Boats and Birds

"Of course it is." Alex said softly.

"I think I will miss you. I know you usually ignore me and all but...it was nice to have a friend for the day."

"Imma miss you too." Alex frowned. He didn't want Mike to go.

"M-Maybe i'll see you again before....you know...if your not too busy." He added quietly.

Alex nodded.
"You should come play at my house sometime." He offered.

He had never been to anyone's house without his mother before. It was a scary thought.

"You don't have to... I was just offering."He blushed.

"No...I want to see you again before I die...." He was scared, he didn't want his heart to stop.

"Okay. Well then whenever you want to come play you can just have your momma call my daddy." Alex grinned widely.
"Daddy, give his momma our number!" Alex shouted, running over to his father.

Mike stared at Alex's father, the man looked st strong and Alex was a spitting image of him. Mike didn't know what his father was like. He father abandoned him and his momma when he found out Mike was so challenged, he didn't want a sickly kid.

His father chuckled and scribbled down the hous phone number on a piece of paper lying around.
"Sorry if he's bothering you." He laughed to Mike's mother.

She smiled through her tears, "Its nothing, im proud that my little Mikey is finally making some friends." Mike looked down, embarrassed.

Alex's father smiled politely at the woman.
"You can just call if he does decide to come over."
Alex beamed at Mike.
"Bye Mike!" He grinned, hugging Mike gently.

"Bye-Bye......" Mike said quietly as the doctor came back and his momma burst into tears all over again.

Alex frowned but waved at Mike as he walked out the door.

They got home late that night, the doctor wanting to do many test on him. Mike didn't get that chance to call Alex. He couldn't use the phone and he didn't want to bother his momma, she was so upset. She busted into tears whenever he looked at her. It had been three weeks, they were back at the hospital, Mike weak heart only getting weaker and weaker.

Alex was upset. He waited every night by the phone and Mike never called. MAybe his daddy was right. He was too hyper and clingy.

Mike missed Alex, he was all alone. The other kids didn't like him because he was small and sicker than most of them. So Mike was alone in the corner of the play room before a bunch of bigger kids, almost Alex's size walked up to him. Mike tried to press himself against the wall so he could get away but the biggest boy took him by the front of the shirt and picked him up off the ground before banging him against the wall. Mike's momma had gone to the car real quick so he was alone. "Your that sick kid that's always here." The boy sneered. "Ain't you dead yet you little wimp?" Mike was scared and shook with fear. "N-No." He said weakly. The boy rolled his eyes, his hand instead wrapped around Mike's small neck. Mike choked and began to cry. "P-Please stop." He whimpered feebly.

Alex was on his way to the hospital to visit his momma. He hoped Mike was there. His dad walked off to make sure momma was okay before he let Alex go in. He didn't want him to see anything he shouldn't. He left Alex in the playroom. Alex walked in and searched for Mike. He found him surrounded by some boys. The one was choking him. Alex didn't like that.
"HEY! Get offa Mikey!" He yelled.

Mike choked again, startled that anyone said anything and even more surprised to see it was Alex. One hand still holding onto that boys wrist he reached out for Alex, silently begging for help as tears ran down his pale cheeks.

Alex stomped over and pushed the older boy in the chest.
"He's sick you big meany!"

The older boy slung Mike up against the wall before stumbling back. He was scared, no one ever pushed him and it hurt. His bottom lip trembled but he wasn't done just yet. "Y-Yeah well good! I-I hope he gets so sick he dies. H-He ain't good for nothing anyways. He is so small and weak to do anyone any good, he is a waist of space." The boy sneered at Mike.

"NO! YOU are a waste of space! All you do is be mean to people to make yourself feel big and important! But you're really just a big BABY!" Alex shouted, pushing the boy again.

The boy began to cry and got up and shaky legs, running past Alex and calling for his momma.

"Mike, are you okay?" Alex asked, hugging his friend tightly.