In The Best Interest--"Mark's Problem"
They continued with the school day until Peter dismissed them, but asked Mark to stay back. "Mark? What happened when you were reading?" he asked. Mark's face turned red. "I, uh, don't know..Iguess I don't have that high of a reading level," he answered.
"This book doesn't have to many big words, Mark. I'll talk to you more this afternoon after I get some time to look over your transcripts." Peter said, looking for his reaction. Mark just half-smiled. "Okay. Um, can I go?" Peter nodded.
Kristin was waiting for Mark. "Oh, hey," Mark said when he saw her. She smiled. "Hi, Mark."
"So, uh, what's up?" Kristin asked. "Nothing. I guess." He answered, his voice a whisper. "Oh. Um, what happened in language arts today? I mean, when you were reading?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound nosy. He turned red. "I, um, uh, n-nothing. I mean, I guess i can tell you...I can't read very well. Or write. I never learned well. I was kept back, but you can only get kept back so many times, and my dad...Well, he just never let me study really. Or take any special classes. So, I never learned real well." he answered.
She nodded in understandment. "It's okay. It's nothing to be embarassed about. Auggie, one of hte older Cliffhangers, has dyslexia." She explained. He shook his head. "You don't understand, okay? You're smart. I saw you in class. You could actually participate knowingly. Auggie or whoever has a reason-dyslexia is a disease. I'm just plain stupid." he said angrily.
"You're not STUPID, Mark. Just let me help you. Please?" she asked. he sighed. "I don't know. Peter wants to talk to me about it later. I'll get back to you then."
They continued with the school day until Peter dismissed them, but asked Mark to stay back. "Mark? What happened when you were reading?" he asked. Mark's face turned red. "I, uh, don't know..Iguess I don't have that high of a reading level," he answered.
"This book doesn't have to many big words, Mark. I'll talk to you more this afternoon after I get some time to look over your transcripts." Peter said, looking for his reaction. Mark just half-smiled. "Okay. Um, can I go?" Peter nodded.
Kristin was waiting for Mark. "Oh, hey," Mark said when he saw her. She smiled. "Hi, Mark."
"So, uh, what's up?" Kristin asked. "Nothing. I guess." He answered, his voice a whisper. "Oh. Um, what happened in language arts today? I mean, when you were reading?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound nosy. He turned red. "I, um, uh, n-nothing. I mean, I guess i can tell you...I can't read very well. Or write. I never learned well. I was kept back, but you can only get kept back so many times, and my dad...Well, he just never let me study really. Or take any special classes. So, I never learned real well." he answered.
She nodded in understandment. "It's okay. It's nothing to be embarassed about. Auggie, one of hte older Cliffhangers, has dyslexia." She explained. He shook his head. "You don't understand, okay? You're smart. I saw you in class. You could actually participate knowingly. Auggie or whoever has a reason-dyslexia is a disease. I'm just plain stupid." he said angrily.
"You're not STUPID, Mark. Just let me help you. Please?" she asked. he sighed. "I don't know. Peter wants to talk to me about it later. I'll get back to you then."