No sooner had Crystal Goodbody become my world, than she expanded it far beyond anything I had imagined. Still a child in some people's eyes she was indescribable then and now. A wonderful container full of contradictions. Looking back to my early days with her I think the following will give you some idea of what I find impossible to explain to the uninitiated. She was refusing to send me back to school. Fending off one attack after another from every direction. Ultimatums were issued to her, which she ignored. The situation with my bullying was at the forefront of her mind. Closely followed by another dozen concerns she juggled faultlessly.
The problem was that when the school finally cracked down on those who kept attacking me, the perpetrators moved the battleground to outside school. Child Services recommended informing the police. It was a police matter after all. Which would have been a really stupid solution even on the good side of town. Where we lived it was near suicidal. On the wrong side of the tracks law enforcement is erratic at best. Problems were sorted personally. Calling the cops not only antagonised those you accused, but almost everyone else. They didn't like the police turning up. Most of them had at least some element of criminality in their lives. If Crystal asked the cops to protect me they wouldn't actually be able to. Their intervention would only exacerbate matters.
She lived on the extreme edge of solvency. Financial planning was about eating tomorrow, not buying a house or saving for years. While I was in class she'd been able to work as a waitress and bartender. With me at home all day her income was reduced substantially. Yet she didn't whine or complain. She fought tooth and nail to keep me with her. Why I still don't understand. Not logically. Her stubbornness defied reason. It was so detrimental to her. Now can you understand why I adored her? She is the hero of this tale. I'm just the one lucky enough to witness her heroism. Against impossible odds, with no hope of victory, she fought on and on and on.
I tried hard for a couple of days to get her to take money from me. I had very little need for it. Back then at least. Once she'd drawn me into the world of the living that changed, but I'm still relatively frugal. Money is a means to an end. It's never the real goal. For me at least. Eventually I gave up. At least overtly. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to get cash to her. My young age precluded all of the ideas I came up with.
The deadlock rolled on into April and Spring Break. I didn't have to be in school. That didn't prevent the authorities pressurizing her. It was then something happened which will give you a small taste of what she is. I'd been sent to the store. To pay a bill. Part of it at least. Money was tight. I paid the tab in full, hoping she wouldn't discover my scheme. As I returned home I took a shortcut through the dilapidated garages the developers had built when they thought this would become a nice neighborhood. That's when I encountered Bradley Cummings. He'd been one of my chief tormenters at school, and after school when the original venue had been closed off. It was the standard shower of insults as I approached the narrow alleyway he was standing in.
I ignored his words as I always did. I assume he was feeling pretty pissed off at no longer having me as a punchbag. So he did that thing bullies do. Blocking my path. Sidestepping to block me again. After two or three attempts I just stood still. Continuing to ignore him. Full of his habitual overconfidence as always, he then did something very stupid. He insulted Crystal. The next thing I remember is me kneeling on his arms as I pounded away at his face. I think the smell of shit and urine brought me out of the red mist. That and his tears. His wailing and begging caught the attention of some of his gang. There I was beating the crap out of Bradley, when four more of them showed up.
I was done for. They'd be on me as soon as I stood up. My first thought was I'd decided not to go down without a fight. Being with Crystal the last month or so had instilled this in me. One thing was for sure, I was going to get a lot more than a black eye and split lip. Having humiliated one of their own I had to be made an example of. I was sure I was going back to hospital. When I didn't run they all four gave feral grins. Spreading out to surround me. Cutting off any retreat. Bradley was still lying on the ground. As he crawled to his feet I decided to become more proactive. So I kicked him in the side of his head. That was all the catalyst they needed to pile in. However they didn't engage me immediately. Bradley was top dog. I'd destroyed him. Deep in their psyche's they were disturbed. The kid who never fought back had started fighting back. It made them a lot more cautious.
The reckoning they intended on dishing out was only delayed. Now I was completely surrounded the four of them closed in. At this point, in a Western, the cavalry arrives. At this point in my life the cavalry arrived. In the shape of a boy who jumped on the biggest of my opponents, from one of the garage roofs. Disposing of that one he nodded at me and assumed a martial arts fighting stance. The fight that followed was brief. The enemy were routed. I'll be honest, my new ally took out 3 of them while I slapped and wrestled the smallest one until he ran away. My shirt was torn and I was covered in dirt. The other boy looked like he'd just got dressed. Still immaculate. He held out his hand to me with a smile.
