The BSC Legacy - Book 3: When Numbers Really Count

By: CNJ

PG-13

21: The Final Storm, Part 2

Kristy:

All of us talked for the next few hours and cried some. Mom came in and asked if we were all right and we shook our heads and haltingly told her about what had happened at the softball game.

"Oh, dear," Mom gave us a kind of group hug. "I'm so glad none of you were hurt."

I introduced Mom to the Five R Us members. Mom asked if we wanted take-out Chinese for dinner and we all nodded.

Several of us called our folks and told them what had happened, so for dinner, all of us, including my own family, gathered in the family room to eat and talk.

Mary Anne and Dawn's folks came over and so did the Kishis and Abby and Anna's mom and all of them gave us kids a big relief hug. Mary Anne started to cry again as Sharon and Richard hugged her. The mood was somber as we started to eat

"It's a good thing a lot of teachers were there today," Rachel Stevenson told us.

"They were courageous," Katie put in. "I saw Ms. Silverbein stop Randy Kirwan from doing any more damage and he's around six-two and she's around five-six."

"Mr. Brooke managed to stop Keith Masterson from punching Scott Daly," Christie added. "I just hope Scott wasn't hurt."

"I saw Melanie and Logan there and they just about got into a fight with Randy and Jana," Mona added.

"Logan...?" I asked, giving Mary Anne a quick glance.

"He's at Burkeview now," Mary Anne nodded.

She and Mona looked over at each other. I remembered that when Mona came out to us about her sexual orientation back in March, she'd mentioned that Logan is at Burkeview and is now dating a Melanie Edwards.

"Well, hopefully, the kids who did this will get it this time," Watson put in.

"I think so," Abby added. "They were hauled into the school, Jana, Randy Kirwan, and Riles Greer."

"I take it that they used to all be part of an In crowd?" Richard asked.

"Yeah..." we all nodded.

"Both of your schools have one?" Mom asked, passing around more noodles.

"Yes," Katie told us. "Burkeview had what was called a BIG clique and Stoneybrook had an In clique. Operation Today's Good Youth last fall weakened those cliques so they aren't so powerful anymore."

"But they're still causing some trouble..." Sharon put in. We nodded.

"But they don't dominate the social scene as much as they did last year," I explained. "But yeah, they still cause occasional trouble..."

I was surprised by the fresh tears that welled in my eyes. Mom stroked my back. I had to cry again.

"I think Ms. Silverbein will see that they're dealt with this time. I hope Mr. Brooke does the same for Burkeview," Abby put in.

"Me too..." the Five R Us added.

We talked a while longer before it started to get dark. As we cleaned up the family room, I offered the Five R Us a ride home and Mom let me borrow her van for the purpose.

It's just the second time I'd driven the van since I'd gotten my license, so I drove slowly. It's like being on a huge ship high in the air. Once I dropped them off, the Five R Us thanked me and I thanked them.

"Good luck; I hope Mr. Brooke got them this time," I called.

"Goes both ways," Katie called back.

On Monday at school, things were rather muted and a lot of kids were still very shaken from Saturday's ordeal. Most of SHS had been at the game, so this affected most of the school.

I was happy to hear the Ms. Silverbein had suspended the kids who caused the trouble for two weeks; in addition, as she announced on the loudspeaker that morning, the troublemakers who had been in sports teams (not many actually, just two guys on track and a few on the football team) were banned from the teams for the next year.

Then she thanked the rest of us for cooperating and moving out at fast as we could and staying calm. They are not even permitted to come into our stadium for the year.

Ms. Silverbein sounded calm over the loudspeaker that morning, but when I saw her later in the hall, she seemed down.

"Are you all right?" Mona, who was with me asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you." As we passed the rest of the offices, we noticed a whole bunch of kids lined up outside the counselor's offices.

"Ms Kast and Ms. Raxon are both going to be busy for the next few days," I muttered as Mona and I made our way to Spanish class.

Mona nodded. As we walked into class, we remembered that our Spanish teacher, Ms. Vega, had also been there and had managed to stop several fights. At the beginning of class, she asked if all of us were okay and we talked a little about what had happened on Saturday before heading into that day's lesson. I like Ms. Vega; she makes this class enjoyable.

She was born here, but her folks came from Cuba. She grew up speaking English, but as a teenager and young adult, learned Spanish and now can speak it like an actual native, which is remarkable.

She once told us that she has an aunt who grew up speaking both languages. Her aunt sounds lucky.

Most of our classes went like this today; the teachers made sure all of us were all right and we proceeded with classes slowly.

Ms. Cerrata told us how sorry she was that the incident happened and asked how we were feeling and we talked some about the incident, the baseball storm, I began to think of it.

Once school let out, I was lingering around outside the offices, waiting for Abby and Anna when I happened to glance in the window and saw right into Ms. Silverbein's office.

Ms. Silverbein was in a chair by her desk. Not unusual, you might think.

