blushing because the girls were listening. When the boys left, Danny grinned.
“Well, what do you know,” he said. “We have our own Ron Guidry right here on our blanket.”
I punched him in the arm and we ended up wrestling, the girls laughing the whole time. It suddenly hit me that I no longer felt like the new kid in school. People knew me; I had friends! I got so excited, I threw myself on Danny with all my might and managed to pin him to the ground.
The picnic only lasted an hour. The buses came to take us back to our school. Patty sat with me and Danny and Michelle shared the seat behind us. Patty and I didn’t talk much, but I liked having her next to me. I couldn’t wait until the sixth-grade party, which was right after graduation. It was being held in our school cafeteria, with a live disc jockey running the show. I made a mental note to remember to ask Danny if he knew how to dance, so he could teach me just in case I felt like asking Patty.
We were almost finished with the last set. Mrs. Casey wanted them all done a week before they put on the play so that everything would be ready without any rushing at the last minute. As we were putting the finishing touches on all the details, Mark ran into the art room, panting with excitement.
“Did you hear what happened with your brother and Eddie?” he asked me.
A tingle of fear ran up my spine. “No, how could I? I haven’t been home yet. What happened?”
“They had a fight in the junior high cafeteria.”
“Jeremy?” I couldn’t remember the last fight he’d gotten into, if you didn’t count the squabbles he had with Mom and me.
“Yep, Jeremy.” Mark was grinning, like my brother had just won a prize or something. “And he gave it but good to that creep. Eddie was crying when the gym teacher came over and broke it up.”
“Why were they fighting?” Danny asked.
“Eddie pulled his usual. Insulted Jeremy as he walked by with his lunch tray. Called him a retard. Jeremy put down his books and his tray and punched Eddie in the mouth.”
I was afraid to ask but I had to know. “What did they do to Jeremy?”
“Called your mother, I think, and Mrs. Gordon. And I heard both of them had to stay in for detention.”
I had two feelings inside me which kept getting mixed up as each tried to cancel the other out. First of all, mad as I was at him, I was glad that Jeremy finally got back at Eddie, and proud that he’d knocked him down. But I was afraid. Terribly afraid. Knowing Eddie like I did, I was sure that this wasn’t the end of the incident. I just knew that he was going to retaliate and do something horrible. Jeremy was my brother, but Eddie was my friend, and for some stupid reason, I felt like I was in the middle of it all.
I got up from the floor where Danny and I had been working. “I better go home. I should be there when Jeremy comes in, I guess.”
Danny nodded, understanding. “See you tomorrow. We can finish this then.”
Jeremy walked into the house about half an hour after I got home. I was in the den when he unlocked the front door. I heard him go into the kitchen and throw his books on the table. I ran up the stairs.
“Hi,” I said, suddenly nervous.
“Hi,” Jeremy answered. He took a container of Tropicana out of the refrigerator and started drinking from it.
“Don’t do that,” I said before I could stop myself. “Mom will be mad.”
“Mom’s not here and I’m just finishing it up.” He tossed the container toward the sink, about a foot from where he was standing. It fell on the floor. Disgusted, he picked it up and put it into the garbage.
“I had a fight with Eddie Gordon today. Mr. Helmsley made us stay after for detention.” He spoke as if it was no big deal, like it was something that happened every other day.
“I know.”
He gaped at me. “Who told you? Mom?”
“Mark. He stopped over at school while I was working on the sets.”
“I guess everyone knows about it.” He didn’t sound
“Well, what do you know,” he said. “We have our own Ron Guidry right here on our blanket.”
I punched him in the arm and we ended up wrestling, the girls laughing the whole time. It suddenly hit me that I no longer felt like the new kid in school. People knew me; I had friends! I got so excited, I threw myself on Danny with all my might and managed to pin him to the ground.
The picnic only lasted an hour. The buses came to take us back to our school. Patty sat with me and Danny and Michelle shared the seat behind us. Patty and I didn’t talk much, but I liked having her next to me. I couldn’t wait until the sixth-grade party, which was right after graduation. It was being held in our school cafeteria, with a live disc jockey running the show. I made a mental note to remember to ask Danny if he knew how to dance, so he could teach me just in case I felt like asking Patty.
We were almost finished with the last set. Mrs. Casey wanted them all done a week before they put on the play so that everything would be ready without any rushing at the last minute. As we were putting the finishing touches on all the details, Mark ran into the art room, panting with excitement.
“Did you hear what happened with your brother and Eddie?” he asked me.
A tingle of fear ran up my spine. “No, how could I? I haven’t been home yet. What happened?”
“They had a fight in the junior high cafeteria.”
“Jeremy?” I couldn’t remember the last fight he’d gotten into, if you didn’t count the squabbles he had with Mom and me.
“Yep, Jeremy.” Mark was grinning, like my brother had just won a prize or something. “And he gave it but good to that creep. Eddie was crying when the gym teacher came over and broke it up.”
“Why were they fighting?” Danny asked.
“Eddie pulled his usual. Insulted Jeremy as he walked by with his lunch tray. Called him a retard. Jeremy put down his books and his tray and punched Eddie in the mouth.”
I was afraid to ask but I had to know. “What did they do to Jeremy?”
“Called your mother, I think, and Mrs. Gordon. And I heard both of them had to stay in for detention.”
I had two feelings inside me which kept getting mixed up as each tried to cancel the other out. First of all, mad as I was at him, I was glad that Jeremy finally got back at Eddie, and proud that he’d knocked him down. But I was afraid. Terribly afraid. Knowing Eddie like I did, I was sure that this wasn’t the end of the incident. I just knew that he was going to retaliate and do something horrible. Jeremy was my brother, but Eddie was my friend, and for some stupid reason, I felt like I was in the middle of it all.
I got up from the floor where Danny and I had been working. “I better go home. I should be there when Jeremy comes in, I guess.”
Danny nodded, understanding. “See you tomorrow. We can finish this then.”
Jeremy walked into the house about half an hour after I got home. I was in the den when he unlocked the front door. I heard him go into the kitchen and throw his books on the table. I ran up the stairs.
“Hi,” I said, suddenly nervous.
“Hi,” Jeremy answered. He took a container of Tropicana out of the refrigerator and started drinking from it.
“Don’t do that,” I said before I could stop myself. “Mom will be mad.”
“Mom’s not here and I’m just finishing it up.” He tossed the container toward the sink, about a foot from where he was standing. It fell on the floor. Disgusted, he picked it up and put it into the garbage.
“I had a fight with Eddie Gordon today. Mr. Helmsley made us stay after for detention.” He spoke as if it was no big deal, like it was something that happened every other day.
“I know.”
He gaped at me. “Who told you? Mom?”
“Mark. He stopped over at school while I was working on the sets.”
“I guess everyone knows about it.” He didn’t sound