

Not that he was going to give it back to her, he wasn't. "Give what back?" he asked innocently, waving her notebook in the air above the brown pond water just to taunt her. As far as he was concerned, little Rory James had been put on this earth solely for him to torture and torture her he did. She tried to glare at him, but unlike the other boys, he wasn't afraid of her or her big brothers. He held it up, making little Rory James jump higher for it. Fitzpatrick turned her back on them that the large jar of pink glitter by the window was going to find its way into Connor's hair. "No, you will," she said, knowing the second, the very second, Mrs. "You'll pay for this," he promised tightly. Rory narrowed her eyes on the little boy that had cost her a turn on the swings as he narrowed his eyes on her. "You will both sit here and think about what you did while the rest of the children enjoy free play." Fitzpatrick said sternly as she planted them on wobbly, red blotched stools. "She started it!" the boy pointed out as they were dragged to the small table in the far corner with the scary clown painted on it. She wasn't sure what shit was exactly, but she knew that no matter what shit was, her father was probably right. With a firm tug, she dragged them towards the large multicolored building that her father said looked like a rainbow took a shit on. Fitzpatrick, the mean woman her father left her with, said as she grabbed them each by the arm. "Well, you look like my uncle's butt!" he said, yanking the other pigtail hard enough to make her eyes sting. "Well, you smell like my brother's butt!" she said, shoving him hard, cause she really couldn't call him ugly since he was kind of cute with honey blonde hair and green eyes. "You're ugly!" he practically sneered as he reached over and pulled one of her pigtails, hard. She might have to put up with five big bullies at home, but that didn't mean that she was going to put up with it at preschool, she decided as she gave the boy that had all the girls giggling and calling cute, another shove. Once you did, you'd have to sleep with one eye open and keep an eye out for snakes in your bed, spit in your cereal, and toe nails in your mac and cheese. One thing she'd learned, thanks to having five older brothers, was never to let anyone push her around. "It's a girl's name," she said, taking a deep breath and shoving him back.

When she finally stood up all the way she was forced to tilt her head back slightly so that she could continue to glare at him the way her older brothers had taught her.

Never taking her eyes away from the bully, Rory slowly got up as she wiped dirt off her shirt and jeans. "Rory's a boy's name," the mean little boy who'd pushed her off the swing only seconds earlier, announced as he glared down at her accusingly.
