Bennett The Brave

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The next day, Christmas Eve, all the kids wanted to go out into the newly fallen snow, and have a snowball fight. I hesitated, remembering that the events of the previous year, as if they were yesterday. Garrett, for his part, came barreling up the drive with a snow plow attached to his truck, and cleared the drive and parking areas of snow, while guests moved their cars around for him. It had snowed nearly a foot and a half overnight, so by the time he was done, there were some decent berms ready to endure the most fevered of battles.

Garrett participated in the melee, stopping here and there to rescue the odd little one who had fallen over and found it difficult to regain their feet in their snowsuits. There were tears, of course, when the occasional, errant snowball went directly into somebody's face or down their collar. Even Eddie seemed to be having a good time.

That is, until I pelted him with a fluffy white bomb that seemed to explode right behind the glasses. He stood up, his eyes comically blotted out like an enormous Li'l Orphan Annie by great big clots of snow between his lenses and his face. Eddie whipped off his glasses and dug the snow out of his eyes, his face a picture of white-hot rage. He came pounding down the snow after me, roaring like a highlander.

At first, I thought he was play-acting, but he tackled me with a full head of steam, knocking the wind out of me as we fell together into a snow berm. The next thing I knew, Eddie was screaming and throwing fists. I dodged most of them, as he was just flailing, but he did manage to connect with a couple of them; I felt my glasses crunch against my cheek. Moments later, Eddie seemed to levitate as Garrett pulled him up and away from me. Enraged, I came up swinging, my vision tinged blood-red. Before Garrett could stop me, I swung a haymaker Eddie's way, connecting solidly with his left temple. Eddie's eyes turned glassy for a moment, his cage obviously rattled.

"Whoa, Bennett stop!" Garrett shouted. I didn't listen, I was going in for the kill when Garrett put his palm against my chest and pushed me down into the snow. I looked up at Garrett, holding the sobbing Eddie up by his collar, and realized I was crying too.

"What the hell, Eddie?" I hollered.

"Let me fucking go!" Eddie hollered back, trying unsuccessfully to squirm away from Garrett's tight grip.

"Calm down, Eddie," Garrett gave him a little shake, "Relax, don't make me get your father out here." That seemed to take the fire out of Eddie's belly for the moment. He slumped, letting his fists fall to his side, and Garrett let him down. "You done being a ding-dong for now?" Eddie gave a defeated nod. "Good," he said sternly, "Stay right there until we get this sorted out." Again Eddie nodded and made no move to escape.

My breathing was still coming in hitches and gasps, tears streaming down my face. Neal, seeing all the commotion in the distance, came bounding over.

"Bennett? Eddie? Garrett, what's going on?" he panted, I could hear him wheezing.

"Not sure," Garrett said, calmly, "but we're about to find out. Do me a favor, and keep the other kids occupied while I take Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier here, over to the wood shed and hash this out."

I looked over and saw the pathetic remains of my glasses glinting in the snow. One lens had been smashed, and the frame bent into crazy angles. I moaned aloud, knowing how pissed-off my parents were going to be about that. Garrett held out his hand and help hoist me up. Then, with a hand at both of our necks, escorted us to the wood shed, where we all knew a reckoning was to be had.

Garrett opened the door of the wood shed for us, I walked in, but Eddie looked like he was fixing to bolt. Garrett collared him, and Eddie gave up any thought of running. We each sat our morose butts down on a log, while Garrett lit a kerosene lantern and shut the door.