He nodded, but then I heard laughing coming from the right and I turned to find the boy, along with three others, laughing their asses off.
“Wait right here,” I mumbled.
“Tasha no!” he pleaded.
I turned to him. “Trust me! All will be well.” I put my hand to his shoulder and squeezed softly, then walked off to where the boys were standing. They saw me coming and started to disperse, but I was able to stop them with my voice. “Hey!” I hollered.
Two of the boys stopped and turned to face me. One of them being the boy that was picking on Cody. “What?” he asked me.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He snickered. “Bobby. What’s yours?” The two boys laughed, and I couldn’t believe the balls on him.
I obviously ignored his question. “Do you think it’s alright to pick on others that are smaller than you?” I asked. He didn’t respond, which irritated me. “So, like for example…if I was to do this…” I put my hand to his shoulder and knocked him back. It was a slight movement that wouldn’t have knocked anyone to the ground, but he responded so fast.
“I’m telling you did that!” he argued.
I rolled my eyes and knelt down to him, so that I was eye level to him. “If I ever hear of you bullying my friend again, then you are gonna wish you hadn’t,” I said.
I stood up and the kid that was with him spoke up. “Are you threatening him?” he asked.
I turned to him, then back to Bobby. “No threats, just promises. You don’t pick on people, and one day you’re going to remember this little encounter and you’re going to know that I’m right. No one likes a bully.” I turned on my heel and walked away, then grabbed Cody’s hand as he looked at me. “Come on buddy, let’s get you home.”
When we got back to the car, he finally spoke, after remaining silent for a moment. It was when we were both in the car and I had started it up. “That was really pretty awesome,” he said. “Thank you!”
I looked at him and smiled. “It’s what friends do,” I responded.
He quirked up his lips into a smile. “We just met,” he stated.
I shrugged. “I knew right away that you and I would be best friends,” I replied.
He reached out and touched my hand. “It’s what a mom would’ve done, and I would love to have a mom like you.”
That caused my eyes to water and I smiled down at him. “Thanks, little man. I would be honored to have a son like you.”
I squeezed his hand and turned to back out of the parking spot. I was emotional at his words and I realized that I meant every one of mine. If I was lucky to have children, I’d want them like Cody, because I cou
ld already sense he was a sweet child. I also knew that as long as he was in my care I would do anything to protect him. Handling a bully would just be the beginning.
Chapter Six
Matt
Call into the Principal’s Office
The phones were ringing off the hook and I could tell that my assistant, Mary was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. That was the reason I hired Dana to be my second personal assistant. She wasn’t as hands on as Mary, but whatever Mary couldn’t handle she passed along to Dana, along with Dana planning my hectic daily schedule. It was a very busy Monday and I barely had a moment to breathe. When my phone started ringing, I nearly put the call through to voicemail, but I noticed Mary’s number on the caller ID, so I answered.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, still madly typing away on the computer to get the email sent.
“Sorry to bother you Matt, but there’s a Dean Westcott on line one. She said that she’s from Manchester Prep Academy. It sounds important.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after five. “That’s alright. I’ll grab it, thanks.” I disconnected her call. I knew that Tasha was to pick up Cody, so I didn’t know why they would need to call me nearly two hours later. I picked up the call. “This is Matt Wilde,” I answered anxiously.
“Hello, Mr. Wilde,” she started on the other end. I stopped typing for a minute, so I could just listen to her words. “Sorry to bother you this Monday afternoon, but we need to have a little talk. Can you come in to the office?”
I frowned. “May I ask what it’s about?” I asked.
“We would prefer to discuss it when you get here.”