"when she was 7, a boy pushed her on the playground

she fell head first into the dirt and came up with a mouthful of gravel and lines of blood chasing each other down her legs

when she told her teacher what happened, she laughed and said 'boys will be boys honey don't let it bother you

he probably just thinks you're cute'"

-

Her feet dangled meters from the ground as she swayed on school's swing set. It was her favorite swing set that she'd ever been on. Her small, yet growing, feet forced the air beneath her as her blonde hair caught in her lips.

Giggles overtook her blonde friend's voice. He was watching from a far since he had a silly fear of heights. His laughter quickly ceased and he began to shout at her, "Iris!"

Before she could face her friend, she forcefully faced the wood chips beneath her. Her friend rushed over to help, but stopped once he saw the blood flowing from her unscarred knee and down to her white socks that were now shading red.

Iris had cried out in pain as her frantic young friend was trying to find the culprit of the shove from the peak of six foot swing. He pointed a finger over her head with anger filled blue eyes.

"That's him!" He shouted, which only made Iris's ears ring even more.

She turned over her shoulder and spotted the skinny, tan boy who was laughing with another group of boys.

Her friend had puffed his chubby 7-year-old cheeks and knelt down to help her, brushing the dirt and pebbles from her sweater. He grabbed her arm and tugged it over his shoulders. He helped her limp towards their teacher who was already squatted down, ready to have Jane in a comforting embrace.

The little girl cried into the older woman's shoulder as her knee and eyes dripped from the "accident".

The blonde shot his finger to the dark, curly haired boy who was running towards the slide, "It was him!" He squeaked.

The teacher chuckled, grabbing the first aid kit that was brought out during recess every afternoon. Jane clung tightly to the boy in her class as the woman unpeeled a band-aid.

"Boys will be boys, honey. Don't let it bother you." She told young Iris, receiving a nod from both seven year olds. The teacher gave her a subtle wink as she patted her un-skinned knee and wiped her tears. "He probably just thinks you're cute."

Little Iris had nodded once again and sniffled, giving her friend a hug and thanking him for saving her when she was in need. The boy gave her a goofy smile and hugged her tightly, but not too tight. Just in case the rest of her body was feeling as weak her knee or front tooth that was now more loose than it was at the beginning of the day.

-

A/N: this book is from my second account. i changed the main character's name and will make slight changes to improve the quality. don't @ me