Matt had once again emptied Bai’s satchel on the ground.
“Money! Now!” said Matt.
“Get lost, bully,” said Bai in a quavering voice.
Matt ripped a page from the nearest book he could grab. Bai tried to take it back, but Matt pushed him hard. Bai fell backward and sat there, horrified.
“That’s a library book!” said Bai. “Please stop.”
Matt ripped out a handful of pages. Bai glanced at me, his eyes wet with tears.
I stood up on shaky legs. Think of the outcome.
The only outcome looming in my head was me sitting on the ground next to Bai while Matt tore up my books too. I couldn’t do it. My feet turned even as my brain screamed, No!
I ran all the way home, the image of Bai’s tearful face keeping me company.
Chapter Eight
That night I feigned a stomachache and didn’t go down for dinner. Zayn could starve, for all I cared. His stupid advice hadn’t worked, nor had he helped.
I was a loser. I’d run away again. And because of me, my best friend was Matt’s main target. I didn’t have the guts to stand up and fight.
I seriously considered telling Mr. Walters everything. Let him deal with Matt.
But Matt always caught us while we were in the park, not at school. Could Mr. Walters or the principal do anything about it if the bullying wasn’t in school and there were no witnesses?
I had to do this by myself. Matt had to know I could stand up to him. It was the only way to stop him and make it up to Bai.
“I’m hungry,” said Zayn mournfully. He’d raided my costume closet yet again. Today he was dressed as Pippi Longstocking, complete with red wig and painted-on freckles. If I wasn’t so upset, I would have had fun dressing up with him.
“I’m not going down to dinner,” I said.
“Go get me something to eat,” he said.
I ignored him.
“Please!” said Zayn. “Genies can die of starvation too, you know.”
“I only help those who help themselves,” I snapped.
“If I start helping myself to food, your mother will notice,” said Zayn. “You want that?”
“I’ll tell her about you,” I said. “No big deal.”
“Only you can see me,” said Zayn. “She’ll think you have an imaginary friend and will schedule a visit with the school psychiatrist.”
He had a point. Besides, it wasn’t his fault I was a coward.
“I’m feeling better, Mom,” I said, shuffling into the kitchen. “May I take a snack up to my room?”
“Of course,” said Mom. “You should never go to bed on an empty stomach.”
I made six chicken tikka rolls and took them upstairs. A grateful Zayn devoured them all.
“I have a healthy appetite,” he said, catching me staring at him. “So what?”
“Whatever,” I said and sat down to do some homework. Trying to focus was useless. On every page I could see Bai’s scared face, his heaving chest, the ruined library book he would have to replace.
I texted Bai: Sorry. Again. Can we please talk?
No response.
Matt was a vicious bully, but if I could somehow record him in action and threaten to show the video to the principal, maybe he’d stop picking on me and Bai and everyone else. But who would help? None of the other kids in class were friendly enough to help us out. Ever since they had seen Matt picking on us, they’d steered clear, not wanting to risk getting on his radar.
Bai might have helped before, but I was sure now he would never ever speak to me again. Matt had cost me my best friend, and I hated him with all my heart.
Zayn dived into his bed and started singing in an off-key voice. I ignored him.
Think! Think! Think! There had to be a way to beat Matt without getting hurt and let him know we were not going to stand for his bullying anymore.
I stared at the beautiful diary Bai had given me a couple of days back. I pulled it to me, wrote my name on the first page and started doodling. I stopped to look up dealing with a bully on my computer. All the suggestions involved talking to an adult. Useless, since the bullying was almost always off the school grounds.
Zayn was still singing. He was getting on my nerves.
I’m hot, I’m cool,
too cool for school.
What I touch disappears.
I’m a gen-i-us, my dears!
“Shut up!” I said. “I’m trying to think.”
Zayn turned on the TV, still humming under his breath.
First I had to turn Matt’s attention back to me, so he’d leave Bai alone.
I’m hot, I’m cool,
too cool for school.
What I touch disappears.
I’m a gen-i-us, my dears!
Zayn sang louder this time. I turned around in my chair and glared at him. He grinned at me. I turned away, thinking hard.
The way I saw it, Matt bullied us only to steal our lunch money. That meant I had to lure him away from Bai and to me by showing him that I had more money. And the only way to do that was to break into my puppy fund.
I stared at the picture of the golden retriever pinned to the wall above my desk. My throat closed up, and I blinked back tears. I’d been saving for a puppy for months now and had fifty dollars. Mom had said if I paid half of the cost, she’d pay the other half.
Bai was more important than a puppy.
