“Yes, I’ll admit he is a good leader. I can see it in him. But you don’t. Admit it. You see him as just a pup, unable to make his own decisions, his own choices. You see him as nothing more than a problem to deal with. Admit it.” Steel boomed, and only when the last trace of his voice faded from the air did Balto speak.
“Leave Steel.” Balto growled low and silent.
Ignoring Balto Steel continued on, now yelling to everyone. “All of you admit it. You don’t see the true power that Kodi has as a leader, his skill and his cunning. All of you admit it.”
Everyone remained silent, only a wisp of blowing snow crossing between them told that anything was alive except Steele.
“Good enough as a confession to me.” Steel grinned and began to trail away. He stopped and looked at Jenna. “Jenna.” He bowed his head very gentleman like, and then continued on with his friends at his sides down the street.
None of them moved their eyes off steel and his comrades until they turned down an alley and away. Jenna immediately looked to her son with an uptight look. “Are you okay?”
“Yes!” Kodi growled. “And I didn’t need your help. I had everything under control.”
“Kodi, calm down.” Balto protested stepping to Jenna’s side.
“No dad.” Kodi snapped. “I don’t need you help.” He looked at his team. “And I don’t need any of your help. I’m just fine … and he is right that you all treat me like I’m just a pup; especially you two.” Kodi twisted his nose back to his parents. “You two have never let me try life without being there to point me in the right direction. So please just leave me alone. I don’t need any of you.” Kodi fell silent and stared at the snow.
“Kodi.” Jenna tried to sooth. “I-”
“-What? Wanted to embarrass me in front of everybody I know. Well congratulations, you did it.”
“No… Kodi please we just need to talk about Steel.” Jenna pleaded deeper.
“Let me guess, you told him all those little cute and embarrassing things I did as a pup, right?” Kodi said flatly.
“No Kodi would you just listen to me-”
“-No, now please just go away. I don’t want to talk to you right now.” Kodi said on the verge of bursting into a tearful fit of anger.
Balto nudged Jenna’s side with his shoulder lightly. “Why don’t we get out of here for right now? I don’t think Kodi really wants to hear what we have to tell him.”
“But but…” Jenna protested looking into Balto’s calm and confident face, but the reasoning behind it caught her, and she turned down the street towards the back of the team.
Balto took Jenna’s place and lowered his head down to Kodi’s ear. “We need to talk later Kodi. So why don’t you come over to your mothers house tonight. We’ll be waiting.” Balto turned without another word, or the chance for another word, and followed after Jenna.
For a while Kodi stared at the snow, and at last when he thought that all the eyes were off him he raised his head again. Only when he did all his friends resumed their curious, resentful, and far away glaring. Today was just not a good day to get up, Kodi thought lowering his head, not a good day at all.
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