Unity Club

by Karen Spafford-Fitz

  I’m nearly there when I bump into Kaden. He’s one of the last people I want to see right now. Suddenly all my frustration and worry bubble up to the surface.

  “You know you owe Jude an apology, right?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “For what you said to him at Beans, about needing to leave because of his curfew?”

  Kaden just stands there, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

  “Sorry,” he says finally. “I guess I don’t always think before I—”

  I don’t give him a chance to finish. “And since you seem to think you would be a better president than me,” I say, “you can lead the meeting today.”

  I turn and leave before Kaden can say anything else.

  I trudge through the snow to the Blue House and knock on the door. While I’m waiting for someone to answer, I start peeling off some layers.

  I’ve just stuffed my gloves inside my backpack when Jude opens the door.

  “Oh, hey.” He glances back over his shoulder. “Um, I’m not allowed to bring visitors inside,” he says. “It’s one of the rules.”

  “Fine,” I say. “Grab a coat. I’ll wait for you out here.”

  Jude closes the door. I sit down on the porch. When my mom lived here, she had comfy furniture out here that looked like it was made from tree branches. We spent hours reading on the big, overstuffed cushions. Now there’s just a couch and some wooden chairs shoved into a corner.

  I’m perched on the edge of the hard vinyl couch when Jude appears, wearing his coat and running shoes.

  “Did you forget your scarf?” I ask.

  Jude looks puzzled, but he doesn’t answer. “Sorry I can’t invite you inside.” He sits down beside me.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “I actually know this house well. It was my mom’s house until she moved to Winnipeg.”

  “Really? Your mom lived here?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “Until she ditched me to be in Winnipeg with her new boyfriend.”

  Right on cue, my phone buzzes. “That’s probably her now,” I say.

  “Aren’t you going to answer?” Jude asks.

  Something about the way he says that makes me grit my teeth. It’s as though he thinks I should text her back.

  “No.” I take a deep breath. “She could have stuck around, but she chose not to.”

  At least I’m angry enough now to tell Jude why I really came here. “You probably heard Mrs. Rashid got hurt last night outside Fairview Court. They took her away in an ambulance.”

  Jude nods. “Yeah, I heard that,” he says. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “I don’t know.” My voice shakes. “She broke her hip, and she needs to have surgery. She’s eighty-four. This surgery will be hard on her.” Then I turn toward Jude and stare at him hard. “Some teenagers were nearby when it happened. So I need to know if…”

  “You need to know if I pushed her or something?”

  I can’t hold his gaze. I just look down at my boots and nod.

  “No,” Jude says. “I didn’t do anything. But I was there when—”

  Just then someone comes out the front door. It’s Mike, the guy who first told me about the group home. He looks over at us sitting together.

  “You know the rules, Jude. No guests.” Mike runs his hands across his face. “As you know, I’ve got enough on my plate. Trying to keep track of everyone and make sure they respect the rules and curfews…” He shakes his head as his voice trails off.

  Mike goes back inside. But I can see him watching us from the front window.

  “Look,” Jude says. “I was across the street when Mrs. Rashid fell. I was going over to see if I could help her. But then a woman who works there came out the front door. I saw her go to Mrs. Rashid. Then she made a phone call. So I left.”

  “You just left?” My hands are waving as I speak.

  Jude’s face reddens. “Yes,” he says. “But only after I saw she had help. After what happened with the bench, I knew it would look bad on me and the others from the group home if I was seen there.” Jude’s eyes lock onto mine. “I need you to believe me, Brett. I would not hurt Mrs. Rashid—or anyone else.”

  I think back to how much fun Jude was at Mini Gym Kids. And I remember how easy it was to talk to him about my mom moving away. I want to believe him, but I’m not sure what to think anymore.

  I reach into my backpack. “I think you dropped this last night.” I hand him the scarf. “I found it outside Fairview Court.”

  “Thanks,” he says as he takes it from me.

  “Are you coming back to school tomorrow?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. It was bad enough when it was just vandalism and stuff happening around the school. But now?” Jude runs his hands through his hair. “Actually, Brett, I’m probably going to change schools.”

  My stomach knots up. “You can’t just leave.”

  The moment the words are out of my mouth, I realize how ridiculous I sound. Jude can do whatever he wants to. Or, at least, I think he can.

  Right now I need some time to try and figure this out. I’m partway down the porch stairs when Jude calls out.

  “Brett?” he says. “I get that you’re mad at your mom. But you need to text her back.”

  “Really?” I come to a full stop. “You’re planning to run away from your problems. But you think you can give me advice about how to deal with my mom?”

  Mike opens the front door. Before he can tell me again to leave, I stomp away as fast as I can.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jude doesn’t come to school for the rest of the week. I think about texting him to see if he’s already switched schools. I could say I’m asking because we still need more people at Mini Gym Kids. But I can’t bring myself to do it. I’m still stinging about him telling me I should talk to my mom. And even though I want to believe him when he said he had nothing to do with Mrs. Rashid’s accident, I still have doubts.

