike guffawed. Kaden broke his silence and laughed some too.

It wasn't even that funny. So I was afraid of the dark. Weren't we all at that age?

Frustration boiled within me. I wanted to speak up. But every retort I had was either too weak or so fierce that it would result in me being pummeled. So, I kept my mouth shut.

And I did my best not to let the laughter surrounding me weigh me down.

Evan finally spoke.

"Come on, Jasper; he's nice. Give him a break," he admonished.

Instantly, Jasper and Mike's menacing smiles faded. Jasper's face contorted into a frown. He folded his arms and leaned against the door giving Evan a disapproving glare.

"Oh, I get it. You're friends with crybaby Jamie; are you, Evan?" he taunted.

Evan gave another one of his signature shrugs.

Jasper's smirk returned.

"Well, you know what Mike and I always say, don't you? If you're friends with a crybaby, that makes you one too. So, maybe we'll just have to start calling you, crybaby Evan. What do you think of that?"

Evan's face went red; the nickname had the same effect on him as it did on me. It made him feel wimpy like he wasn't masculine enough to be called by his real name.