Just Another Hero (12 page)

When the bell finally rang for class to be dismissed, everyone gathered their belongings and checked carefully to make sure nothing else was missing. Before he zipped up his winter coat and scurried out of the room, Osrick caught Arielle's eye. He mouthed some words to her.

She wasn't sure, but he might have whispered, “I know who it is.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

KOFI'S HEAD FELT AS IF IT WERE FULL OF
large, jagged rocks. It throbbed to the rhythm of a dark, horrible symphony. He could feel his bones and even his muscles, and everything ached. His body felt like a broken wind-up toy, just about ready for the trash. He had almost no appetite, but he couldn't keep anything down anyway. He'd thrown up twice already that day, and when he wasn't letting it all out that way, he was sitting on the toilet with diarrhea.

But he was determined to beat the pills. In his throbby head they were a monster—one that was trying to eat him from the inside out.

I am Beowulf. I am powerful. I rule.

Then he wiped his runny nose and eyes and breathed deeply, waiting for the hot and then cold sweats to subside.

I'm pudding, and I'd kill for one little white pill,
he thought helplessly.

But even though he felt like his guts might do a tap dance on the outside of his body, he was glad the pills were gone. He felt free.

He headed to Spoon's class early, hoping she had a Coke in the classroom refrigerator. All the vending machines in the building had recently been switched over to fruit juices, which pretty much everyone hated. Kofi need caffeine—lots of it—and maybe some Tylenol or Advil to quiet the storm in his head and the queasiness in his gut. Spoon kept stuff like that in her desk, he remembered, even though it was technically illegal for teachers to give a student anything stronger than a candy bar.

When he got to the door of the classroom, he heard scuffling, a male voice gravelly and demanding, and the sound of a girl crying. He paused—it sort of sounded like Dana! He tried the knob. The door was locked, and the window had been covered from the inside by a poster or something.

The male voice said, “I just want the chance to be alone with you for a minute—make you see how I've changed. Just let me talk to you—”

The girl's voice, louder now, cried out, “Leave me alone, Eddie!” Kofi heard chairs falling. Now he was sure it was Dana. Then she screamed. “Stop! Let me out of here!”

Kofi yanked on the locked doorknob and pounded on the door, adrenaline fueling his fury. “Open this door! Don't you touch her! I swear I'll kill you!”

He heard Eddie laugh. “I ain't gonna hurt her. I just wanna talk to her. How you like that, my man with the weird African name?” Kofi could hear more desks falling over.

“Kofi!” Dana screamed. “Go get help!”

Kofi didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave Dana for a single second, but he knew he couldn't get the door open.

“I'm not gonna hurt you, baby,” he heard Eddie say. “The whole time I was gone I was thinking of you. I just want you to get to know me better. I just wanna talk. Relax.”

His aches and chills forgotten, Kofi raced down the hall, looking for help, but it was lunchtime—the wing was deserted.

Then Mrs. Witherspoon turned the corner, and the smile she greeted Kofi with turned to concern when she saw his face. “What's wrong, Kofi?”

“Help!” he shouted. “Spoon! Quick! Open your classroom door! Eddie. Dana. Hurry!”

Spoon hurried. She ran down the hall, whipped out her keys, and unlocked the door. Kofi almost knocked her down getting into the room.

Dana sat on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Her face was a mask of tears and anger.

“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling Dana to him.

She breathed a sigh of relief and let herself be folded in his arms. “He didn't hurt me. He didn't touch me. But I did manage to get in a good kick,” she told Kofi triumphantly.

Eddie sat on a chair near the door, where he'd been blocking Dana's exit. He looked oddly calm. “I just wanted to talk to her,” he explained. Kofi thought his voice always sounded like he was gargling marbles.

“What's going on, Eddie?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked, her voice cautious.

“Nothin' at all, Spoonie. Just a private conversation with my girl Dana.”

“She is NOT your girl!” Kofi shouted. He started to get up, but Dana pulled him back.

“Don't let go of me,” she whispered. Kofi held her, but his eyes shot bullets toward Eddie.

“Did he touch you, Dana?” the teacher asked carefully.

“No, ma'am. He didn't.”

“I'm the one who's injured,” Eddie said with a laugh. “She's a little ninja warrior!”

The teacher ignored him. “How did your blouse get torn?” she asked Dana.

“I ripped it on the edge of the bulletin board,” Dana explained. “I was trying to get out of the room, and he blocked my way. He wouldn't let me leave!”

Kofi held her tighter. “I was havin' a really bad day when I got here.” He spat out the words to Eddie. “And you just made it worse. It won't take
nothin'
for me to clean Spoon's floors with your face!”