I took all the bills out of the box and put them into my backpack. Tomorrow I would make sure Matt picked on me by flaunting the money during class.
But what about the day after? And the day after that? Sweat trickled from my armpits. I had just one chance to teach Matt a lesson, and that was tomorrow. What if my courage failed me again, and he made off with all the money?
I’m hot, I’m cool,
too cool for school.
What I touch disappears.
I’m a gen-i-us, my dears!
It seemed like the millionth time that Zayn had sung that stupid stanza, and in the worst voice ever! What did it even mean?
“Wait a minute!” I turned around in my chair to look at him, words tumbling from my mouth as a brain wave hit. I grabbed the notebook on my desk and lobbed it at Zayn. The moment Zayn caught it, it became invisible.
“That’s it!” I said, leaping into the air. “That’s what you mean by that stupid song. Why didn’t you just say so?”
“I’m on vacation…remember?” said Zayn, placing his hands behind his head. “You have to do the work.”
“So if I gave you my cell phone to record Matt’s bullying, it would disappear when you touched it?”
“Praise be to Allah!” he said. “He has shown the way!”
“I know exactly how to catch that rat tomorrow. Thanks, Zayn.”
“Turn off the lights, please,” said Zayn. “I need my beauty sleep, and my throat’s kinda sore. Didn’t think I’d have to sing for so long.”
“Serves you right,” I muttered.
“I heard that.”
Chapter Nine
I couldn’t wait to share my plan with Bai. Even though he wouldn’t sit next to me in class, maybe I could tell him at recess. After today Matt wouldn’t bother anyone again.
Zayn lounged in Bai’s seat. He’d woken up and gotten dressed in time to go to school with me, saying he was bored at home. Whatever his reason, I was glad he was here. I needed someone in my corner, even if it was a genie on vacation who had yet to grant me a single wish.
The bell rang. Bai did not come to class. Mr. Walters hurried in and took attendance.
“Excuse me, sir,” I said. “Where is Bai Leng?”
“His mother called in to say he’s sick,” Mr. Walters replied and continued to move down the list of names.
I felt sick too. I figured Bai just didn’t want to go through one more day of bullying. What if he decided he never wanted to come back to school? This was all my fault. But I was finally going to do something about it. Today.
I w
as going to be brave for Bai, for me, and for every student Matt had ever bullied or would try to bully. As we left class during recess, I pretended to stumble and fall when I saw Matt. Money spilled out of my pocket. I gathered up the bills slowly and shoved them into my backpack.
Matt winked at me. Later, he mouthed.
“The rat has spied the cheese,” said Zayn. He pumped his fist in the air and followed me out to the playground, where he devoured my lunch. I couldn’t eat a single bite anyway.
I was grateful for his company even though I couldn’t talk to him.
The rest of the day felt as torturous as trying to do math homework with a headache.
“I think I’ll get a sick note and go home,” I whispered to Zayn late in the afternoon. “I’m not feeling too well.”
“You can do this, and I’m with you,” he said. “If you run now, I’ll sing all night, every night. Forever.”
“That’s blackmail,” I whispered.
He gave me an evil grin. “And so much fun!”
I took the usual route home. Before we’d started out, I had handed my cell phone to Zayn and shown him how to record a video.
“Ready?” he said as we got to the deserted stretch of the park where Matt usually showed up.
I walked slowly, my heart pounding, my mouth so dry I couldn’t speak. I gave Zayn a thumbs-up sign.
“You can do it,” he called out. “For Bai.”
“For Bai,” I repeated softly.
And there was Matt. Hulking, mean Matt.
“Hand over your money,” he said, putting out a grimy palm.
“No! I’m saving up to buy a puppy.”
“Woof! Woof!” said Matt. “Don’t I make a cute puppy? Looks like you were feeling left out with me picking on Bai. Is that why you brought so much money to school?” He laughed at his joke. “Give it here. Quick.”
I saw Bai’s scared face in my mind, his eyes pleading for help. Something inside me stiffened. Probably my backbone, which had been missing all this time. My fear melted away and anger charged in, filling me with strength.
“Your bullying ends today,” I said. “Go away and we’ll forget about this. But if you touch me, you’ll regret it.”
“Camera rolling,” Zayn yelled. “And ACTION!”
I clenched my hands and nodded. “You’ve bullied Bai and me for too long. It stops now.”
Matt laughed. “Acting brave, Kira-Kira? It’s a pity that your nerdy friend isn’t here to see it.”
He pushed me hard. I fell, scraping my face against a tree trunk. Something wet trickled down my cheek.
