Toy Story Sid/Andy Fic - For Every Mountain, A Miracle
Title For Every Mountain, A Miracle
Author hiyaitsray
Rating PG
Characters/Pairings: Sid/Andy
Warning Slash, some mild language
Type Oneshot
Summary/Notes: The origins of a fated pair of troublemaking kids can be traced back to a cat, a big tree, and a black rock.
~
Pulling on his signature black skull shirt, Sid was ready to take on his first day of school. Not really needing anything else (Sid opted to leave his books at school and steal lunch money from some poor, unsuspecting geek), Sid pulled a half eaten granola bar out of his pantry, ate it in one bite, and walked to the door.
Sid leisurely walked out of his house, his hands deep in his pockets and his stride loose and relaxed. Sid doesn’t bother to announce his departure on the way out anymore. As if his dead-beat parents would even care if their 7 year old son went missing.
Sid’s house was dark and unkempt, the wood planks of the floorboards sticking out and some screws coming loose. There were several holes in the roof, Sid finding himself more than once falling asleep and waking up to a mini flood on a rainy day. The grass on the lawn was tall enough to swallow up the small forgotten toys scattered across it. He preferred it this way though; it made it easier to play Jungle Hunter, just like that man Clayton from Tarzan. Sid doesn’t remember how long it’s been since anybody had mowed it, or even bothered to water it. It was starting to yellow now in the early morning heat.
Sid sighed and began his long trek to his Elementary School, when something gleamed out of the corner of his eye.
Ever the curious one, Sid turned around and walked toward the source of the shine, something nestled under the overgrown grass on his lawn.
Stooping over, Sid moved the dry grass out of the way to reveal a shiny black rock. It had jagged edges and was shaped like a crude star. It shimmered proudly under the sun, the obsidian glowing like a precious jewel.
Sid took the rock and stood, holding it up and admiring it when a familiar sound caught his attention. Turning his head at the nearby fence, a black cat was walking across it, its steps sure and calculated.
Sid smiled, rearing his arm back preparing to pelt the cat with the rock.
Whether it was the sweltering hot weather this morning or the fact that the rock was really, really pretty, Sid felt something inside him hold him back from throwing the rock. A weight in his chest that refused to budge, gaining weight with every second.
You’re one lucky cat, Sid thought as he pocketed the rock. The cat walked on the fence for a few more seconds before jumping into the neighbor’s yard and out of Sid’s vision.
Sid turned back to the sidewalk, continuing on his way to school. No more time for rocks or cats now, Sid always left his house only a little before school started so he had to get a move on. He got held back once, one more time and his dad would give him a bigger whooping than the last one.
Sid sped up a bit, his shoes hitting the heated sidewalk rhythmically. He stuck his hands in his pocket once more, palming the sharp edges of the rock. After school, Sid thought, the first unlucky cat I see is gonna get it.
~
Andy stared nervously at his new Elementary School, his small hands clutching the handles of his Woody the Cowboy lunchbox. It was hardly believable that only a few months prior he was happily playing at his small preschool, running around with Woody in hand, saving damsels in distress and catching law breaking cow-pokes and throwing them in Lincoln Log jail.
“C’mon Andy, it won’t be that bad,” his mother said, squeezing Andy’s hand comfortingly, “I’m sure you’ll make tons of new friends! Wouldn’t you like that?”
Andy mumbled his agreement, his eyes now set firmly on his brown sneakers. Ms. Davis led Andy across the small school parking lot and into its cool, air conditioned office.
It was the start of September, and the oppressive heat of the past summer refused to dissipate. The stagnant air permeated the town like a dense fog, the streets emptied of any sign of life or inhabitance. Andy had been rather disappointed at the heat, though he was content to play in his room with his toys rather than suffer under the cruel sun outside.
That same sun took pity on no one today, its warmth spilling over the school unmercifully leaving the concrete hot to walk on and the playground equipment searing to the touch.
Thankfully, the school office offered some reprieve. The cold air felt refreshing to Andy’s exposed legs - he had opted for shorts today - and Andy felt his spirits lift a little.
The office entrance was somewhat small, the front desk taking up much of the space. Still, it felt homely and warm - children’s crayon drawings and paper crafts of all colors hung proudly on the wooden walls for visitors to see. One in particular caught Andy’s eye - a crude drawing of Woody and Buzz standing on some green unknown planet, taped haphazardly to the wall.
Andy’s mother had been talking to an old woman sitting behind the front desk, handing the woman enrollment papers and medical forms of all kind. Andy had taken to hiding behind her mother, shyly sneaking peeks of the old woman.
“Oh, so this must be young Andy, huh?” The old woman said, leaning over her desk to see Andy. Her long white hair was in a tight bun and her wrinkles shifted as she smiled down at Andy, peeking over her wiry eyeglasses.
“Yes m’am.” Andy said shyly, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I think you’ll like it here, Andy. The kids here love to play, and I’m sure you’ll learn lots of new things!”
Andy gave a small smile in response and the old woman turned to Andy’s mother.
“Well, you’ll want to head to Room 263, that’s Andy’s new first grade class. Just head right and it’s the first door on the left. There should already be some kids there. Here’s Andy’s schedule, have a good day you two!”
Andy’s mom thanked the woman and stepped out of the office, Andy tagging along. They turned right and headed further into the school campus. The buildings were made of traditional red brick and the doors were a bright green. Above the doors were small white signs that had seemingly random numbers printed on them. Andy and his mother stopped at the first bright green door to their left. The sign above it read 263 in thick black ink.
“Well Andy, this is it. Ready?”
Andy nodded nervously, unable to speak. Ms. Davis smiled and pushed open the bright green door, a rush of cool air coming out to meet them.
