rotten my former friends were, when Parsons walked up to my desk and said, “Well, Anderson, do you have your homework or don’t you?”
The words left my mouth like buckshot. “Well, Mr. Parsons, do you have a hairline or don’t you?”
He grabbed the edge of my desk. “You have detention today, you wise-mouthed little snot. That’s what you have.” He glared at me, daring me to say more.
It would have been smart to keep quiet. But I couldn’t control myself. I was so angry I didn’t even try. “Hey, what ever happened to sticks and stones?” I asked. “You shouldn’t let a few little words bother you. Isn’t that part of your job? Aren’t you supposed to know how to deal with little snots like me? Can’t you handle me?”
He stood up and backed away a step, his eyes saying he’d be happy to rip off my arms and beat me over the head with them. “Make that a week’s detention.”
“Fine.” I didn’t care. Detention didn’t matter. I’d just have to sit at a desk for an hour and be quiet. Which would be pretty much like hanging
around in my room with Torchie, the way he was treating me.
I slithered out of math at the end of the period and went to English, hoping I could sulk in peace. No such luck. As soon as the class started, Miss Nomad walked over with my essay and said, “Martin, you did a wonderful job on your assignment. Would you like to share your little composition with the class?”
Why couldn’t they just leave me alone? “Not really, but I’d bet they’d sure as hell rather hear my little composition than one of your drippy little poems.”
Man, that was pretty brutal, even by my standards. I thought she was going to take my head off. Of course, she’d do it with a smile. But she whirled away from me and stormed to the front of the room. She didn’t even give me detention.
Then Mr. Acropolis slammed me against a wall in gym class. I don’t remember what I’d said to him. Apparently, he’d found our conversation displeasing. The back of my head bounced off the wall and everything got kind of blurry for a moment. My head was still ringing when I went into the locker room. I think Bloodbath hit me, too, but I’m really not sure. By then, I just wanted to find a hole where I could bury myself.
As rotten as my morning had been, lunch started out just as awful. I found myself stranded at the end of the cafeteria with a tray full of food and not a clue where to sit. All the seats were filled at Torchie’s table. The empty chairs had been shoved aside. I could have brought over a chair. But, given how they’d been treating me, I didn’t want to take any chances. If I walked over and they didn’t let me join them, the whole cafeteria would see me getting shut out.
I scanned the cafeteria, hoping to spot a friendly face. There was no way I was going to sit by myself. The other choices didn’t look very appealing. I couldn’t join Bloodbath’s group. They’d chew me up and spit me out like a mouthful of mashed turnips. And I certainly wasn’t going to sit with the runts.
That’s when I found myself walking toward Trash. Why not? Maybe
everyone would think I was sitting there as a joke, just having some fun with him. That would work.
He didn’t look up as I pulled out a chair across from him. I wondered whether I should say something, but all that ran through my mind was pointless chatter. Is this seat taken? Talk about a stupid question. He’d been surrounded by empty chairs from the start. Mind if I join you? Too risky. If he said no, I’d look like a real moron. Break anything interesting lately? Right. So I just sat down.
Trash’s eyes flickered toward me, but he stayed hunched over his food.
“Hi,” I said, feeling awkward. There was still the possibility he’d ask me to leave.
“Hi.” That’s all he said to me. No welcome, no suggestion that I get lost. Just a “hi.” Sadly, it was the nicest conversation I’d had so far that day.
I didn’t bother
The words left my mouth like buckshot. “Well, Mr. Parsons, do you have a hairline or don’t you?”
He grabbed the edge of my desk. “You have detention today, you wise-mouthed little snot. That’s what you have.” He glared at me, daring me to say more.
It would have been smart to keep quiet. But I couldn’t control myself. I was so angry I didn’t even try. “Hey, what ever happened to sticks and stones?” I asked. “You shouldn’t let a few little words bother you. Isn’t that part of your job? Aren’t you supposed to know how to deal with little snots like me? Can’t you handle me?”
He stood up and backed away a step, his eyes saying he’d be happy to rip off my arms and beat me over the head with them. “Make that a week’s detention.”
“Fine.” I didn’t care. Detention didn’t matter. I’d just have to sit at a desk for an hour and be quiet. Which would be pretty much like hanging
around in my room with Torchie, the way he was treating me.
I slithered out of math at the end of the period and went to English, hoping I could sulk in peace. No such luck. As soon as the class started, Miss Nomad walked over with my essay and said, “Martin, you did a wonderful job on your assignment. Would you like to share your little composition with the class?”
Why couldn’t they just leave me alone? “Not really, but I’d bet they’d sure as hell rather hear my little composition than one of your drippy little poems.”
Man, that was pretty brutal, even by my standards. I thought she was going to take my head off. Of course, she’d do it with a smile. But she whirled away from me and stormed to the front of the room. She didn’t even give me detention.
Then Mr. Acropolis slammed me against a wall in gym class. I don’t remember what I’d said to him. Apparently, he’d found our conversation displeasing. The back of my head bounced off the wall and everything got kind of blurry for a moment. My head was still ringing when I went into the locker room. I think Bloodbath hit me, too, but I’m really not sure. By then, I just wanted to find a hole where I could bury myself.
As rotten as my morning had been, lunch started out just as awful. I found myself stranded at the end of the cafeteria with a tray full of food and not a clue where to sit. All the seats were filled at Torchie’s table. The empty chairs had been shoved aside. I could have brought over a chair. But, given how they’d been treating me, I didn’t want to take any chances. If I walked over and they didn’t let me join them, the whole cafeteria would see me getting shut out.
I scanned the cafeteria, hoping to spot a friendly face. There was no way I was going to sit by myself. The other choices didn’t look very appealing. I couldn’t join Bloodbath’s group. They’d chew me up and spit me out like a mouthful of mashed turnips. And I certainly wasn’t going to sit with the runts.
That’s when I found myself walking toward Trash. Why not? Maybe
everyone would think I was sitting there as a joke, just having some fun with him. That would work.
He didn’t look up as I pulled out a chair across from him. I wondered whether I should say something, but all that ran through my mind was pointless chatter. Is this seat taken? Talk about a stupid question. He’d been surrounded by empty chairs from the start. Mind if I join you? Too risky. If he said no, I’d look like a real moron. Break anything interesting lately? Right. So I just sat down.
Trash’s eyes flickered toward me, but he stayed hunched over his food.
“Hi,” I said, feeling awkward. There was still the possibility he’d ask me to leave.
“Hi.” That’s all he said to me. No welcome, no suggestion that I get lost. Just a “hi.” Sadly, it was the nicest conversation I’d had so far that day.
I didn’t bother
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