by Nancy N. Rue
There was silence. Sophie’s heart sagged.
Finally, Fiona said, “I’ll send you an email.”
“I can’t—” Sophie started to say.
But the phone clicked in her ear. After that, she didn’t even try to call the other girls. She just sat on her bed with the phone in her lap and closed her eyes.
I tried, Jesus, I really tried, she prayed. It didn’t work out the way it was supposed to.
From the look in his kind eyes, she was pretty sure he knew exactly how she felt. He’d probably been there himself.
Sophie and Daddy got to GMMS early the next morning so Daddy could talk to Mr. Bentley. He had the emails in his briefcase.
“I can’t make any promises, Soph,” he said before they got out of the truck. “But I’ll sure go to bat for you.”
I don’t think it’s gonna do any good, Sophie thought. It’s probably going to make things worse.
Daddy put his hand on her shoulder for about the fiftieth time since the night before. “I want you to be able to enjoy your computer the way it’s meant to be used,” he said. “I’m going to install some editing software on there so you and your team can do some killer stuff with your movies.”
What team? Sophie thought.
“And I’m setting up a new email account for you.”
“I don’t think I’m ever going online again.”
“You have the right to check your email without being afraid of what you’re going to read. That’s why I’m here.”
Sophie swallowed a throat full of tears. “Thanks for trying, Daddy.”
She went to her locker and was staring at her stack of books when somebody tall came up beside her. It was Eddie Wornom.
“Hey,” he said.
It wasn’t an I’m-about-to-make-your-life-a-waking-nightmare ‘hey,’ so she said “Hey” back. Besides, Coach Virile had told her to give it a chance.
“Coach Nanini says we have a lot in common,” he said.
“Coach Nanini says we have something in common?” She didn’t add, Is he mental?
“He said I should keep trying to talk to you, ’cause I’ve been getting cyber-bullied too.”
Sophie let her locker slam shut and stared at him.
“I know,” Eddie said. “It used to be, I woulda been the one doing it. That’s probably why they’re doing it to me now, because like I told you, I won’t do that stuff anymore.”
Half of Sophie wanted to say, Do you think I’m a TOTAL
moron?
But the other half saw his eyes drooping again.
“Okay,” she said with a heavy sigh. “We can talk—only not here.”
“Coach Nanini said we could talk in the gym.”
Why am I doing this? Sophie asked herself as they walked in silence to the gymnasium. Don’t I have enough problems?
She was about to change her mind and bolt when Eddie held the gym door open for her. Since he didn’t trip her on the way in, she sighed and sat down with him on the lowest row of bleachers.
“I didn’t go to military school,” he said. “My mom sent me to this boot camp run by a bunch of Christians. Nobody believes it, but it totally changed me.”
Sophie squinted at him. “You do look different.”
“I am different. I’m not a bully anymore, only the people I thought were my friends say I’m a loser now, and the people that always hated me look at me like, ‘He’s fakin’ it. He’s gonna do somethin’ any minute.’”
“Yeah,” Sophie said, “that’s what we were thinking.”
As soon as she said it, she was sorry. But Eddie just nodded.
“Coach said it was gonna take people a while to trust me. What am I supposed to do ’til then, though?” Eddie cracked a knuckle. “I almost helped Tod and them with some stuff, just so they wouldn’t ditch me. I didn’t, but it stinks being by yourself all the time.”
“Tell me about it,” Sophie said.
“It wouldn’t be that bad if they would just leave me alone, but no—they gotta attack me on websites.” His fists doubled in his lap. “It makes me wanna punch somebody—and I can’t go there. I’m outta chances.”
“They have a website about you?” Sophie said.
Eddie uncurled his hands and picked at a cuticle. “It’s not just about me—it’s about everybody they hate at GMMS.” He looked at her sideways. “You’re on there too.”
Sophie covered her mouth with both hands. She was that sure she was going to throw up.
“Don’t go to it,” Eddie said. “I’m not even gonna tell you what it says. I just thought—maybe—” He sprawled back against the bleachers. “Coach says we could probably help each other get through this. I don’t know. If I bust those guys, I might as well just change schools.”
