Joe walked into home room the next morning and took a seat in the back of the room. A boy with cropped red hair, glasses, and freckles sat down beside him. "Hi," the boy said. "My name is Jimmy Harrison," Biff introduced himself. Mr. Hardy had given them all clear instructions that Joe was not to find out who they were.
Joe looked at him and nodded. "What's your name?" Biff asked, trying to get Joe to open up. He had never seen Joe so still and it was kind of disquieting.
"Joe Moody," Joe answered, then turned back to face the front of the room.
"I'm new here," Biff continued talking. "It's my first day. What are the teachers like?"
"Don't know," Joe replied. "Ask someone else."
"Hey. I'm just trying to be friendly," Biff said.
"I don't need any friends," Joe told him, not turning around.
"Everyone needs friends," Biff said, worried even more. Joe's natural parents weren't anywhere around and Joe was still acting weird.
"Not me," Joe told him, turning around to stare at him with blue eyes as cold as steel.
At a loss for words, Biff was relieved when the teacher chose that moment to enter the room. A few minutes later they were dismissed to attend their first class. Biff hoped Tony had more luck with Joe than he had.
Tony came in and took the empty seat behind Joe. Joe already had his book open and was engrossed in the first chapter. "Hey, man," Tony said, his eyes a bright blue and his hair a dark brown with blond highlights. "That's the wrong chapter." Tony knew he was right because half the school year had already passed.
"I'm just trying to refresh," Joe responded, not looking away from his book.
"Forget that," Tony told him. "Welcome to Brushnell," he continued. "I'm Ken." He waited for Joe to introduce himself, but Joe kept reading. "What's your name?"
"Joe," he replied, not looking up.
"What.." Tony started but was interrupted by the entrance of the teacher.
"Good morning," said the algebra teacher entering the room. "We are having an exam tomorrow morning so this morning I want to see what each student can do. Bob Freeman, please come to the board."
The teacher went down the list alphabetically. "Joe Moody," the teacher called out a little later. Tony watched Joe stand up, swaying a bit. He's dizzy, thought Tony, watching Joe in concern. Joe took a deep breath and walked up to the board. Finishing the problems given him in minutes, he returned to his seat, grasping the edge of it for support as he sat down.
When the bell rang announcing the end of class, Tony saw Joe stand up, once again taking a few seconds to battle the dizziness he felt. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Joe answered before moving away.
Tony left after Joe and caught up to Chet before he could enter his next class. He told Chet about Joe's dizzy spells. "Figures," Chet said. "He never finished his work on time last night. He's probably weak from hunger."
"You're right," Tony admitted. "He probably hasn't had hardly anything, if anything, since he returned to them."
"Well, he will be eating lunch," Chet said. "We'll just have to make sure he gets enough to do until tomorrow in case they don't feed him tonight either."
In class, Chet took a seat three away from Joe. He noticed how Joe ignored anyone who tried to talk to him, answering any questions asked but offering no further information. He was quiet and reserved and spent all his spare time reading his text book. This behavior was so unlike Joe, Chet felt himself getting angry all over again at the people responsible for the change. It was like Joe had been killed and some alien had taken over his body.
Finally, the bell rang and Joe headed to lunch. He was famished. He got his tray and took the first table available where no one sat. At once, he began inhaling his food. "Hi," Tony said, sitting down beside Joe as he was finishing his last fry. "Joe, right?"
Joe nodded and started to lift his tray but Chet and Phil arrived just then followed by Biff. "Hi," Chet said. "I'm Todd Hampton. We have history together," he said.
Joe nodded. "I was just leaving," he said.
"Ah, don't go," Phil said. "I'm Pete Marsden," he introduced himself. "Joe what?"
"Moody, wasn't it?" Biff asked, looking at his plate and frowning. "Anyone want my burger?" he asked. "I don't eat beef."
"Forget it dude," Chet said. "I'm on a diet. Any takers for my fries?"
"Joe's new guy," Phil said. "School rules. New guy has to do whatever he's told on his first day."
"You're right," Chet said. "Well, Joe, looks like you end up with two lunches," he added, passing his fries as Biff handed him his burger and Phil gave Joe his milk.
Tony handed over his corn on the cob. "I never pass up a chance to get rid of my veggies," he said.
Joe gave a wan smile. "Thanks," he said and, too hungry to pass it up, began eating.
