But when Gus saw me getting tossed around by some fifth graders one day, he stepped in and basically told them to shove it–in the best way a fourth grader could. Afterward, I ate lunch with him. Well, he had to give me some of his lunch because I didn’t have any, and after school, he told Wes I was their new friend. That was it. When I found the Ryder boys, they treated me like I was worth something. Before I met them, I didn’t even know what a friend was. I’d never had one, but that day, I ended up with two.