The bell rang, and Coach Nanini appeared in the doorway. “You two need a couple of passes to class?”
Eddie didn’t say anything else until Coach handed him a pass. Then he said to Sophie, “You probably have more guts than I do. I could maybe help—as long as you don’t use my name.”
Sophie squinted through her glasses as she watched him lope across the gym. He’s kind of being a coward, she thought. But, then, who could blame him?
“You know,” Coach Virile said as he scratched his signature on her pass, “the people who get forgiven for the most stuff usually change the most, Little Bit.” Then he shook his head. “You might be just a smidgeon of a person on the outside, but you have a mighty spirit.”
Feeling less than mighty, Sophie left the gym.
Twelve
Halfway through first period, Mrs. Clayton came to her desk and whispered, “You’re wanted in Mr. Bentley’s office, Sophie.”
“Busted,” Colton said.
Before Sophie even got to the door, she saw Julia pass her phone to Colton.
I’m about to be a text message, she thought. She didn’t see why Lacie even wanted a cell phone. Sophie didn’t want any of it—ever.
Daddy was still there when she reached Mr. Bentley’s office. They were sitting in chairs in front of the principal’s desk, looking like old buddies.
“I’m impressed with your father, Sophie,” Mr. Bentley said as Sophie sat down facing them. He rubbed his salt-and-pepper beard. “Most parents aren’t paying attention to what’s going on on the Internet.”
Daddy smiled at her. “Sophie’s taught me a lot about standing up for what’s right.”
Sophie stopped clutching the arms of her chair. Mr. Bentley shifted in his.
“I’ve told your dad,” he said, “that I’ll try to help, but unfortunately if nothing that’s happened outside the school can be linked to anything here, my hands are tied. However, I am going to contact some parents, particularly Anne-Stuart Riggins’ mother and B.J. Schneider’s.” Mr. Bentley held up two computer printouts. “They both sent you emails from their moms’ work email accounts. That’s why you didn’t recognize them.” He rubbed his beard again. “We have all the parents’ email addresses in case of emergency.”
“It’s a start,” Daddy said.
Sophie tried not to picture Anne-Stuart coming after her, sniffing and snorting like a bull, with B.J. and the rest of her mob behind her.
“Now,” Mr. Bentley went on, “as for Anne-Stuart copying your screen name from an instant message, that’s very likely. However, we can’t prove it.”
Sophie nodded. She pretty much already knew that.
Daddy leaned forward in his chair, toward Sophie. “But,” he said, “there are some things we can prove.”
“You can?” Sophie said. “What?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Daddy looked at Mr. Bentley. “I will get that website taken down. I’m willing to take legal action, although I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Legal action? Sophie thought. She squirmed in the seat—until Daddy looked at her in a way he never had before. Almost like she was another grown-up.
“She’s mature for her age,” he said, “but I still have to do wh
at I can to protect her.”
Sophie heard a ping in her head. It seemed to say, right out loud, Aren’t you glad he’s in your loop?
“I admire that.” Mr. Bentley leaned toward Sophie too. “But I do want to remind you that none of what’s been said about you is true. Try not to let it get to you.”
Daddy tilted his head. “Don’t you remember being twelve years old, Mr. Bentley?” He looked at Sophie. “It’s the most vulnerable time in your life. Words stab you, whether they’re true or not.”
Sophie smiled at him. It was her turn to be impressed with her father.
Daddy gave her a hug before she left Mrs. Bentley’s office, and that made her feel safer than she had in days—until she reached the waiting area. They were all there—Julia, Anne-Stuart, Cassie, B.J., Tod, and Colton. Several other kids leaned against the wall, looking terrified. The faces of the Corn Pops and Fruit Loops had nothing to do with fear.
They were tight with pure hate.
Sophie tried to erase those looks from her mind as she somehow got through the rest of first-second block. Replacing them with Jesus’ kind eyes helped, but she wished she had her Corn Flakes’ faces sending her courage from across the room. She couldn’t even glance their way.