Eddie laughed again. “I didn't do nothin'! I didn't put one single finger on her pretty little body. I mighta wanted to, but I didn't.”

“You have no right to hold a student unwillingly in a classroom!” Mrs. Witherspoon told him.

“She coulda left any time she wanted,” said Eddie. “The door wasn't locked on this side.”

“That's not true!” Dana spat. “Your ugly face blocked the door!”

“What were you doing here so early?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked Dana.

“I came to ask you to read a poem I wrote,” Dana said. “I guess he followed me here.”

“Was the door unlocked when you got here?”

“It was standing open, so I don't really know.” She was still shaking.

Eddie turned to the teacher. “Just to save you the trouble, Spoon, I'm going home early today, so we can let things calm down a little. But I'll be back tomorrow!” He strolled out the door as if he were leaving on vacation. He paused in the doorway, however, and added, “Oh, you might want to pick up those chairs. Miss Dana made a mess.” Then he disappeared.

Kofi was about to explode. He knew that one day—very soon—he would have to settle with Eddie.

Mrs. Witherspoon sat down on the floor with Dana and Kofi and rocked them both in her arms. Except for Dana's angry sniffling, the room was quiet. “Do you want to go home, Dana?” the teacher asked gently.

“No, ma'am. I'm not hurt—I'm pissed! Can I say that in front of a teacher?”

“I've said worse,” the teacher admitted with a slight chuckle.

“I'm not letting her out of my sight, Spoon,” Kofi said. “I'll make sure she gets home safely.”

The teacher took a deep breath and nodded. “I'm filing a report with the office immediately. And I'll call your mother tonight, Dana, just to make sure she understands what happened and to check that you're okay.”

“What's going to happen to Eddie?” Dana asked, as she got up from the floor and brushed herself off. Kofi peeled off his sweatshirt and handed it to her to cover her torn blouse.

“I don't think Eddie belongs in a public school setting anymore,” the teacher replied quietly as she started picking up the chairs. Kofi and Dana helped her.

When the bell rang for class, Spoon didn't call out jokes and greetings as she usually did. She gave everybody seatwork and a reading assignment, and never even turned on any of her computers.

Kofi seethed throughout the period, trying to figure out when and where he'd beat the crap out of Eddie Mahoney.

When class ended, he and Jericho walked Dana to her European history class. “Is Eddie in your last period?” Jericho asked Dana.

“No, he's not.”

Kofi hated hearing her voice sounding so thin and nervous, not her usual bold and brazen tone.

“He said he was going home,” Kofi said. “I know
I
better not see him!”

“You can't be getting' into fights and kicked out of school,” said Dana, trying to calm him. “You gotta keep your nose clean. You got MIT
and
the Freedom Achievers depending on you. Me too,” she added.

“Don't worry. I'm straight. If I see him, I'm just gonna
talk
, like he said he was going to do to you,” Kofi spat out.

“What do you think would have happened if you hadn't shown up?” Dana asked.

“I can't even let myself think about it,” Kofi told her. “Don't leave this room until I get back, okay? I'm not leaving you alone for one second.”

“I'll wait for you.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek and went into the classroom.

As he and Jericho continued down the hall, Kofi suddenly felt weak and chilled, as if someone had opened a refrigerator door, then hit him with the whole icebox. He shivered. His arms were covered with goose bumps. He felt like he might throw up again. He stopped, leaned against a locker, and took several deep breaths.

“You okay, man?” Jericho asked.

“Not really. You got any Tylenol or maybe something stronger?” Kofi asked hopefully.

“Do I look like a drugstore?” said Jericho.

“How about a Coke?”

“Yeah, I got one, but it's warm—been in my bag all day.”

“I don't care.”

Jericho dug in his bag and pulled out the Coke, and Kofi almost snatched it from him. He wished fruitlessly for a pain pill, then swallowed the warm drink in a few gulps.

“Chill, dude,” Jericho warned. “You saved her. She's fine. You're, like, the hero, man.”

“I don't feel like a hero—I just feel pissed,” Kofi admitted. The cold flash had subsided, but his muscles cried out for more than Coca-Cola.

“That's probably pretty normal,” Jericho told him reasonably.

“What would you have done if it had been Olivia in there?” Kofi asked.

“Stomped him. Unless she had already stomped him first!” Jericho replied with a grin.

“You two gettin' pretty tight?” asked Kofi, feeling himself relax a little.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Olivia's a lot, uh, different from Arielle, who had you dancing on your tippy-toes last year,” Kofi said carefully.

