The sun is so hot here! Was it ever this hot at home? My skin is searing and it's only been a few minutes. Across the playground Mrs. Huntington crosses her arms over her chest and gives me a hard look. I step away from the shade of the building and start walking around the big play yard. This is a stupid idea, but that shouldn't surprise me since it was hers. Exercise will not make it easier to calm myself, especially not when it's outside, which is against the rules. They said to stay inside as much as possible. Exercise can be done inside if it's absolutely necessary, which it's not. Especially on days when the sun is like hellfire.
Yesterday one lap around the play yard was good enough to appease her, so today I'll hope is the same. The other kids are hot too, I can see sweat dripping from their foreheads and the fair skinned children turn bright red, but they still laugh and play like it's nothing. They'd rather be out here and I don't understand it. Ms. Kinders and another lady who's name I haven't learned yet are in the field where the kids usually play kickball or baseball. They're filling up a couple shallow plastic pools with a hose. Two of the older boys are unrolling a long yellow piece of plastic a few feet away from them. I watched them use it yesterday. They get it wet and run and slide down it, which looks fun for the first two seconds, but there were at least two skinned knees when I was watching and I hadn't even been out that long. Even after their legs got cut up on rocks, the kids still got back in line to do it again. Even today some of the same kids are starting to run over to play again, their knees still scabby from yesterday.
There's a burst of emotion on the playground. It's so strong it brings me to my knees for a minute. Someone is hurting. They're so embarrassed it hurts. I open my eyes; the laughter and shrieks are easy to follow. It's Garfield. He's on the far end of the play yard hunched on the ground with his knees to his chest, naked. As other kids notice his discomfort increases. It's like getting punched in the head, I almost need to throw up, his feelings are too strong. In two, three, four, out, two, three, four. There's a white light around me. Nothing can penetrate it. Nothing...
He's still hunched over and more kids are showing up. I should go inside, but I remember the crackers. He was nice to me when he shouldn't have been. I still don't understand why, but he's the first and only kid to be nice to me... Before I can change my mind, I sprint over to where he is. There are about twenty kids giggling now. I look for Mrs. Huntington or one of the other adults, but Mrs. Huntington is talking to James by the door and Ms. Kinders is helping someone inside with blood running down their leg. Who knows where the other one is; we're on our own.
I push through the other kids and stand in front of him, turning my back to him. I take off my shirt off and toss it gently behind me to land on him. I'm wearing an undershirt, so he can have my shirt to cover himself with. I look over my shoulder and he glances up. I nod my head towards the shirt and turn around and hold my arms out to help block the view. Someone else steps up, Richard. He goes to Garfield's other side.
"He's taking his pants off!" A boy yells. I hear Garfield shuffling behind me and then he takes off running. Richard follows after him and I can see he's only wearing his underpants and shirt, Garfield has his pants on and my shirt. I hurry to follow them, but they're too fast. I can't keep up with them. By the time I make it inside I can hear them stomping up the stairs.
Richard in the library when I come up after dinner. Neither he or Garfield showed up and I don't blame them. The other kids would have probably eaten them alive and they don't have their own table like I do. He doesn't turn around when I come in, he just keeps doing whatever he does on the computer. I've seen him with Garfield a few times, but I'm still surprised he helped. They didn't talk much when we had class. Richard usually minds his own business and stays away from everyone. Did Garfield do something nice for him too? He doesn't seem any nicer than anyone else here, so would he do it just to be nice? Either way, I guess it's done. I don't owe Garfield anymore favors. Next time he's on his own.