Free Wart by Anna Myers Page A

frogs." She reached out to take hold of Stewart's arm. "Come walk me to the door, dear."
    Stewart didn't want to go. He looked back at his friends. "Watch me," he wanted to say. "Don't let her zap me." He said nothing. Somehow, he made his feet move and his hand reach out to open the door for her.
    "Get to school early in the morning, Stewart," she said when she had stepped outside, and there was no asking tone to her voice. "Yes, get to school in time to come by my room. I need to talk to you, and, dear, come alone. Don't bring Andrew, Rachel, or the onions."
    "Woe is me," said Stewart to Rachel and Ham when the woman was gone. "I am undone."

• FIVE •
    W ait for me in the library," Stewart told Ham when they were inside the building the next morning. "If I don't make it back, you can have my iPod." He was only half kidding. Very few kids were in the hall that early, and Stewart imagined the sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor echoed along with the sound of his heartbeat.
    "Stewart!" Ms. Gibbs seemed almost surprised to see him. "How nice of you to come." She smiled at him.
    He shrugged. "You told me to come. I thought... you know, that I had to."
    "Well," she said, "come sit beside me while we talk." She walked to her desk and pointed to a bright red overstuffed chair near the desk chair. The chair had not been there yesterday, and Stewart wondered if she had zapped it up just for him. He bent to run his hand across the seat before he sat down.
    "I'll get right to the point. You know I offered to help you with Taylor and your basketball playing." She paused. Stewart held onto the edge of the red chair and nodded his head. "Let's start with basketball. You have a game after school today, don't you?" He nodded again. "The thing is, Stewart, that I feel you may just lack confidence. Don't you suppose that might be your problem?"
    "Well, sure, I guess so." Stewart had a strange feeling, like he was dreaming the entire conversation.
    Ms. Gibbs put one hand up to touch her green necklace. "I'll tell you something, Stewart, when you are playing just glance up at me. I think just seeing me might remind you to have confidence in yourself. I'll sit on the first row of bleachers, so you will have no trouble seeing me." She stood then, but Stewart didn't move.
    "You may go now, Stewart. Go find Ham. I'm sure he is waiting for you, right?"
    Stewart nodded, and she said, "Oh, you're welcome, Stewart. You did say thank you, didn't you?" Stewart nodded again.
    Stewart stepped out into the hall, but he couldn't think where he intended to go. He heard laughter and saw two boys shoving each other. Getting out of their way crossed his mind, but he didn't move. A body pushed against him. His backpack slipped from his shoulder, and he fell against the wall. Bending to pick up his pack, he remembered that he was supposed to meet Ham in the library.
    Rachel was there with Ham, sitting at a table near the door. "What happened?" Ham reached out to take the backpack Stewart was almost dragging.
    "Sit down." Rachel pulled out a chair beside her for him.
    He took the chair, then motioned to Ham. "Lean over here. I don't want to talk loud." Ham half crawled over the table, and Stewart drew in a breath. "She wants to help me." His words came out in a hoarse whisper.
    "With what?" Rachel asked.
    "Basketball and . . . stuff."
    "Wow!" Ham relaxed back into his chair.
    The bell rang. Rachel and Ham pushed away from the table, but Stewart didn't move. "Wait." He put a hand out toward each of them. "What am I going to do?"
    "We'll talk at lunch," said Rachel, and she hurried away.
    Ham waited for Stewart to get up, and they left the library together. Just before they separated for first period, Ham put his hand on Stewart's arm. "You didn't tell about Taylor," he said.
    "Huh?" Stewart pulled away.
    "You left out the part about helping you get Taylor to like you, didn't you?"
    "Don't mention that in front of Rachel, Ham. Rachel wouldn't like it, and