what are you reading?” Miss Ferris asked in asharp voice. She stood at the front of the room with her hands on her hips. “You know we don’t pass notes in class.”
I shoved the paper into my desk, but the envelope fluttered to the floor. Several of my classmates turned to watch me. Eric was grinning and David covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Noth– nothing … ” I said. “I was just getting out my workbook.”
“Your workbook is on your desk,” said Miss Ferris sternly. “Stand up, and share with us what you find so interesting.”
I stumbled to my feet, but didn’t take the horrible note out of my desk. I could feel my heart pound in my chest. How could I possibly read it out loud?
“Get the note, Nadia. We would all like to hear it.”
I stood there, frozen. Miss Ferris marched down the aisle and knelt at my desk. She pulled the offending piece of paper out and unfolded it.
Her face became still. “Sit down, Nadia,” she said, resting her hand gently on my shoulder. She walked to the front of the classroom and held up the hideous drawing for everyone to see. A hush fell over the room. Someone giggled. I crouched down in my seat. If only I could disappear.
“Who did this?” she almost shouted. No one raised a hand. “You will all have a detention if the guilty party does not step forward.”
This time she did shout. No one raised their hand. I stared at the back of Eric’s head. He sat rigid, with his hands folded neatly on his desk. I was sure he was nolonger grinning. I couldn’t be sure if it was him or David. It could have been anyone. I felt embarrassed and small.
“Hands on your desks, everyone,” Miss Ferris said sternly. “Palms up.” She marched up one aisle and down the next, examining everyone’s hands for red ink. When she got to David’s desk she stopped. She grabbed one of his hands and twisted it back and forth. “Red ink,” she said. “Empty your desk. Now!” David reached into his desk and emptied it of books and notebooks and pens and pencils. Miss Ferris looked through each item carefully for more evidence and then tossed it to the floor.
“That’s all I have,” he said with an innocent look on his face. Miss Ferris reached inside his desk and rooted around. She pulled out a pad of paper and a fountain pen filled with red ink. She flipped through the paper. More sickening sketches of “Nazi Nadia.” I crouched farther down in my seat.
“Get up,” said Miss Ferris. She grabbed David by the ear and marched him out of the room. Once the door slammed shut behind them, a couple dozen pair of eyes turned to stare at me.
I convinced Marusia and Ivan to let me stay home from school on Hallowe’en. I did not feel like dressing up in a silly costume and pretending that I was having fun just a day after David’s nastiness. Doing chores around the house was preferable. “Let us not make this a habit,” Marusia warned me.
I was at the kitchen sink scrubbing grass stains out of one of her work shirts when I spied Mychailo at the back door. He wasn’t wearing a costume. “It’s open,” I calledthrough the window. “Didn’t your class have a party this afternoon?” I asked him as he stepped inside.
“We did,” said Mychailo. “I just put a sheet over my head and called myself a ghost.”
That made me smile.
He rooted through his pockets and pulled out a candy kiss. “Here,” he said, holding it out for me. “Now you can say you’ve been kissed by a boy.”
That made me blush. “Thanks,” I said. “Put it on the table.” My hands were still soapy. I rinsed Marusia’s shirt, wrung it out and then hung it on the laundry line outside. I opened up the candy kiss and popped it into my mouth.
“Are you going trick or treating tonight?” Mychailo asked. “You can go with me if you want.”
I hadn’t planned on going trick or treating. After the incident at school yesterday, I didn’t even feel like going outside. The whole
I shoved the paper into my desk, but the envelope fluttered to the floor. Several of my classmates turned to watch me. Eric was grinning and David covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Noth– nothing … ” I said. “I was just getting out my workbook.”
“Your workbook is on your desk,” said Miss Ferris sternly. “Stand up, and share with us what you find so interesting.”
I stumbled to my feet, but didn’t take the horrible note out of my desk. I could feel my heart pound in my chest. How could I possibly read it out loud?
“Get the note, Nadia. We would all like to hear it.”
I stood there, frozen. Miss Ferris marched down the aisle and knelt at my desk. She pulled the offending piece of paper out and unfolded it.
Her face became still. “Sit down, Nadia,” she said, resting her hand gently on my shoulder. She walked to the front of the classroom and held up the hideous drawing for everyone to see. A hush fell over the room. Someone giggled. I crouched down in my seat. If only I could disappear.
“Who did this?” she almost shouted. No one raised a hand. “You will all have a detention if the guilty party does not step forward.”
This time she did shout. No one raised their hand. I stared at the back of Eric’s head. He sat rigid, with his hands folded neatly on his desk. I was sure he was nolonger grinning. I couldn’t be sure if it was him or David. It could have been anyone. I felt embarrassed and small.
“Hands on your desks, everyone,” Miss Ferris said sternly. “Palms up.” She marched up one aisle and down the next, examining everyone’s hands for red ink. When she got to David’s desk she stopped. She grabbed one of his hands and twisted it back and forth. “Red ink,” she said. “Empty your desk. Now!” David reached into his desk and emptied it of books and notebooks and pens and pencils. Miss Ferris looked through each item carefully for more evidence and then tossed it to the floor.
“That’s all I have,” he said with an innocent look on his face. Miss Ferris reached inside his desk and rooted around. She pulled out a pad of paper and a fountain pen filled with red ink. She flipped through the paper. More sickening sketches of “Nazi Nadia.” I crouched farther down in my seat.
“Get up,” said Miss Ferris. She grabbed David by the ear and marched him out of the room. Once the door slammed shut behind them, a couple dozen pair of eyes turned to stare at me.
I convinced Marusia and Ivan to let me stay home from school on Hallowe’en. I did not feel like dressing up in a silly costume and pretending that I was having fun just a day after David’s nastiness. Doing chores around the house was preferable. “Let us not make this a habit,” Marusia warned me.
I was at the kitchen sink scrubbing grass stains out of one of her work shirts when I spied Mychailo at the back door. He wasn’t wearing a costume. “It’s open,” I calledthrough the window. “Didn’t your class have a party this afternoon?” I asked him as he stepped inside.
“We did,” said Mychailo. “I just put a sheet over my head and called myself a ghost.”
That made me smile.
He rooted through his pockets and pulled out a candy kiss. “Here,” he said, holding it out for me. “Now you can say you’ve been kissed by a boy.”
That made me blush. “Thanks,” I said. “Put it on the table.” My hands were still soapy. I rinsed Marusia’s shirt, wrung it out and then hung it on the laundry line outside. I opened up the candy kiss and popped it into my mouth.
“Are you going trick or treating tonight?” Mychailo asked. “You can go with me if you want.”
I hadn’t planned on going trick or treating. After the incident at school yesterday, I didn’t even feel like going outside. The whole
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