“James, she was just an old dog. There was nothing they could do.” His mother’s words echoed forever in his mind. He knew Willow wouldn’t be home when he got there, but ever since he got home no one had bothered to ask how his day had gone. As he lay in his bed, head buried in his pillow, he considered running away. School sucks, he thought, I should pack up and go to Grandma’s house. As he forced himself out of bed, he grabbed his Toy Story luggage bag and began packing. He packed his teddy, King Arthur, and started considering what clothes to bring. As he leaned for a pair of pants, he realized his father was standing in the door. “Going somewhere bud?” James stared at his Dad and tried to figure out a lie to tell him. He didn’t want him to worry. “I’m not going to Grandma’s house.” His father laughed, “Of course you’re not James.” He swooped in and picked James up, sitting them both on the bed. “Is this about Willow? Or is this about something else?”
Moments passed and James stared sheepishly at the floor. He turned to his Dad a few times, but his Dad looked like Hercules. There was no way he would ever have been bullied. James looked at King Arthur and pulled him out of the bag. Hugging him tightly he looked back to his Dad. “I’m not smart Dad.” His father didn’t believe it for a second. After all, James was starting writing and math when most kids would still be squawking unintelligible sounds. “James, is this about the cut on your lip?” James became embarrassed and leapt off the bed. “You don’t understand, he’s bigger than me!” His father lowered himself from the bed and patted the floor beside him. As James slowly came over and sat beside him, his father began a story.
“James, let me tell you a little story about a scrawny kid named William who was bullied all through school.” James looked up to his Dad for a moment. “Your name is William too!” His father looked down and smiled, pulling his son closer with a hug. “That’s not all we have in common my boy.” James smiled and then looked a bit confused. “What does scrawny mean?” His Dad laughed, “Tiny James, tiny and weak.” With a sigh, he continued. “William was a bright little boy who started his first day of school with a Power Ranger vest on. It was bright green with all kinds of logos on it from the television show of the same name. No matter how cool William thought it was, it seemed it wasn’t cool enough for the other kids. As his first year went on horribly, he survived and earned the humiliating nickname of Green Ranger. William loved the Green Ranger and everything he stood for, from fighting as a bad guy to switching to the good guys.” James stared at his Dad with intensity, he was completely enthralled by the story.
His father began again, this time with a smile. “William however was just as strong as the Green Ranger and although he did some mean things to the boys who bullied him, he managed to know when he should stop. As he embraced his nickname as the Green Ranger, he eventually lived up to the name and became a leader among his fellow students. He spent a few years being bullied a lot, and sometimes it wasn’t fun for him. But the only way to win over the bullies, is to not let them get to you. No matter how hard it may seem.” As his father looked down to him, James nodded. “I know what I have to do, but tomorrow I want to dress myself.” His father nodded in approval. “I’ll let your mother know.” As the two rose from the floor, James tugged at his father’s pants. His father looked down to him with a curious look on his face. “Yes James?” James held his bear tight and looked up sheepishly at the large man that was his Dad. “Dad, was William you?” His father laughed. “Maybe, but there’s no way to ever really know.” As James followed his Dad out of his room, he noticed one of the trophies in his Dad’s cabinet was for baseball. Etched on a metal plaque below the trophy were the words, To William “The Green Ranger” Kent, MVP 2009. James grinned after figuring out the mystery of the Green Ranger. Tomorrow he would embrace his nickname.