Schoolyard Brawl

Bo could hear the sounds of a scuffle around the back of the Dove River schoolhouse as he came back from lunch in town. H perked his ears as he followed the noise gradually. Ordinarily, he avoided the conflicts with the other kids from town, he lived so far out of the way he never knew the whole story regarding anyone's fight and it was easier to keep out of it and just walk home.
Today was different. When he turned around the corner of the back of the schoolhouse where the younger students had finished their lessons after him he spotted the Marcus brothers and their friends from his grade pushing around a younger student, one look and Bo instantly recognized his new neighbor, Charlie.
"HEY!" Bo barked, the book dropped from his arm to the dust and he ran over, shoving the elder Marcus brother to the ground and seizing Charlie under one arm, pulling him back from the others. "What the hell, Earl! You getting jollies on beating up nine-year-olds cause you can't beat someone your own age!" Bo tugged Charlie upright and stepped in front of him protectively.
"Oh but out, Jensen! This ain't none of your business!"
"Charlie's business IS my business!" Bo balled his hands into fists. "So get lost before I give you a fat lip to go with your fat head!"
The boys hesitated, while Charlie had been a younger, smaller target Bo was older and stronger, and in a mean temper. 
"Fine, take your little punk home then, Jensen, next time we'll be waiting for you both after school!" the elder Marcus brother huffed and turned to walk back into town.
Bo stood in front of Charlie until they left and turned around when he heard Charlie standing up and brushing himself off.
"They didn't hurt you did they?" Bo asked, turning around and wincing, Charlie was bleeding from his lip and a bruise was showing through his golden fur under his left eye. He was visibly shaking with his ears back and tail tucked close. He shook his head stiffly, blinking a lot and avoiding eye-contact.
Bo felt a ripple of anger but suppressed it. "Let's go home." he picked up Charlie's books and his own and headed down the street with him towards the bridge out of town.
Charlie, as usual, said nothing the whole way out of town and into the trees. Bo kept looking over and checking on him. Charlie had wiped away the blood and was feeling beneath his eye worriedly.
"Which one hit you? The big brown-and-white fella who was talkin'?" Bo asked, Charlie shook his head.
"Maybe his brother? Lighter colored kid, ugly teeth, leather cap?" Bo pressed. Charlie nodded and glanced over.
"Why'd they hit you anyway? You're more mellow than a sunning duck, why'd you tangle with those louses?"
Charlie slowed his walk and folded his arms, looking away.
"Anything to do with the shut trap?" Bo asked, coming to a stop in the shade. When Charlie Nodded Bo snorted. "So what business is that of theirs! Next time they give you lip, Charlie, just belt 'em in the nose. No reason for doing anything else. Show 'em not to mess with you."
Charlie looked up at him questionably then unfolded his arms and stared at uncertain fists, holding them up.
"A little higher, didn't your dad ever teach you how to fight?" Bo asked, then immediately wished he hadn't, Charlie's face winced and his eyes cast tot eh ground, he shook his head.
"Oh er.... well then I will!" Bo hefted the books and set them down on a rock. "Up like this! And don't look at the fists, look them right in the face, and look mean! Show me a mean face! Pfff Charlie that's not mean that's sort of... indigestion." Bo gave Charlie several more pointers along their walk home, by the time they reached the base of the hill near their houses they were scuffling harmlessly in the road.
"Much better!" Bo panted, wriggling upright from the ground. "Those yokels won't know who they're messing with come tomorrow!"
Charlie grinned, black eye prominent now, then waved goodbye and ran up the hill towards his house.
The next Day Bo stuck close to the schoolhouse once his grade was let out and and sat on the rim of a rain barrel near the back door eating a lunch from home. He could hear the drolling inside as students repeated arithmetic in a monotone chant. He hoped Charlie wasn't getting into too much trouble for not participating in something like that, but his concerns were short-lived when he saw the Marcus brothers coming up from the sand pits back to the schoolyard. Bo sighed through his nose and packed up his lunch, dusting crumbs from his hands.
"Waiting for us?" The eldest brother sneered as they reached Bo.
"Don't flatter yourselves I'm just eating a sandwich." Bo snorted around a mouthful of crust. 
"Where's your friend!"
"Well, the bell's not been rung so I', going to assume he's in class." Bo added dryly. "Don't you yucks have better things to do?"
"Scared of us?" the youngster stomped closer.
"Hardly." Bo frowned and hopped off the rain barrel. "But if you're insistent on this fight then you might as well make it a fair one and wait for Charlie to come back.
"Ha! Oh yeah, that's a 'fair fight' alright!" the eldest brother scoffed. "That kid can't even make a fist."
"Sure he can," Bo put his hands on his hips. 
"I've waited long enough." The brother to Bo's right turned and sucker-punched him to the middle. Bo buckled with a wince then twisted and tackled the young mouse around the legs. The two rolled around in the dust punching and kicking until the other brother joined in. Bo scrambled to take them both on but the oldest Marcus brother had one of his arms pinned back and the other was kicking him in the ribs. He was about to start yelling out when he heard the schoolbell tolling from above and there was the sound of kids rushing down the back steps chanting 'fight! fight! fight!' But one kid wasn't chanting
"Charlie!" Bo called seeing him rush over and jump on the elder Marcus's back, throwing him sideways. Bo jumped up and shoved the other to the ground, he went to help Charlie but paused seeing him scuffle. He was on his back on the ground but the other mouse was bigger, trying to keep him down. Charlie snorted and wriggled back to give himself space then punched the mouse right in the nose. The brother fell to the side howling and his brother helped him to his feet.
Bo rushed over as Charlie picked himself up and the two turned towards the brother, everyone panting hard.
"Fight's done." Bo huffed, seeing the elder brother's nose bleeding like a faucet. 
"Ugh, fine!" the brother snapped.
"We won!" Bo grinned at Charlie then saw a bunch of the kids scatter followed by a painful pinch in his ear. Charlie gasped when he was grabbed too.
"No fighting on the grounds!" the schoolmarm scolded. "Bert! Kent! You both get back here too!" The teacher let Bo and Charlie go and chased after the fleeing brawlers.
"Run!" Bo hissed, he and Charlie fled the schoolyard and raced towards the bridge home.