play with the kids at your table. You will never speak to her again, understand?”
He started to fight back but Mike and Tom were pretty big guys. He probably figured Tate and Eli would join in the fray too so he pulled briskly from their grasps.
“Whatever,” he grumbled and walked away, leaving chili marks on the floor and wiping his eyes and face with it as the heckles ensued around him.
I covered my mouth to stifle my cry. I wanted to burst into tears for him. No one deserved that, especially not Patrick, and I was the cause. I felt sick.
Then my eyes drifted to Eli and I felt even sicker. He was looking at me with doubt and unbelief. He raised his chin and flicked his eyes towards where Patrick had slinked off to. He was challenging me again. Wanting me to stand up to my friends who were still laughing about ‘chili boy’. But I wasn’t the one who poured chili on his head was I?
I stood, though I had no intention of intervening. I just stood.
Dee sat back down and when she did, Eli got up. She tried to stop him with a surprised smile, she tried to coax him to sit, having no idea what he was doing.
“Come on, baby. It’s not time for bell yet.”
He gave her a look that said he knew exactly what time it was.
“I’m not into spoiled princesses who have to stomp on people to feel good about themselves. But thanks anyway,” he said smoothly, jerked her arm off of his then walked away. Just like that.
I was as stunned as everyone else as they silently watched him go. The countless times - daily events really - that I’d witnessed of my so called friends torturing other kids could fill a novella. I’d always watched, never stood up to them and never participated but now, as I watched Eli walk away, I realized I may as well have been the one doing it myself; tripping kids, making fun, laughing at, humiliating, pouring chili on their heads, because it was practically the same thing. I stood by and accepted it, was complacent and that may have even been worse.
But Eli was someone to respect and be proud of...unlike me.
I grabbed my bag and went to go too, but Sarah grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m done,” I said.
“Where are you going, Clara?” Dee asked even though Sarah just had.
“I’m done,” I said harder. Her face froze in a mask of hatefulness.
“Oh,” Mike chanted moving behind me and slapped my ponytail to mock me. “Look who’s all high and mighty now.”
Without another word, I turned and left. I heard Tate telling Mike to not touch me but I kept going. When I reached the hall, I saw Eli heading into our class. He looked back at me and watched me for a second before going in.
The bell rang and I looked for Patrick to apologize but didn’t find him. I felt wretched. I heard my name behind me. Tate. I bolted the other way. Math class was fast paced as she did lots of board work for us and since I didn’t sit next to Eli, I didn’t get to talk to him. When I got to Art, Eli was there already and he didn’t say a word as I sat down.
“Hey, you ok?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” he said softly and looked at me. “My conscience is clean. How’s yours?”
I felt all my breath leave me. He turned to face the class and didn’t look back at me again. I felt horrible. Not only was I guilty over Patrick but now Eli thought I was a bad person. He knew I was just as guilty as the rest of them but called me on it. That stung worse than the guilt.
When the bell rang he shot out of his seat and hurried out the door. I wanted to go to the bathroom and cry but didn’t. Somehow I trudged my way to the hall and out the school doors.
Four
T here was a pep rally and bonfire that night so I had to be at the school even though I so did not want to be. I met Sarah at the table but she was too hyped and I wasn’t in the
He started to fight back but Mike and Tom were pretty big guys. He probably figured Tate and Eli would join in the fray too so he pulled briskly from their grasps.
“Whatever,” he grumbled and walked away, leaving chili marks on the floor and wiping his eyes and face with it as the heckles ensued around him.
I covered my mouth to stifle my cry. I wanted to burst into tears for him. No one deserved that, especially not Patrick, and I was the cause. I felt sick.
Then my eyes drifted to Eli and I felt even sicker. He was looking at me with doubt and unbelief. He raised his chin and flicked his eyes towards where Patrick had slinked off to. He was challenging me again. Wanting me to stand up to my friends who were still laughing about ‘chili boy’. But I wasn’t the one who poured chili on his head was I?
I stood, though I had no intention of intervening. I just stood.
Dee sat back down and when she did, Eli got up. She tried to stop him with a surprised smile, she tried to coax him to sit, having no idea what he was doing.
“Come on, baby. It’s not time for bell yet.”
He gave her a look that said he knew exactly what time it was.
“I’m not into spoiled princesses who have to stomp on people to feel good about themselves. But thanks anyway,” he said smoothly, jerked her arm off of his then walked away. Just like that.
I was as stunned as everyone else as they silently watched him go. The countless times - daily events really - that I’d witnessed of my so called friends torturing other kids could fill a novella. I’d always watched, never stood up to them and never participated but now, as I watched Eli walk away, I realized I may as well have been the one doing it myself; tripping kids, making fun, laughing at, humiliating, pouring chili on their heads, because it was practically the same thing. I stood by and accepted it, was complacent and that may have even been worse.
But Eli was someone to respect and be proud of...unlike me.
I grabbed my bag and went to go too, but Sarah grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m done,” I said.
“Where are you going, Clara?” Dee asked even though Sarah just had.
“I’m done,” I said harder. Her face froze in a mask of hatefulness.
“Oh,” Mike chanted moving behind me and slapped my ponytail to mock me. “Look who’s all high and mighty now.”
Without another word, I turned and left. I heard Tate telling Mike to not touch me but I kept going. When I reached the hall, I saw Eli heading into our class. He looked back at me and watched me for a second before going in.
The bell rang and I looked for Patrick to apologize but didn’t find him. I felt wretched. I heard my name behind me. Tate. I bolted the other way. Math class was fast paced as she did lots of board work for us and since I didn’t sit next to Eli, I didn’t get to talk to him. When I got to Art, Eli was there already and he didn’t say a word as I sat down.
“Hey, you ok?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” he said softly and looked at me. “My conscience is clean. How’s yours?”
I felt all my breath leave me. He turned to face the class and didn’t look back at me again. I felt horrible. Not only was I guilty over Patrick but now Eli thought I was a bad person. He knew I was just as guilty as the rest of them but called me on it. That stung worse than the guilt.
When the bell rang he shot out of his seat and hurried out the door. I wanted to go to the bathroom and cry but didn’t. Somehow I trudged my way to the hall and out the school doors.
Four
T here was a pep rally and bonfire that night so I had to be at the school even though I so did not want to be. I met Sarah at the table but she was too hyped and I wasn’t in the
Similar Books
