As the days past from their first meeting Davy and Emma spent more and more time together. By the time the first year of school ended the two were inseparable. Rebecca would play with them once and a while, but not often. Davy noticed she was more proper than Emma, always making sure she was clean and didn't get dirty. He liked that about her, but he also liked that Emma played with him, especially since not many of the other boys did. He was short, really short and they enjoyed teasing him about it. Being a first grader now made him feel a little tougher, so when the big boys made him really mad he would pop them one, but that wasn't often because there was usually more than one of them.
"Don't worry, Davy. Yer short for a reason, least that's what Mama's said." Emma said one day as they played in Davy's Grandfather's stable. Davy had just endeared another day of teasing and was feeling down about it.
"Ah know. Just gets hard." Davy said, picking up pieces of hay that surrounded him.
"Forget `bout them, come on let's play." Emma said and then ran off, indicating that Davy was to chase her. He knew this and quickly stood up from where he was. He chased her out of the stables and into the field that surrounded his grandfather's property.
Davy chased Emma for a little while until the two fell down in a tired, but happy heap. The two were laughing hard as they lay on the ground. Suddenly Emma started to feel drops of water on her face.
"Think we better get in, Davy." Emma said looking up at the sky. The rain had become harder and both were starting to get very wet.
Davy stood up and helped his friend up. The two then grabbed hands and ran to the house, where his grandfather's maid, Sara, greeted them.
"And what would you two youngons be up two in this nasty weather?" she asked with a smile.
"We were playin' in the stables and then in the fields, Sara, when it started." Davy said quietly.
"Well Master Davy and Lady Emma, we must be gettin' you two dried off then. Wouldn't want you two catchin' a cold now, do we." Sara said. Emma had become a Lady because she was over so much that the staff thought of her as such.
"Al'ight." Emma said and the two ran upstairs to get something dry on. Sara just shook her head as she watched them.
That night Davy's mom tucked him into bed as usual. Noticing a sad face on her son she asked him what was wrong.
"They keep makin' fun, Mama." Davy said, although Emma had made him happier in the day, she was at her home now and the thoughts came back.
"My son, I am sorry. But you have Emma and that's what matters, doesn't George protect you as well?" she asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Yeah, but he's in the big grades, so he's not there always." Davy said. Since becoming best friends with Emma her older brother George had become like Davy's protector.
"Well, although I know it hurts, try to ignore them." She said and with that she gave him a loving kiss on the forehead and left his room. He fell asleep hoping and wishing things would be better.