Eve squeezed my hand. She gestured at the Island, at Emily and Susan, and then at me. “For this. All of that made all of this possible.”
She reached out her other hand, which Emily took. “You can't know true peace until you've been at war,” Eve said.
I broke into a small grin. “One of your mom's quotes?”
“Yeah,” Eve replied. “It was a long, terrible fight, but you won.”
She squeezed Emily's hand and smiled at her and Susan. They smiled back. “We won.”
I nodded and smiled as well, but I wasn't convinced. Though my outcast status was waning, I still had a horrible feeling the bad guys weren't quite done with me yet.
Chapter 41
DAY 50
JOSHUA
I ate lunch with Rick again today. I told him about Emily and Susan, and the first thing he did, naturally, was to jokingly congratulate me for now having three “hot babes” all to myself. I told him flat-out that Eve and I were taking things slowly in the romance department, and that I'd only just started getting to know Emily and Susan. Rick just smiled.
He'd spent the past week asking around, and he seemed a lot more caught up on current school events than he was before. Looking over his shoulder, I saw Brent, Phil and Derek deep in conversation. Randy was nowhere to be seen, which was suspicious, because he'd been there for second-period Phys Ed.
I was just glad Rick was feeling better; we had a big game on Saturday, and we couldn't afford any more losses if we wanted to compete for the championship. As I rose to leave, Brent and the others also stood up. Rick saw it too. Quickly, I sat back down.
Seeing the look of dread on my face, Rick leaned forward. “You need my help?”
I blinked. “What'd you have in mind?”
“You tell me,” he replied. With his head, he gestured back at the bully squad. “You want me to lean on them?”
I blinked again. “You'd do that for me?”
He smiled wryly. “Of course, little bro.”
I laughed. It'd been years since he'd called me that. “Nah, it's okay. I've gotten good at avoiding them, and I don't want you getting in trouble.”
He shook his head. “It's no trouble. Are you sure?”
“I'm sure.”
“Where you headed after this?”
“Eve will meet me at the side door, and then we'll head to the Island … I mean, the bleachers on the far side of the field.”
“Okay then,” he said, satisfied. “I'll get you as far as the door.”
We stood up together, and I noticed the bully squad had already left. Rick walked me to the side door, where outside, Eve greeted me with a smile. She said hi to Rick, and off we went to the Island.
We got about halfway there when we noticed someone was already sitting on the bleachers. I couldn't quite make out who it was. I caught sight of a shock of blonde hair and thought it might be Emily, but the clothes didn't match what I'd seen her wearing in English class.
We walked a few more paces, and then stopped dead when we saw who it was.
Rhonda.
And she'd seen us.
In one motion, she hopped down off the bleachers and stood, facing us, like we were opponents in an Old West gunfight. Even from this distance, I could tell she was pissed.
But something was wrong. She was alone. And she would never come out this far without the …
Oh, CRAP.
I frantically looked around for the bully squad, and then I saw them. They'd broken cover from their hiding place behind some cars in the nearby faculty parking lot. They were running right at us, all four of them.
“Run!” I shouted to Eve.
We ran as fast as we could, away from the parking lot and across the baseball diamond closest to the cafeteria. We cut to the right around the chain-link fence that ran along the foul line, doubled back, and headed south toward the buildings where the fifth- and sixth- graders were still enjoying the last few minutes of their own recess period.
I wanted to look back, but I didn't dare; my lungs were already heaving from the brief sprint. We took a sharp left, running down the narrow expanse of grass that ran between the underclassmen's building and the cafeteria. Haring past a few dozen curious faces, we headed for a huge oak tree that grew on the far side of the lawn.
Expecting at any moment to be grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground, I ran around the base of the tree and collapsed on the far side. Eve was right behind me. I simply couldn't run anymore.
