فصل 50

CHAPTER 50

A Hero’s Job

Keisha, Albert, and I take our time walking home.

A voice behind us calls, Hey, brain! Wait up!

We turn around and I hear Albert mumble, Oh no. I’ve never actually seen anyone turn white before, but he does. I look back at these three boys who are all running toward us. Albert is jumpy like he’s going to run, too, and I know that they must be the kids that beat on him all the time.

I wish Travis were here.

Who are they? Keisha asks.

Albert swallows hard.

Hey, brain, the one closest says. Are these your girlfriends? he asks.

The group laughs. One in back says, Yeah, right. Like that dweeb would have a girlfriend. He’d be lucky to get a pet bird. They laugh harder.

Keisha steps forward. Why don’t you just get lost?

Don’t think so. I’m right where I’m supposed to be. He turns to Albert and shoves him. Hey, brain! Did you miss me?

Like a dog misses a flea, Albert mumbles, his eyes glued to the ground. I wish he’d at least look at the kid.

Keisha’s voice gets louder. Yeah, like a little flea. Now get lost before someone slaps you!

And before I can even start worrying for her, the boy grabs her arm and pushes her on the ground. Slaps me? I don’t think so!

Hey! Albert says. You leave her alone.

The boy turns to Albert. Shut up, brain. Or you’re next.

The second boy picks up Keisha’s bag. What do you have here? He turns it upside down, dumping everything out.

Look! the third says. A book with sweet little cupcakes.

No! Keisha yells. Give me my book back!

Albert is shaking. Actually shaking.

Hey! I say. You leave us alone! And when the kid turns and looks into my eyes, I’m really scared. Like I’m going to throw up.

Keisha tries to get up and the first boy pushes her back down. He moves his foot to step on her but doesn’t get the chance.

Albert—peace-loving, I-will-never-stoop-to-their-level Albert—pulls the boy away from Keisha. He turns him around and holds him by the front of his coat. The boy’s toes barely touch the ground. You do not touch her again, Albert says with a voice I didn’t think he had.

Keisha jumps up and runs over to me. She stands next to me, squeezing my arm. Hard.

I’m tired of you beating on me all the time, Albert says. You have no right to treat me like that. And you don’t even fight one-on-one. You gang up on people like cowards. Albert throws him down on the ground. Tosses him like he doesn’t weigh anything. The two other boys charge, but Albert grabs one and throws him on top of the first kid. Boy three runs.

The first boy stands up. You want to fight, brain? I’ll fight you. He charges Albert and hits Albert in the stomach.

I’ve never seen Albert mad before. He hits the kid one time and the kid goes down. Through his moans, he tells his friend to get up and fight—to get Albert for him. The second boy sits up, like he’s thinking about it.

Albert’s feet are far apart, and he leans forward. Do you really think you want to do that?

The boy shakes his head.

Albert takes a step toward both boys on the ground. Don’t you ever touch my friends again. Ever. Or you’ll answer to me.

Keisha and I gather her stuff and put it back in her bag. C’mon, Albert says, looking at us before turning to walk away. We follow him.

I’m surprised that Keisha is quiet for as long as she is. I feel like I’m going to cry. Thinking how Albert has come to school every day with those bruises for all this time. We always asked him what it would take for him to fight back. Turns out it was protecting us.

Albert, Keisha says. That was amazing. And you can fight!

I can’t take credit for strong arms.

But, I say, it wasn’t just your arms, Albert. You were seriously brave back there.

Yup. That’s true, Keisha says. Then she laughs. So, Albert, what got into you, anyway?

My dad has always said that violence is something to avoid at all costs, Albert tells us. But he has also said that you never hit a girl. And so I had to weigh the two. I just . . .

Then he stops walking and he’s wide-eyed looking at me. It gives me a chill the way he does it. But really, he says, it just made everything hurt inside to watch them hurt you two, and I would have done anything in the universe to stop it.

• • •

When we arrive at A. C. Petersen’s, Keisha is still acting out what Albert had done. He never says anything, but he seems quietly happier. And a bit taller.

After sliding into the booth, I take out my social studies book.

Seriously? You’re going to do homework after that? Keisha asks.

I have a lot to do.

I thought Mr. Daniels said you only had to do half of the questions.

He did. But I want to try to do them all. I don’t want to get off easy. I’ve figured out that if I look at the first two letters and the last two letters of a word, I can sometimes figure it out from the rest of the sentence. This trick I’ve discovered made Mr. Daniels say I’m a genius.

What is wrong with you? Are you serious? Keisha asks.

Yeah, I know. First I don’t want to do work and now I want to do extra.

You are a mystery, that’s for sure, she says.

Huh, Albert says. That reminds me of our president Teddy Roosevelt, who went on a hunting trip and found that one of his companions tied a bear to a tree for him so it would be easy to shoot. He refused to shoot the bear and set it free. In fact, that’s why teddy bears are called Teddy. After that president and that day.

Keisha shakes her head. Man, you’ve got a story for everything, Albert.

I do not provide the stories. History does.

You know, Albert, you kind of talk like those guys who narrate the movies at school. From the History Channel and stuff.

Why, thank you, Keisha.

Based on Keisha’s expression, I’m not sure it was a compliment, exactly.

I lean forward and look at Albert. You know what else is a tremendous achievement?

What?

Sticking up for friends against guys that have used you as a punching bag for months. You whaled on them, didn’t you, Albert? You should get a medal or something.

Albert sits a bit straighter. Well, it was just one thing I did on one day. He turns to me. Not like you, Ally.

Huh?

When Mr. Daniels told us about people with dyslexia . . . I mean some of the greatest minds the human race has ever seen . . . I’ve been kind of wishing I could have it, too.

Did he really just say that?

Keisha laughs. Sometimes, Albert, I’ve thought you have nothing but facts stacked up in that head of yours. And then you do what you did today and say something like that. You know what you are?

His eyebrows jump.

Keisha leans forward. You are one good friend, Albert.