Ow! And yes! I had wanted him to make the first move. Zayn hovered close by, the cell-phone camera aimed at us. It gave me just the boost I needed. I jumped up, drew my foot back and kicked Matt on the shin. He yowled like a mad cat and rubbed his leg. His face was red.
“That was stupid!” he snarled. “I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” He tore my backpack off my shoulders, unzipped it and turned it over. The money fell out. He gathered the bills and stuffed them into his pocket.
Then he grabbed a handful of my T-shirt and yanked me close. He smelled of sour sweat and bad breath. He pulled back his arm. I struggled to get free, but his grip tightened. I closed my eyes, waiting for his fist to connect with my face. This was going to hurt. I steeled myself.
For Bai. For Bai. For Bai, I chanted in my head.
“OW!” Matt yelped and let go of me.
My eyes snapped open. Zayn was doubled over with laughter.
Matt scrubbed his streaming eyes. “You poked me in the eyes. How did you do it? I didn’t even see your hands move.”
“Magic!” I replied, winking at Zayn.
Zayn handed me the cell phone quickly. “Playback time.”
Thanks! I mouthed.
I waited till Matt opened his watering eyes. I pressed play on the video and watched him turn pale. “How, how did you get this? There was no one around us. Who took it?”
“I told you—magic!”
Matt reached out to grab the phone, his face twisted in a sneer. I didn’t move. “You can break it, if you like. All my videos and pictures are backed up instantly to the cloud, and I’m getting a new phone soon, so be my guest.” I held it out to him with a steady hand, though I knew I would be in loads of trouble if I went home with a broken phone.
“What are you going to do with the video?” Matt asked, his hand dropping to his side.
“Return my money first.”
Matt pulled out the bills and threw them at my feet.
“Now get lost. If you ever try to bully someone again, I’m showing this to the principal and our teacher. I might even show it to the whole class.”
Matt walked away, his shoulders drooping. I knew this was the last time he’d bully anyone in this school. I had done it.
Zayn and I danced the bhangra. “Ballay, ballay!” we whooped as we circled the tree, even though the cut on my cheek stung and my head throbbed. I wished Bai had been here to join in the celebration.
Chapter Ten
Bai sat in our special spot, munching on a sandwich. When I didn’t see him in the cafeteria, I hoped I’d find him here. Though he was still sitting in the front row, I was glad he was at least back at school.
Bai started to pack up as soon as he saw me.
“Please, Bai, watch this, and then you can go.”
He took my cell phone and watched the video. His eyes widened when he reached the part where Matt shoved me into a tree. When the video ended, he handed my phone back to me.
“Who recorded this for you?” he asked.
“A friend who is also sick of Matt’s bullying.” I remembered Zayn’s words. People would think I had lost my mind if I told them about a genie. Plus, I wanted to keep Zayn to myself a little while longer.
Bai shrugged. “Okay.”
“I’m really sorry I was a coward. It took me a while to be brave, but I am now. Matt will never bully anyone again,” I said. “I made sure of that.”
When Bai still didn’t say anything, I went on. “I miss my best friend, and I want him back.”
“Me too,” he said. He scooched over and patted the space beside him.
I climbed up onto the trunk and took out my lunch.
“I have a secret,” said Bai. “I only wear clothes made in India. They’re the best.”
I pulled the dragon diary from my bag. “My favorite diary is made in China.”
“But overall China is still number one,” he said.
“You got that part wrong, but we’ll let it go for today,” I replied.
We sat side by side and finished our lunches.
When I went to my room after dinner, Zayn was watching TV.
“Thanks for your help,” I said.
“You did the stunts,” he said, munching on jalapeño chips. “I was merely the cameraman.”
“So, umm, don’t you need to go somewhere? Help some other kids in the world?” Since he was on vacation and not granting any wishes, I really didn’t need a genie hanging around my room all the time. I could take care of myself now.
“Are you kidding me?” he said. “I’ve got my own bed to lounge in, a TV and a grateful roomie, who loves my singing, to bring me my meals. I’m staying forever.” He started singing in his off-key voice. “Best friends forever…”
I pulled out my noise-canceling headphones and fitted the large earpads over my head. With a deep sigh, I started on my homework.
MAHTAB NARSIMHAN is the award-winning author of several books for young readers, including Embrace the Chicken (Orca), Mission Mumbai (Scholastic), The Tiffin (DCB) and The Third Eye (Dundurn), which won the Silver Birch Award. She was a Writer in Residence at the Toronto District School Board from 2014–2016. Born in Mumbai, Mahtab immigrated to Canada in 1997. She now lives in Vancouver.
&nbs
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