Bookworm

Dawson followed the boy and his teacher up the museum steps. He hoped the boy wouldn’t get in too much trouble. He liked him. They were the same age and they both had to deal with bullies. But things weren’t looking good. The math teacher was a total weirdo. There was no way this didn’t end badly for the boy.

The museum was empty. An eerie quiet crept over the exhibits of ancient Greek artifacts. Dawson darted down behind a statue and peered around the side to watch the boy.

A shrill yell broke the silence. The teacher was outraged. The boy was confused and fearful. There was a snarl in the teacher’s tone as she demanded to know where “it” was. Where what was?

Suddenly the teacher’s physical form began to change. Wings and talons sprouted. A monster. The boy was in danger. The monster lunged. A pen was seized from the air and all at once a sword slashed into view. All the boy needed to do was sw–

“Dawson.”

Dawson shook away the letters threading through his mind’s eye. He adjusted his glasses and stared up at Ms. Connor.

“What?” he asked.

“I know whatever adventure Percy Jackson is up to in those pages is far more interesting, but you need to finish your vocabulary quiz.”

Dawson nodded. He reluctantly closed the book and turned his attention to the paper on his desk. He stared at the first word on the page, “resent”. He knew what it meant and he knew the weight of carrying it. He resented his mom for the things she had said and the pills she had taken. Sometimes he still resented his dad for not getting full custody of him and his brother sooner. He resented the kids who picked on him for being smart and reading so much. He even resented Ms. Connor a bit for interrupting his reading. But he picked up his pencil and completed the quiz, confident that he’d gotten a perfect score. Then he reopened his book and got back to the adventure.

***

It was the last day of school. Dawson was actually looking forward to summer break for once. Now that he was with his dad he didn’t have to worry about what might go wrong. He and his brother would go to their grandparents when dad was at work. It might be boring, but it was safe. And maybe some days he’d get to play soccer or hang out with friends.

Friends. He’d actually made quite a few this year. The other kids had gotten bored with teasing the “reader” and a new kid came in November who liked reading as much as he did. Then in gym class other kids discovered he wasn’t just a bookworm, but an athlete too. So that earned him some respect among the boys who used to tease him.

The bell rang and it was time to head out to the buses. Dawson gathered his things and moved toward the door.

“Dawson!” Ms. Connor called.

“Yes?” Dawson asked.

“Planning to read over the summer?”

“I want to. I’ve got a few books at home I can reread and my grandparents might take us to the library.”

“How about you take one with you,” Ms. Connor said, nodding toward her bookshelves.

“To borrow?” Dawson inquired.

“No, to keep.”

Dawson scanned the shelves. So many options. So many doorways to different adventures. But he felt himself drawn to the fantasy shelf and reaching for the one that had led to his favorite adventure. The one where a boy who doesn’t quite fit in and has an absent parent becomes the boy who makes friends and saves the world.

“Good choice,” said Ms. Connor.

“You’re sure I can have it?” Dawson asked.

“I’m sure. Now get to the bus before it leaves you behind!”

“Okay. Thanks, Ms. Connor. Have a good summer.”

“You too, Dawson. And tell Percy Jackson I said ‘hello’!”

Author's Note: I did not realize the Small Kindness stories were being published to the Psyche community, which is not one I typically read from. So if I missed your entry and you have a moment to post your link in the comments, please do. I'd love to return the read.