Behind the Lilac Bushes

    "Haha!" Anne sighed bitterly as ten-year-old Henry kicked her ball into the street purposefully. He was such an absolute bully. Anne huffed hesitantly walking to the edge of the sidewalk and looking behind herself to make sure her mommy wasn't watching. "Go on Anne go and get your ball! Witch!" Henry taunted, Anne glowered at him storming forward and Cathy grabbed Anne's arm, stopping her pursuit. 

   "This isn't a good idea, what if a car comes? And you'll be in trouble if you hit him" She reasoned and Anne deflated giving her best friend a dejected look. 

   "You're probably right," she relented and Henry scoffed loudly, Cathy glared at him darkly before rubbing Anne's arm in reassurance.

   "I'll go get my mama." She whispered kindly. 

   "Aww come on Anne, what are you chicken?" Henry taunted making Anne's face darkened considerably.  Cathy shook her head, this guy didn't know when to stop.

   "No, she's smart, and doesn't want to get hit by a car!" Cathy defended her best friend

  "More like she's a chicken!" He exclaimed making chicken sounds right in Anne's face and Anne pushed past them and stopped at the edge of the road. 

  "Anne no!" Cathy exclaimed but the seven-year-old already had her mind made up. The ball was in her sights she just had to be quick about it. She got about two steps in the road when her front door banged open with a force only an enraged mother could possess. 

  "ANNE BOLEYN SEYMOUR WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!!" Jane Seymour screamed and Anne could already hear Henry's taunts about being a baby or a chicken or something so she stupidly ignored her mommy and raced forward bending to grab her ball, and coming face to face with a car, that slammed on his breaks stopping inches from her when she stood up. 

   "Anne!" Cathy screamed frantically, looking ready to rush to her, but froze when Jane Seymour surged past her and scooped the shell-shocked little girl into her arms. 

   "I'm so sorry! Is she alright? She came out of nowhere!" The driver apologized rushing from his car. 

  "How long are you in trouble?" Cathy asked gently as they sat at their respective places under the lilac bushes on either side of the fence. Anne sighed bitterly as she wrapped her arms around her legs and glared at the ground.

  "I'm grounded from the telly and music, for four days, and no sweets for a whole two weeks." She grumbled with a pout. 

   "I'm sorry Annie," she whispered and Anne scowled tightening her hands into fists.

   "It's all that stupid Henry's fault. Kicking my ball into the street like that. " She snaps darkly. 

  "Don't worry I'll come over every day till you're free then you won't even miss the telly!" Cathy promised and Anne let her legs drop as she smiled at her best friend. 

   "You're the best Cathy!" She exclaimed brightly.  

   Their little mishap with Henry was forgotten for the time being, until after Anne was free from her punishment.  She and Cathy were playing hopscotch on Cathy's driveway when he showed up on his stupid red bicycle. 

  "Well if it isn't wittle baby Anne and her little baby friend!" He chortled and Anne scowled throwing down the chalk she'd been making the base for their game with.

   "Go away no boys allowed!" She snapped and Cathy glared at him from her spot crouched over her chalk. 

   "Aww is wittle Anne mad because she got in trouble!?" He chortled and Anne stepped up to him, hands on her hips, but she was still a good head shorter than him. So it was less than effective. He shoved Anne over with a laugh as he stepped on her chalk. 

    "Hey!" Cathy exclaimed and he stepped over Anne, kicking over Cathy's box of chalk. Cathy stood her ground glaring up at him. "You better leave or I'll get my sister Anna!" She threatened and he scoffed shoving Cathy slightly.

   "L-like I'm afraid of your ugly sister!" He exclaimed but turned and got on his bike and rode off anyway. Cathy quickly rushed to Anne's side helping her up. 

   "Come on Annie let's go inside." Cathy reasoned leaving the chalk for later cleanup. 

  Henry went MIA for about a week, they were playing at the lake, helping Anne's five-year-old sister make a sandcastle. 

   "Thank you, Sissy!" Kitty squealed as Anne brought over a bucket of water and poured it into the sand of the lake their families were spending the day together at. Cathy was carefully shoveling the sand into another bucket intent on getting the right amount to make the perfect castle. 

  "Kitty's the queen of the castle!" Nine-year-old Anna sang smiling as she handed the five-year-old pretty rocks she had found along the shore to decorate her castle. 

