Read Online Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen - Free Book Online
Authors: Ben Mikaelsen
Ads: Link
joke, I’m not laughing. Unless you plan to kill me, I’m headed to the police station.” Cole turned and started walking.
“You squealer! You rat!” Keith shouted after him. “I’ll tell everyone at school you ratted on me!”
Cole kept walking.
Cole’s mother gasped, holding her hand over her mouth when he entered the house with a bloody face and torn clothes. “What happened?” she cried.
Cole told how he’d been beaten up by Keith. “I’m filing charges,” he announced. “Will you go with me?”
“Okay,” she said, grabbing a wet washcloth. “But let’s wipe that blood off your face first.”
Cole pushed her hand away. “I want the police to see what Keith did.”
When they arrived at the police station, Cole’s mother helped to file the report and press charges. The officer on duty took pictures of Cole’s face and chest.
Afterward, Cole wanted to stop by Garvey’s.
“Can’t that wait?” his mother asked.
“No, I want him to see what happened, too. He’ll be proud I didn’t fight back with my fists.”
Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the drive of Garvey’s small home near the Interstate. Garvey was working in the yard but threw down his rake when Cole climbed from the car holding his ribs, blood still smeared on his cheeks. “What the devil happened to you?” Garvey exclaimed, running over.
As Cole explained, Garvey examined his face and bruised ribs. “Did Keith do all this to you?”
Cole nodded. “I told him he’d better kill me ’cause I was pressing charges. And I did. We just came from the police station—that’ll teach him to mess with me.”
Garvey let out a slow breath. “He’ll leave you alone now only because he’s afraid of you.”
“Good,” Cole said, “’cause I had no other choice.”
“You always have other choices,” Garvey said.
“How would you have kept from getting beat up?” Cole shot back, frustrated. “And don’t say, ‘I’ll figure it out.’”
Garvey shrugged. “Some days are just bad days. When bullies corner you, you’re having a bad day—not much you can do about changing that.” He shook his head slowly. “What’s important is if you behave in a way that preserves your dignity and helps make tomorrow better.”
“I did that!” Cole snapped, feeling his smoldering anger grow.
Garvey closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. “Filing charges used the same tool the bullies used—fear.”
Cole threw his hands in the air. “Nothing I do will ever satisfy you! I’m not supposed to fight with my fists. Ms. Kennedy didn’t like us using the cell phone. Sitting down didn’t help. Now I’m not supposed to use my head.”
“Nobody has the right to do this to you. Nobody! Cole, it’s okay that you filed charges. All I’m saying is that you have other choices. There are times you fight with your fists—that’s called violence. There are times when you lie down—that’s called pacifism. What you guys did with the cell phone worked, but that was trickery. And sometimes, like today, you fought with a threat—that’s fear. But there are other choices.”
“Like what?” Cole could feel his anger taking over. “You’re just messing with my head.”
Garvey reached out and tapped Cole’s chest. “Try fighting with your heart sometime.”
Cole pushed Garvey’s hand away. “What? Send Keith flowers? Give him a kiss?”
Garvey winked. “You’ll figure it out,” he said.
“You talk big!” Cole shouted. He clenched his fists, wishing he could knock the smug look off Garvey’s face. “You don’t have any more answers than me! Why don’t
you
try and—”
Cole’s mother grabbed his arm. “It’s time for us to leave now,” she said, tugging him forcefully toward the car.
Cole pulled away. “I’m okay,” he said, trying to shake off his anger. Glancing back, he saw disappointment in Garvey’s eyes.
Chapter 7
T HE FOLLOWING DAY , Sunday, Peter convinced his
“You squealer! You rat!” Keith shouted after him. “I’ll tell everyone at school you ratted on me!”
Cole kept walking.
Cole’s mother gasped, holding her hand over her mouth when he entered the house with a bloody face and torn clothes. “What happened?” she cried.
Cole told how he’d been beaten up by Keith. “I’m filing charges,” he announced. “Will you go with me?”
“Okay,” she said, grabbing a wet washcloth. “But let’s wipe that blood off your face first.”
Cole pushed her hand away. “I want the police to see what Keith did.”
When they arrived at the police station, Cole’s mother helped to file the report and press charges. The officer on duty took pictures of Cole’s face and chest.
Afterward, Cole wanted to stop by Garvey’s.
“Can’t that wait?” his mother asked.
“No, I want him to see what happened, too. He’ll be proud I didn’t fight back with my fists.”
Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the drive of Garvey’s small home near the Interstate. Garvey was working in the yard but threw down his rake when Cole climbed from the car holding his ribs, blood still smeared on his cheeks. “What the devil happened to you?” Garvey exclaimed, running over.
As Cole explained, Garvey examined his face and bruised ribs. “Did Keith do all this to you?”
Cole nodded. “I told him he’d better kill me ’cause I was pressing charges. And I did. We just came from the police station—that’ll teach him to mess with me.”
Garvey let out a slow breath. “He’ll leave you alone now only because he’s afraid of you.”
“Good,” Cole said, “’cause I had no other choice.”
“You always have other choices,” Garvey said.
“How would you have kept from getting beat up?” Cole shot back, frustrated. “And don’t say, ‘I’ll figure it out.’”
Garvey shrugged. “Some days are just bad days. When bullies corner you, you’re having a bad day—not much you can do about changing that.” He shook his head slowly. “What’s important is if you behave in a way that preserves your dignity and helps make tomorrow better.”
“I did that!” Cole snapped, feeling his smoldering anger grow.
Garvey closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. “Filing charges used the same tool the bullies used—fear.”
Cole threw his hands in the air. “Nothing I do will ever satisfy you! I’m not supposed to fight with my fists. Ms. Kennedy didn’t like us using the cell phone. Sitting down didn’t help. Now I’m not supposed to use my head.”
“Nobody has the right to do this to you. Nobody! Cole, it’s okay that you filed charges. All I’m saying is that you have other choices. There are times you fight with your fists—that’s called violence. There are times when you lie down—that’s called pacifism. What you guys did with the cell phone worked, but that was trickery. And sometimes, like today, you fought with a threat—that’s fear. But there are other choices.”
“Like what?” Cole could feel his anger taking over. “You’re just messing with my head.”
Garvey reached out and tapped Cole’s chest. “Try fighting with your heart sometime.”
Cole pushed Garvey’s hand away. “What? Send Keith flowers? Give him a kiss?”
Garvey winked. “You’ll figure it out,” he said.
“You talk big!” Cole shouted. He clenched his fists, wishing he could knock the smug look off Garvey’s face. “You don’t have any more answers than me! Why don’t
you
try and—”
Cole’s mother grabbed his arm. “It’s time for us to leave now,” she said, tugging him forcefully toward the car.
Cole pulled away. “I’m okay,” he said, trying to shake off his anger. Glancing back, he saw disappointment in Garvey’s eyes.
Chapter 7
T HE FOLLOWING DAY , Sunday, Peter convinced his
Similar Books
