Just Watch Me by Erin Silver

Author:Erin Silver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Common Deer Press
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

“Psst!”

I’m trying to focus on Mr. Dickerson’s math lesson, but a hissing sound distracts me.

“Psst—Simon!”

It’s Vivian.

“What do you want?” I whisper without taking my eyes off the SMART board.

If it’s not her clothes or perfume distracting me, it’s Vivian herself.

“That was some video this morning,” she says.

Now she’s got my full attention.

“Huh? I didn’t post a video this morning.”

“You didn’t—but the Mendelsons did. I happened to catch it live this morning on my way to school. You couldn’t see much after Jeffrey kicked the ball, but all their swearing off-camera pretty much told us what happened. They got exactly what they deserved when they got covered in dog poop, but I’m really worried about you, Simon.”

Mr. Dickerson has his head down as he squints at an equation in our textbook. It’s a very important lesson, but now I can hardly think about math.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

On the other side of me, Henry pipes up. “If you ask me, they shouldn’t have been crossing your lawn like that. They were trespassing. I just hope they don’t beat you up.”

“Yeah,” whispers Patrick, whose desk is behind mine. I turn in my seat to face him. “You’ve been such a good friend and inspiration to us all. I’d really miss you. Let’s hope they’re just full of shi—”

“Excuse me!” says Mr. Dickerson, interrupting our conversation. “What is so important that you’re all whispering when I’m trying to teach?”

I twist back around and look down at my notebook.

“N-n-nothing, sir,” I sputter.

“Sorry,” echo Henry and Patrick.

“Well, it’s not nothing, really,” says Vivian loudly. I feel her staring at me—my cue to fess up.

I keep my mouth shut.

Vivian clicks her tongue at me in disapproval, then continues on my behalf.

“Mr. Dickerson, this morning the Mendelson boys had an accident on Simon’s lawn and now they’re threatening to hurt him. If today is going to be Simon’s last day in one piece, I think we shouldn’t have to spend it in math—not that we don’t like math, sir, but you get the point.”

“Now, now,” says Mr. Dickerson, holding up his hands to shush all thirty kids from whispering and murmuring. “Nobody is going to be harmed.”

Mr. Dickerson’s fingers are smudged with grey lead. He tosses his Number 1 pencil on his desk and rubs his hands. “Our school is a no-bullying zone. Signs are everywhere.” He points to a poster on the side bulletin board. It clearly says no bullying—no cyber, physical, or verbal bullying.

“But have the twins even noticed the board?” asks Henry. He glances around quickly to make sure Owen and Jeffrey aren’t in class. He slumps down in his seat in relief when he sees two empty desks.

A minute ago, this was just a normal day in the life of me, Simon Rosen: the twins get mad at me; they make threats; I escape; repeat. I mean, those twins have been picking on me since forever. I know the drill. But now that everyone else is worried, I wonder if I should take the Mendelson’s threats more seriously.

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