The first grade classroom was big, the walls made of red brick and dotted with crayon drawings and paper crafts just as the office was. A line of multicolor cubbies stood against a wall and a few toy bins were stacked next to it, some toys peeking out of the top. On one wall was a large rectangular chalkboard that covered the entire wall, a coat of chalk dust evidence of its recent use. An army of tables stood line after line in front of the board, 2 brightly colored chairs to a table. A large circle rug was laid out in the middle of the room, a cartoonish picture of the Earth printed on it.
What was most interesting, however, was the group of students already sitting on the rug, their heads turned to look at Andy and his mother, as well as the tall, pretty teacher standing at the head of the group of students.
“Oh, you must be Ms. Davis and Andy. We’ve been expecting you; you’re the last ones to arrive.”
The teacher walked over to Andy’s mother and exchanged greetings before kneeling down in front of Andy.
“You must be Andy. I’m Ms. Lexi, your new teacher. Welcome to first grade!”
Andy smiled at the pretty teacher. She had long red hair, tied messily into a bun. She wore a green sweater and rolled up blue jeans. Her face was white like porcelain and her eyes were big, as clear and blue as the morning sky. She had a comforting presence, and Andy felt at ease with her.
“Well why don’t you have a seat here, Andy?” said Ms. Lexi, gesturing to rug. Andy sat Indian style, setting his lunchbox on his lap. Andy quickly surveyed the children - there were a few boys but mostly girls, which Andy was grateful for. He got along better with girls than boys.
Andy turned his head to look at his mom, who smiled and waved as she headed for the door. Andy smiled at his mom as she left the room, leaving Andy to his first day of Elementary school.
~
Class itself was mostly what Andy had expected. Ms. Lexi read a few nice books, including one about a blond girl that fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in a strange new land. Andy wished he could go on an adventure like that sometime and meet a bunch of odd new friends. Ms. Lexi asked the class a few easy questions afterwards, but a group of bullies answered them and gave stupid answers. Ms. Lexi told them to stand in the corner for the rest of story time.
Ms. Lexi had explained how the day would go by drawing some pretty pictures on the chalkboard. She erased the drawing of the book, her hands working in broad circles as the eraser soaked up the chalk. Next on the agenda was play time, represented by a large drawing of a toy plane on the board.
“Only 3 people at a bin at one time kids! No pushing!”
Unfortunately, Ms. Lexi wasn’t so good at restraining kids as she was at teaching them. The children fought over the bins, toys being thrown on the floor and some flying through the air.
After all the other kids had gotten their toys, Andy walked past all the empty, overturned bins and looked in the only upright bin on the far side. A lone Woody toy lay at the bottom of the bin - it was missing its hat and its limbs were on the verge of detaching, some fluff poking out at the elbows. Andy, however, was quite pleased to find his favorite toy no matter what the condition it was in.
Andy sat down on the rug and looked around at all the other kids that were playing. Most of the girls were playing house or dressing up Barbie, while the boys rolled around toy trucks and made GI Joe action figures fight to the death.
The only kids playing alone were him and one other lone kid on the other side of the room. The kid was dressed in all black - black shirt and black pants. He faced the wall and seemed to be having a good time, all by himself.
Andy stood, Woody dangling limply in his hands as he slowly made his way to the boy on the other side of the room. He leaned over and looked past the boys shoulder to see what he was playing with.
Andy couldn’t stifle a slight gasp as he witnessed the boy brusquely combining the body of a teddy bear with the head of a doll. The boy glued the creepy bodiless doll head and forcefully held it to together with the bear body for a few seconds. Slackening his grip, the entire thing fell apart, a mess of bear fur and Elmer’s glue. The boy grunted in frustration.
“I-It’s not nice to do that to toys.”
Andy was a little shocked that he was saying this, but the words leaked out before he could think.
The boy whipped around, and Andy could clearly see his features now - his hair was buzzed short, and he had narrow chocolate brown eyes. His face was twisted into a scowl, and Andy could make out a pair of braces glittering dimly in the light.
“What’s it to you what I’m doing with the toys? They’re just toys.” The boy said matter-of-factly.
“It’s not right to do that to them. Would you like it if that happened to you?”
The boy’s scowl grew and he turned around, setting his full attention on the mess in front of him once again.
“They’re just toys,” the boy repeated, picking up the remains of his experiment, “It’s not like they know what’s happening to them.”
Andy had a feeling he wouldn’t get anymore out of the boy, so he walked back to his side of the room and played with Woody for a bit longer, pretending he was a space cowboy saving the universe with his laser lasso.
After a few minutes, Ms. Lexi called the children back to their seats for writing time, erasing the drawing of the toy plane from the chalkboard. Andy hated writing; he had no problem imagining up stories of the amazing Woody and his best friend Buzz Lightyear but no matter how long he slaved over an empty paper he couldn’t find the right words to describe it . He figured that the best thing to do was practice more to make his mom proud.
After going through a few writing exercises, Ms. Lexi announced it was time to wait for the bell that would dismiss them to snack. A drawing of a big round apple on the board teased Andy, his tummy grumbling its protests.
“All of you just sit still until the bell rings, okay?”
Andy only fidgeted more in his seat, impatient to see what his mother packed for him today. He had a feeling it was ham and cheese, what else would his mother pack for his first day other than his favorite? Plus, Andy was feeling rather lonely. He looked morosely at the empty jet black seat beside his yellow one - nobody wanted to sit next to Andy, they all had made friends already.
Suddenly, a loud bell rang through the room, cutting the silence of the eager children. All at once, the kids jumped out of their seats and made a beeline for the door. Ms. Lexi smiled haggardly and held it open for all of them.
