Joshua's Island (James Madison Series Book 1)

by Patrick Hodges

  This was so not how I wanted to start my middle-school experience. Meeting her glare, I hitched my backpack up my shoulder. “Can I go to class now, please?” I said this with as much sarcasm as I could put behind it.

  She sneered at me for a few seconds, and then gradually stepped aside so I could leave. So did her two friends. Grateful to avoid any further trouble, I sped out the door and off to my homeroom class.

  The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. My homeroom teacher seemed like a great lady, and though a few of my classmates had given me some weird looks, I made it through to lunchtime without incident.

  And then …

  I walked out of the cafeteria, and was about to enter the breezeway that led to the fifth- and sixth-graders' playground when I heard a familiar voice about fifty feet away. I turned my head to see Tonya, her two friends behind her, standing over two slightly smaller girls, who had their backs up against a brick wall.

  I looked at Tonya's victims, both of whom I recognized from my homeroom class. One was skinny, with short blonde hair and a pink long-sleeve, and the other was slightly chubby, with long brown hair and a sky blue polo. They were both doing their best not to look Tonya in the eye. By the scared looks on their faces, I figured this was not their first run-in with Tonya and her crew.

  I stood, shocked, rendered speechless by déjà vu. In my mind, I pictured Jackie, pushing little Naomi to the ground, laughing cruelly while Naomi cried her eyes out. I'd just stood there that day, watching it happen, glued to the ground in fear. Fear of getting hurt. Fear of getting involved.

  And now, not even a year later, here I was, a thousand miles away from where my biggest mistake took place, watching the same thing happen. Again.

  I scanned the area for teachers, but I saw none. Only a small crowd of kids that stood well back, watching Tonya and her friends do what I figured they'd been doing for a long time: push smaller girls around.

  Time seemed to slow down, and the more I watched, the angrier I became. I could feel my breath getting faster, my heart start to pound, and my hands clench into fists. My eyes narrowed, and my teeth gnashed together.

  No. I am NOT making the same mistake twice.

  I walked toward Tonya, who had just about succeeded in making the other two girls start crying. “Awww, you want a Kleenex to dry your tears?” She turned back to one of her friends. “Ashley, you got a snot-rag for these two little babies?” Her friend just laughed.

  Slowly, I closed the gap between us. Fifteen feet. I pictured Jackie's face. Ten feet. I heard Naomi crying. Five.

  It was then that Tonya finally saw me. She turned towards me with a smirk. “Hey, it's the new girl! I'll be with you in just a –”

  Without even waiting for her to finish her sentence, I stepped right up to her, swung my fist around and punched her in the nose as hard as I could. She staggered back, lost her balance and fell down on the sidewalk, landing square on her butt. She raised a hand to cover her nose, staring up at me with a completely shocked look on her face. A trickle of blood oozed between her fingers.

  I stood over her, giving her my meanest look, a look I also shot at her two friends, just in case they got any ideas. I raised my fists up to show them I meant business, and they quickly took a few steps back. Then I turned my attention back to Tonya, who still hadn't found her voice. Her shocked expression had morphed into one of fear, and a tear had formed at the corner of her eye.

  I felt my face flush as I snarled, “I … hate … bullies.” She responded by trying to slide backwards on her butt in retreat. It was obvious no one had stood up to her until now. Good.

  “You can call yourself the boss, the President or the Queen all you want,” I said, glaring directly into her eyes. “But if you pull that crap on me, or anyone else, ever again, you … will … be … sorry. You got that?” I held my fists up again, waiting for her to stand up and retaliate.

  Without a word, she scrambled to her feet and took off running. Her two friends stared after her for a few seconds, and then hastily walked away in the opposite direction.

  After a few more tense moments, I exhaled in relief, and I felt my blood pressure start to return to normal. I looked around, and was rather embarrassed to see about ten kids, mostly girls, staring at me in open-mouthed astonishment. I turned to the two girls on my left, who were still standing against the wall, and they were giving me the same look.

  “Miss Callahan!” said a mature voice behind me.

  Oh, sure. NOW the teacher shows up.

  I turned to see Mrs. Hoffmeyer, my homeroom teacher, striding toward me with a very perturbed look on her face. When she reached me, she put her hands on her hips and said, “I saw that, young lady.”

  The chubby girl took a half-step forward, pointing at me. “No, Mrs. H, you don't understand! Tonya was yelling at us! She stopped her!” The blonde girl, who still hadn't taken her eyes off me, simply nodded.

  “Is this true?” Mrs. H asked me.

  I nodded sheepishly.

  She shook her head. “It's the first day of school, young lady, you should know better than this. I do not approve of physical violence between students!”

  “I'm sorry, Mrs. H,” I said. “I just thought that, you know … somebody should do something.” I glanced at the two other girls, who were now looking at me with sincere gratitude.

  Mrs. H's face softened slightly. “I applaud your spirit, Miss Callahan, but not your methods. I'm afraid I must ask you to accompany me to Principal Baird's office right away.”

  I exhaled again. “Okay,” I said.

  I moved to walk away when the blonde girl spoke for the first time. “Thank you,” she said simply, her face breaking into a smile.

  I stepped toward her, and smiled as well. “You're welcome.”

  “Um … I'm Bryanna,” she said, extending her hand.

  I took her hand and shook it firmly. “Hello.”

  “I'm April,” said the chubby girl, reaching out for a handshake of her own.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking April's hand as well.

  “Right now, Miss Callahan,” said Mrs. H impatiently, gesturing for me to follow her.

  “Coming.” I turned away, but Bryanna's voice stopped me again.

  “What's your name?” she asked curiously.

  I looked back at her and April as I started to walk down the sidewalk toward the principal's office. I smiled and called to them, “It's Kelsey.”