Dance, Belle, Dance!. Beth Huffman

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СКАЧАТЬ this ache in my stomach when I looked across the gym floor. There was Miss Richmond talking to Mrs. Heldman. I heard her say how proud she was of the way the kindergarteners behaved. I also saw the only kindergartener who was jumping up and down. It was Belle.

      I tried to turn around before she saw me but it was too late. She raced across the floor and hugged me around the waist. Everyone in the gym could hear her. “Macey, school is fun! Miss Richmond said I’m a fast runner.”

      I tried to pull her arms away without hurting her. Miss Richmond saved me. “I know you’re excited to see Macey but you need to join your class now, Belle. It’s lunchtime.” That’s all it took. She held Miss Richmond’s hand and said, “We’re having hot dogs today. That’s my favorite. Mommy told me to eat everything on my tray but I’m not eating the baked beans.”

      When Miss Richmond walked her back, Brooklyn had plenty of time to say whatever she wanted. She knew she wouldn’t get caught. “Oh, that was so cute, Macey. Your little sister hugged you. What’s wrong with her anyhow? She acts weird. Is she a loser like Kylie?”

      The next thing I knew, I shoved Brooklyn so hard that her glasses went flying across the floor. I didn’t feel guilty at all. She deserved it. She put on a good show and acted like she was really hurt. When Miss Richmond ran over to see why she was crying, she said, “Macey pushed me on purpose. I don’t know why.”

      Then Miss Richmond motioned for me to talk to her privately. “This isn’t like you, Macey. You get along with everyone. Why did you push her?”

      “I couldn’t take it when she made fun of Belle and Kylie. She lied to you when she said that she didn’t know why I pushed her. She knows why.”

      I could tell that Miss Richmond believed me. “At the end of class, I’ll need to take both of you to the principal’s office. Just tell Mrs. Basinger the truth. Don’t worry about anything that Brooklyn might say. You can’t control that. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

      “Yes.”

      I’ll never forget climbing the 12 steps to the principal’s office. My legs felt so heavy. I had a feeling that I’d be the only one who got punished. Miss Richmond told us to sit in the secretary’s office, while she talked to Mrs. Basinger.

      Brooklyn thought she could upset me with her threats. “You’re going to be in so much trouble when I tell the principal what you did, Macey.”

      “Oh, I’m so afraid. You’re scaring me. Please stop.”

      “Nobody pushes me around and gets away with it. You’ll be sorry.”

      “I won’t be sorry at all. I should have pushed you harder.”

      The argument ended when she was called into the principal’s office first. I was surprised that she wasn’t in there very long. I didn’t know if that was good news or bad news for me. When she walked out smiling like she’d won, I was pretty sure how things were going to end. I didn’t let on that it bothered me.

      “Have a nice day, Brooklyn. It’s been fun spending time with you. We should do it again.”

      When my name was called, Mrs. Basinger didn’t waste any time in asking questions. “Macey, you’re a leader in your class. Why did you do this? Fortunately, Brooklyn wasn’t hurt but she could have been. Tell me what happened and what you were thinking.”

      For a few seconds, my mind went blank. The more I stared at the pale green tile, the dizzier I felt. I took a deep breath and said, “Miss Rex asked us to share something about ourselves with everyone. Kylie is my best friend and she stuttered when she gave her answer. She does that when she’s nervous. I could see Brooklyn making fun of her but Miss Rex couldn’t. So I was already mad when we got to gym class. Everybody knows she’s a bully and she always gets away with it. Then my sister saw me in the gym and hugged me. Brooklyn made fun of her. She said that Belle and Kylie are losers and act weird. That’s why I blew up.”

      “Are you sorry at all for what you did?”

      “Not really.”

      “Do you think you should apologize to Brooklyn?”

      “No.”

      “Would you do things differently if you had the chance?”

      “Not really.”

      “Then you’ll need to miss recess for an entire week, starting this afternoon.”

      “Okay.”

      “Macey, I’m sorry that she said hurtful things. That was wrong. What bothers me is that you don’t seem worried about your actions.”

      “The only thing I’m worried about is disappointing Miss Rex. I’m afraid she’ll think I’m a troublemaker and I’m not.”

      “Then go ahead and return to class.”

      I didn’t hurry back to my room. I had to stop and go to the restroom first. When I was washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and saw a few tears in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away. I didn’t want anyone to see me crying, especially Brooklyn. When I got to the room, I stood around the corner to hear what Miss Rex was saying. I was so relieved when she said, “Let’s line up for lunch now.” It gave me a chance to walk to my desk without drawing a lot of attention. When it was time for my row to get in line, I followed along.

      As soon as Kylie and I started eating, she wanted to hear about everything. I said my stomach was too upset and I’d tell her on the bus. That didn’t satisfy her. “Macey, I know you’re in trouble because you stood up for me against Brooklyn. She made fun of my stuttering last year. I cried a lot at first but now I try to stay away from her. Just walk away.”

      “I can’t, Kylie. She has no right to hurt your feelings. She shouldn’t be allowed to say terrible things about you and Belle and get by with it. I don’t even care about missing recess for a week. It’s worth it.”

      “What are you going to say when you get home and your parents ask how your day went?”

      “I think I’ll say that I learned where the principal’s office is.”

      She couldn’t keep a straight face and neither could I. So we did what we always do. We cracked up laughing.

      The Talk

      I wasn’t sure what to do when we went back to class and Miss Rex said it was time for recess. I didn’t know if I should stay in my seat or go straight to the principal’s office. When she dismissed everyone in my row, she stood right beside my desk. I knew then that I shouldn’t stand up.

      Some teachers make it worse for kids who are already in trouble. They might say, “Everyone but Macey can go out for recess.” Miss Rex isn’t like that. She waited until everyone was gone. Then she handed me a tissue when she saw the tears that were dripping off my chin.

      “Take a deep breath. I’m not going to scold you. I’m going with you to Mrs. Basinger’s office. You and I are going to talk privately about the problem with Brooklyn.”

      She held my hand after I stood up. That made me feel a lot better. When we started up the steps, I said, “Miss Rex, my legs felt heavy when СКАЧАТЬ