“Oh, one at a time kids! Everyone will get out, just be patient! Oh, Greg! Stop pushing!”
Slowly, Andy stood up and picked up his lunchbox. He made his way for the door, the last one out.
“Is everything alright, Andy?”
Andy simply smiled reassuringly, and then continued on his way out.
The elementary school playground was enormous compared to Andy’s yard - it had a jungle gym, swings, and big slides. Next to the playground was a blacktop where older kids played basketball or dodge ball. On the far side was a grassy hill as big as a mountain in Andy’s eyes, complete with numerous picnic tables shaded under the largest tree Andy had ever seen. There were kids running around everywhere, from kindergarten to fifth grade - it was the peak of their youth and it showed as they played tag and wrestled in the safety of the school.
Andy decided to eat quietly under the big tree, so after a short uphill trek he settled down at one of the empty picnic tables and started to eat his sandwich. What should I do after this?, Andy thought, done with his sandwich and mindlessly sipping on his apple juice box.
Not one to litter (that was wrong!), Andy gathered up his trash and dumped it into a nearby trashcan. He turned to look at the vast playground, surveying his options. He didn’t know anyone in his class so playing at the jungle gyms alone was out of the question. He didn’t know any older kids so basketball and dodge ball were no-goes too. Finally Andy settled on just sitting against the big tree, enjoying the shade it had to offer.
First grade isn’t so bad, Andy thought, his eyelashes fluttering and his mind going blank.
Hmm . . . falling asleep against a tree, just like that blond girl from the story Ms. Lexi read to us. Maybe I’ll see a rabbit with a pocket watch next?
Andy’s eyes closed as his mind started to shut down. Andy enjoyed the light breeze softly caressing his cheek. The little blades of grass at his knees tickled him as the sound of the children playing around him started to fade to nothing. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last long, such is the fate of our young, innocent Andy.
“Hey, kid!”
Andy’s right eye opened inquisitively. Three of the larger, rowdier boys in Andy’s class were walking up the hill, their eyes set on Andy.
Gregory, the smallest and meanest of the bunch, had short bleach blond hair. His eyes were as icy blue as glaciers and his skin was as white as snow. He wore a plain grey shirt and loose blue jeans.
Gary, the middle weight of the three, wore wiry glasses that looked two times too small for his head. He had short, spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes that exuded an aura of superiority. He wore a green long sleeve and khaki shorts over his tanned skin.
Finally, the third kid caught Andy’s attention the most. It was the boy that was playing with the bear body and the doll head earlier in class. From the front, Andy noticed that what he once thought was a plain black shirt had a stylized skull printed on it. Andy wondered briefly if wearing all that black ever made the boy overheat or something. He seemed disinterested at the current situation.
“Who said you could sit at MY tree, huh? “ Gregory said, arms folded across his small chest. Gary and the boy dressed in black flanked him, a sneer on Gary’s face and the boy’s face a look of indifference.
Andy stood, dusting dirt off his shorts.
“I-I’m sorry . . . I’ll move now.”
Andy shyly moved away from Gregory and the two boys, starting to go down the hill. Andy didn’t know what he would do now, but anything would beat being around these guys.
“Oh, so you’re a chicken now?”
Andy stopped at those words. He had watched a Woody’s Roundup episode where Woody had saved Cowgirl Jesse from a law breaker with a long, dirty beard. “Because only chickens run away from their problems!” Woody had declared loudly as he untied the ropes binding Jesse to the train tracks.
Andy had to be like Woody and fight his problems head-on! With a steely resolve and a determined face, he turned around.
“I’m not a chicken! I got here first, a-and I don’t see your name on the tree or anything, so it belongs to everyone!”
Andy felt proud of himself but also shocked that he had said something so bold. Gregory looked shocked at first too, but then his face took on a darker, more sinister quality.
“Well, if you’re so brave, why don’t you climb this tree here? “
Gregory patted the big tree and Andy gulped. Andy was never the tree-climbing type, and a fall from that height could really hurt.
“Oh, so you ARE a chicken!” Gary said, sensing Andy’s hesitance.
Gregory and Gary started to laugh, flapping their arms like chickens and making exaggerated bawking sounds.
Andy blushed, embarrassed as a small crowd of kids was starting to form, interested at what Greg and his cronies were up to now.
“Fine . . . I’ll climb it! Will you leave me alone then?”
Gregory smirked. “Yeah, yeah . . . Whatever you say, kid. Just climb the tree!”
Andy took a deep breath, mustering all the courage he could in his small body. He recalled Woody’s words, “Only chickens run away from their problems!” repeating it in his head like a mantra.
Andy stepped towards the tree, palming its rough bark as he searched for a stable place to hold onto. By now the small crowd had grown into a small army of little children, the only kids not bothering to come look being the fourth and fifth graders, disinterested in the trivial affairs of their young counterparts.
Finally finding a place to hold onto, Andy grabbed at the small hole and hoisted himself up. Finding another place to hold onto, Andy began steadily scaling the tree as the crowd either cheered him on or made bets about whether he would live or die. Andy began to feel increasingly confident climbing the tree, increasing his speed. Woody’s words still on repeat in his head, Andy began to mumble his mantra out loud as his body worked to climb the tree.
Suddenly, Andy’s right foot lost its support, the bark of the old tree crumbling away at Andy’s weight. Andy, having no prior experience in climbing, panicked as he felt his foot dangle in the air. Andy’s hand began shaking in fear as the bark supporting it began to crack and crumble, and Andy suddenly found himself falling, his heart beating at a mile a minute.
Andy couldn’t feel anything but the rushing wind at his back as his limp body fell into the abyss, its darkness coiling around Andy and coaxing him into a deep sleep.
