The Man in the Myth

Chapter 4

"He was even better than William Tell. The End," Roisin finished her report with a flare, and she bowed to her 7th-grade classmates. As with all of the reports delivered, the students all clapped.

"Does anyone have any questions for Roisin?" Mrs. Gunderson asked the class, keeping Roisin up in the front of the class a few minutes longer.

"Did he kill Philip?" One of the boys asked.

Roisin shook her head. "No. He only shot Philip through the hand. That way Philip couldn't shoot a bow and arrow anymore."

"Lily," Mrs. Gunderson called out for the next question.

"I thought this report had to be about a real person, not someone we could just make up."

"I didn't make Cu up," Roisin said hotly. "He existed. My grandma told me all about him."

"Did your grandma meet him?" Lily challenged.

Roisin's cheeks grew red. "My-"

"Girls," Mrs. Gunderson interrupted what she figured was going to be a disagreement between the girls. "Lily, not everyone who existed is in the history books. Some of the stories are passed down through the centuries in families. Roisin, good job on your report. You may sit down. Boys and girls, let's give Roisin another round of applause."

Then seventh grade class clapped their hands and Roisin moved back to her seat.

"It was a good report," Sasha whispered as Roisin sat down. "Lily is just jealous that she doesn't know Cu."

"Thanks, Sasha."

Roisin sat down at her desk and looked at her report laying in front of her. She traced Cu's name printed in bold on the front cover. She ignored the next report, and began to daydream about Cu. Her grandmother had been sharing so many stories with her about Cu that Roisin felt as if she knew him. Her constant games of her childhood were games that had Cu not only alive but playing with her.

She was annoyed that Lily would even suggest that Cu had never existed.

"Are you going to the tournament this weekend?" Sasha said under her breath as Thomas started his report.

Roisin nodded. "Do you want to come over tonight and practice?"

"Yeah, I'll ask my mom to make sure."

"Roisin and Sasha," Mrs. Gunderson called out, "be polite and listen to the reports."

"Sorry, Mrs. Gunderson," the two girls said simultaneously.

Roisin tried to focus on her classmates' reports, but her eyes were still being drawn to the name on the front of her report. She was upset with Lily and couldn't wait to talk to her grandmother about Lily's claims. Her grandmother would reassure her that the stories were true and Cu did exist. And then she would tell Roisin another tale of Cu and his exploits. Roisin smiled at the thought.

Roisin stayed away from Lily for the rest of the day. She didn't want to hear the possibility that Cu wasn't real. Being twelve herself, she was already doubting the fact that Cu existed; she didn't need help from anyone else.

Roisin sighed. She wanted to talk to her grandmother. Her grandmother always had the special ability to keep Cu alive.

Roisin rested her chin on her hand as she pretended to listen. It used to be that Roisin had to wait for her grandmother to come into town before hearing more adventures of Cu. But now, Roisin lived with her grandmother after the tragic car crash that claimed her parents' lives when she was just eight years old. Her grandmother had moved into her house when she became Roisin's gaurdian. Though there was often pain when Roisin thought back on her parents, she had learned to forge ahead with the help of her grandmother. She wouldn't admit to anyone, but she leaned on the stories of Cu to give her something to hold onto when she lost her parents. She didn't know if she could handle the loss of Cu as well.