Free The Invisible Hero by Elizabeth Fensham

little body, voice like a squeaky doll’s – and she was the only one to speak out. Not ‘ethical’ was the word she used. I was surprised she knew a word like that, but it was a good word. It sort of summed up that Mr Quayle was way out of line – just plain not fair and maybe even not moral. But when Sam de Grekh got Ruth crying by calling out, ‘Takes a loser to know a loser’, the rest of us were silent.
    And what’s this word ‘loser’, anyway? The way Macca says it, ‘loser’ must mean gentle, quiet types. And so if ‘winner’ means types like Macca, Genelle and Co, then let me get out of here.
    By being silent we allowed the persecution to happen. It’s kind of safe to say ‘we’. And gutless. Let me face facts. I, who know what it feels like to be shunned, did nothing to show Ruth I was on her side.
    Then again, it wasn’t easy for me. I mean, I feel it was harder for me to stand up for Philip than for most of the others. If I’d spoken out, maybe the others would have thought I had something going with Philip, that I had a soft spot for him. Or maybe they’d think I’m too full of myself, too outspoken. This school doesn’t encourage girls to speak out. I’m new. I’m unpopular enough. I was too scared to stick my neck out.
    At home tonight there was a TV documentary on the holocaust. I’d always come down so hard on the Germans who kept safe and silent about the Nazis’ persecution of the Jews, homosexuals, communists, Jehovah’s witnesses, gypsies and any other ‘enemies’, i.e. people who disagreed with Hitler. Jeremy, my younger brother and my parents were talking aloud – calling out their disgust. But this time, I couldn’t join in. I understood that fear can make us betray our consciences and others’ lives.
    Last night I lay in bed wondering how it would have turned out if Mrs Canmore had been at the lesson. She would have stopped Mr Quayle somehow. Then I started composing a powerful speech that, given the chance, I would have delivered to the class and Mr Quayle when he was bagging Philip. Everyone was going to be so swayed by my words that Mr Quayle would have apologised to Philip for his unjust treatment. And the kids would look up to me for doing the right thing. I was pretty impressed with my imaginary speech until I realised that it had taken about half an hour to compose it. In a real life situation, how do you collect your thoughts quickly enough to say something that’s worth it?
Ruth Stern: Tuesday
    I’ve always worried that I’m weak. Being called Waterworks all my school days doesn’t help how I see myself. But yesterday I didn’t have to even think about it. I just couldn’t stand another bad thing said to Phil. The words came straight out of my mouth.‘Not ethical’. I’d only heard that word, ‘ethical’, for the first time last night. Mum, my sister, Hannah, and me were watching the TV news after tea. They had some of Parliament on. My God, what a bunch of bullies. And they tell us at school not to bully.
    There was this big creep from one political party slagging off at a lady on the enemy side. She was into some sort of environmental protection thing and the creep just wanted to pull her down for no obvious reason. But he didn’t even stick to an argument. He called her a ‘frustrated, barren woman with nothing better to do than impede the world of big business’. I asked Mum, ‘What does he mean by barren? ’ And Mum said, ‘It means you haven’t or can’t have babies. He’s being completely illogical and unethical. Argumentum ad hominem. ’
    Mum is clever. She has a University degree, but since Dad left she has two part-time jobs (as a medical receptionist and with Old Age Care) so that she can be home with me and my younger sister when we’re there. Naturally, I asked about