~
Sid couldn’t believe the kid was actually doing it.
He thought that Greg and Gary’s annoying chicken noises were a bit much, but they certainly paid off in the end as he watched the dumb brunette climb the tall tree. Did he even give a single thought to how he would get down?
Still, Sid couldn’t help but feel for the kid. He could tell he was still young, a rare innocent to the cruelty of this world and he felt a bit of guilt gnaw at his heart for letting the poor kid do this. Maybe after this was over and one of the teachers rescued him with one of the ladders, he would help the kid out a little. Sid wasn’t sure how, but he would make it up to him.
Sid watched as the boy climbed the tree, noting his growing speed. Then, the kid started to fumble a bit. The crowd went deathly silent as his legs dangled, then they gasped as he started to plummet towards the earth and land with a sick thump on the dry dirt.
Damn! Sid eyes opened up in surprise and worry, his body quickly responding. He was beside the unconscious boy in a second, picking him up bridal style and carrying him through the crowd as quickly as possible. He vaguely registered the kids saying stupid things like “is he okay?” or “check his pulse!” Greg and Gary, of course, looked on dumbly. They would pay for being such dumbasses.
Fast walking across the playground, Sid marveled at how light the kid was. Noting to tell the him to gain a few pounds (maybe then he wouldn’t faint from falling from such a pitiable height), Sid kicked open the door to the nurses office and explained the situation to one wide eyed nurse.
“He fell from the tree and knocked himself unconscious! Hurry, inject him with something or whatever!”
~
Andy’s head hurt - a rhythmic, painful throbbing that he could feel starting in the back of his head and coursing throughout his entire body. He felt extremely exhausted and wanted desperately to go back to sleep, but the bright light burning through his eyelids was seriously starting to hurt. Andy’s eyes fluttered open, his eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the light.
“So Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up, huh?”
Andy turned his head towards the speaker and saw a blurry outline of the boy dressed in all black.
“My head hurts . . . what happened?”
“You fell off the tree and hit your head hard. You’ve been unconscious for the last few minutes or so. Luckily the fall wasn’t that bad, so you’ll be fine. Just sore for a while.”
“Oh . . . “Andy said, turning back to stare at the ceiling.
“Then why are you here?”
The boy smirked. “I carried you here. You should be thankful.”
Andy blushed a bit, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling. “T-thanks . . . .”
“You know, you should be more careful. You didn’t have to climb the tree just because they told you to.”
Andy couldn’t help but feel a bit offended.
“Well I had to do something! I wasn’t just gonna let them push me around!”
Andy sat up indignantly, instantly regretting it as it made his head hurt so much he could scream. Andy’s pride was too big, though, so he turned his head towards the wall, pointedly looking away from the boy.
The boy, not exactly being a people person, grasped at a way to save the conversation when he felt something shift in his pants pocket. Thinking quickly, he reached into his pocket and dumped its contents into Andy’s lap.
Andy, feeling a slight weight in his lap, turned to look at the object in his lap. It was a shiny black rock, its edges jagged and in the shape of a crude star. Andy placed it between his thumb and forefinger and held it up to the light. It shimmered proudly, the obsidian glowing like a precious jewel.
“Wow, it’s so pretty! Where did you find it?”
“Oh, I just found it on my lawn this morning.” The boy leaned back in his chair, looking away shyly. “I was about to throw it at a cat, but it got away.”
Andy smiled at the boy. “Thanks! Nobody has ever given me something so pretty.”
The boy smiled in response. “Well, I’m glad to be the first. I’m Sid, by the way.”
“I’m Andy! I’m 6 years old. How old are you?”
“I’m 7.”
“But aren’t we in the same first grade class?”
Sid shrugged. “So I was held back once.”
“You were held back?”
Sid chuckled, leaning back into his chair.
“Yeah it’s a funny story actually . . .”
Andy leaned towards Sid, eager to learn something new about the older boy.
Andy could tell he and Sid would get along. Maybe if he asked nicely, they could even be friends? Andy just smiled and held the shiny black rock a little tighter. Only time would tell.
~
Andy yawned, throwing his arms over his head and stretching in his small yellow computer chair. Writing essay’s for AP English wasn’t his ideal way of spending an entire Saturday morning, but he was finished now so he would have the remaining afternoon and night to himself.
“Hey Andy, finally finished with that essay yet?”
Andy groaned as his plans to watch a rerun marathon of Woody’s Roundup went out the window. Sid threw his door open and jumped onto his bed, messing up the carefully folded sheets.
“Dammit Sid, I just fixed my bed!”
Sid smiled haughtily. “And it’s my job to make a mess in your bed, huh?”
Andy sighed, standing and then plopping down onto the bed next to Sid.
“Yeah yeah, you just keep the dirty jokes coming. Like you need to worry about things like ‘school’ or homework,’ Mr. Garbage Man.”
Sid laughed, taking Andy in his arms and resting his chin on Andy’s soft brown hair. His eyes closed, a haze floating through his head.
“Hey, Andy.”
“Mmm?”
“You remember that rock I gave when we first met?”
“Of course.”
“Would you happen to still have it?”
“Are you kidding? That thing was so sharp, and it was too much of a hassle to look for that old thing after mom cleaned out my room.”
“. . . Oh.”
Perhaps a little disappointed, Sid pulled Andy a bit closer and drifted off into a world where only he and Andy existed. And a maid outfit. Can’t forget the maid outfit.
As the hot afternoon sun pierced through Andy’s blinds, the two men fell into a deep sleep, curled in each other arms.
At the foot of the bed, in a locked toy chest nestled under a mountain of toys and coloring books, a single rock with jagged edges shone brighter than ever, even without the light of the setting sun.