"Hey guys!" said another boy coming up to the group. "I hear some of you signed up for fencing. I'm Mick Bryons, the fencing captain. We meet twice a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays and when we have an event upcoming, we meet the entire week beforehand." He gave Joe a playful slap on the back. "See you there," he added, taking off and not seeing how Joe's face took on an angonizing expression.
All the boys except for Phil had been looking at Mick but Phil saw Joe's face and when Joe excused himself as soon as Mick left, he followed Joe out of the lunch room and into the boys' bathroom. Joe, who arrived first, unaware he was being followed, had unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off as he entered a stall. He stood with his shirt hanging loosesly from his arms, his back breathing in the stale air as tears streamed down his face.
"Oh, my God," Phil whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he peered over the stall from the one next to it.
Joe spun around and looked up. "What kind of pervert are you?" Joe demanded, realizing Phil had to be standing on the toilet in order to peer over the stall wall.
"I saw your face when Mick hit your back," Phil siad truthfully. "I thought you might need some help."
"I don't," Joe said.
"And you do," Phil continued as if Joe had said nothing. "Who did that to you?" he asked, although he knew the answer.
"None of your business," Joe told him.
"Look, you can either come out of the stall and let me treat those places on your back or I can tell the dean and he can handle it," Phil threatened.
"No," Joe said, his eyes wide in fear.
"Then come on out and let me put something on that back before it becomes infected, if it isn't already," Phil insisted.
Joe exited the stall and Phil came out of the one next to him. Phil walked over to the cabinet beneath the sink and came out with the expected first aid kit. "Why are you so distant?" Phil asked as he started treating Joe's back, wincing when Joe groaned in pain. "I'm just trying to be your friend."
"I don't need any friends," Joe said.
"Everyone needs friends," Phil told him.
"I don't want any," Joe rephrased his objection.
"Well, you're going to have me as one regardless," Phil told him.
"No!" Joe shouted, turning around and glaring at Phil.
"Why not?" Phil demanded.
"I...I just don't," Joe replied, turning back around.
"That's not a good enough reason to send me packing, you know," Phil told him.
"Then how's this one?" Joe asked turning around once again and staring him in the eyes. "I had a friend. One friend who wasn't afraid. He's dead now and...and I think he was killed because he was my friend."
Joe looked at him and nodded. "What's your name?" Biff asked, trying to get Joe to open up. He had never seen Joe so still and it was kind of disquieting.
"Joe Moody," Joe answered, then turned back to face the front of the room.
"I'm new here," Biff continued talking. "It's my first day. What are the teachers like?"
"Don't know," Joe replied. "Ask someone else."
"Hey. I'm just trying to be friendly," Biff said.
"I don't need any friends," Joe told him, not turning around.
"Everyone needs friends," Biff said, worried even more. Joe's natural parents weren't anywhere around and Joe was still acting weird.
"Not me," Joe told him, turning around to stare at him with blue eyes as cold as steel.
At a loss for words, Biff was relieved when the teacher chose that moment to enter the room. A few minutes later they were dismissed to attend their first class. Biff hoped Tony had more luck with Joe than he had.
Tony came in and took the empty seat behind Joe. Joe already had his book open and was engrossed in the first chapter. "Hey, man," Tony said, his eyes a bright blue and his hair a dark brown with blond highlights. "That's the wrong chapter." Tony knew he was right because half the school year had already passed.
"I'm just trying to refresh," Joe responded, not looking away from his book.
"Forget that," Tony told him. "Welcome to Brushnell," he continued. "I'm Ken." He waited for Joe to introduce himself, but Joe kept reading. "What's your name?"
"Joe," he replied, not looking up.
"What.." Tony started but was interrupted by the entrance of the teacher.
"Good morning," said the algebra teacher entering the room. "We are having an exam tomorrow morning so this morning I want to see what each student can do. Bob Freeman, please come to the board."
The teacher went down the list alphabetically. "Joe Moody," the teacher called out a little later. Tony watched Joe stand up, swaying a bit. He's dizzy, thought Tony, watching Joe in concern. Joe took a deep breath and walked up to the board. Finishing the problems given him in minutes, he returned to his seat, grasping the edge of it for support as he sat down.
When the bell rang announcing the end of class, Tony saw Joe stand up, once again taking a few seconds to battle the dizziness he felt. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Joe answered before moving away.