I put my head down, gasping for breath, instinctively reaching for the inhaler in my pocket. After taking a few welcome puffs, I looked at Eve. She was grasping my hand, out of breath but relieved that we'd apparently shaken off our pursuers. I, on the other hand, was beside myself. “They got the Island,” I panted. “They got the Island!”
I wanted to scream. Our one place of safety, our one refuge, and it was gone. We could no longer go there. I pounded my fist into the dirt.
“What do we do now?” Eve asked.
I was at a loss. I was too out of breath to even cry. Eve and I clasped hands, and she rested her head on my shoulder. Our lucky streak was over.
A boy wearing blue jeans and a red hoodie poked his head around the trunk of the tree. More than a dozen other younger kids were watching us from a distance. “Um …” he uttered, seemingly unsure of what the protocol was for talking to intruding eighth-graders, “are you supposed to be here?”
It was true. There was a clear boundary between our half of the school and theirs, and Eve and I had crossed it, which was against the rules. It was a weird feeling; we felt like foreigners, in a place where we'd both attended class and played only a couple of years before. Eve looked at the boy. “No. We're not.”
“Do you see any other older boys behind us?” I asked.
He glanced down the length of the lawn. “No, they're gone.”
I rested my head on Eve's. “Give us a minute, and we'll be on our way,” I said.
“Eve! Joshua!” yelled a familiar voice.
Kelsey emerged from the breezeway that connected the main sidewalk to the underclassmen's playground. She ran up to us. “What are you doing here?”
I was so relieved to see her. “Rhonda was waiting for us … on the Island. With the bully squad. It was a trap. We barely got away.” I closed my eyes.
“We can't go back,” Eve said.
Kelsey knelt down, putting her hand on top of mine and Eve's. “I'm so sorry, you guys.”
A quartet of girls had edged closer to us. One of them, a slightly chubby girl with long brown hair, gestured at Eve and me. “Are these the two you were telling us about?” she asked.
Kelsey nodded. She motioned for the girls to come in closer. “Guys, this is Joshua and Eve.”
I gave them a tired, half-hearted wave and said, “Hi.” Eve did the same thing.
Kelsey turned to us. “Guys, these are some of my friends. This is April,” she said, pointing at the chubby girl. “This is Bryanna,” she said, indicating a girl with short blonde hair and an elfin face, “and these are the twins, Jessy and Riley.” The twins were taller than the others, brunettes, slightly gangly and both wearing braces similar to Kelsey's.
One by one, they all sat down, facing us. “Hi,” they all said.
Eve gave a grim smile. “Sorry we had to meet like this.”
I looked at Bryanna, then back at Kelsey. So that's how Charlie found out.
“Miss Callahan?” a mature voice said.
Mrs. Hoffmeyer walked toward us. She'd been teaching at our school for many years, and I was familiar with her even though I'd never had her as a teacher. She was in her sixties, with a kind, grandmotherly face, white hair and thick-rimmed glasses. She had a reputation for being firm but fair, and most of her students loved her.
Kelsey looked up and gave her a sad look. “Hi, Mrs. H.”
Mrs. Hoffmeyer took a long look at us. “I know your face,” she said to Eve. “Were you in my class a few years ago?”
&nb
sp; She nodded. “I was in your math class. Eve. Devereaux.”
“I remember you,” Mrs. Hoffmeyer replied, nodding her head. She turned to me. “You must be Joshua.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“I assume you're not here to pay us a visit.”
“They were chased here by four other boys, Mrs. H,” said Kelsey. “The same four who beat Joshua up last month.”
“Stand up,” Mrs. Hoffmeyer said to us. With Kelsey's help, we climbed to our feet. “I know what's been going on,” she said. “I sympathize. I've even spoken to Mr. Baird about it, but he's been … less than cooperative.”
“What a surprise,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Kelsey's been very active in raising awareness about bullying in her brief time at this school. She's already spread the word to many of her classmates, and I completely support her efforts. We're trying to come up with a solution that involves the teachers, the students and their parents.” Eve and I both looked at Kelsey, who gave a cheerful smile.