Author hiyaitsray
Rating PG
Characters/Pairings: Sid/Andy
Warning Slash, some mild language
Type Oneshot
Summary/Notes: The origins of a fated pair of troublemaking kids can be traced back to a cat, a big tree, and a black rock.
~
Pulling on his signature black skull shirt, Sid was ready to take on his first day of school. Not really needing anything else (Sid opted to leave his books at school and steal lunch money from some poor, unsuspecting geek), Sid pulled a half eaten granola bar out of his pantry, ate it in one bite, and walked to the door.
Sid leisurely walked out of his house, his hands deep in his pockets and his stride loose and relaxed. Sid doesn’t bother to announce his departure on the way out anymore. As if his dead-beat parents would even care if their 7 year old son went missing.
Sid’s house was dark and unkempt, the wood planks of the floorboards sticking out and some screws coming loose. There were several holes in the roof, Sid finding himself more than once falling asleep and waking up to a mini flood on a rainy day. The grass on the lawn was tall enough to swallow up the small forgotten toys scattered across it. He preferred it this way though; it made it easier to play Jungle Hunter, just like that man Clayton from Tarzan. Sid doesn’t remember how long it’s been since anybody had mowed it, or even bothered to water it. It was starting to yellow now in the early morning heat.
Sid sighed and began his long trek to his Elementary School, when something gleamed out of the corner of his eye.
Ever the curious one, Sid turned around and walked toward the source of the shine, something nestled under the overgrown grass on his lawn.
Stooping over, Sid moved the dry grass out of the way to reveal a shiny black rock. It had jagged edges and was shaped like a crude star. It shimmered proudly under the sun, the obsidian glowing like a precious jewel.
Sid took the rock and stood, holding it up and admiring it when a familiar sound caught his attention. Turning his head at the nearby fence, a black cat was walking across it, its steps sure and calculated.
Sid smiled, rearing his arm back preparing to pelt the cat with the rock.
Whether it was the sweltering hot weather this morning or the fact that the rock was really, really pretty, Sid felt something inside him hold him back from throwing the rock. A weight in his chest that refused to budge, gaining weight with every second.
You’re one lucky cat, Sid thought as he pocketed the rock. The cat walked on the fence for a few more seconds before jumping into the neighbor’s yard and out of Sid’s vision.
Sid turned back to the sidewalk, continuing on his way to school. No more time for rocks or cats now, Sid always left his house only a little before school started so he had to get a move on. He got held back once, one more time and his dad would give him a bigger whooping than the last one.
Sid sped up a bit, his shoes hitting the heated sidewalk rhythmically. He stuck his hands in his pocket once more, palming the sharp edges of the rock. After school, Sid thought, the first unlucky cat I see is gonna get it.
~
Andy stared nervously at his new Elementary School, his small hands clutching the handles of his Woody the Cowboy lunchbox. It was hardly believable that only a few months prior he was happily playing at his small preschool, running around with Woody in hand, saving damsels in distress and catching law breaking cow-pokes and throwing them in Lincoln Log jail.
“C’mon Andy, it won’t be that bad,” his mother said, squeezing Andy’s hand comfortingly, “I’m sure you’ll make tons of new friends! Wouldn’t you like that?”
Andy mumbled his agreement, his eyes now set firmly on his brown sneakers. Ms. Davis led Andy across the small school parking lot and into its cool, air conditioned office.
It was the start of September, and the oppressive heat of the past summer refused to dissipate. The stagnant air permeated the town like a dense fog, the streets emptied of any sign of life or inhabitance. Andy had been rather disappointed at the heat, though he was content to play in his room with his toys rather than suffer under the cruel sun outside.
That same sun took pity on no one today, its warmth spilling over the school unmercifully leaving the concrete hot to walk on and the playground equipment searing to the touch.
Thankfully, the school office offered some reprieve. The cold air felt refreshing to Andy’s exposed legs - he had opted for shorts today - and Andy felt his spirits lift a little.
The office entrance was somewhat small, the front desk taking up much of the space. Still, it felt homely and warm - children’s crayon drawings and paper crafts of all colors hung proudly on the wooden walls for visitors to see. One in particular caught Andy’s eye - a crude drawing of Woody and Buzz standing on some green unknown planet, taped haphazardly to the wall.
Andy’s mother had been talking to an old woman sitting behind the front desk, handing the woman enrollment papers and medical forms of all kind. Andy had taken to hiding behind her mother, shyly sneaking peeks of the old woman.
“Oh, so this must be young Andy, huh?” The old woman said, leaning over her desk to see Andy. Her long white hair was in a tight bun and her wrinkles shifted as she smiled down at Andy, peeking over her wiry eyeglasses.
“Yes m’am.” Andy said shyly, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I think you’ll like it here, Andy. The kids here love to play, and I’m sure you’ll learn lots of new things!”
Andy gave a small smile in response and the old woman turned to Andy’s mother.
“Well, you’ll want to head to Room 263, that’s Andy’s new first grade class. Just head right and it’s the first door on the left. There should already be some kids there. Here’s Andy’s schedule, have a good day you two!”
Andy’s mom thanked the woman and stepped out of the office, Andy tagging along. They turned right and headed further into the school campus. The buildings were made of traditional red brick and the doors were a bright green. Above the doors were small white signs that had seemingly random numbers printed on them. Andy and his mother stopped at the first bright green door to their left. The sign above it read 263 in thick black ink.
“Well Andy, this is it. Ready?”
Andy nodded nervously, unable to speak. Ms. Davis smiled and pushed open the bright green door, a rush of cool air coming out to meet them.
