Age:
High School
Reading Level: 2.3
Chapter 1
Kenny Tyler grabbed his father's old coat from the hook as he rushed out of the house on Monday morning. His dad had worn it every day before he got sick. Now, when Kenny pulled the coat around him, he imagined his dad giving him a warm hug. It still smelled like cigars.
“Bye, Mom! I’m going to school.” The screen door slammed shut behind him.
From upstairs, his mother called out, “Bye, honey. See you later.”
Kenny knew his mom would stay in bed most of the morning. Before his dad died, she used to make breakfast for the three of them.
Now, Kenny woke her before he left for school with a hot cup of coffee. It happened six months ago. It still didn’t seem real. Kenny’s mom now reminded him a flower in winter—all wilted, the color gone. She didn't wear makeup anymore. Her pretty curls were flat from lying down so much.
She had not gone back to work. It was like she had turned into a ghost. There were days when he wondered if she would ever be happy again.
He got into the car and shivered. It was cold for October, so he turned on the heater. He pulled out of the driveway, glad to be on his way to school.
He didn’t know anyone else who liked Monday mornings. But Kenny didn't mind them at all.
On Mondays he helped out with the students in Mrs. Magner’s classroom. They were slow learners but they always did their best. At first, he had signed up as a volunteer because it would look good on his college application.
But after he got to know them, he really, really liked them. They were funny and smart, especially Brian. Brian and Kenny had a lot in common. They both liked the Rolling Stones. Both Brian and Kenny had seen every one of the Harry Potter movies.
Kenny pulled into a parking space near the gym. A blue convertible pulled in next to him. Kenny winced. Inside were Max, Connor, and Jake: the school bullies.
Kenny grabbed his backpack and got out quickly.
He locked the car and hurried up the sidewalk to wait for the wheelchair van.
The bullies were close behind him. He heard Max speaking. “Oh man, that was awesome! We pulled it off! Dude!”
“Yeah, that’s how you do it! Man, it was like taking candy from dumbass babies!”
“Yo, what are we going to do with the stuff now?" Connor asked. "I can’t keep it at my house. My mom always comes into my room to clean it.”
Kenny glanced back and saw Max and Jake laughing.
“Your mommy still cleans your room, Connor? What are you, a little baby?”
Now Connor laughed. Or half-laughed.
“Hold up," Max said. "Let me think for a second.” After a quick pause, he told the others his plan.
“Jake, put the stuff in your locker. It will be safe there.”
“Yeah,” laughed Connor, “it’s not like you use your locker for books.”
They passed Kenny, laughing and shoving each other.
Connor’s eyes briefly met Kenny’s eyes. Then they both looked quickly away. It was hard to believe he and Connor had been best friends once. They had lived next door to each other.
Kenny was there the day the police called to say Connor’s dad died. He had been hit by a drunk driver. They were only nine years old at the time.
They drifted apart after Connor’s mom sold their house. It was a slow drift, like icebergs breaking apart in the sea.
They had nothing in common anymore. Well, except for one thing. Neither one had a dad now.
Chapter 2
The van arrived and the driver opened the doors. Olivia, a girl who also helped out in Mrs. Magner’s class, waited next to him.
“Hi, Kenny,” she said. She tucked her blonde curly hair behind her ears.
“Hey,” he replied. He hoped he wasn’t blushing. Olivia was the prettiest girl in the senior class.
The driver got out and lowered the ramp for the wheelchairs. Jessica came out first. “Hey, pretty girl!” Olivia called to her.
Jessica smiled at Olivia. “Hi, Liv!” Jessica replied. “Cool jacket!”
“Thanks! You can borrow it sometime if you want.”
Jess and Olivia chatted as they walked to the door.
Brian was the next student to come off the ramp. He had the reddest hair and the most freckles Kenny had ever seen. He used a wheelchair too, a real fancy one. It had an iPad attached to it, and hand controls. Brian used the iPad to speak. He could touch the pictures on the screen. A computer voice spoke for him. The bus driver got back into the bus and called out to Kenny. “Brian’s mother wants to know when you can visit Brian after school.”
“Really? Brian’s mom wants to know?” He bent down to look into Brian’s blue eyes. “How about if Brian asks me himself?”
Brian’s face broke into a wide smile. Kenny never got tired of that smile.
He touched the iPad’s screen. ”Let’s hang out.”
“You got it, Dude. Just say when.”
Brian pushed the control on his wheelchair and moved toward the school entrance. Kenny walked next to him.
Max was standing inside the doorway, staring at them. It was a little creepy.
Chapter 3
Mrs. Magner stood at the door to her classroom. “Well, hello there, guys. Happy Monday!”
Inside the classroom, Kenny helped Brian take off his jacket. He hung it on the hook.
“Is it okay for me to open your backpack, Brian?” Brian nodded. Kenny took out Brian’s lunch bag and put it in the refrigerator.
“First period is about to begin,” Mrs. Magner said to Kenny and Olivia. “Will we see you at lunch?"
“At the cool kids’ table, right?” replied Olivia. “Bye, all. See you in the cafeteria.”
“See you later, Olivia,” Kenny said.
“You know it, Ken-boy.” She gave him a playful punch on his arm. This time, Kenny couldn't help blushing.
First period senior English was the longest class of the day. At least, it seemed that way. Kenny sat behind his best friend Andrew. He tapped him on the back, and Andrew said, "Who is it?"
Andrew was the funniest guy Kenny knew. One minute he would be doing a math problem. The next minute, he'd say something random like, "Did you ever push an elevator button a hundred times in a row? Does it come any faster? I think not."
Then he would go back to his math problem.
Even though he made Kenny laugh constantly, Andrew was also the type of person who followed the rules, got straight A's, and never got into trouble. Sometimes Kenny envied him.
“Listen up, folks,” said Mr. Dean. “We’ve read the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
We’ve talked about themes of bravery and compassion. Of course, we know it’s also about good and evil. I want you to think about all that as we watch the movie.”
Jake slumped in his seat. “Yo, can we have popcorn, Mr. Dean?”
"Only if you brought some, Jake." He tapped Jake's desk, warning him to quiet down.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, Kenny saw Jake asleep at his desk. No one said anything to Mr. Dean. Everyone liked Jake much better when he was asleep. He couldn’t bully anyone while he snored and drooled into his elbow.