Tony left after Joe and caught up to Chet before he could enter his next class. He told Chet about Joe's dizzy spells. "Figures," Chet said. "He never finished his work on time last night. He's probably weak from hunger."
"You're right," Tony admitted. "He probably hasn't had hardly anything, if anything, since he returned to them."
"Well, he will be eating lunch," Chet said. "We'll just have to make sure he gets enough to do until tomorrow in case they don't feed him tonight either."
In class, Chet took a seat three away from Joe. He noticed how Joe ignored anyone who tried to talk to him, answering any questions asked but offering no further information. He was quiet and reserved and spent all his spare time reading his text book. This behavior was so unlike Joe, Chet felt himself getting angry all over again at the people responsible for the change. It was like Joe had been killed and some alien had taken over his body.
Finally, the bell rang and Joe headed to lunch. He was famished. He got his tray and took the first table available where no one sat. At once, he began inhaling his food. "Hi," Tony said, sitting down beside Joe as he was finishing his last fry. "Joe, right?"
Joe nodded and started to lift his tray but Chet and Phil arrived just then followed by Biff. "Hi," Chet said. "I'm Todd Hampton. We have history together," he said.
Joe nodded. "I was just leaving," he said.
"Ah, don't go," Phil said. "I'm Pete Marsden," he introduced himself. "Joe what?"
"Moody, wasn't it?" Biff asked, looking at his plate and frowning. "Anyone want my burger?" he asked. "I don't eat beef."
"Forget it dude," Chet said. "I'm on a diet. Any takers for my fries?"
"Joe's new guy," Phil said. "School rules. New guy has to do whatever he's told on his first day."
"You're right," Chet said. "Well, Joe, looks like you end up with two lunches," he added, passing his fries as Biff handed him his burger and Phil gave Joe his milk.
Tony handed over his corn on the cob. "I never pass up a chance to get rid of my veggies," he said.
Joe gave a wan smile. "Thanks," he said and, too hungry to pass it up, began eating.
"Hey guys!" said another boy coming up to the group. "I hear some of you signed up for fencing. I'm Mick Bryons, the fencing captain. We meet twice a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays and when we have an event upcoming, we meet the entire week beforehand." He gave Joe a playful slap on the back. "See you there," he added, taking off and not seeing how Joe's face took on an angonizing expression.
All the boys except for Phil had been looking at Mick but Phil saw Joe's face and when Joe excused himself as soon as Mick left, he followed Joe out of the lunch room and into the boys' bathroom. Joe, who arrived first, unaware he was being followed, had unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off as he entered a stall. He stood with his shirt hanging loosesly from his arms, his back breathing in the stale air as tears streamed down his face.
"Oh, my God," Phil whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he peered over the stall from the one next to it.
Joe spun around and looked up. "What kind of pervert are you?" Joe demanded, realizing Phil had to be standing on the toilet in order to peer over the stall wall.
"I saw your face when Mick hit your back," Phil siad truthfully. "I thought you might need some help."
"I don't," Joe said.
"And you do," Phil continued as if Joe had said nothing. "Who did that to you?" he asked, although he knew the answer.
"None of your business," Joe told him.
"Look, you can either come out of the stall and let me treat those places on your back or I can tell the dean and he can handle it," Phil threatened.
"No," Joe said, his eyes wide in fear.
"Then come on out and let me put something on that back before it becomes infected, if it isn't already," Phil insisted.
Joe exited the stall and Phil came out of the one next to him. Phil walked over to the cabinet beneath the sink and came out with the expected first aid kit. "Why are you so distant?" Phil asked as he started treating Joe's back, wincing when Joe groaned in pain. "I'm just trying to be your friend."
"I don't need any friends," Joe said.
"Everyone needs friends," Phil told him.
"I don't want any," Joe rephrased his objection.
"Well, you're going to have me as one regardless," Phil told him.
"No!" Joe shouted, turning around and glaring at Phil.
"Why not?" Phil demanded.
"I...I just don't," Joe replied, turning back around.
"That's not a good enough reason to send me packing, you know," Phil told him.
"Then how's this one?" Joe asked turning around once again and staring him in the eyes. "I had a friend. One friend who wasn't afraid. He's dead now and...and I think he was killed because he was my friend."