The first grade classroom was big, the walls made of red brick and dotted with crayon drawings and paper crafts just as the office was. A line of multicolor cubbies stood against a wall and a few toy bins were stacked next to it, some toys peeking out of the top. On one wall was a large rectangular chalkboard that covered the entire wall, a coat of chalk dust evidence of its recent use. An army of tables stood line after line in front of the board, 2 brightly colored chairs to a table. A large circle rug was laid out in the middle of the room, a cartoonish picture of the Earth printed on it.
What was most interesting, however, was the group of students already sitting on the rug, their heads turned to look at Andy and his mother, as well as the tall, pretty teacher standing at the head of the group of students.
“Oh, you must be Ms. Davis and Andy. We’ve been expecting you; you’re the last ones to arrive.”
The teacher walked over to Andy’s mother and exchanged greetings before kneeling down in front of Andy.
“You must be Andy. I’m Ms. Lexi, your new teacher. Welcome to first grade!”
Andy smiled at the pretty teacher. She had long red hair, tied messily into a bun. She wore a green sweater and rolled up blue jeans. Her face was white like porcelain and her eyes were big, as clear and blue as the morning sky. She had a comforting presence, and Andy felt at ease with her.
“Well why don’t you have a seat here, Andy?” said Ms. Lexi, gesturing to rug. Andy sat Indian style, setting his lunchbox on his lap. Andy quickly surveyed the children - there were a few boys but mostly girls, which Andy was grateful for. He got along better with girls than boys.
Andy turned his head to look at his mom, who smiled and waved as she headed for the door. Andy smiled at his mom as she left the room, leaving Andy to his first day of Elementary school.
~
Class itself was mostly what Andy had expected. Ms. Lexi read a few nice books, including one about a blond girl that fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in a strange new land. Andy wished he could go on an adventure like that sometime and meet a bunch of odd new friends. Ms. Lexi asked the class a few easy questions afterwards, but a group of bullies answered them and gave stupid answers. Ms. Lexi told them to stand in the corner for the rest of story time.
Ms. Lexi had explained how the day would go by drawing some pretty pictures on the chalkboard. She erased the drawing of the book, her hands working in broad circles as the eraser soaked up the chalk. Next on the agenda was play time, represented by a large drawing of a toy plane on the board.
“Only 3 people at a bin at one time kids! No pushing!”
Unfortunately, Ms. Lexi wasn’t so good at restraining kids as she was at teaching them. The children fought over the bins, toys being thrown on the floor and some flying through the air.
After all the other kids had gotten their toys, Andy walked past all the empty, overturned bins and looked in the only upright bin on the far side. A lone Woody toy lay at the bottom of the bin - it was missing its hat and its limbs were on the verge of detaching, some fluff poking out at the elbows. Andy, however, was quite pleased to find his favorite toy no matter what the condition it was in.
Andy sat down on the rug and looked around at all the other kids that were playing. Most of the girls were playing house or dressing up Barbie, while the boys rolled around toy trucks and made GI Joe action figures fight to the death.
The only kids playing alone were him and one other lone kid on the other side of the room. The kid was dressed in all black - black shirt and black pants. He faced the wall and seemed to be having a good time, all by himself.
Andy stood, Woody dangling limply in his hands as he slowly made his way to the boy on the other side of the room. He leaned over and looked past the boys shoulder to see what he was playing with.
Andy couldn’t stifle a slight gasp as he witnessed the boy brusquely combining the body of a teddy bear with the head of a doll. The boy glued the creepy bodiless doll head and forcefully held it to together with the bear body for a few seconds. Slackening his grip, the entire thing fell apart, a mess of bear fur and Elmer’s glue. The boy grunted in frustration.
“I-It’s not nice to do that to toys.”
Andy was a little shocked that he was saying this, but the words leaked out before he could think.
The boy whipped around, and Andy could clearly see his features now - his hair was buzzed short, and he had narrow chocolate brown eyes. His face was twisted into a scowl, and Andy could make out a pair of braces glittering dimly in the light.
“What’s it to you what I’m doing with the toys? They’re just toys.” The boy said matter-of-factly.
“It’s not right to do that to them. Would you like it if that happened to you?”
The boy’s scowl grew and he turned around, setting his full attention on the mess in front of him once again.
“They’re just toys,” the boy repeated, picking up the remains of his experiment, “It’s not like they know what’s happening to them.”
Andy had a feeling he wouldn’t get anymore out of the boy, so he walked back to his side of the room and played with Woody for a bit longer, pretending he was a space cowboy saving the universe with his laser lasso.
After a few minutes, Ms. Lexi called the children back to their seats for writing time, erasing the drawing of the toy plane from the chalkboard. Andy hated writing; he had no problem imagining up stories of the amazing Woody and his best friend Buzz Lightyear but no matter how long he slaved over an empty paper he couldn’t find the right words to describe it . He figured that the best thing to do was practice more to make his mom proud.
After going through a few writing exercises, Ms. Lexi announced it was time to wait for the bell that would dismiss them to snack. A drawing of a big round apple on the board teased Andy, his tummy grumbling its protests.
“All of you just sit still until the bell rings, okay?”
Andy only fidgeted more in his seat, impatient to see what his mother packed for him today. He had a feeling it was ham and cheese, what else would his mother pack for his first day other than his favorite? Plus, Andy was feeling rather lonely. He looked morosely at the empty jet black seat beside his yellow one - nobody wanted to sit next to Andy, they all had made friends already.
Suddenly, a loud bell rang through the room, cutting the silence of the eager children. All at once, the kids jumped out of their seats and made a beeline for the door. Ms. Lexi smiled haggardly and held it open for all of them.
