Page 70-74
Story
Page 70
Everything returned
to normal.
Bradley scribbled,
cut up bits of paper,
and taped things together.
He hated everyone
and everyone
hated him.
That was the way
he liked it.
He shuddered
whenever he remembered
that he actually had
almost done his homework.
He couldn’t imagine
anything more horrible
than that!
And he was glad J
eff wasn’t his friend
anymore.
He realized
he was better off
without friends.
In fact,
he never was friends
with Jeff!
I was just pretending
to be his friend.
He decided
he’d never pretend
to be anybody’s friend
again.
Jeff was
normal now too.
That was what
he told Carla.
He walked into her office
and announced,
“I don’t need
any help anymore.
I have eight friends now.
We play basketball
every recess and lunch,
and I’m the best player.”
“Good for you, Jeff,”
said Carla.
“I’m very proud of you.”
“How many friends
have you made?”
he asked.
“I don’t keep score,”
said Carla.
“I’ve made eight,”
said Jeff.
“I’ve always considered
quality to be
more important
than quantity
when it comes
to friendship,”
said Carla.
Page 71
“Eight,”
Jeff repeated.
“And I’m not friends
with Bradley anymore
either.”
“I’m sorry
to hear that.”
“Why?
I’m not.
I hate him.
In fact”
– he looked
around the room –
“I gave him
a black eye!”
He quickly glanced
at Carla
to see if she knew
he was lying,
then looked away.
“What happened?”
Carla asked.
“Oh, you know,
he wouldn’t stop
bothering me.
I kept telling him
to get lost,
but he kept
hanging around.
I never liked him.
No one does.
Then he said to me,
‘Give me a dollar
or I’ll spit on you!’
Well, no one
threatens me
and gets away
with it!
I don’t take that
from nobody.
So he tried to hit me,
but I ducked,
then punched
his face in.
I didn’t want
to do it,
but I had
no choice.”
That was
the short version.
Jeff had told
that same story
to his eight new friends,
but he usually
made it
much longer.
“So I don’t think
I need to see
a counselor anymore,”
he said,
“since I have eight friends.”
“Okay, Jeff,
if that’s how
you feel,”
said Carla.
“They might think
I’m weird
or something,”
he explained.
“Well,
we can’t have them
thinking that.”
“Does that mean
I can go?”
Carla nodded.
“But anytime
you want to talk again,
please feel free
to come and see me.”
She smiled.
“Even if you just feel
like getting out of class
for a while.”
He left,
glad to be out of there.
Page 72
On his way
back to class,
he walked past
the girls’ bathroom.
He stopped,
shook his head,
and chuckled to himself.
It seemed like
it was such
a long time ago
when he accidentally
went in there.
I used to be
such a jerk,
he thought.
He smiled
a strange smile.
He stretched his mouth
so wide,
it was hard to tell
whether it was a smile
or a frown.
Page 73
Colleen walked
into Carla’s office.
“I just came to tell you
I can’t talk to you,”
she said.
“Your parents
didn’t sign the form?”
“No, and they won’t either!
You know what they said?
They said
it was a waste of money
for the school
to hire you.
They said you should
get married and have
your own children
before you start telling
other parents how they
should raise theirs.”
Carla shrugged.
“They said
if I have any problems
I should talk to them.
But when I try
to talk to them,
they don’t listen.”
She sighed.
“Anyway,
it doesn’t matter.
Jeff has lots of
other friends now
besides Bradley.”
“Eight,” said Carla
with a smile.
“So now I can invite Jeff
to my birthday party
without having to
invite Bradley.
I can invite one
of Jeff’s other friends.
Andy’s nice.
I couldn’t invite Bradley
even if I wanted to,
because Melinda
is my best friend,
except for Lori,
and she gave Bradley
a black eye.”
Colleen quickly covered
her mouth with her hand,
then slowly took it away.
“That was
supposed to be
a secret,”
she said.
“Melinda doesn’t want
anybody to know.”
“I never repeat anything
anyone tells me,”
Carla assured her.
Page 74
“Good,”
said Colleen.
“Melinda would kill me.”
“Have you asked Jeff
to your party yet?”
“No, not yet,
but I will.
I know he likes me
because he always
says hello to me
when I say hello
to him.
But then
I always get so scared.
I never know
what to say next.
I wish you
could help me.
Why did my parents
say such bad things
about you?
They don’t even
know you.”
“Your parents
are just trying to do
what’s best for you,”
said Carla.
“A lot of people
think counselors
don’t belong in schools.”
She shrugged.
“I guess they’re afraid
I might fill your head
with all kinds of
crazy ideas.”