Amy walked past the kitchen with baited breath on her way to the exit to leave after rehearsal the next day. Please, don't let anyone come out, don't let anyone see me… But it didn't work.
"Hey, look, it's the girl who quit!" A few of the boys noticed her and came out into the hallway. "How's it going, Amy?"
"Fine." She answered shortly, and tried to leave.
"Hey, what's your hurry?" One of them asked. "Don't you want to stay and catch up? Or are you too good for us now? You always were, weren't you? Making us look bad, sucking up to the boss…"
"I never did any of that." She argued weakly. But they wouldn't hear it.
"Are you kidding? Always trying to do things better than us… you know, until you came along, work was fun. No one thought to see if we could do a better job. Now we actually have to work. Like, work!"
"Well, I'm sorry for raising the bar." Amy said sarcastically. "Just my nature."
"Damn your nature…" the boy started again, but she turned and started away. "Hey!"
"Amy!" She heard a familiar voice and spun around, seeing Andrew coming from the auditorium. "You finish early?"
"Yeah." Her reply was relieved. "What are you doing here?"
"Tess sent me to give you a ride."
"Oh. I was just gonna walk…"
"Amy, you've been walking?" Andrew sounded upset. She joined him on the way to the car as the boys retreated back to the kitchen. "That's not good for your knees. You should be off your feet as much as possible. Give them a chance to get better."
"Yeah." She looked back at the empty hall, then followed him out. "Whatever."
"Oh. I left something in the theater. Why don't you wait in the car?" He tossed her the keys.
"Ok."
As soon as she was gone, Andrew went to the kitchen and immediately saw the boys who'd been giving Amy a hard time.
"Hey." They looked up, nervous. "I don't care what you think of her. She does not deserve that kind of treatment. Amy White is one of the best people I know, and I will not stand by and listen to this again." He started out the door and then turned back. "I'll be watching you."
But it wasn't over. Day after next, Amy was walking home to test her strength, and the guys happened to get off work at that same time.
"Oh look, it's Amy!" One of them said loudly. "And her boyfriend is nowhere to be found."
"Boyfriend." She snorted, not stopping.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, retard, or can't you hear me?" Amy quickened her pace, too proud (and afraid she couldn't run) to do anything else. "Would you look at this? She's walking away from me. Maybe she can't hear us." They ran up straight behind her, and he started to yell in her ear. "Can you hear this? Can you hear me now?" Amy blinked back tears and went on, ignoring them. She was almost home.
Andrew, please… She thought, not thinking it strange to ask for him. God, please send Andrew to help me. The boys were still following, and growing angry. Finally, the leader snapped.
"Hey!" He grabbed her arm, and was suddenly knocked back. He looked up, startled, into Andrew's calm, cold eyes.
"I thought I made myself clear." He said evenly.
The boys glared at him, but beat a hasty exit. Andrew touched Amy's arm softly. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. Morons." She said, but her voice broke.
"Amy…" He reached out, but she shrugged him away. "I have homework to do, and it's getting late. Are you coming?"
Father, thank you for sending me to help her. But a little more advice would be useful… Andrew prayed silently as he walked back to Amy's house. I'm in way over my head here.
"Hey, look, it's the girl who quit!" A few of the boys noticed her and came out into the hallway. "How's it going, Amy?"
"Fine." She answered shortly, and tried to leave.
"Hey, what's your hurry?" One of them asked. "Don't you want to stay and catch up? Or are you too good for us now? You always were, weren't you? Making us look bad, sucking up to the boss…"
"I never did any of that." She argued weakly. But they wouldn't hear it.
"Are you kidding? Always trying to do things better than us… you know, until you came along, work was fun. No one thought to see if we could do a better job. Now we actually have to work. Like, work!"
"Well, I'm sorry for raising the bar." Amy said sarcastically. "Just my nature."
"Damn your nature…" the boy started again, but she turned and started away. "Hey!"
"Amy!" She heard a familiar voice and spun around, seeing Andrew coming from the auditorium. "You finish early?"
"Yeah." Her reply was relieved. "What are you doing here?"
"Tess sent me to give you a ride."
"Oh. I was just gonna walk…"
"Amy, you've been walking?" Andrew sounded upset. She joined him on the way to the car as the boys retreated back to the kitchen. "That's not good for your knees. You should be off your feet as much as possible. Give them a chance to get better."
"Yeah." She looked back at the empty hall, then followed him out. "Whatever."
"Oh. I left something in the theater. Why don't you wait in the car?" He tossed her the keys.
"Ok."
As soon as she was gone, Andrew went to the kitchen and immediately saw the boys who'd been giving Amy a hard time.
"Hey." They looked up, nervous. "I don't care what you think of her. She does not deserve that kind of treatment. Amy White is one of the best people I know, and I will not stand by and listen to this again." He started out the door and then turned back. "I'll be watching you."
But it wasn't over. Day after next, Amy was walking home to test her strength, and the guys happened to get off work at that same time.
"Oh look, it's Amy!" One of them said loudly. "And her boyfriend is nowhere to be found."
"Boyfriend." She snorted, not stopping.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, retard, or can't you hear me?" Amy quickened her pace, too proud (and afraid she couldn't run) to do anything else. "Would you look at this? She's walking away from me. Maybe she can't hear us." They ran up straight behind her, and he started to yell in her ear. "Can you hear this? Can you hear me now?" Amy blinked back tears and went on, ignoring them. She was almost home.
Andrew, please… She thought, not thinking it strange to ask for him. God, please send Andrew to help me. The boys were still following, and growing angry. Finally, the leader snapped.
"Hey!" He grabbed her arm, and was suddenly knocked back. He looked up, startled, into Andrew's calm, cold eyes.
"I thought I made myself clear." He said evenly.
The boys glared at him, but beat a hasty exit. Andrew touched Amy's arm softly. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. Morons." She said, but her voice broke.
"Amy…" He reached out, but she shrugged him away. "I have homework to do, and it's getting late. Are you coming?"
Father, thank you for sending me to help her. But a little more advice would be useful… Andrew prayed silently as he walked back to Amy's house. I'm in way over my head here.