by Rob Buyea
“You’re acting like the meanest girl I’ve ever seen,” he said.
I couldn’t help it. The tears came. I was really upset. I looked down at the floor.
“I’m not being unreasonable, Lexie.”
I was like, Yes, you are. But I didn’t say anything.
“I’m telling you the truth, and sometimes the truth can hurt.”
I kept my head down. I pulled a tissue from my purse and wiped my eyes. He was being a bully.
“I know you’re not mean deep down inside,” Teach went on. “So stop acting like you are. Miss Kelsey has told me some amazing things about you in her room.”
He didn’t get it. Nobody was gonna be my friend. I know, because that’s how it was before. Kids made fun of me, because of my clothes, because of how I talked. Leopard Lexie and Lexie Like, they called me. And then one day in third grade I attacked back. I yelled at some girl like Mom and Dad yelled at each other. And after that, no one wanted to be friends with her. It didn’t matter that what I said was a lie. They ditched her and became my friends instead. Just like that, I became the leader. All of a sudden I was getting all kinds of attention, unlike at home. Mom was around, but usually too upset over Dad (’cause he was never around) to worry about me. And then last year, she, like, hit her limit, and threw Dad out of the house. Mom told me then, “Alexia, don’t let people push you around like your father did to us. You take charge and fight back.” So there’s no way I’m going back to being nice. Nobody’s gonna make fun of me again.
I don’t remember anything else Mr. Terupt said. I was too mad to listen.
I hate you, Mr. Terupt.
Jeffrey
“Did it help?” I asked Jessica one day in our Ramadan group. We were just doing some research on the computer.
“What?” she asked.
“Did tellin’ help, like Ida B?”
“I think it helped a little,” she said.
I stared at the computer.
“I’m listening,” she said
“You won’t tell anyone?” I said.
“I won’t tell,” she said. “Promise.”
“ ’Cause nobody knows any of this. I just moved here last year, halfway through the school year, and nobody knows anything about me.”
“I won’t tell,” she said again.
I’m not sure why I believed her, but for the first time ever, I told someone my secret.
“My brother’s name was Michael. The football cards were his. He was older than me. He had Down syndrome and leukemia, and was real sick, so my parents had me in order to save him.”
I could feel Jessica looking at me after telling her that last part, but I kept starin’ at the computer.
“They gave Michael my stem cells—special cells that can turn into anything else in your body—hoping that they would become what Michael needed. It worked for a while, but then he got sick again. He was in and out of the hospital a lot, so that’s how I learned about kids with special needs.”
I stopped. The computer was quiet. Jessica hadn’t pushed anything on the keyboard. She was listenin’.
“Then the summer before fourth grade I gave my bone marrow to Michael. It was his last chance. Everything else had failed.”
I stopped again. My throat was tightening around the lump in it. It was gonna be hard to tell the rest.
“What happened?” Jessica said.
“It worked, but not fast enough. Michael got sick before his body could fight the cancer off.… I didn’t save him.”
The screen saver bounced around. I stared at it. Then Jessica said somethin’ no one had ever said to me before.
“It’s not your fault, Jeffrey.”
I got up and walked to the bathroom. I had to.
anna
I never had a teacher stick up for me before. I’d get picked on and made fun of, and my teachers never did anything. Maybe because I never did anything, either. I didn’t cry or get upset, I just stayed quiet. Maybe it seemed like it didn’t bother me, but nobody’s got skin that thick.
Mr. Terupt did something. I loved him for that. He wasn’t real happy about it, though. He wanted us to do the sticking up for each other. I didn’t know if I could do that. But with Jessica and Danielle by my side, I knew I’d try. Mr. Terupt was right about that.
Things were much easier in our group after the whole Alexia incident. She came back quiet and remained quiet for the rest of the day, and every day after that. I knew she was feeling bad. A lot of girls had felt the same way because of her, so I figured it was only fair. But it bothered me, too. Mom has always told me, “We don’t have enough days to waste being upset or sad. You’ve got to be happy and have fun, Anna.” I think Mom’s positive attitude is pretty amazing—especially after all she’s been through—and I think she’s right. We weren’t mean to Alexia, but we left her alone. I hoped she’d be different now that Mr. Terupt had held a conference with her.
During the time we worked on our center, I found the courage to do something I hadn’t ever done before. One day during recess—while doing some stick sketching in the dirt—I took a deep breath and plunged ahead.
“Would you guys like to come over to my house for a playdate?” I asked Jessica and Danielle.
Jessica looked up. “I’d love to,” she said. She glanced at Danielle, who kept her head down and continued sketching. Danielle’s really good at drawing, so I thought maybe she just wanted to finish her sketch. Snap! Her stick broke in half. “But I’ll need to check with my mom first,” Jessica added.
“Me too,” Danielle said, but she still didn’t look up. “Let me ask my mom.”
“You don’t have to come over if you don’t want to,” I said to Danielle.
“No! I want to,” she said, looking right at me this time. I believed her. Then she looked away. “But I need to get permission.”
The recess whistle blew. Danielle had drawn three girls holding hands in the dirt. I smiled. They both wanted to come over. I just hoped their mothers said yes.
