Together for the Holidays
Across the large parking lot, Lisa Morgan spied her son in the center of a group of four middle schoolers at the side of the gymnasium, a pool of light illuminating the dark surrounding Andy. Fear lined her twelve-year-old's face as he straightened his shoulders, thrust out his chest and held his arms stiff at his sides.
Lisa increased her pace to a jog. She didn't want to overreact or her son would be upset that she embarrassed him. But something was wrong.
Joey, a child who had gone to school with her son for several years, grabbed Andy's arm. He wrenched free and started for the front of the gym. Another boy, on Andy's basketball team, blocked his escape. Suddenly Joey and three teammates closed in on her son, fists flying while one kid pinned Andy's arms against him.
Heart pounding, Lisa screamed for them to stop in the midst of the shouting that erupted from the boys who attacked Andy and threw him to the ground. She flat-out ran toward them.
From the front of the building a tall man dressed in warm-ups saw her then glanced to the side. Nearer to the scuffle, he shot forward, snatching one boy off Andy while saying, "Joey, Tyler, Brent, Sam, ... read full excerpt from: Together for the Holidays ebook