But she had her face buried in her hands and was slumped over. The door was ajar and I thought I heard a soft sucking sound I heard it again and suspected it was a sob.

Is she crying? I wondered. The school secretary came out with tissues and handed them to her. That's when I knew Ms. Silverbein was actually in tears.

"There, there, now..." Ms. Weber was saying softly, stroking Ms. Silverbein. "You were great on Saturday, I heard. You kept a whole bunch of kids from getting hurt and probably stopped the situation from escalating."

"Oh, Phyllis..." Ms. Silverbein's voice was high and quivery and fresh sobs overwhelmed her. "I still feel so b-bad I didn't see it c-coming..."

"Hey, don't blame yourself, Leah..." Ms. Weber then put her arms around Ms. Silverbein and gave her a hug.

Poor thing! I thought in alarm. She feels awful about what happened last Saturday and is blaming herself.

I closed the door soundlessly and moved away to let her cry in private. When Anna and Abby met me, I was eager to get home and e-mail my friends about what I had just witnessed. We needed to do something for Ms. Silverbein.

She's done so much for us and put her neck on the line last fall when we were involved in Operation Today's Good Youth. Now it's time we did something to reassure her of how much she'd done and how much we valued her as our principal.

Mary Anne:

Kristy told us that she'd seen that Ms. Silverbein was really upset.

"Poor soul," I gasped at that afternoon's BSC meeting. "We need to show her that she's great. It sounds like she's blaming herself."

"She's done so much to make our school safer," Anna put in."We need to tell her how much we appreciate her leadership," Stacey added.

"Ms. Silverbein might not want anyone to know she was crying," Mona put in.

"The thing is to let her know how much she's appreciated without letting on the we know how shaken she really is," Claudia passed around M&M's and chips.

We munched quietly a minute, thinking. We are all still a bit shaky ourselves and knew a lot of other kids are also.

The last time I remember the halls in school being this quiet was back in eighth grade at Stoneybrook Middle when Amelia Freeman died.

I fought back tears as I thought about that awful time. I was now having more nightmares, this time of being shoved and of falling through the bleachers.

Even now I started to shake a little as I remembered...just feeling hands out of control forcing me almost over, touching me without my consent.

"What about a letter?" Kristy blurted. I could see it; one of her ideas. "We could secretly get the other kids to sign it and drop it in her office thanking her for her courage on Saturday."

"Great idea..." "Swell..." We put in.

"How about a card?" Stacey added. "A thank you card that doesn't let on that we know of her being so upset, but lets her know that we appreciate her efforts. What we can do is get a paper, have everyone sign it and put it in the card."

"Great!" Goood!" We all whooped and hugged each other.

Mona:

We passed around the paper and to our amazement, every single student (except the suspended ones, of course) signed it. The kids who'd been suspended, Cokie Mason, Riles Greer, and Alan Gray being three of them, had had their parents contacted and were put on actual probation with the law for the summer!

"Good..." Kristy muttered when she heard that.

By Friday, we had the card ready. The BSC headed to Ms. Silverbein's office at lunch that Friday. She slowly stood when she entered her office and handed the card to her.

It's a nice little card, if I say so myself. It has a picture of earth in space, and says on the cover Your fine leadership... and on the inside continues ...means the world to us.

"We want to thank you for your heroism last weekend," Kristy told her. "And for all you've done for us this past year and all the years we've been here."

"Oh...thank you," Ms. Silverbein's eyebrows went up a little as she accepted the card, then opened it.

Boy did her eyes well up with tears when she saw all the signatures!

"Oh, girls, I'm...s-so touched." She gave us all a big hug, then started to sniffle and reached over her desk and grabbed some tissues.

"I felt so dreadful about last weekend and this means so much to me..." She wiped her eyes just as Mary Anne's eyes filled with tears.

Ms. Silverbein noticed this and with a shaky laugh, handed her some tissues. It was a relief to see Ms. Silverbein moved by our card.

Later on, Ms. Silverbein came over the loudspeaker to tell the rest of the student body of SHS how much that card meant to her. She paused a minute and I thought she was really going to start bawling, but then managed to continue, thanking US for our part in getting SHS back on the right track.

Mary Anne, who was in this period with me, started bawling when she said that.

"...so together, all of us, students, parents, and faculty are doing our part to make schools safer...and the youth of today have once again proven how commendable they are and what a long way we've come," Ms. Silverbein finished.

At that, we all applauded, whooped, and made all sorts of victory noises. Mary Anne grabbed more tissues and cried even harder.

Once classes were over for the day and my friends and I met at our lockers and started out toward the weekend, someone hollered, "Long live the Baby-Sitters' Club!"

Other kids added, "Right on!" and "Way to go, BSC!"

"Thanks!" We called back. Once we got outside and on the way home, all of us hi-fived and whooped, "THE BSC FOREVER!"