Ethan's Secret

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Book excerpt

Prologue

Three years ago

Oh my God. It’s happening again.

Today was my first day of fifth grade. I’d only moved to Phoenix two months ago. I didn’t know anybody, and nobody knew me. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to think on my feet, to adapt to my surroundings quickly, and most of all, to make friends. When I stepped off the bus this morning, my first thoughts were: These are kids, just like me, and kids are basically the same wherever you go. Even though I’m the “new girl,” I’m sure I’ll find a spot for myself here in no time.

I still felt bad about what had happened to Naomi. I’d tried one last time to call her before we left Denver, but she still wouldn’t talk to me. Which is not surprising, given how badly I’d let her down.

Jackie Mitchell had tormented her, bullied her so badly that she’d transferred to another school.  I’d tried to be there for her, to give her a shoulder to cry on, but it wasn’t enough. When she needed me the most, to get off the sidelines and help her, I’d frozen up. Jackie was just too big, too mean. And I’d been too scared to take her on.

Right before my first class started, I went into the girls’ restroom to check my face in the mirror. Not surprisingly, I looked exactly like I did before I left the house this morning: my hair was set in pigtails, and my braces were probably visible from orbit. But I still felt cheerful, happy to officially begin my “fresh start.”

And then it started.

“What are you doing in here?” said a voice behind me.

I turned around to see a girl looking at me. She was about my height, with dark, stringy hair, a tanned complexion and a large nose. She also had a smile on her face, and it wasn’t a happy one. Neither were the smiles on the two girls right behind her, who were also staring at me.

“Just checking my face,” I replied.

“Well, bad news, it’s still there,” said the girl, and her two friends giggled. She looked me up and down, then took a step forward. “Jeez … Freckles, braces and pigtails? What, were they having a three-for-one sale at the Loser Store?”

Wow. I was right. Kids ARE the same everywhere you go. And that includes bullies. Trying to keep calm, I looked her square in the eye. “Very funny. Who are you, anyway?”

She took another step forward, sticking her big nose inches from my own. “I’m Tonya Sykes. And I run things around here, metal-mouth.”

A couple of other girls came into the restroom, but upon seeing Tonya and her friends, they retreated back out the door. There was no one here but the four of us. “What do you want?” I asked.

Tonya pointed her finger at me. “When I want something, new girl, you’ll know, and whatever it is, you’ll give it to me. You get that through your spotty head right now, and I won’t have to pound you.” Then she pushed her finger into my shoulder blade and gave me a rude shove.

This was so not how I wanted to start my middle-school experience. Meeting her glare, I hitched my backpack up my shoulder. “Can I go to class now, please?” I said this with as much sarcasm as I could put behind it.

She sneered at me for a few seconds, and then gradually stepped aside so I could leave. So did her two friends. Grateful to avoid any further trouble, I sped out the door and off to my homeroom class.

The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. My homeroom teacher seemed like a great lady, and though a few of my classmates shot weird looks my way, I made it through to lunchtime without incident.

And then …

I walked out of the cafeteria, and was about to enter the breezeway that led to the fifth- and sixth-graders’ playground when I heard a familiar voice about fifty feet away. I turned my head to see Tonya, her two friends behind her, standing over two slightly smaller girls, who had their backs up against a brick wall.

I looked at Tonya’s victims, both of whom I recognized from my homeroom class. One was skinny, with short blonde hair and a pink long-sleeve, and the other was slightly chubby, with long brown hair and a sky blue polo. They were both doing their best not to look Tonya in the eye. By the scared looks on their faces, I figured this was not their first run-in with Tonya and her crew.

I stood, shocked, rendered speechless by déjà vu. In my mind, I pictured Jackie, pushing little Naomi to the ground, laughing cruelly while Naomi cried her eyes out. I’d just stood there that day, watching it happen, glued to the ground in fear. Fear of getting hurt. Fear of getting involved.

And now, not even a year later, here I was, a thousand miles away from where my biggest mistake took place, watching the same thing happen. Again.

I scanned the area for teachers, but I saw none. Only a small crowd of kids that stood well back, watching Tonya and her friends do what I figured they’d been doing for a long time: push smaller girls around.

Time seemed to slow down, and the more I watched, the angrier I became. I could feel my breath getting faster, my heart start to pound, and my hands clench into fists. My eyes narrowed, and my teeth gnashed together.

No. I am NOT making the same mistake twice.

I walked toward Tonya, who had just about succeeded in making the other two girls start crying. “Awww, you want a Kleenex to dry your tears?” She turned back to one of her friends. “Ashley, you got a snot-rag for these two little babies?” Her friend just laughed.

I slowly closed the gap between us. Fifteen feet. I pictured Jackie’s face. Ten feet. I heard Naomi crying. Five.

It was then that Tonya finally saw me. She turned towards me with a smirk. “Hey, it’s the new girl! I’ll be with you in just a –”

Without even waiting for her to finish her sentence, I stepped right up to her, swung my fist around and punched her in the nose as hard as I could. She staggered back, lost her balance and fell down on the sidewalk, landing square on her butt. She raised a hand to cover her nose, staring up at me with complete shock. A trickle of blood oozed between her fingers.

I stood over her, giving her my meanest look, a look I also shot at her two friends, just in case they got any ideas. I raised my fists up to show them I meant business, and they took a few quick steps back. Then I turned my attention back to Tonya, who still hadn’t found her voice. Her shocked expression had morphed into one of fear, and a tear had formed at the corner of her eye.

I felt my face flush as I snarled, “I … hate … bullies.” She responded by trying to slide backwards on her butt in retreat. It was obvious no one had stood up to her until now. Good.

“You can call yourself the boss, the President or the Queen all you want,” I said, glaring directly into her eyes. “But if you pull that crap on me, or anyone else, ever again, you … will … be … sorry. You got that?” I held my fists up again, waiting for her to stand up and retaliate.

Without a word, she scrambled to her feet and took off running. Her two friends stared after her for a few seconds, and then hastily walked away in the opposite direction.

After a few more tense moments, I exhaled in relief, and I felt my blood pressure start to return to normal. I looked around, and was rather embarrassed to see about ten kids, mostly girls, staring at me in open-mouthed astonishment. I turned to the two girls on my left, who were still standing against the wall, and they were giving me the same look.

“Miss Callahan!” said a mature voice behind me.

Oh, sure. NOW the teacher shows up.