“Yeah.”
“But I still didn’t do any of it.”
Liz nodded her head once, pushed between them , and rounded the corner , leaving the three of us alone.
“Sorry about the other night, too,” Seth apologized. “It was stupid. I said some really stupid things. I guess this whole thing has gotten crazy out of control.”
I nodded, unsure of what I was hearing.
“C’mon,” Charlie said elbowing Seth , “w e’re late.”
They were right; the halls were long since empty. It was funny, I was going to take a tardy in English class, I had never even heard the bell, and I really didn’t care.
***
Later that night my phone dinged: MEET ME @ prk <3 Liz
I jumped on my bike and headed towards Emerson P ark and the old wooden bench that always waited for Liz and me. The bench was there; I was there; but Liz was nowhere.
I busied myself by watching the moms and their toddlers playing in the sandbox and three little boys chasing each other with big sticks and even bigger imaginations. Images of Johnny and me danced through my brain, and I found myself smiling without knowing it.
“What are you thinking about?” Liz asked.
“Hey,” I said , turning towards her voice. “You’re late—“
“Hi, Spaghetti-O,” Kate said.
“Wow! Kate!” I jumped up and gave her a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here! You look great.”
I was lying; I said that because she looked awful. She was even paler than usual, which I wouldn’t have thought possible, and her eyes resonated pain. They darted around like a wounded animal that trusted no one.
Kate tried to smile as she stiffly pulled herself away from me. She made a show of putting the kickstand down her bike so she didn’t have to look at me. “I…well, I kind of snuck out.”
“She’s not supposed to come here,” Liz offered.
“It’s some kind of legal thing. I think it’s stupid, but Dad says I have to do what he says or I might compromise the case.”
“Compromise the what?” I asked.
Liz kicked her stand down on her bike. “They’re taking Chrissy to court. They’re prosecuting. I told you, this is big.”
“I hate it,” Kate said as she scuffed the ground with her shoe. “But Dad says you have to stand up for yourself as well as what is right, and so I’m going to help. I’m going to testify.”
I shook my head. “In court? Real court?”
“Maybe,” Kate said , still scuffing her foot.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause, and I felt like I had to say something so I blurted out, “Are you okay?”
Kate sighed and sat down on the corner of the bench.
“Sure,” she said. “I’m fine.”
Her voice was so flat I wondered if she was trying to convince me she was or trying to convince herself. No one said anything for a long time until Kate looked up, forcing herself to meet my eyes. “It’s been pretty sucky, Andy. It’s not like I have lots of friends, and the ones I did have I’m not allowed to talk to.”
“Except for me,” Liz reminded her.
“Yeah, you. Thank God for you.”
Kate smiled a sad smile as Liz sat down next to her and protectively put her arm around her.
“I didn’t know how bad it could be. I mean, I was never popular and that was okay with me. It’s just that I was never noticed as anything before. Now I’m some kind of freak that everyone hates.”
“No, you’re not,” I said sternly.
“Yeah, I am. That’s what they say on Facebook. That and lots more.”
Tears welled up in Kate’s eyes which, once again, were unable to meet mine.
“I just wanted to thank you for being my friend. I wanted you to know how important it is to me that you wanted to see me. That’s why I snuck over here to see you. My parents would kill me if they knew.”
“Kate, there are lots of people who like you,” I stammered.
“Who?” she almost shouted, her voice hoarse with despair . “ Who likes me anymore? Do you know what they posted about me ? Do you know how many names they called me? How many
“But I still didn’t do any of it.”
Liz nodded her head once, pushed between them , and rounded the corner , leaving the three of us alone.
“Sorry about the other night, too,” Seth apologized. “It was stupid. I said some really stupid things. I guess this whole thing has gotten crazy out of control.”
I nodded, unsure of what I was hearing.
“C’mon,” Charlie said elbowing Seth , “w e’re late.”
They were right; the halls were long since empty. It was funny, I was going to take a tardy in English class, I had never even heard the bell, and I really didn’t care.
***
Later that night my phone dinged: MEET ME @ prk <3 Liz
I jumped on my bike and headed towards Emerson P ark and the old wooden bench that always waited for Liz and me. The bench was there; I was there; but Liz was nowhere.
I busied myself by watching the moms and their toddlers playing in the sandbox and three little boys chasing each other with big sticks and even bigger imaginations. Images of Johnny and me danced through my brain, and I found myself smiling without knowing it.
“What are you thinking about?” Liz asked.
“Hey,” I said , turning towards her voice. “You’re late—“
“Hi, Spaghetti-O,” Kate said.
“Wow! Kate!” I jumped up and gave her a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here! You look great.”
I was lying; I said that because she looked awful. She was even paler than usual, which I wouldn’t have thought possible, and her eyes resonated pain. They darted around like a wounded animal that trusted no one.
Kate tried to smile as she stiffly pulled herself away from me. She made a show of putting the kickstand down her bike so she didn’t have to look at me. “I…well, I kind of snuck out.”
“She’s not supposed to come here,” Liz offered.
“It’s some kind of legal thing. I think it’s stupid, but Dad says I have to do what he says or I might compromise the case.”
“Compromise the what?” I asked.
Liz kicked her stand down on her bike. “They’re taking Chrissy to court. They’re prosecuting. I told you, this is big.”
“I hate it,” Kate said as she scuffed the ground with her shoe. “But Dad says you have to stand up for yourself as well as what is right, and so I’m going to help. I’m going to testify.”
I shook my head. “In court? Real court?”
“Maybe,” Kate said , still scuffing her foot.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause, and I felt like I had to say something so I blurted out, “Are you okay?”
Kate sighed and sat down on the corner of the bench.
“Sure,” she said. “I’m fine.”
Her voice was so flat I wondered if she was trying to convince me she was or trying to convince herself. No one said anything for a long time until Kate looked up, forcing herself to meet my eyes. “It’s been pretty sucky, Andy. It’s not like I have lots of friends, and the ones I did have I’m not allowed to talk to.”
“Except for me,” Liz reminded her.
“Yeah, you. Thank God for you.”
Kate smiled a sad smile as Liz sat down next to her and protectively put her arm around her.
“I didn’t know how bad it could be. I mean, I was never popular and that was okay with me. It’s just that I was never noticed as anything before. Now I’m some kind of freak that everyone hates.”
“No, you’re not,” I said sternly.
“Yeah, I am. That’s what they say on Facebook. That and lots more.”
Tears welled up in Kate’s eyes which, once again, were unable to meet mine.
“I just wanted to thank you for being my friend. I wanted you to know how important it is to me that you wanted to see me. That’s why I snuck over here to see you. My parents would kill me if they knew.”
“Kate, there are lots of people who like you,” I stammered.
“Who?” she almost shouted, her voice hoarse with despair . “ Who likes me anymore? Do you know what they posted about me ? Do you know how many names they called me? How many
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