   Cathy had just gotten two towers of the castle finished as Kitty decorated them when someone stepped into their castle smashing it down to mush. 

   "Hey!" Anne exclaimed throwing down her bucket as she charged forward and Kitty began to cry. It took Cathy a minute before she registered Henry's laughter and Kitty's sobs. 

  "What are you gonna do baby Anne!?" Henry mocked and so Anne smacked him with her shovel. Granted it was plastic, but it evidently still stung as Henry held his face. Kitty took off towards her mommy sobbing and Cathy stood behind her friend. 

   "Sorry, not sorry!" Anne exclaimed glaring up at him sourly.  Henry opened his mouth to retort when Jane Seymour came into focus. 

  "Excuse me little boy, but I'd highly recommend you leaving my girls alone, I don't appreciate you bullying them, so either go away or I'll call your mother." she threatened seriously before taking Anne and Cathy's hands and leading them away from Henry.  "Come on girls come build your castle by us hmm." She encouraged sweetly and both girls nodded. 

  They avoided Henry, by staying under their lilac bushes to play or watching the telly, for a whole week. Both girls, but mostly Cathy, were terrified of what Henry was going to do to Anne after the beach incident. But their mums were growing concerned at their sneaking around, so they took their girls to the neighborhood park to play. Cathy and Anne were less than thrilled, but when there was no sign of Henry even an hour later they relaxed and started to play. 

    Anne was swinging from the monkey bars as Cathy followed her from the bottom, making sure she wasn't going to fall. Anna was talking with her friends Joan and Bessie on the swings and Kitty was rocking back and forth on a toy rocking horse. Catharine Aragon and Jane Seymour talked and watched their kids play, from a nearby park bench. 

   Anne had just reached the other side of the monkey bars when Henry appeared from nowhere and shoved her off. She hit the ground with a gasp of pain, having landed on the pavement, hitting her knees. Cathy rushed to her side instantly. As Henry began to laugh, Cathy saw red. Henry jumped from the monkey bars still laughing as Anne cried and clutched her knee. Cathy saw the blood running down her best friend's knees and whirled on the boy.

  "Bet you're sorry now huh witch?!" He mocked kicking her shoe, making Anne whimper slightly as she clenched her jaw and tried to glare at him. Then in a flash, Cathy had knocked him to the ground. Anne's eyes widened in shock as Cathy began to blindly punch him. 

   "You mean awful boy! Don't you hurt Anne!" She screamed delivering a punch with each word. "You're gonna be the sorry one!" She exclaimed as Henry screamed for mercy. 

  "Cathy it's okay! Stop before you get in trouble!" Anne shakily stood, ignoring the pain in her knees as she tried to pull Cathy from him. Anna ran up hearing her little sister's cries and froze at the sight before her. 

   "I hate you! I hate you!" Cathy exclaimed still blindly hitting him, though slightly less forceful than before. Cathy had hit her breaking point it seemed and Anna who was slightly terrified but also proud rushed off to get their mama before Cathy hurt herself. 

  Anne was torn between pulling her friend away and cheering her on because she strongly disliked Henry, but she also didn't want Cathy getting in trouble on her account. She tried to grab Cathy again when Catherine Aragon rushed across the playground followed closely by Anna and Jane. 

  "Catharine! Catherine Parr Aragon stop this now!" Her mama yelled as Jane pulled Anne back and Catherine pulled Cathy off the sobbing boy, whose nose was bleeding from Cathy's punching. Cathy swung a few more times before she deflated and just sobbed. 

    "He hurt my best friend." She whispered through her tears.

   "So how long are you in trouble?" Anne asked leaning against the fence and Cathy sighed glaring at her hands. 

   "My mama yelled at me for a while, I can't watch telly or read for the rest of the summer." She whispered dejectedly and Anne scowled at the verdict feeling awful for her best friend.  "And she said that she understands why I was mad, but hitting him didn't make me any better than him." She mumbled holding Lizzie to her chest as she sighed. 

   "Well, I think you're brilliant!" Anne exclaimed her green eyes sparkling with admiration making Cathy giggle. 

   "You're crazy Annie!" They locked pinkies and shared a grin. It's safe to say Henry didn't bother them again.