Halloween & Other Seasons by Al Sarrantonio

Author:Al Sarrantonio
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Horror
Publisher: Crossroad Press & Macabre Ink Digital
Published: 2010-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

THE NEW KID

By Al Sarrantonio

Thursday

I hate being the new kid in school.

Today was the same as it’s been ever since I moved here. When I got off the bus the line of bullies, sixth graders with a few fifth graders thrown in for spice, were waiting for me. Chunky Fredericks, the biggest one and the leader, smiled his gap-toothed grin and said, “Nice to see you again, loser!” He slapped me on the back, hard enough to make me stumble, and then the rest of them were on me. When they walked away singing, “New kid! New kid!”, I was left on the ground with my books all over the place and my lunch stepped on. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich doesn’t taste so good when it’s flat.

They got me at lunch, too, and then again as I walked to my bus after school.

I hate this. The only good thing that happened today was that I heard a rumor that another new kid was coming to school.

If only that would happen!

Then maybe the bullies would leave me alone!

~ * ~

Friday

It’s true!

Today our teacher announced that a new student would be arriving in our class on Monday. That didn’t stop the bullies from beating me up today, but even while they were doing it I could feel the weight lifting from me. Chunky Fredericks even sighed and helped me up after they were finished beating me up at lunch.

“You know, loser, I’ll really miss whomping on you,” he said. “Next week you’ll be one of us.” And then he slapped me on the back—but in a friendly way!

I can’t believe it!

On Monday I’m saved!

~ * ~

Monday

My dream has come true!

For the first time since moving here, I walked untouched from the bus to class, and when I walked into my classroom, shielding my face against spitballs and thrown candy, the strangest thing happened: nothing.

Nobody hit me, no one shouted, “Get the new kid!”

Slowly, I lowered my hands from my face.

No one was looking at me.

They were all looking at…him.

The new student was in the front row, right in front of the teacher’s desk. He was kind of weird looking, with a really thin face and skinny arms with long fingers, and kind of pale, almost light green skin.

He was trying real hard not to be noticed, but of course everybody was staring at him.

“Hey, freak!” Chunky Fredericks said, standing up with a wadded-up paper in his hand. He drew his hand back to throw it, and I flinched—but then I realized that he was going to throw it at the new kid and not at me—

At that moment the teacher, Mrs. Adams, came in, and Chunky sat quickly down.

“Later, freak,” Chunky mumbled, as Mrs. Adams started class, and I realized with a sudden feeling of freedom that there was someone in the classroom quaking with fear, and it wasn’t me!

~ * ~

At lunch they got the new kid, of course.

I was real quiet, still not quite believing my good luck,

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