“That's great,” Eve said, “but how does that help Joshua now? Those guys aren't going to stop until someone makes them.”
“I know, Eve, but punishing students is the principal's job.”
“And he's not doing it.”
“I know that too, but getting him replaced isn't as easy as it sounds. I'm hoping in time, we can get enough faculty and parents involved that we can petition the school board to take action. Until then, you'll just have to be patient.”
Kelsey looked at her teacher. “There must be something we can do for them, Mrs. H,” she said. “Please.” Her friends all nodded in unison.
I flashed a quick smile at Eve. What an ally this girl had become.
Mrs. Hoffmeyer sighed. “You're welcome to come here during your recess, as long as you stay near the boundary. You and your friends may even keep them company, Kelsey, but only until it's time to get back to class.”
I looked at Eve. “Thank you, Mrs. Hoffmeyer,” I said. “If it's okay, we may even bring a couple of our friends with us.”
She gave us a half-hearted smile. “That's fine. And if those other boys follow you, I'll make sure they learn the … error of their ways.”
Overhead, a bell rang. Instantly, all of the students along the length of the lawn headed for the classroom doorways.
Mrs. Hoffmeyer turned to Kelsey and her friends. “Time to say your goodbyes, girls.” To us, she said, “I truly hope the next time we see each other, I'll have better news for you,” and then she walked away.
I looked at Kelsey in disbelief. “You're raising awareness about bullying?”
She nodded.
I shook my head and chuckled. “Is there anything you can't do?”
She tilted her head and gave us her now-famous smile. “Not yet,” she replied. We then said our goodbyes to her and her friends.
We still had thirty minutes to kill before Science class, so we waited it out on the staircase next to the main office. I still had to stop at my locker, so Eve escorted me there, even though girls weren't allowed in the small building that housed the boys' lockers – another archaic rule.
When I opened my locker, I saw that a piece of paper had been shoved in through the grating. So that's what Randy was doing.
I unfolded it, and a message appeared:
FEEL SAFE NOW?
I most definitely did not.
Chapter 42
DAY 52
EVE
On Wednesday, Joshua and I took Mrs. Hoffmeyer up on her offer. We met Kelsey and her friends at the boundary, spending about thirty minutes talking to all her friends, including a few others we hadn't met on Tuesday. Despite being new at the school, she seemed to be incredibly well-liked. I'm sure being friends with eighth-graders won't hurt her reputation either, I thought with a chuckle.
Emily and Susan came with us on Thursday, and they were as impressed with Kelsey as we were. It didn't take much, really.
We also spoke briefly with Mrs. Hoffmeyer, who had some good news. “I've been at this school for a long time, as you know, and I have a very good relationship with quite a few of the teachers. Most of them have the same opinion of Mr. Baird that I do.”
I grinned. “That's good to hear.”
“We've redoubled our efforts to get not only the students, but their parents, involved in this. I'm also compiling a list of potential guest speakers to come talk to the students about what a terrible thing bullying is, and why it needs to be stamped out. It's our goal to send a message not only to everyone in this school, but all the other schools in the district.”
Joshua smiled. “That's the best news I've heard in a long time.”
I ran forward and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, Mrs. H. You always were my favorite teacher.”
Mrs. Hoffmeyer laughed out loud and returned the hug. “Well, thank you, Eve. Always a pleasure to see you again.”
Joshua looked at Kelsey, who was grinning. “See what you started?” he said.
After the bell rang and we said our goodbyes to Kelsey and her friends, Joshua, Emily, Susan and I decided to try out other remote corners of the school that we could still safely go to, now that the Island was off limits. We eventually found ourselves on the bleachers by the basketball courts, watching Rick and his friends play their usual pickup game.
When Rick saw us, he came over to say hi. “Hey, little bro,” he said to Joshua. The rest of us giggled at Rick's nickname for him.