But when the bell rang and she hurried down the hall, they were suddenly on her—Fiona, Maggie, and Darbie. Maggie gave Fiona a shove toward Sophie.
“Fiona has something to say to you,” Maggie said.
Fiona looked like she would rather throw herself down the stairs than say a word. Her magic-gray eyes were actually frightened.
“Do it,” Darbie said.
“I want to,” Fiona said. “But it’s hard! I said it perfect in the email.”
“What email?” Sophie said.
“The one I sent you—saying I’m sorry and I’m a horrible friend and I should have believed you, only I was being possessive again and I hate it when I do that—but I could hardly help it this time because it was about a boy and I don’t get that yet—” Fiona took a ragged breath. “I wish you would just read the email.”
“I can’t,” Sophie said, tears welling up. “My dad took me off the Internet because people wrote me horrible things.”
“I’m glad your dad did that,” Darbie said. She jammed her hair behind her ears. “Talking on the Internet is what made a bags of everything to begin with.”
“I’m sorry too, Sophie,” Maggie said.
“You were hardly even part of it, Mags.” Fiona looked at Sophie, eyes brimming. “Mags is the one who made me be halfway brave and come to you.”
“I was part of it, though,” Darbie said. “I’m so, so sorry, Sophie.”
Sophie could see Fiona swallowing hard. “So, do you really forgive us?” Fiona said.
Sophie watched the tears trail down Fiona’s cheeks. You never, ever cry, Sophie thought. That was what pinged in her mind. It wasn’t the words Fiona said that convinced her. It was the look in her eyes, saying, Please, Sophie.
You couldn’t see that on a computer.
“I already told you that I forgive you,” Sophie said. “All of you.”
Fiona just stood there until Sophie put her arms around her and squeezed.
“We should have done this in the first place,” Maggie said.
“Soph, I didn’t even know I was sorry,” Fiona said into Sophie’s hair, “until yesterday on the phone when you told me you forgave me.”
Maggie gave them both a little push. “We gotta get to PE.”
“Uh-oh.” Darbie nodded toward the end of the hall. Julia and Colton were heading toward them.
“They’re livid,” Fiona said.
The Flakes tried to hurry past them, but Colton and Julia turned and walked right along with them, one on each side, eyes blazing.
You can’t see THAT on the Internet, either, Sophie thought. But she felt some of the old Sophie-courage seeping back in. They couldn’t hide behind their computers this time.
“Your father and his stupid program,” Julia said, pointing at Sophie.
“What program?” Sophie said.
“The one that can track emails to the senders.” Colton all but spit on the floor. “What is he, the Internet police?”
Sophie lifted her chin. “Somebody has to be.”
“Huh.” Julia tossed her hair, catching Sophie’s cheek with it. “His little program can’t prove that somebody didn’t hack into our email accounts—”
“And steal our screen names,” Colton put in.
“Here come the rest of them,” Maggie muttered.
Sophie glanced back to see B.J., Cassie, and Tod charging their way.
“Let me get this straight.” Fiona stopped in front of the locker-room door. “All of you told Mr. Bentley somebody got into all your accounts and ripped off everybody’s screen names?”
Julia looked at the group now joining them. They all nodded.
“It looks that way,” Julia said.
“And not even your daddy can prove it didn’t happen,” Colton said.
“Besides.” Tod pointed his whole face at Sophie. “We told them we were just messing around.”
B.J. rolled her eyes. “It was just a big joke.”
Darbie put her arm around Sophie. “Does it look like she’s laughing?”
“It doesn’t matter whether you go down for this or not,” Fiona said. “We can email people and tell them it was all lies.” She looked at Sophie. “Because it was.”
“Whatever,” Julia said.
When the Corn Pops were gone, Maggie frowned at Fiona. “I don’t think we should do that email thing,” she said.
“We’re not,” Sophie said. But she smiled at Fiona. She’d heard what she needed to hear.
Willoughby was already at the lockers when the girls got there.
“Where were you?” Sophie said.
