First Day Back
Before school starts,
it seems like every class
is gathered around the basketball court.
I work through the crowd and finally see
Chris.
He’s doing a free throw.
Chris is right there.
He’s really back.
We all stare at him
shooting hoops with his friends.
Man, those are cool friends,
playing with him
like everything is normal
even though the whole school is staring.
He has great friends.
Does he have enough already?
I Am
Wally waves to me.
I push through the crowd,
and we head over to the bars.
“His eyelid kind of droops,” says Wally.
“I couldn’t see from so far away,” I say.
We hook our legs up onto the metal,
rock a couple times,
and let go.
We zoom back and forth.
“How’s your baby brother?” Wally asks.
“Kevin’s great!” I smile.
The buzzer sounds.
We swing off
and walk to class.
Going to our desks,
Wally whispers,
“You sure seem happier.”
“I am.”
I’ll Never Forget
We slide into our seats.
The class is staring at Chris.
I stare at his back.
He’s wearing a striped blue shirt.
I’ll never forget it.
I tap Chris on his shoulder.
He turns around.
His eyelid droops
over a dark, empty spot.
It’s pretty scary.
I try not to look at it.
Maybe he’ll get a patch sometime.
His straight brown hair hangs down
over his eyebrows.
“Yeah?” he says.
“Um.” I tug my braids.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” I say,
and I give him the biggest grin
my face can fit.
And then,
Chris smiles
right back
at me.
Author’s Note
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, up to 4,600 children are abducted by strangers each year. Twelve children across the country are taken daily.
In 2001 the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children launched the AMBER Plan (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) nationwide. The center’s goal is to help cities create their own alert plans.
The AMBER Plan is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies and broadcasters, whereby a bulletin is quickly issued and broadly aired to alert the public of a child abduction. TV and radio stations as well as electronic highway billboards carry pertinent information to aid in the child’s recovery.
In 2003 President George W. Bush passed a law to nationally coordinate state and local AMBER Alert programs under the guidance of an appointed national AMBER Alert coordinator.
The AMBER Plan was created in Texas in remembrance of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 1996. You can learn more about the AMBER Plan by visiting www.missingkids.com or calling 1-800-THE-LOST.
Hold Me Tight Page 17