Rick grinned at us. “Nice to have cheerleaders at our game for once.”
Emily snorted. “You guys aren't that good.”
Rick laughed. “Guess we'll have to try harder, then,” he said. “Feel free to stay as long as you need to. You'll be okay here.” He looked at Emily, gave her a wink and a cheeky grin, and headed back onto the court.
I caught her smiling ever so slightly as he walked away. I saw that, I wanted to tell her, but I chose to keep it to myself instead.
Susan looked curiously at Joshua. “I didn't know you were friends with Rick.”
“We were friends back in fifth grade,” he said. “We didn't really talk much after he came back, but he's on my soccer team this year, so we started hanging out again.”
“'Little bro'?” Emily said, chuckling.
“Yeah … Not quite sure how that started.” Joshua looked at us, grinning. “I kinda like it, though.”
“Is he on our side?” I asked.
He nodded. “Definitely.”
It looked like we'd found a couple of new spots to spend our recess periods, at least for now. All we could do in the meantime was wait to see which piece on the chessboard would be the next to move.
Chapter 43
DAY 53
JOSHUA
First period hadn't even started when the bully squad made their latest attempt to get back inside my head. A torn piece of notebook paper had been jammed into the grating of my locker, and when I pulled it out, the first thing I saw were the words “DEAD MEAT” in big block letters. Further down the page was a crude drawing of some stick figures that showed one person being torn apart by four others. The message was clear: the time for fun and games was over.
My tormenters were now staring at me wherever I went: Randy during Phys Ed, Brent in the cafeteria and Rhonda pretty much everywhere else. But Eve, Emily, Susan and I stuck together like glue, and we kept to our new recess routine, spending time with Kelsey at one end of the school and Rick at the other.
I went to visit Eve's family again, and showed Liz the two notes that had been stuck in my locker that week. She was so alarmed she hurriedly ushered Kirsten and Sophie out of the room. “Have you shown these to the principal?” Liz asked.
“No,” I replied.
“May I have them?”
“Of course,” I said, handing them to her.
“I met with Mr. Baird today. The man's a real piece of work,” she said with barely-disguised contempt. “I went into his office and told him flat-out that I feared for my daugh
ter's safety, along with the safety of one of her male friends. I didn't mention your name.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“He tried to spoon-feed me the same empty promises that he no doubt made to you. When I told him I was less than satisfied with his job performance, he tried to bully me into leaving his office.” She smiled slightly. “And when that didn't work, he told me he was late for some appointment I'm convinced didn't exist. But before I left, I told him he hadn't seen the last of me. I told him who and what I was, and that whoever his superiors were, I was going to have a long chat with them.”
I brightened. I wanted to high-five her.
She shook her head. “How a man like that was put in charge of schoolchildren is beyond me. What I wouldn't give to get him on a witness stand.”
I laughed. “I think I'd pay money to see that.”
“So what now?” Eve asked.
“On Monday, I'm going to make some phone calls, starting with the District Superintendent of Schools. I'll make sure he knows how urgent the situation is. Hopefully I'll be able to get an appointment to speak with him sooner rather than later.”
I was amazed. I figured with Liz on one side and Kelsey on the other, I couldn't possibly lose.
Chapter 44
DAY 53
EVE
Dark clouds were gathering above our heads, but Joshua and I were in no hurry as I walked him home. We knew once we reached the halfway point between our houses, we'd have to say goodbye, and that was our least favorite part of the day.
“Your mom's amazing,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Your whole family is amazing.”
“Thanks,” I said.
He grinned evilly. “I'm thinking of kidnapping Sophie. She can live in my closet.”
I laughed. “You may not have to. I think she'd go willingly.”
We reached the halfway point. Neither one of us was ready to say goodbye, though, so we sat down on the curb.
Joshua's Island (James Madison Series Book 1) Page 15