“Oh, one at a time kids! Everyone will get out, just be patient! Oh, Greg! Stop pushing!”
Slowly, Andy stood up and picked up his lunchbox. He made his way for the door, the last one out.
“Is everything alright, Andy?”
Andy simply smiled reassuringly, and then continued on his way out.
The elementary school playground was enormous compared to Andy’s yard - it had a jungle gym, swings, and big slides. Next to the playground was a blacktop where older kids played basketball or dodge ball. On the far side was a grassy hill as big as a mountain in Andy’s eyes, complete with numerous picnic tables shaded under the largest tree Andy had ever seen. There were kids running around everywhere, from kindergarten to fifth grade - it was the peak of their youth and it showed as they played tag and wrestled in the safety of the school.
Andy decided to eat quietly under the big tree, so after a short uphill trek he settled down at one of the empty picnic tables and started to eat his sandwich. What should I do after this?, Andy thought, done with his sandwich and mindlessly sipping on his apple juice box.
Not one to litter (that was wrong!), Andy gathered up his trash and dumped it into a nearby trashcan. He turned to look at the vast playground, surveying his options. He didn’t know anyone in his class so playing at the jungle gyms alone was out of the question. He didn’t know any older kids so basketball and dodge ball were no-goes too. Finally Andy settled on just sitting against the big tree, enjoying the shade it had to offer.
First grade isn’t so bad, Andy thought, his eyelashes fluttering and his mind going blank.
Hmm . . . falling asleep against a tree, just like that blond girl from the story Ms. Lexi read to us. Maybe I’ll see a rabbit with a pocket watch next?
Andy’s eyes closed as his mind started to shut down. Andy enjoyed the light breeze softly caressing his cheek. The little blades of grass at his knees tickled him as the sound of the children playing around him started to fade to nothing. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last long, such is the fate of our young, innocent Andy.
“Hey, kid!”
Andy’s right eye opened inquisitively. Three of the larger, rowdier boys in Andy’s class were walking up the hill, their eyes set on Andy.
Gregory, the smallest and meanest of the bunch, had short bleach blond hair. His eyes were as icy blue as glaciers and his skin was as white as snow. He wore a plain grey shirt and loose blue jeans.
Gary, the middle weight of the three, wore wiry glasses that looked two times too small for his head. He had short, spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes that exuded an aura of superiority. He wore a green long sleeve and khaki shorts over his tanned skin.
Finally, the third kid caught Andy’s attention the most. It was the boy that was playing with the bear body and the doll head earlier in class. From the front, Andy noticed that what he once thought was a plain black shirt had a stylized skull printed on it. Andy wondered briefly if wearing all that black ever made the boy overheat or something. He seemed disinterested at the current situation.
“Who said you could sit at MY tree, huh? “ Gregory said, arms folded across his small chest. Gary and the boy dressed in black flanked him, a sneer on Gary’s face and the boy’s face a look of indifference.
Andy stood, dusting dirt off his shorts.
“I-I’m sorry . . . I’ll move now.”
Andy shyly moved away from Gregory and the two boys, starting to go down the hill. Andy didn’t know what he would do now, but anything would beat being around these guys.
“Oh, so you’re a chicken now?”
Andy stopped at those words. He had watched a Woody’s Roundup episode where Woody had saved Cowgirl Jesse from a law breaker with a long, dirty beard. “Because only chickens run away from their problems!” Woody had declared loudly as he untied the ropes binding Jesse to the train tracks.
Andy had to be like Woody and fight his problems head-on! With a steely resolve and a determined face, he turned around.
“I’m not a chicken! I got here first, a-and I don’t see your name on the tree or anything, so it belongs to everyone!”
Andy felt proud of himself but also shocked that he had said something so bold. Gregory looked shocked at first too, but then his face took on a darker, more sinister quality.
“Well, if you’re so brave, why don’t you climb this tree here? “
Gregory patted the big tree and Andy gulped. Andy was never the tree-climbing type, and a fall from that height could really hurt.
“Oh, so you ARE a chicken!” Gary said, sensing Andy’s hesitance.
Gregory and Gary started to laugh, flapping their arms like chickens and making exaggerated bawking sounds.
Andy blushed, embarrassed as a small crowd of kids was starting to form, interested at what Greg and his cronies were up to now.
“Fine . . . I’ll climb it! Will you leave me alone then?”
Gregory smirked. “Yeah, yeah . . . Whatever you say, kid. Just climb the tree!”
Andy took a deep breath, mustering all the courage he could in his small body. He recalled Woody’s words, “Only chickens run away from their problems!” repeating it in his head like a mantra.
Andy stepped towards the tree, palming its rough bark as he searched for a stable place to hold onto. By now the small crowd had grown into a small army of little children, the only kids not bothering to come look being the fourth and fifth graders, disinterested in the trivial affairs of their young counterparts.
Finally finding a place to hold onto, Andy grabbed at the small hole and hoisted himself up. Finding another place to hold onto, Andy began steadily scaling the tree as the crowd either cheered him on or made bets about whether he would live or die. Andy began to feel increasingly confident climbing the tree, increasing his speed. Woody’s words still on repeat in his head, Andy began to mumble his mantra out loud as his body worked to climb the tree.
Suddenly, Andy’s right foot lost its support, the bark of the old tree crumbling away at Andy’s weight. Andy, having no prior experience in climbing, panicked as he felt his foot dangle in the air. Andy’s hand began shaking in fear as the bark supporting it began to crack and crumble, and Andy suddenly found himself falling, his heart beating at a mile a minute.
Andy couldn’t feel anything but the rushing wind at his back as his limp body fell into the abyss, its darkness coiling around Andy and coaxing him into a deep sleep.