Danielle
The holiday centers turned out great. It was a lot of hard work, especially with Alexia in our group, but Mr. Terupt took care of her. She wasn’t the same after that. She became real quiet—which helped us get our center put together smoothly.
Jessica and Jeffrey completed the trivia game. They came up with some really great questions. Luke loved playing it when he visited our holiday. He said he learned a lot from it, which Mr. Terupt was happy to hear.
Mr. Terupt hung around our center because of the cookies. I made them, even after what Alexia said about me. My mom and grandma helped me find a recipe that used cumin, which is a spice. The three of us spend a lot of time together in the kitchen. It was the perfect opportunity to ask about going to Anna’s. But … I just couldn’t get myself to do it.
The best part of our holiday centers day took place when our Collaborative friends visited. That was Peter’s great idea. Some of the games were hard for them, but we all helped. They were able to do the crafts and eat special foods, like my cookies. James liked our craft project where you had to cut thin strips of paper and staple rings together to make a long chain. The chain is a calendar to help you count down the days of Ramadan, which can be twenty-nine or thirty days long. Our chain included way more links than that because our guests kept adding them. “One hundred thirty-seven,” James said after eyeing the chain for just a few seconds. Then he started attaching more links.
James really liked the surprise I had for him. I put together a collection of photographs of Middle Eastern farms and farming. He sat down and started talking about them and studying them. Seeing James like this made me happy.
Jeffrey surprised us. Once Joey showed up, Jeffrey pulled out this little memory game that he had made, with pairs of matching cards with different Ramadan pictures on them. He and Joey played.
It was a super wonderful day. Mr. Terupt was smiling. So was I.
Jessica
Act 5, Scene 1
&n
bsp; “Hi, honey. How was school?” Mom asked as I climbed into the car. Mom was great about giving me rides home whenever she could. Some kids, like Jeffrey, had to ride the bus every day.
Mom’s trying to get serious about her writing. She’s already very skilled at it, having helped on some of Dad’s plays back in California, but now she’s writing for herself. That’s why she’s free in the afternoons to pick me up sometimes. We’re lucky to have enough money so that my mom doesn’t have to get a steady job right now—she can actually pursue her passion. I hope I can do that someday, too. Mom did get a part-time job at a local bookstore, so she can interact with people and keep her mind from wandering back to California. My mind still wanders back there, but not like it did a few months ago. My dad hasn’t called again.
“School was fine,” I said. I buckled my seat belt and away we drove. “Mom, you’ve heard me talk about Anna and Danielle, right?”
“Yes. Is something wrong?” Mom stepped on the brakes harder than usual and we jerked to a halt at the stop sign.
I shook my head. “Nothing’s wrong,” I said. I looked my way. “Coast is clear.” Mom eased off the brakes. “Anna asked Danielle and me over to her house.”
“That’s great, Jessica,” Mom said.
“Yes, but I know Danielle won’t be going.”
“How do you know that?”
I filled Mom in on what I knew about Anna’s mother. And I explained why Danielle’s mom wouldn’t allow Danielle to associate with the likes of Anna. Mom turned right onto our road.
“Well, I’m not going to say no just because Anna’s mother made a mistake once.” We pulled into our driveway and Mom put the car in park. “If Danielle is a nice girl, I bet her mother is, too,” Mom said. “But we’ll make up our own minds about what kind of person Anna’s mother really is.”
“Dad made a mistake. You didn’t want to give him another chance,” I said.
“Your father didn’t want another chance,” Mom said. “He made that clear before we left.” She paused. “The divorce papers came today.”
I sat all quiet. Mom’s bluntness really zapped me.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Mom said. “I’m sure your father will call soon.”
I shrugged. “You don’t need to lie to make me feel better.”
“Okay, you’re right.” She sighed. “I’ve always been honest and up-front with you.” Another sigh. “I don’t know if he’ll call.”
january
Jessica
Act 6, Scene 1
Anna’s house was small but cozy, just the right size for her and her mother. It was painted white with gray shutters, and there was a nice front porch. Anna met us there. We said our hellos and before I knew it, my mom was shaking hands with Terri (that’s Anna’s mom). Terri invited my mom in for a cup of coffee and they disappeared into the kitchen. Anna led me to her bedroom.
“I hope our moms become friends,” I said.
“Me too,” Anna said. “My mom doesn’t have any.”
Neither does mine, I thought. In California, my dad was always the one working and socializing, while my mom hung out with me. We didn’t see him much. Even back then, he was very busy. He called the other day and asked Mom if she’d received the divorce papers. That was it. He didn’t even ask to talk to me.
“You’re reading Belle Teal,” I said to Anna. I saw the book sitting on her nightstand. “Do you like it?”
“I do,” Anna said. “Mom brought it home for me from the library where she works.”
