back at Jay, who was now standing frozen in time near the entrance. All eyes were on him as Berkley screamed.
“ Then come on, New Guy, and ask her. You heard me, ask her—and I'll break your face!”
Jay felt his stomach melting again. All eyes were on him. Berkley was watching. Leaf was waiting.
Like the monster it was, anxiety gripped him, suffocating him. Fear fell into his stomach like shattered glass. He was frozen, because his heart couldn't understand why Leaf had just done that to him. Of all the people who would humiliate him, he never thought it would be her. She knew he was scared of Berkley. She knew he didn't have the courage to take her to the Ball. He had already told her. She knew exactly how he felt, and now in front of everyone she had exposed his weakness, and everyone would now watch him run again, like the coward that he was. His whole body started to go weak, his eyes unlocked from Leaf's gaze. He turned and ran.
And, just like that, he was gone.
Berkley began to laugh.
“ A better man?” He turned back to Leaf, “He's a coward! Nothing more, nothing less.”
He expected that to shut the mouth of Leaf once and for all, but he was mistaken. Instead she lunged at him and threw her finger in his face.
“ He's no coward. You're the coward! Do you hear me, you're the one who doesn't even know what it means to be human!” She turned and grabbed her things before pointing to Berkley once more, “And he'll take me to the Ball tonight, you'll see.”
“ Well, then, let's see!” he replied, ready to take up her challenge. He stood up on the chair and called out to everyone. “Let's see if New Guy asks this loser to the Ball,” he was now the one pointing at Leaf. “You're all witnesses. We'll see who's the Man and who's the little boy tonight.”
He looked down and grinned at Leaf. His stupid looking face made her feel sick in her stomach.
She turned and raced out of the cafeteria.
After a few minutes, she caught up to Jay, who was already off the school property and walking away as fast as he could.
“ Wait,” she called out from behind him, but he kept walking.
She sped up, quickly overtaking him and then swinging around and forcing him to stop.
“ Why did you do that to me? Why did you humiliate me like that?” he asked, his eyes mixed with a red anger and a wet sadness.
“ I only did what you're doing to me,” she replied.
“ What am I doing to you? Humiliating you?”
“ No, you're making me believe!”
“ In what?”
“ In who I truly am, not what others tell me. Not what my past tells me, but what my heart tells me. That's what you're making me believe.”
“ What does that have to do with making me look like a fool in front of the whole school?”
She grabbed him and forced him to stop and face her.
“ Because my heart is telling me the truth about you, that you're a brave man. That you're a courageous man. That you're not afraid.”
“ But I am afraid.” He tried to walk off but she held onto his arm and wouldn't let go.
“ No, you're not!” she said emphatically. “You believe that, but it's not the truth—do those words sound familiar? That's what you told me the other day. Do you know that those words have been transforming my heart for days now? They have been giving me hope, making me see the truth. They are your words, words of life, and they are as true for you as they are for me.
“ I just want to be left alone without bullies ruining my life, without living in fear!”
He broke her grip and pulled his hand back to his side. He began to walk off again. Leaf didn't move. She watched him walk off.
“ Well, sometimes you've got to face your fears before you can live without them!” she called out.
He stopped but didn't look back, and replied, “It's easier to run. It's safer.”
Leaf raced up to him and stood in front of him again. He gazed at the concrete sidewalk. Slowly, she tilted his head up from the ground so that he was looking
“ Then come on, New Guy, and ask her. You heard me, ask her—and I'll break your face!”
Jay felt his stomach melting again. All eyes were on him. Berkley was watching. Leaf was waiting.
Like the monster it was, anxiety gripped him, suffocating him. Fear fell into his stomach like shattered glass. He was frozen, because his heart couldn't understand why Leaf had just done that to him. Of all the people who would humiliate him, he never thought it would be her. She knew he was scared of Berkley. She knew he didn't have the courage to take her to the Ball. He had already told her. She knew exactly how he felt, and now in front of everyone she had exposed his weakness, and everyone would now watch him run again, like the coward that he was. His whole body started to go weak, his eyes unlocked from Leaf's gaze. He turned and ran.
And, just like that, he was gone.
Berkley began to laugh.
“ A better man?” He turned back to Leaf, “He's a coward! Nothing more, nothing less.”
He expected that to shut the mouth of Leaf once and for all, but he was mistaken. Instead she lunged at him and threw her finger in his face.
“ He's no coward. You're the coward! Do you hear me, you're the one who doesn't even know what it means to be human!” She turned and grabbed her things before pointing to Berkley once more, “And he'll take me to the Ball tonight, you'll see.”
“ Well, then, let's see!” he replied, ready to take up her challenge. He stood up on the chair and called out to everyone. “Let's see if New Guy asks this loser to the Ball,” he was now the one pointing at Leaf. “You're all witnesses. We'll see who's the Man and who's the little boy tonight.”
He looked down and grinned at Leaf. His stupid looking face made her feel sick in her stomach.
She turned and raced out of the cafeteria.
After a few minutes, she caught up to Jay, who was already off the school property and walking away as fast as he could.
“ Wait,” she called out from behind him, but he kept walking.
She sped up, quickly overtaking him and then swinging around and forcing him to stop.
“ Why did you do that to me? Why did you humiliate me like that?” he asked, his eyes mixed with a red anger and a wet sadness.
“ I only did what you're doing to me,” she replied.
“ What am I doing to you? Humiliating you?”
“ No, you're making me believe!”
“ In what?”
“ In who I truly am, not what others tell me. Not what my past tells me, but what my heart tells me. That's what you're making me believe.”
“ What does that have to do with making me look like a fool in front of the whole school?”
She grabbed him and forced him to stop and face her.
“ Because my heart is telling me the truth about you, that you're a brave man. That you're a courageous man. That you're not afraid.”
“ But I am afraid.” He tried to walk off but she held onto his arm and wouldn't let go.
“ No, you're not!” she said emphatically. “You believe that, but it's not the truth—do those words sound familiar? That's what you told me the other day. Do you know that those words have been transforming my heart for days now? They have been giving me hope, making me see the truth. They are your words, words of life, and they are as true for you as they are for me.
“ I just want to be left alone without bullies ruining my life, without living in fear!”
He broke her grip and pulled his hand back to his side. He began to walk off again. Leaf didn't move. She watched him walk off.
“ Well, sometimes you've got to face your fears before you can live without them!” she called out.
He stopped but didn't look back, and replied, “It's easier to run. It's safer.”
Leaf raced up to him and stood in front of him again. He gazed at the concrete sidewalk. Slowly, she tilted his head up from the ground so that he was looking
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