at large, mean Jared, but he doesn’t actually say anything.
Corey and EllRay are friends. Well, those two guys are friends with Jared, too, usually. The weird part about this fight, and about most fights between boys, I have noticed, is that it was probably for no reason. That’s why lots of things happen at this school.
“Give it back,” EllRay yells, holding out his hand. Next to me, my new friend Annie Pat makes a worried noise in the back of her throat. I try to touch her arm to calm her down, but I can’t stop looking at EllRay and Jared. I’m afraid I’ll fall over or something if I try to do too many things at once.
My stomach is starting to feel all jangly, asthough the tuna in the sandwich I ate for lunch has started swimming around in there. Digesting my lunch might be trying to do one too many things, it suddenly occurs to me.
I hope I’m wrong about that, because barfing at school is the second worst thing that can happen to a kid.
“
Make
me give it back,” Jared says calmly, as if nothing bad is happening. As if this is just an ordinary day.
EllRay takes a step forward. “I
will
make you give it back,” he says in a shaky voice. “I’ll—I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Jared asks, sneering. “You’ll tell the teacher on me?” He holds the figure tighter, smiles, and starts to bend the wing.
Everybody’s breath gets sucked in at once. It sounds as though the wind is blowing by.
“No-o-o-o!” EllRay howls.
“Oh, oh,” Heather echoes. That’s her favorite expression.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone jumps out of the crowd and grabs the toy—right out of Jared Matthews’s hand. “Quit it, you big bully,” that person yells.
Hey, it’s me! Emma McGraw!
2
a Hero
I must be the most surprised person in the world right now, because I am not exactly brave. I like peace and quiet too much for that.
But no, Jared is even more surprised than I am. He staggers back, and his jaw hangs open like a panting lizard’s on a very hot day. He stares down at his hand as though he can’t really believe it is empty.
I shove the toy in EllRay’s direction.
“She saved EllRay,” someone whispers. “Emma saved EllRay—from Jared!”
“I only saved his toy,” I try to say, but thewords get stuck in my throat when I see EllRay’s face.
He doesn’t look grateful, not one little bit.
“Ha-ha on Jared,” one of the kids calls out.
“Rah-h-h-h,”
Jared roars, and he starts chasing that kid across the playground. He doesn’t even look at me as he whizzes by.
“Emma, you’re a hero,” Annie Pat says to me, and she sounds awed. The afternoon sun shining behind her makes her curly red pigtails look as though they are on fire.
I clear my throat and sneak another look at EllRay Jakes. He is just standing there, and the action figure is drooping in his hand. “I’m not a hero,” I say. “I only—”
“You only ruined everything,” EllRay says. “Thanks a lot,
Emma
.”
The way he says “Thanks,” though, you can tell he doesn’t mean it. He is mad at me, all right. But why?
EllRay and I stand very still for a second, staring at each other.
When the bell rings, it is as if it breaks a magic spell. The two of us can move again.
I never thought I would be so glad to get back to class, especially when we have a substitute teacher. Because when we have a substitute, the bad kids act up, and the good kids act nervous.
And if you’re a good kid, which I usually am, what’s so fun about that?
3
for No Reason!
I am an only child, and that is not such a wonderful thing when you have an important question to ask an older brother or sister. A question such as this:
“Why is EllRay Jakes so mad at me?”
My mom says that I can ask her anything, but sometimes I don’t want to, because she gets worried when things aren’t going perfectly right for me. So I keep pretty quiet most of the time.
But I have to ask her this one question. “Mom? Ow.”
“Hold still,
Corey and EllRay are friends. Well, those two guys are friends with Jared, too, usually. The weird part about this fight, and about most fights between boys, I have noticed, is that it was probably for no reason. That’s why lots of things happen at this school.
“Give it back,” EllRay yells, holding out his hand. Next to me, my new friend Annie Pat makes a worried noise in the back of her throat. I try to touch her arm to calm her down, but I can’t stop looking at EllRay and Jared. I’m afraid I’ll fall over or something if I try to do too many things at once.
My stomach is starting to feel all jangly, asthough the tuna in the sandwich I ate for lunch has started swimming around in there. Digesting my lunch might be trying to do one too many things, it suddenly occurs to me.
I hope I’m wrong about that, because barfing at school is the second worst thing that can happen to a kid.
“
Make
me give it back,” Jared says calmly, as if nothing bad is happening. As if this is just an ordinary day.
EllRay takes a step forward. “I
will
make you give it back,” he says in a shaky voice. “I’ll—I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Jared asks, sneering. “You’ll tell the teacher on me?” He holds the figure tighter, smiles, and starts to bend the wing.
Everybody’s breath gets sucked in at once. It sounds as though the wind is blowing by.
“No-o-o-o!” EllRay howls.
“Oh, oh,” Heather echoes. That’s her favorite expression.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone jumps out of the crowd and grabs the toy—right out of Jared Matthews’s hand. “Quit it, you big bully,” that person yells.
Hey, it’s me! Emma McGraw!
2
a Hero
I must be the most surprised person in the world right now, because I am not exactly brave. I like peace and quiet too much for that.
But no, Jared is even more surprised than I am. He staggers back, and his jaw hangs open like a panting lizard’s on a very hot day. He stares down at his hand as though he can’t really believe it is empty.
I shove the toy in EllRay’s direction.
“She saved EllRay,” someone whispers. “Emma saved EllRay—from Jared!”
“I only saved his toy,” I try to say, but thewords get stuck in my throat when I see EllRay’s face.
He doesn’t look grateful, not one little bit.
“Ha-ha on Jared,” one of the kids calls out.
“Rah-h-h-h,”
Jared roars, and he starts chasing that kid across the playground. He doesn’t even look at me as he whizzes by.
“Emma, you’re a hero,” Annie Pat says to me, and she sounds awed. The afternoon sun shining behind her makes her curly red pigtails look as though they are on fire.
I clear my throat and sneak another look at EllRay Jakes. He is just standing there, and the action figure is drooping in his hand. “I’m not a hero,” I say. “I only—”
“You only ruined everything,” EllRay says. “Thanks a lot,
Emma
.”
The way he says “Thanks,” though, you can tell he doesn’t mean it. He is mad at me, all right. But why?
EllRay and I stand very still for a second, staring at each other.
When the bell rings, it is as if it breaks a magic spell. The two of us can move again.
I never thought I would be so glad to get back to class, especially when we have a substitute teacher. Because when we have a substitute, the bad kids act up, and the good kids act nervous.
And if you’re a good kid, which I usually am, what’s so fun about that?
3
for No Reason!
I am an only child, and that is not such a wonderful thing when you have an important question to ask an older brother or sister. A question such as this:
“Why is EllRay Jakes so mad at me?”
My mom says that I can ask her anything, but sometimes I don’t want to, because she gets worried when things aren’t going perfectly right for me. So I keep pretty quiet most of the time.
But I have to ask her this one question. “Mom? Ow.”
“Hold still,
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