I didn’t know Terri worked in a library. How exciting. I wanted to talk to her about books. And then Anna told me that her mother was taking some art classes. She showed me some of her mom’s artwork. Amazing! I immediately thought of Danielle, and hoped she would get a chance to meet Terri and discover for herself the connection they shared. After that Anna showed me the rest of her books and her rock collection. Then I taught her how to make worry dolls, something I’d learned about from one of the characters in a book I read. I figured the dolls could worry about my dad, because I was done with that. Our playdate was perfect and it flew by like a day at the amusement park. We said our thank-yous and good-byes and agreed to do it again.
Driving home, Mom said, “What you heard about Terri was right. Poor girl.”
I stayed quiet. After seeing Terri myself, I knew the story was right. She looked very young.
“I told her about your father,” Mom said.
I remained quiet. I didn’t know how to feel. Surprised. Angry. Happy. I felt all of these at the same time. Mom was quiet now, too. I guess we were busy thinking to ourselves.
anna
Danielle wasn’t able to come to my first playdate because of bad timing, but Jessica made it. We had a blast! Jessica’s mom drove her over, but instead of dropping Jessica off and leaving, she came to our front door and accepted Mom’s invitation for a cup of coffee.
I was really glad. My mom never has anyone over, so it turned out to be her first playdate, too. Maybe she was done paying for her “mistake” now. I sure hoped so. And since I was the “mistake,” I felt like it was my fault. I wanted to help her find a friend, and a husband.
The afternoon flew by.
After Jessica and her mother left, Mom pulled me into a hug. “Those are genuine people, Anna,” she said. “You’ve found a good friend there. You can get as close to her as you want.”
Mom’s words made me smile. I hoped Danielle could come the next time. I was sure Mom would think the same of her.
Danielle
“Class meeting,” Mr. Terupt announced.
This was one of my favorite times in the classroom. We all moved our desks out of the way and made a circle with our chairs. Everybody sat in the circle, even Mr. Terupt. He held on to the microphone. It wasn’t a real microphone, but we used it as our talking object. You can only speak when you have the microphone. I waited for Mr. Terupt to get us started.
“It looks like our chain should touch the floor soon, as long as you guys can give me another great day or two,” Mr. Terupt said.
The chain was our class reward system. Mr. Terupt had hung a single link from the ceiling on the first day of school, and he attached a link each time we had an outstanding day as a class. Our goal was to get the chain to touch the floor, at which point we’d earn a free day.
“You’ve done super so far,” Mr. Terupt said. “So I’m wondering what you’d like to do for your free day.”
Mr. Terupt passed the mike to his left. You didn’t have to say anything if you didn’t want to. Alexia passed it along to the next person. Ever since Mr. Terupt had taken her out into the hall, she hadn’t said anything.
Luke was the first one to make a great suggestion. “Why can’t we just have time to do whatever we want? It’d be like indoor recess, but we could plan it better, and just have free time.”
“I like Luke’s idea,” Jeffrey piped up when he got the mike. “If it’s free time, maybe James and Joey and Emily, or any of the Collaborative kids, could come up for a little bit—or, if we wanted, some of us could go down there.”
“We could bring in games,” Anna added, taking the mike.
Then it was my turn. “I think we should do what everyone’s suggested for part of the day,” I said, “but maybe we could go outside, too.” Everyone cheered. It was weird, having the other girls agree with me. If Alexia had been her old self, she would have controlled them, but now that Alexia was sidelined, all the girls got along better.
Not having girl wars didn’t mean everything was perfect. I still had a problem—Anna. I hadn’t gone to her playdate because I’d been too chicken to ask my mom. I made up some excuse about it being a bad weekend for my family. Jessica told me she had a great time and that Anna’s mom was friendly. Now Anna asked us about coming over again.
“Find out when it’ll be a good weekend for your family, and we’ll plan the playdate for then,” Anna told me.
I’ve got to mention it to my mom this time. I
just have to.
Mr. Terupt was last to speak at the meeting. “I like what I’ve heard,” he said. “We could plan for part of the day to be spent inside, playing games, then we’d get some fresh air. I’ll think about it some more and let you know. But first you need to earn the last link. Meeting adjourned,” he said. He always ends by saying that.
I really like these meetings. The first time we had one, Mr. Terupt told us that it was a way for everyone to have a voice. I didn’t get it at first, but now I do.
Peter
We finally earned a class reward. Or almost. I really hoped Mr. T would come through for us about going outside. So I shot my hand up as soon as class started the next day.
“What is it now, Peter?” Mr. T said.
“Have you thought about us going outside? The school rule says we can’t go out in the snow. We can go out on the blacktop, but it’s too crowded and there’s nothing to do.” Everyone was quiet. They listened because they knew I was right.
“Well, Peter, I like how you’re thinking ahead. I did talk to Mrs. Williams, and she gave us special permission to go out in the snow as long as everyone has snow pants and hats and gloves and boots.”
“She gave us special permission even after we all saw her underwear?” I said.
“Yes,” Mr. T said, trying to move us past the giggles that started.
“Permission for the snow?” I asked again, just to make sure I had it right.
“In the snow,” Mr. T said. “The key being everyone needs to bring their stuff, or else we can’t go out.”
I couldn’t believe it. When I went to bed that night, I had visions of snowballs dancing in my head.
It was going to be the best class party day ever.