Taking Chances, Learning To Love--Chapter Four
Russ let them out for recess and winced as the twenty-six screaming, high- pitched voices blended in with the hundred-or-so other fourth and fifth graders. He noticed Hailie running off with girls and Cole walked to the swings and sat down, looking at the ground.
The other fourth-and-fifth grade teachers were all talking, so Russ felt out of place. He walked to where Cole slowly swung, ignoring the shouts from the other kids at him. "Hey Cole, don't ya talk?!" Russ heard Jonathon screeching as he clambered up the stairs.
"Yeah, he does Jon, and you talk to much," Russ snapped as the kids cleared. Cole looked up at him and Russ got a first glance at his swollen eye and lip. "God, Cole, what'd ya do?" he asked, crouching down next to him.
"Don't say God's name, Mr. Granger. My father doesn't like that," Cole said as if his voice was robotic, repeating every word, every syllable.
"Sorry, Cole. So what happened?" he asked. Cole sighed. "I ran into a door, I guess, or fell off my bed," he said, racking his brain for the excuse he was told to tell 'the new nosey guy'.
"Oh..." Russ said. "Why don't you play with the guys?" he then asked, "or Hailie and her friends?"
Cole shrugged and answered, "I don't need them. And if I played with Hailie's friends they'd think I was gay. But I'm not. I don't need any friends. Only Hailie. She plays with me some recesses."
"Do they not let you play with them?" Russ asked. "I've never tried. I just never talked a lot, so they don't like me for that."
Russ thought. "We'll change that, I promise," he said secretly. "How?"
"You have to agree to talk though."
Cole thought. "Okay, I guess."
"Well, in class I'm going to do some introducing. Just talk about how you really are, and they'll see that you're a cool kid."
"Promise?"
"If they're smart they are."
"Well, that excludes about 3/4 of htem."
"There, you have some humor."
"Hopefully it'll work."
"Yeah, just don't use that one..They won't appreciate it."
Russ let them out for recess and winced as the twenty-six screaming, high- pitched voices blended in with the hundred-or-so other fourth and fifth graders. He noticed Hailie running off with girls and Cole walked to the swings and sat down, looking at the ground.
The other fourth-and-fifth grade teachers were all talking, so Russ felt out of place. He walked to where Cole slowly swung, ignoring the shouts from the other kids at him. "Hey Cole, don't ya talk?!" Russ heard Jonathon screeching as he clambered up the stairs.
"Yeah, he does Jon, and you talk to much," Russ snapped as the kids cleared. Cole looked up at him and Russ got a first glance at his swollen eye and lip. "God, Cole, what'd ya do?" he asked, crouching down next to him.
"Don't say God's name, Mr. Granger. My father doesn't like that," Cole said as if his voice was robotic, repeating every word, every syllable.
"Sorry, Cole. So what happened?" he asked. Cole sighed. "I ran into a door, I guess, or fell off my bed," he said, racking his brain for the excuse he was told to tell 'the new nosey guy'.
"Oh..." Russ said. "Why don't you play with the guys?" he then asked, "or Hailie and her friends?"
Cole shrugged and answered, "I don't need them. And if I played with Hailie's friends they'd think I was gay. But I'm not. I don't need any friends. Only Hailie. She plays with me some recesses."
"Do they not let you play with them?" Russ asked. "I've never tried. I just never talked a lot, so they don't like me for that."
Russ thought. "We'll change that, I promise," he said secretly. "How?"
"You have to agree to talk though."
Cole thought. "Okay, I guess."
"Well, in class I'm going to do some introducing. Just talk about how you really are, and they'll see that you're a cool kid."
"Promise?"
"If they're smart they are."
"Well, that excludes about 3/4 of htem."
"There, you have some humor."
"Hopefully it'll work."
"Yeah, just don't use that one..They won't appreciate it."