CHAPTER TWENTY: EVEN RETARDS GET ANGRY
I cried. I cried real loud.
I didn’t mean to. This morning, I went into class and put my lunchbox into the thermal box as usual. Suddenly Draco came, took out my lunchbox and put it on the teacher’s desk, saying, “Look what the retard has, everyone! Ooh, we have boiled chicken with gravy, tomatoes and baked potatoes, mushroom soup…”
There was a party at Cedric’s, the boy next door, home yesterday, and our family was invited. Mother took some of the leftovers home and gave it to me for lunch. She even sprinkled some pepper to make it smell good, but Draco had opened the cover and was letting all the good smell of pepper out. By the time I have my lunch it wouldn’t smell so good anymore. So I quickly ran over to cover my lunch box back.
But Draco took it away from me and said, “You’re already more than a potato head enough. These potatoes are a waste on you. Let me help you eat them instead.”
But I wanted to eat those baked potatoes too, so I fought with him. As we fought, the lunch box fell onto the floor, and my chicken with gravy, tomatoes and baked potatoes and mushroom soup fell all over the place. Some of the gravy and soup got onto both our clothes.
I was angry, so I said, “I’m gonna tell.”
Draco copied me, but he used a girl’s voice when he said, “I’m gonna tell.”
I got even angry, “Don’t copy me!”
“Don’t copy me, you fool!” Draco used that girl’s voice again. I got so bloody angry, I grabbed my flask and threw it at Draco. Draco shouted in shock and ran out of the classroom. My flask broke and the water in it wet both my shirt and my entire lunch on the floor.
Looking at the mess on my clothes and the floor, I knew I didn’t have anything to eat for recess later, and I knew I was going to end up hungry. I didn’t know what else I could do, so I started crying. Harry Scarface just came into class and saw the mess. He told me not to cry. He said, “Big boys don’t cry, Ron. Stop it.”
But I kept on crying the louder. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know why.
Harry Scarface got a broom and a mop and cleaned the mess on the floor, then took me to the toilet to get my shirt cleaned. I was still crying, and it was getting worse. Harry suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and put his mouth on mine and kissed me like those movies on TV. I didn’t know why he did that, and I didn’t know what it meant, but it made feel a little better. Still it didn’t stop me crying. He sighed, pulled me back to class and put both his lunch box and mine on my table and said, “I’ll share my lunch with you during recess, OK?”
It was OK, but I know it wouldn’t be enough for me.
Prof. McGonagall came into class and gave Draco a sound scolding, then told Draco to buy lunch from the cafeteria for me. I finally stopped crying when I knew I was going to have food for recess.
The next day, Mr. Malfoy came to school. As soon as he saw me, he said, “You were the one who threw the flask at my son, weren’t you?” He then turned to Prof. McGonagall and said, “That heavy flask could’ve hit my son squarely on the head or the eye. What have you to say about that?”
Prof. McGonagall replied, “If your son hadn’t looked for trouble with Ronald, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Mr. Malfoy said coldly, “Boys will be boys, professor. They can sometimes have too much fun out of something. But only people like Ronald Weasley here can have such bad response,” then pointed at me with his cane and continued, “With that kind of dangerous boy, who knows what else he can do? I’m beginning to doubt this school’s credibility, allowing such person to be place along with normal kids. If something were to happen, who’s going to pay for the damages?”
“Ronald Weasley is as normal as anyone else,” Prof. McGonagall said loudly as she suddenly stood in front of me.
I was shocked and scared.
“Anyone can get angry. Even retards get angry.”
Mr. Malfoy didn’t say anything. He gave me a cold look before walking out of the classroom.
Prof. McGonagall turned around and said to the whole class, “What are you all looking at? Open your books, everyone.”
After school, Harry Scarface said, “If anyone bullies you, do not cry. Be brave.”
But I don’t know how to be brave. I asked him to teach me. Harry Scarface thought for a long time, then said, “Just like yesterday when you threw the flask at Draco when he took your lunch box, that can be considered being brave. But that’s not real bravery, just anger.”
Wow, there’s even real and not real in being brave. That’s hard. I didn’t want to learn about being brave anymore. I’m still trying to learn about the timetable; I have no time to learn about being brave.
Harry Scarface thought again for a very long time, then said, “Oh, never mind. If you feel angry about something, be angry about it. Nothing to worry about.”
No comments:
Post a Comment