hard and hadn’t gotten
any easier. She didn’t belong, and the other kids never let her
forget.
Before she could get to the benches on the
other side of the yard, three boys approached.
“What you got there, four eyes?”
“More books?”
She stared straight ahead, her steps less
exuberant, less confident. She didn’t bother anyone and couldn’t
understand why they constantly picked on her.
Clutching the books to her chest, she
recalled the words her parents had told her to repeat. Sticks
and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Two of the boys planted themselves in front
of her, arms folded, and blocked her progress. Alannah skidded to a
halt. Eyes on the ground, she turned slowly back toward the
building. She’d read inside today.
The biggest boy, the main bully, knocked the
books from her arms. “You don’t belong here.”
Her belly quivered with fear. He’d never done
that before.
His actions emboldened the other two to
circle.
“Why are you here, four eyes? You’re
poor.”
“Are you on welfare ?” one taunted.
“Did you see the car her father drives?” The
main bully laughed loud and mean. “It’s a Toyota . And it’s
old.”
The other two joined in the laughter, and
Alannah’s cheeks burned red.
She didn’t understand much, but her parents
had explained that because of her good grades and the test she’d
taken, the school had given her a full tuition scholarship.
“Otherwise, we couldn’t have afforded to send you to such a
prestigious school,” her mother had said, her voice filled with
pride. So the kids were right—she didn’t belong there.
“Cat got your tongue, freckle face?” one of
the boys asked.
Alannah kept her eyes on the books strewn
open on the grass. The colorful images of a rainbow and ponies
stared up at the blue sky from one of them. The other two had
fallen open and specks of dirt marred the words on the stark white
pages.
She didn’t know what to do. Should she stay
quiet? Should she speak? There were three of them and only one of
her.
Someone shoved her from behind, and the blow
knocked her to her hands and knees and ripped off her glasses.
Other kids approached, boys and girls. They giggled and pointed at
her.
“What’s she doing down there?”
More giggles.
This incident was the last straw in a string
of incidents that finally broke her young spirit. Head hanging low,
Alannah felt her face get mottled and redden. Tears filled her
eyes.
“Aw, look at her, she’s gonna cry.”
Even more laughter.
“Leave her alone!” A loud voice broke through
the jeers and laughter with authority.
An immediate hush fell over the small group
of tormenters, and Alannah looked up to see her savior, just a kid
himself. His green eyes were so vivid, she could see them clearly
even through the curtain of tears. The kids all stared at him in
shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.
“He’s talking,” a girl whispered. What a
weird thing to say. Why wouldn’t he be talking?
Her hero stomped toward the leader of the
bullies and shoved him hard. The boy stumbled back into his
friends.
“What are you looking at? Get out of here! If
you ever pick on a girl again, I’ll kick your ass.”
The children gasped, and the bullies
scattered, one of them calling out for a teacher. “Miss Brown! Miss
Brown! Trenton Johnson said a bad word.”
A hand came down into Alannah’s line of
vision. Gratefully, she took it and was pulled to her feet.
The boy handed her the glasses, and she
brushed dirt off the lenses. Luckily they weren’t scratched, so she
slipped them on.
“Are you okay?” the boy asked. He was really
cute, but his hair was long, with thick, loose curls that attacked
his ears and neck, as if his parents hadn’t taken him for a haircut
in at least a year.
Alannah nodded. “Yes, I’m okay,” she answered
in a quivering voice, still a bit shaken and unsure of what exactly
had happened or what to do next. It still amazed her
any easier. She didn’t belong, and the other kids never let her
forget.
Before she could get to the benches on the
other side of the yard, three boys approached.
“What you got there, four eyes?”
“More books?”
She stared straight ahead, her steps less
exuberant, less confident. She didn’t bother anyone and couldn’t
understand why they constantly picked on her.
Clutching the books to her chest, she
recalled the words her parents had told her to repeat. Sticks
and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Two of the boys planted themselves in front
of her, arms folded, and blocked her progress. Alannah skidded to a
halt. Eyes on the ground, she turned slowly back toward the
building. She’d read inside today.
The biggest boy, the main bully, knocked the
books from her arms. “You don’t belong here.”
Her belly quivered with fear. He’d never done
that before.
His actions emboldened the other two to
circle.
“Why are you here, four eyes? You’re
poor.”
“Are you on welfare ?” one taunted.
“Did you see the car her father drives?” The
main bully laughed loud and mean. “It’s a Toyota . And it’s
old.”
The other two joined in the laughter, and
Alannah’s cheeks burned red.
She didn’t understand much, but her parents
had explained that because of her good grades and the test she’d
taken, the school had given her a full tuition scholarship.
“Otherwise, we couldn’t have afforded to send you to such a
prestigious school,” her mother had said, her voice filled with
pride. So the kids were right—she didn’t belong there.
“Cat got your tongue, freckle face?” one of
the boys asked.
Alannah kept her eyes on the books strewn
open on the grass. The colorful images of a rainbow and ponies
stared up at the blue sky from one of them. The other two had
fallen open and specks of dirt marred the words on the stark white
pages.
She didn’t know what to do. Should she stay
quiet? Should she speak? There were three of them and only one of
her.
Someone shoved her from behind, and the blow
knocked her to her hands and knees and ripped off her glasses.
Other kids approached, boys and girls. They giggled and pointed at
her.
“What’s she doing down there?”
More giggles.
This incident was the last straw in a string
of incidents that finally broke her young spirit. Head hanging low,
Alannah felt her face get mottled and redden. Tears filled her
eyes.
“Aw, look at her, she’s gonna cry.”
Even more laughter.
“Leave her alone!” A loud voice broke through
the jeers and laughter with authority.
An immediate hush fell over the small group
of tormenters, and Alannah looked up to see her savior, just a kid
himself. His green eyes were so vivid, she could see them clearly
even through the curtain of tears. The kids all stared at him in
shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.
“He’s talking,” a girl whispered. What a
weird thing to say. Why wouldn’t he be talking?
Her hero stomped toward the leader of the
bullies and shoved him hard. The boy stumbled back into his
friends.
“What are you looking at? Get out of here! If
you ever pick on a girl again, I’ll kick your ass.”
The children gasped, and the bullies
scattered, one of them calling out for a teacher. “Miss Brown! Miss
Brown! Trenton Johnson said a bad word.”
A hand came down into Alannah’s line of
vision. Gratefully, she took it and was pulled to her feet.
The boy handed her the glasses, and she
brushed dirt off the lenses. Luckily they weren’t scratched, so she
slipped them on.
“Are you okay?” the boy asked. He was really
cute, but his hair was long, with thick, loose curls that attacked
his ears and neck, as if his parents hadn’t taken him for a haircut
in at least a year.
Alannah nodded. “Yes, I’m okay,” she answered
in a quivering voice, still a bit shaken and unsure of what exactly
had happened or what to do next. It still amazed her
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