Willoughby pulled her shirt over her head. “I’m sorry about what we said in the chat room,” she said from inside it.
“I forgive everybody,” Sophie said.
“Thanks.” Willoughby picked up her tennis shoes and hurried out in her socks.
“What’s up with her?” Fiona said.
“I know one thing,” Sophie said. “I’m gonna find out. Faceto-face.”
But when the Flakes got to the gym, Vincent, Nathan, and Jimmy practically knocked them down getting to them. Willoughby was with them. So was Eddie Wornom.
“What are the Fruit Loops doing with him?” Fiona muttered to Sophie.
Coach Yates blew her whistle. “LaCroix?” she yelled. “You kids go up in the bleachers. You have ten minutes.” She glanced at Coach Virile, who was standing beside her. “Make that fifteen.”
As she turned away, Coach Virile flashed ten fingers twice and grinned at Sophie.
When they were gathered on the top two rows in the corner, Jimmy nodded at Eddie. “He’s got something to tell us,” he said. “Coach Nanini says we can trust him.”
Nobody said anything. Finally, Sophie said, “Okay, so what is it?”
Eddie blew air out of his cheeks. “I was with Tod when he stole the school email list for the whole seventh grade. He used it to tell everybody about the Getting Together website and the hate one.”
“And you helped him,” Fiona said. “Which is why you haven’t told on him.”
Eddie’s forehead folded into rows as he shook his head. “I didn’t help him. I just didn’t tell because all of them hate me enough as it is.” He blinked his eyes as if they were full of sand. “I knew if I told and they found out, Tod and Colton would wanna fight me—and it would be too hard to say no. I had to stay away from them so I wouldn’t blow my last chance.”
“So why tell us?” Vincent said. “You’re the one who has to turn him in.” His voice cracked like an earthquake fault.
Eddie looked at Sophie. “I want to now. But it’s like, man, who’s gonna back me up when they come after me?”
“I will,” Sophie heard herself say.
Corn Flakes po
ked her from every direction. She even heard Willoughby gasp. Vincent and Nathan gave Jimmy canyou-believe-this-chick? looks.
But Jimmy was watching Sophie. She could almost hear the ping going off in his head.
“I’m in,” he said.
Fiona sighed loudly. “Like I’m gonna let you two do it alone and get massacred. I’m in too.”
Slowly the rest of the group nodded. Sophie thought Eddie might actually cry.
“Will you back me up too?” said a tiny voice.
They all looked at Willoughby, who seemed to be trying to get as small as her voice.
“Okay, what is going on with you?” Fiona said. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”
Willoughby just looked at Vincent, who pulled Willoughby’s cell phone out of his pocket. “I figured out how to pull up that picture of Sophie putting her pants on. Willoughby only thought she’d erased it.”
Sophie had to let that sink in.
“Hello!” Vincent said. “It was taken in the locker room. This is how we link all the outside stuff to school.”
Eddie gave his knuckles a crack. “That picture was on the hate website,” he said.
“What hate website?” Fiona said.
Cynthia Cyber leaped from her chair at the computer desk and made a victory lap around her office. “Yes!” she shouted to Dot Com and Maga Byte and anyone else who would listen. “I’ve got those cyber bullies now! Their Internet harassment days are over!” She stopped and smiled broadly. “In fact, their LIVES are as much as over!”
But Louisa Linkhart smoothed the skirt of her gown and looked at her dear friends. “That is not the proper attitude,” she told them. “They must be punished, yes, but their only chance for change is if we forgive them.” She looked lovingly at her husband and added, “Just as we have been forgiven.”
“Okay,” Eddie said, “you’re still the weirdest person I know.” And then he shrugged and added, “But who cares?”
Coach Nanini whistled through his teeth and waved his arm.
“You ready?” Eddie said to Willoughby.
Willoughby looked at Sophie as if she were about to be dragged by the hair.
“It’s okay,” Sophie told her.
She was glad that Coach Nanini escorted Willoughby and Eddie, though. It was still a little hard to get used to trusting Eddie Wornom.