~
Sid couldn’t believe the kid was actually doing it.
He thought that Greg and Gary’s annoying chicken noises were a bit much, but they certainly paid off in the end as he watched the dumb brunette climb the tall tree. Did he even give a single thought to how he would get down?
Still, Sid couldn’t help but feel for the kid. He could tell he was still young, a rare innocent to the cruelty of this world and he felt a bit of guilt gnaw at his heart for letting the poor kid do this. Maybe after this was over and one of the teachers rescued him with one of the ladders, he would help the kid out a little. Sid wasn’t sure how, but he would make it up to him.
Sid watched as the boy climbed the tree, noting his growing speed. Then, the kid started to fumble a bit. The crowd went deathly silent as his legs dangled, then they gasped as he started to plummet towards the earth and land with a sick thump on the dry dirt.
Damn! Sid eyes opened up in surprise and worry, his body quickly responding. He was beside the unconscious boy in a second, picking him up bridal style and carrying him through the crowd as quickly as possible. He vaguely registered the kids saying stupid things like “is he okay?” or “check his pulse!” Greg and Gary, of course, looked on dumbly. They would pay for being such dumbasses.
Fast walking across the playground, Sid marveled at how light the kid was. Noting to tell the him to gain a few pounds (maybe then he wouldn’t faint from falling from such a pitiable height), Sid kicked open the door to the nurses office and explained the situation to one wide eyed nurse.
“He fell from the tree and knocked himself unconscious! Hurry, inject him with something or whatever!”
~
Andy’s head hurt - a rhythmic, painful throbbing that he could feel starting in the back of his head and coursing throughout his entire body. He felt extremely exhausted and wanted desperately to go back to sleep, but the bright light burning through his eyelids was seriously starting to hurt. Andy’s eyes fluttered open, his eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the light.
“So Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up, huh?”
Andy turned his head towards the speaker and saw a blurry outline of the boy dressed in all black.
“My head hurts . . . what happened?”
“You fell off the tree and hit your head hard. You’ve been unconscious for the last few minutes or so. Luckily the fall wasn’t that bad, so you’ll be fine. Just sore for a while.”
“Oh . . . “Andy said, turning back to stare at the ceiling.
“Then why are you here?”
The boy smirked. “I carried you here. You should be thankful.”
Andy blushed a bit, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling. “T-thanks . . . .”
“You know, you should be more careful. You didn’t have to climb the tree just because they told you to.”
Andy couldn’t help but feel a bit offended.
“Well I had to do something! I wasn’t just gonna let them push me around!”
Andy sat up indignantly, instantly regretting it as it made his head hurt so much he could scream. Andy’s pride was too big, though, so he turned his head towards the wall, pointedly looking away from the boy.
The boy, not exactly being a people person, grasped at a way to save the conversation when he felt something shift in his pants pocket. Thinking quickly, he reached into his pocket and dumped its contents into Andy’s lap.
Andy, feeling a slight weight in his lap, turned to look at the object in his lap. It was a shiny black rock, its edges jagged and in the shape of a crude star. Andy placed it between his thumb and forefinger and held it up to the light. It shimmered proudly, the obsidian glowing like a precious jewel.
“Wow, it’s so pretty! Where did you find it?”
“Oh, I just found it on my lawn this morning.” The boy leaned back in his chair, looking away shyly. “I was about to throw it at a cat, but it got away.”
Andy smiled at the boy. “Thanks! Nobody has ever given me something so pretty.”
The boy smiled in response. “Well, I’m glad to be the first. I’m Sid, by the way.”
“I’m Andy! I’m 6 years old. How old are you?”
“I’m 7.”
“But aren’t we in the same first grade class?”
Sid shrugged. “So I was held back once.”
“You were held back?”
Sid chuckled, leaning back into his chair.
“Yeah it’s a funny story actually . . .”
Andy leaned towards Sid, eager to learn something new about the older boy.
Andy could tell he and Sid would get along. Maybe if he asked nicely, they could even be friends? Andy just smiled and held the shiny black rock a little tighter. Only time would tell.
~
Andy yawned, throwing his arms over his head and stretching in his small yellow computer chair. Writing essay’s for AP English wasn’t his ideal way of spending an entire Saturday morning, but he was finished now so he would have the remaining afternoon and night to himself.
“Hey Andy, finally finished with that essay yet?”
Andy groaned as his plans to watch a rerun marathon of Woody’s Roundup went out the window. Sid threw his door open and jumped onto his bed, messing up the carefully folded sheets.
“Dammit Sid, I just fixed my bed!”
Sid smiled haughtily. “And it’s my job to make a mess in your bed, huh?”
Andy sighed, standing and then plopping down onto the bed next to Sid.
“Yeah yeah, you just keep the dirty jokes coming. Like you need to worry about things like ‘school’ or homework,’ Mr. Garbage Man.”
Sid laughed, taking Andy in his arms and resting his chin on Andy’s soft brown hair. His eyes closed, a haze floating through his head.
“Hey, Andy.”
“Mmm?”
“You remember that rock I gave when we first met?”
“Of course.”
“Would you happen to still have it?”
“Are you kidding? That thing was so sharp, and it was too much of a hassle to look for that old thing after mom cleaned out my room.”
“. . . Oh.”
Perhaps a little disappointed, Sid pulled Andy a bit closer and drifted off into a world where only he and Andy existed. And a maid outfit. Can’t forget the maid outfit.
As the hot afternoon sun pierced through Andy’s blinds, the two men fell into a deep sleep, curled in each other arms.
At the foot of the bed, in a locked toy chest nestled under a mountain of toys and coloring books, a single rock with jagged edges shone brighter than ever, even without the light of the setting sun.