“You mean 'cause she's not a twig like Arielle?” Jericho's voice took on an edge.

“I ain't sayin' nothin' against her, man. I think she's cool,” Kofi told him. “But Olivia doesn't look like any girl I've ever seen in one of those fashion magazines that Dana reads all the time.”

Jericho slowed his walk and looked thoughtful. “I quit lookin' at the package, man. All I see is the gift inside.”

“You got it
bad
, dude! She got your nose on a hook!” Kofi slapped Jericho on the shoulder and hooted with laughter.

Jericho shrugged him off. “Have you
ever
met a girl who really does look like one of those models in those mags?”

Kofi laughed. “Never! You're right about that, man! But don't tell Dana I said that,” he added.

“It is what it is, man. Olivia brings out the best in me. When I'm down on myself, she knows just what to say to make me feel like I could climb a mountain.”

“Dana does that too. You think girls take classes or something in how to wrap a dude up tight?” Kofi asked.

“Yeah. When they all get together at their sleepovers,
when they got their hair all up in curlers, and they smell like seventeen kinds of perfume, and their toenails are all polished all red and pretty, they sit down and discuss the secrets of the Female Power Society. They make up the rules, they always win, and we just lucky they let us sniff some of that perfume!”

“You crazy, dude.”

Kofi's craving for the pills had diminished a little, but his anger at Eddie had not.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

“CAN YOU FINISH HANGING UP THE NEW
box of sportswear that came in, dear?” Mrs. Petrie asked Arielle. “And don't forget to attach the Smoochie's security tags to each one. Many teenagers are thieves, you know.”

“Most teens never steal stuff, Mrs. Petrie,” Arielle replied with a sigh. They'd had this conversation many times.

“You're one of the good ones, dear,” Mrs. Petrie told Arielle as she patted her on the back. “I can't trust the others.”

Arielle knew she'd never win the argument, so she just said, “Sure, Mrs. Petrie. I'll hang the shorts and tag them.” Arielle glanced at the clock. It was almost eight thirty. There was no way she'd finish before closing. That meant leaving the store long after the mall closed at nine, walking through that dark parking lot by herself, and waiting for a bus that came only once an hour.

She grabbed the box from the back storeroom, pulled out the shorts and matching tops, and stacked them on the counter. Green. Red. Purple. Yellow. Some with sparkles, some with appliqués. Sizes from zero to fourteen.

“Do you have anything in Lollipop red?” a deep voice asked, jarring Arielle from her thoughts.

She looked up with pleasant surprise to the chiseled face of Brandon Merriweather. “We have anything you need,” she said softly. She hoped she wasn't blushing. “Are you shopping for a friend?”

“I sure hope so,” he replied. He picked up a bright red T-shirt and caressed the fabric.

“That's a nice shirt,” she told him. “I like the sparkles on it.”

“Then I'll buy it,” he said, pulling a wallet out of his pocket.

“It's thirty-nine dollars plus tax.” She thought Mrs. Petrie charged way too much for the clothes in the place, but nobody seemed to complain.

Brandon gave her a fifty-dollar bill. She took it with shaking hands and rang up the sale on the register. As she gave him his change, he grabbed her hand and held it. He opened his mouth to speak, but then Mrs. Petrie, dressed in a silky turquoise top and boot-cut jeans, emerged from the back room. Tall and willowy, she looked as if she could wear most of the teen clothes she sold, even though she had to be at least fifty, Arielle figured.

“Thanks for shopping, my dear. May I interest you in some accessories—a bracelet or some earrings?” For some
reason Mrs. Petrie seemed to look at Brandon as a customer instead of a thief.

“No, ma'am,” he answered smoothly. “But I'll be back. I like everything in this store.” He gave Arielle the briefest of smiles, sauntered out the door, and disappeared into the mall.

Arielle, breathless for the moment, could only stare in amazement.
What was that all about?

Mrs. Petrie headed back to the storeroom. “Are you finished with that box?” she asked Arielle, even though it was obvious that the stack on the counter had diminished only a little.

“I'm on it, Mrs. Petrie,” Arielle said, returning to the tedious process of sorting and tagging.
Brandon Merriweather. Should I get my hopes up?

“Way cute,” another familiar voice said.

Arielle looked up, glad for another interruption. She grinned when she saw November, and when she saw that she had the baby with her, she ran from behind the counter.

“Am I glad to see you!” she whispered, glancing at the back room to make sure Mrs. Petrie was still back there. “And welcome, little Sunshine!” Arielle knelt down in front of the stroller. “You look so beautiful in your little yellow outfit!”