"Andy Vadash, pleased to meet you."
I shook it hesitantly. Why had he intervened? He had nothing to gain from it. Aside from displaying his martial arts skills.
"Luke Hunt."
"Yeah I know. You're the guy who saved that little girl. Your name? Does anyone ever point out that is sounds like..."
"Frequently. Every time it's as though they think they're the first ones to spot it. Thanks for your help Andy. I need to get back. Crystal is going to go crazy at me."
He looked around, scoping out the area.
"Can I come to? There's more of those guys about. They could be back."
Instead of voicing the numerous objections that sprang to mind, I decided to accept his offer. He had just saved me from a huge ass kicking. I didn't want to seem ungrateful.
"Okay."
"Wait here a second." He jumped up and climbed back onto the garage roof he'd leaped from. Climbed back down with a very fancy remote control unit. "It's for my new drone." He explained. "Got it for my birthday. It's how I spotted you were in trouble. It's got video. See?"
He showed me the high definition view. It was currently parked on one of the other garage roofs at the far end of the lot. As we walked he explained the controls to me. Then started extrapolating uses for it. Most of which would become illegal once the law caught up with this technological advance. We walked. We talked. At first he was doing all the work, but by the time we reached my street I was contributing. He didn't find me odd. He wasn't pointing out our differences.
"What the hell happened to you?" Crystal exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of me. "I told you to walk away.Run if you have to."
"Well he kicked the crap out of some kid." Andy chuckled. "Damn he was beating him like a drum."
She glared at him, then turned on me.
"Is this true Luke? Did you start the fight?" I nodded. "Who with and why?" Crystal demanded.
"Bradley Cummings." I sniffed. "He called you a whore squaw and said his brother fu... Had sex with you at the bar."
"Did he?" Her anger abated, then flared up again. "What people say about me is not your concern. It's my business. I'll take care of my business. So his brother Garrett said that did he? Do I know you?" Thankfully that was aimed at Andy.
"I'm Andy Vadash, Ms Goodbody. My dad was the county Public Defender. I attend the same Krav Maga classes as you. I've seen you there a few times."
That dismissed him from her attention. Worst luck.
"Luke, are you okay?"
"Fine. My clothes are a bit torn up, but that's it. The only bruises I've got are on my knuckles." I showed her the red marks.
"You should see the other guys." Andy quipped.
Crystal shut him down with one look. He was now studying the ground intently.
"Right. Garrett Cummings said he... Right. Wait here. I'm going to have a word with him about Bradley."
The Cherokee wouldn't start until a little encouragement from the tire iron persuaded it to do so. The wheels screeched as she turned it and headed off out. Andy sidled up to me.
"I sure would love to see her having that word. What about you?"
"As it's purely theoretical I suppose so."
A look came over his face. One I would get used to seeing in the coming years.
"I gotta a drone Luke. It's not theoretical."
It was airborne in seconds. Skimming over the rooftops it didn't take long to spot the Cherokee. We were thus gifted the chance to see Crystal in action. The two of us looked down on her pulling up, minutes later, outside a ramshackle house. We grinned at one another as she jumped out baseball bat in hand, then proceeded to break the lights on a moderately well maintained truck. It was a shame we didn't have audio. I'd have loved to hear what went on. The visuals were enough though. We saw someone, who had to be Garrett, leaning out of an upstairs window. Yelling before disappearing. Crystal raced to the front door arriving just as it was thrown open. As Garrett ran out, the well swung baseball bat took out both his legs.
While he rolled around in agony she stamped on his balls. Then leaving him curled up on his doorstep she proceeded to break every bit of glass on that truck. Windshield and lights were turned into junk. An audience had gathered. Watching the mayhem for its entertainment. Throwing the bat into her car she climbed in and drove off. That was pure Crystal I would come to understand. I never got an ounce of trouble from any of the Cummings family after that. And the beating Bradley got from his older brother dwarfed what I'd done.