  There’s a Unity Club meeting after school today. I have no idea how I’m going to handle that one. Everyone is still talking about Mrs. Rashid’s accident. And they’re still barely looking at me. Plus, they’re questioning my leadership, especially after I missed the last meeting. The fun has been sucked from the club. I’m totally dreading it.

  After lunch, I’m at my locker when an announcement comes over the PA system.

  “All students are to report immediately to their homerooms for attendance. Then proceed directly to the gym.”

  Another assembly? I look around. Like everyone else, I have no idea what this is about. And just like last time, I go to the gym by myself. I keep wishing I was there with Amira and the rest of my former friends.

  We’re hardly settled in the gym when Ms. Chen starts to speak. “Welcome, students and staff,” she says. “I recently spoke to you about some troubling events within our community and at our school. Today, I want to share some further news with everyone.

  “First of all,” Ms. Chen continues, “as many of you know, Mrs. Rashid suffered a fall outside Fairview Court several days ago. Mrs. Rashid has been a good friend to Addison, and I’ve been in touch with her daughter. She reports that Mrs. Rashid is recovering well from her surgery. Her doctor believes she will make a full recovery.”

  My eyes well up with tears at those words. My first instinct is to look over at Amira. I miss her and the others from the club more than ever.

  Amira catches my eye. She smiles and gives me a thumbs-up. I smile back. Maybe this is a start.

  “There has been some speculation as to what actually happened,” Ms. Chen continues. “And, as you know, I’m not fond of speculation.”

  Some students squirm in their seats.

  “Since Mrs. Rashid was unable to tell us herself, we didn’t know the facts. Or, at least, we didn’t know until now.”

  I sit up straighter in my chair, my stomach filled with butterflies.

  “Fairview Court and the outdoor area surrounding it is monitored electronically
. Video surveillance is helpful for matters of general security. It’s also helpful for maintaining resident safety—for example, if Fairview residents who suffer from memory problems begin to wander.” Ms. Chen pushes her glasses up. “To rule out any foul play, the police reviewed the footage. They have now authorized me to share their findings.”

  I take a deep breath and hold it in. Please don’t say Jude did it. I repeat the words over and over.

  “The video shows that Mrs. Rashid was alone at the time of her fall. It was 100 percent accidental. I do not wish to minimize in any way how serious her injury was. I’m relieved, however, that nobody was to blame for it.”

  Oh, thank goodness! Thank goodness it wasn’t the group-home kids—or anyone else—who hurt her. And thank goodness it wasn’t Jude.

  A moment later the guilt kicks in. Jude told me he didn’t do it. Still, I doubted him right up to this moment.

  “Fortunately, she wasn’t alone for long,” Ms. Chen continues. “The video clearly shows an employee finding Mrs. Rashid very soon after her fall.”

  Exactly like Jude said.

  “And thankfully, as I mentioned,” Ms. Chen says, “Mrs. Rashid is recovering well.”

  At that point, applause breaks out in some parts of the gym. Ms. Chen waits for the students to quiet down before she continues.

  “I also need to inform you that the group home, known by many of us as the Blue House, has been shut down.”

  My breath catches.

  “I can’t tell you how sad this makes me,” Ms. Chen says. “The teens from the group home behaved as responsible members of our community. Yet right from the outset, some adults in our community, along with students here at Addison, jumped to conclusions about them. Many people made those teenagers feel terribly unwelcome.”

  As her words sink in, a heavy silence falls over the gym.

  “Those teenagers deserved to be treated better,” Ms. Chen continues. “I particularly expect that of you people—our younger generation. Otherwise, the future I think we all wish for is at risk.” She pauses and looks hard around the gym. “As it stands, the students from the Blue House will no longer be attending our school.”

  I feel like I have been dropped in cold water. So Jude has left? Even though he told me he was probably going to change schools, I kept hoping he wouldn’t.

  “At this time, it is unclear whether the Blue House will reopen. I remain hopeful, however, that that will be the case. And now I have a few final announcements to make.”

  Oh no! What can she possibly have left to tell us?

  “After a locker search,” Ms. Chen continues, “the person responsible for the graffiti has been caught. This student also confessed to some other acts of vandalism, including the destruction of the park bench the Unity Club worked so hard to raise funds for. I believe it is important to stress that the individual who caused those damages was not one of the teenagers living at the group home.”

  Some murmurs run through the crowd at this news.

  “Plus,” Ms. Chen says, “it has not gone unnoticed that even some members of the Unity Club—the very group committed to fostering social responsibility, compassion and inclusion—were quick to blame the teens from the Blue House.”

  I glance over at Amira and the rest of the Unity Club members. Some have slid down in their chairs, their heads down. It looks like they are trying to makes themselves as small as possible.

  “I would like each and every one of you to go home tonight and try to imagine what life is like for the teenagers who were living there. I want you to think about the challenges they face, and about how easily their circumstances could be yours.” Ms. Chen pauses. “And then let’s all start fresh tomorrow being kind to one another, especially to those less fortunate than we are.”

  It takes me a moment to realize that everyone is standing up and leaving the gym. I’m wiping my eyes when someone gives my hand a squeeze. A warm, comforting squeeze, followed by a hug.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Amira says. “Mrs. Rashid will be okay.”