The baby gurgled and smiled, kicking her little feet. November smoothed the child's hair and brushed a speck off her bib. “I needed some air, and Sunshine decided she wanted to check out the latest fashions,” she explained.

“These will be way out of style by the time she gets old
enough to wear them,” Arielle said with a laugh.

“Well, maybe Sunshine's mom can sport something new. I want
nothing
that's loose and roomy at the top.” Both girls cracked up. Even the baby seemed to get the joke as she cooed and reached her hands out jerkily toward Arielle.

Arielle touched the child's fingers, amazed at how tiny and soft they felt. Looking closer at the baby's face, Arielle noticed that one eye seemed to be slightly turned in.

As she stood up, she asked awkwardly, “How's Sunshine doing—her, uh, health problems?”

“Well, at six months old she should be sitting up and turning over. She's not—yet. The doctor tries to warn me that she might have trouble walking or talking, but I have to believe she'll be just fine.”

“And if she isn't?” Arielle was almost afraid to ask.

“I'll deal with it,” November replied briskly. She picked up a pair of shorts and checked out the stitching.

“I really admire you, November,” Arielle told her. “You've got everything so under control.”

November touched little Sunshine's face and sighed. “You don't see me when it's three in the morning and she's screaming her head off, or when I'm so tired I can't stop crying myself. You don't see the stacks of poopy diapers, or the baby vomit all over my new T-shirt. All you see is the baby in the stroller my mother bought, dressed in a cute little outfit that Olivia got for her.”

“I guess I never thought about it like that,” Arielle admitted, picking up another pair of shorts and sticking a security tag on them. “You make it seem so easy.”

“Ha!” November retorted. The baby jumped at the noise, and Mrs. Petrie peeked around the corner.

“My boss doesn't like it when friends hang out here, so pretend you're shopping if she comes out here,” whispered Arielle. “But you might find something you really like…”

As if on cue, Mrs. Petrie, marched out into the store, folding shirts and rattling clothes hangers. “May I help you, dear?” she asked November. Arielle noticed she called everybody “dear,” even the male customers.

“I'm looking for jeans,” November told her.

“They're in the front of the store—left-hand side,” Mrs. Petrie said.

“Thanks,” said November. She pushed the stroller to that area and picked out a pair of jeans.

Arielle figured Mrs. Petrie was satisfied that November was not a thief—yet—so she returned to the back room, where she could watch the closed-circuit television she'd had installed. She seemed to really enjoy staring at its grainy images.

“How'd you get to the mall?” Arielle asked as she rang up November's purchase. “You driving?”

“No, I got no wheels, girlfriend. Dana dropped me off. She and Olivia went to Macy's to return a pair of shoes and use Dana's gift card. They'll be up here in a hot minute.”

When Olivia strode in a few minutes later, the store seemed somehow smaller. Olivia filled a room with the power of her personality.
She's not just a tuba player, she's the whole band
, Arielle thought,
full of booming, powerful music.
Dana hurried behind her, dragging a huge Macy's bag.

“What's up, Miss Saleslady?” Olivia asked loudly. Mrs. Petrie's head appeared for a moment, but didn't come out this time.

“Hey, Olivia,” said Arielle. “Thanks for stopping by.”

Dana asked, “Where are all the customers?”

“I guess you're it for now. But guess who stopped by the store a few minutes ago?”

“Who?”

“Brandon Merriweather!”

“For real? Was he shopping for clothes or women?” Olivia asked.

“I don't know. He bought a T-shirt and split. But I could still smell his aftershave after he left,” Arielle replied, trying not to feel hopeful.

“Sounds serious,” said Dana. “Kofi's got this one cologne that turns me on big-time!”

Arielle, needing to change the subject, asked Dana, “Are you okay after what happened today?”

“Yeah, I'm straight. But earlier today I wanted to bite something. You feel me?”

“Trust me, I do,” Olivia told her.

“What did you buy, Dana? That bag is huge!” Arielle asked.

“Guess.” A big smile erased the shadow from Dana's face.

“A hundred pairs of shoes?” Arielle offered.

“Girl, you're not even close,” said Olivia. “And when Dana isn't buying shoes, you know there's some serious stuff goin' on.”

“A dozen boxes of Pampers?” November guessed.

“Nice try,” Dana said. She kneeled down and tickled Sunshine under her chin.

“Tell us!” Arielle insisted.

Mrs. Petrie peeked her head out again. She seemed to be curious about Dana's bundle as well.

Dana stood up and unwrapped the package. They all looked inside.

“You bought sheets and blankets?” Arielle said in amazement. “Why?”

