Fighting Myself

‘Why do boys think they have to fight?’ Sarah thought to herself as she stood by watching Billy and Steve on the ground pounding each other with blows. Had she been on time for their play date she might have been able to put a stop to this act of violence as she had many times before, only she was late and with good reason. After school the routine was the same, run home to drop off her books and tell mom where she was going to be that day, then to old lady Burnham’s house to feed the cat and check on her then off to play with the boys. How her mother hated that she was such a tom boy, always trying to get her to play dolls with the other girls and wear pretty dresses but Sarah did not have time for all that, the games the boys played were so much more fun. Sarah sat back on her heels with a sigh as Billy landed another hard right to Steve’s midsection. That was it, she was putting a stop to all this, she didn’t need any more bad news today.



“You two need to stop now!” Her voice boomed out of her chest with fury. “Why are you two acting like cavemen anyways?”



The boys stopped hitting each other to look up at her. She knew her face was red with anger yet she did not care. They were friends and this was no way for friends to behave.



“Sarah when did you get here?” Billy meekly asked as he came up off of Steve.



“Before you two landed on the ground. Now tell me what has you two fighting?” She was not about to let them change the subject.



“Oh it ain’t nothing, we were just playing.” Came the answer from Steve.



“Nothing is it, well that blow to your belly did not look like nothing.” Unsatisfied with the answer she knew she was not going to get anything else out of the pair.



“What took you so long anyways Sarah? You said you would be here on time today.” Billy looked down at his hands as he spoke.



“Well here is the thing boys, sometimes life throws us a curve ball we just can’t hit.” Sarah was the oldest of the group and loved to act like so. Talking like such was only one of the ways she used to show off her older status.



“What are you talking about girl?” Steve hated when he thought she was acting superior to him.



Sarah could hold her tears back any longer, they flowed hot down her cheeks. This was it, time to tell them. She had no other choice, they would find out soon enough. Best she tell them herself, she thought. Yet the tears choked off her voice. They would take the news as badly as she had. This would change everything for the friends forever. Never again would she be able to play with them freely again. The feeling that all was lost overwhelmed her as she thought about the news. Life as they knew it would never be the same. Clearing her throat, Sarah mustered up the courage to deliver the news.



“Boys I will not be able to play with you after today.” A sob came with her words.



“What? Why? Sarah what is going on?” Billy almost shouted. A stunned Steve just sat looking at her.



“I have to go to the hospital for a while. They don’t know if I will ever return.” Her sobs got worse as she spoke, Steve came to sit beside her putting a comforting arm around her.



“What is it? What did they find?” Fear colored his voice as he pulled her closer, Steve always the protector.



“They say that I am different then other girls, I must have a surgery on my head to make me well. Mom says that then they are not sure I will ever be right.” Sarah wiped at her tears when she looked up at them.



“Sarah, you will be alright. We will see to it.” Billy stood firm in front of her. “We will visit every day and bring you flowers and candy, whatever you want.”



“That’s just it, you can’t visit me. Mom said that I had to be away from you two so that this might work. I love you both and will miss you much.” Sarah hugged Steve tight than stood to hug Billy. Her heart could not take any more so she turned, said good bye and walked away, leaving two very stunned boys to their own thoughts.



Billy looked at Steve suddenly as he heard the other boy’s laughter. Anger filled him again, ever ready to fight he found it hard not to knock his friend off the log he was sitting on.



“What do you find so funny?” He about screamed as he looked at Steve.



“I wonder when her mother is going to tell her the truth.” Steve answered readily.



“Huh? What are you talking about?” Puzzled Billy took a seat next to his friend.



“Dad and mom were talking last night and mom told dad that Sarah’s mom told her that she was thinking maybe there was a surgery on her brain that they could do to make her act more like a girl. Dad laughed when mom told him but said that it was funny that she was such a prissy woman it would not surprise him if she actually tried to find one.” Steve explained as they watched the retreating form of Sarah.



“So why does she think they are doing that to her then? Did her mom find someone to do that really?” Billy worried over how she would act if they had.



“No of course not, she must have heard her mother talking on the phone again, like last time when she thought her aunt was an alien. You remember that don’t you, she heard her mom tell someone on the phone that cause her aunt is a free spirit that doesn’t settle down in one place to long. I bet tomorrow she’ll be here with some other fantastic story about someone else.” Steve stood and started walking to the fort, this time he would be the first in, even if he had to hit Billy over the head again with a stick.