  “Yes.” I hug her back. I’m too choked up to say anything else.

  Amira steps back, and we give each other teary smiles. “And Jude and the others didn’t do it.” A sheepish look crosses her face. “I’m sorry, Brett. I just really thought that—”

  “I know,” I say. “I was starting to think that too.”

  “Really?” Amira asks.

  I take a deep breath. “I’m glad we were both wrong.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  At the next meeting, Tassie updates us on the work being done with the environmental program. “Suresh, Georgia and I spoke with Ms. Chen. She approved our plans for the Earth Day celebration. And the PA announcements for this week will focus on how students can make more earth-friendly food choices.”

  “We’ve posted ideas on the website too,” Georgia adds.

  “Well done, you guys,” I say. “And how about Mini Gym Kids?” I try not to think about how much fun we had when Jude joined us. “It looks like their numbers are still growing. Who can help out this week?”

  I am relieved that enough people volunteer so I can skip it this week. If Mrs. Rashid is up for visitors, I’d really like to go visit her at the hospital instead.

  “Now that we’ve covered our usual business,” I say, “there’s one new item I’d like to talk about. But first I want to thank Kaden for running the last meeting for me.”

  Kaden looks up and gives what is almost a smile.

  “When Isabelle moved away and we needed a new club president, I was so thrilled that the group trusted me in this position,” I say. “But I was so thrilled that I overlooked something important. The best thing about this club is the different perspectives we all bring to it. For that reason, I’ve made a decision. Some of you”—I look at Kaden—“felt strongly that there could only be one president. But I feel just as strongly that this club needs more than one leader. Also,” I continue, “sometimes I need a break. Like, to address some stuff with my family.”

  Not even Amira knows that ever since my mom moved away, I’ve been keeping extra busy to avoid thinking about her. But now it seems like some extra thinking time—maybe to knit some of my own projects, or write down my thoughts in a journal—might be a healthier way to cope.

  “I’d very much like to stay on as one of those presidents. And as your current president, I would like to nominate Kaden to be co-president. He has lots of experience with the Unity Club. He also has a different perspective that would complement mine. So if anyone has a problem with us working together…”

  Nobody says anything for a moment. But then some cheers go up around the room. Some people are clapping Kaden on the back. The relief I’m feeling, along with the smile on Kaden’s face, tells me I made the right call.

  As for that big blue house, I’ll figure out what I think about that—and maybe even about my mom—in the days ahead.

  Every time I’ve walked by the house this week, I’ve looked directly at it. No more turning away. I’ve also bought a new journal. I’m using it to write down my thoughts about the house. For the whole time my mom lived there, it felt like a home to me. I hope it felt like home to Jude and to the other kids who lived there too. But how do I feel about the house now that it no longer connects me to Maman? I’m still trying to figure that out.

  It’s Saturday morning, and because I have some extra time, I’ve read all of my mom’s texts. Now I know she is enjoying her new job in Winnipeg. She’s still dating Zoltan, but they’ve decided they need some space. She has her own apartment now, and it has a second bedroom. She wants me to go visit her there over the next long weekend. I’m not sure how I feel about that yet.

  My phone buzzes. Surprisingly, it’s not my mom. It’s Jude.

  Hey! Wanna meet downtown this aft? Hot chocolate?

  That sounds like fun. I text him back right away.

  Sure. Where?

  Jude mentions a coffee shop downtown. I could take
the bus there. But because Papa hasn’t been working quite so much lately, he offers to drive me. I think maybe he wants to meet Jude for himself. Papa even calls it a “date,” which it totally isn’t. I correct him about that right away.

  I finally agree to let him drive me, but I ask him to drop me off a block away from the coffee shop. I don’t want to freak Jude out.

  “I can pick you up later,” Papa says.

  “Non,” I say. “That’s okay. I don’t know how long I’ll be here. I’ll take the bus home later.”

  Papa frowns in a way that tells me this isn’t his ideal choice. “Okay,” he says. “À bientôt.”

  “See you soon, Papa.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jude isn’t at the coffee shop when I get there. So I grab a booth and pull out my journal and pen. I’m rereading a poem I’ve been working on when Jude arrives. I smile when I see he’s wearing the cable scarf.

  “Oh, hey.” I tuck everything back into my bag. We both go to the counter to order our hot chocolates.

  “Were you doing homework?” Jude asks as we slide back into the booth.

  “No,” I say. “Just some of my own writing.”

  “Cool,” Jude says. “How’s everything going at Addison?”

  “Things are good.” I take a sip of my drink. “Ms. Chen called an assembly. Everyone knows now that you guys from the Blue House didn’t have anything to do with Mrs. Rashid getting hurt. Or with the vandalism around the neighborhood.”

  I pause before I say this next part. “So the coast is clear for you to come back. If you want to, that is.”

  Jude pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. “I can’t go back,” he says. “That feeling of people watching you all the time, like they’re just waiting for you to do something wrong or illegal…I didn’t like it. Not at all.”

  “That makes sense,” I say. “Still, you didn’t do anything.”