“I got a gift card for my birthday, so instead of buying clothes, I bought stuff I'll need for my dorm room,” Dana explained. “I am
so
out of here come September!”

“You're shopping to get over what happened at school today?” November asked Dana. “I used to do that when I got upset with my mother, or with Josh.”

Dana sighed. “Yeah, I guess. But this was so much worse than a fight with your mom or your boyfriend.”

“I heard Eddie only got three days' suspension,” Olivia said in disbelief.

“That's it,” Dana confirmed.

“That's crazy!” said Arielle, her voice full of outrage.

Mrs. Petrie had moved out of her storeroom. She stood a few feet away from the counter, listening intently to the girls' conversation.

Dana looked defeated. “Mrs. Sherman told my mother that since he had only scared me, and hadn't really hurt me, that was the max the school laws allowed.”

“That's messed up, girl,” November said.

“You know what I hate?” said Dana.

“What's that?” Arielle asked.

“I'm basically pretty tough. I passed a Girl Scout endurance test last summer—out in the woods, eating berries and stuff.”

“Yeah, so?” Olivia didn't seem to be impressed.

“What I mean is—when Eddie cornered me, I couldn't even think straight. I felt like a little first-grade sissy girl with pink bows—scared and stupid. I should have fought back.”

“You kicked him, didn't you?” November asked.

“Yeah, but not hard enough. I was scared and stupid.” Dana looked down.

Olivia put her arm around her. “You weren't stupid, Dana, you were smart. Survival has nothing to do with eating berries. It's about using your head to get out of a bad situation.”

“She's right,” Arielle said. “You had no idea what that crazy fool was going to do.”

“I guess,” Dana said. “But I sure wish I'd had on my heavy boots—I woulda aimed that kick higher and landed it where the sun don't shine!”

The four girls cracked up at that. Even Mrs. Petrie laughed.

“What's gonna happen when he gets back?” November asked.

“Kofi might do a little kickin' of his own!” said Dana. She sounded concerned. “He's been real edgy lately. Any little thing sets him off. And Eddie is huge in Kofi's mind. Huge.”

“Will he come back to Spoon's class?” Arielle wondered.

“My mom and Spoon got Eddie moved into a different
English class, so at least I can breathe in there,” Dana told them.

“What other classes you got with Eddie?” Olivia asked.

“Just Pringle's chemistry. It was the only one my mom couldn't get switched, but I got Kofi in there with me, so I'm not so worried.”

“We got your back, Dana,” Olivia assured her.

“Yeah, we'll put a force field around you like they do in those sci-fi movies,” November added. “Eddie won't even get close.”

“That's cool, but you guys can't be there all the time,” Dana reminded them.

“Maybe they'll transfer Eddie out of the school,” Arielle offered. She hoped it was at least a possibility.

“People like Eddie fall through the cracks,” said Olivia. “He's not bad enough for the school to kick him out, but he's scary enough to make kids fart when he passes by.”

“For real.” Dana put her hands on her hips.

“Well, my dears,” Mrs. Petrie said as she folded one last shirt, “it's nine o'clock and we're closed. I must admit, I enjoyed eavesdropping on your conversation. I had forgotten how hard it is to be a kid. You girls stay safe, you hear?”

“Yes, ma'am,” said Olivia.

“And take care of this little one, dear,” she said to November.

“I promise,” November replied with a smile.

Arielle was shocked to see Mrs. Petrie take a soft yellow scarf from the shelf and tuck it around the baby.

“For luck,” she said. “No charge.”

“Thank you,” whispered November. She and Olivia rolled the baby out of the store and into the mall, where lights were being switched off in many of the stores.

“You need a ride home?” Dana asked Arielle.

Arielle glanced at the pile of sportswear she had not yet tagged. “I have to finish here first,” she said reluctantly.

“Go on home, dear,” Mrs. Petrie said. “This can wait until tomorrow.”

Before her boss could change her mind, Arielle grabbed her purse from under the counter. “Thanks so much! I'll come in early tomorrow.”

Mrs. Petrie just waved her off, and Arielle raced gratefully out of the store. She turned to see the mechanical door begin to roll down.

“What a nice lady you work for,” November said, stroking the yellow scarf. Sunshine had fallen asleep clutching the fabric in one hand.

“I think my boss got abducted by aliens and they replaced her with that nice lady!” Arielle joked. “She's usually grumpy and really suspicious of teenagers.”

“And Dana and I didn't even buy anything!” Olivia reminded them.

As they headed out to the car, Arielle said, “I really appreciate the ride, Dana. It's rough taking the bus home this late.”