خشونت و دعوا

CHAPTER 6 - Anger and Fights

The next morning Laurie Saunders went to The Grapevine office.

When she opened the door, she found a letter on the floor. The letter had her name on the front. Laurie closed the door and read the letter.

Dear Laurie

I am a student here at Gordon High. Three days ago my friends and I heard about this thing called the Wave. We went to Mr Ross’s lesson to see what it was. Mr Ross told us about the Wave rules and the Wave words. Some of my friends thought the Wave was great. But I did not want to be a member.

When the class ended we started to leave. But a boy from Mr Ross’s class stopped me. ‘Do you want to be members of the Wave?’ he asked.

‘No, I don’t want to be a member,’ I said.

‘But the Wave is great,’ the boy said to me. ‘Everybody wants to be a member! Do you want to lose all your friends?’ ‘I’m sorry,’ I said again, ‘but I don’t want to be a member.’ The boy was very angry. ‘Soon it will be too late,’ he said.

Too late for what? That’s what I want to know.

■

There was no name at the bottom of the letter.

Alex came into the office. Laurie showed him the letter. ‘Look at this! Look what the Wave is doing to this school,’ she said This student is afraid of the Wave. He didn’t want to write his name on the letter. We must do something.’

There is a big Wave rally this afternoon,’ said Alex. ‘All the Wave members are going.’

Suddenly Laurie heard a noise. It came from outside the door.

She ran out and saw that there was a fight between two boys.

One of the fighters was Brian Amman!

A teacher ran and stopped the fight. ‘I’m taking you two to Principal Owens,’ he said.

Brian turned to the other students, and gave them the Wave salute. ‘We’re all in the same team. Winners need discipline!’ he said.

‘Did you see that?’

Laurie turned to find David next to her. ‘Was that fight about the Wave?’ she asked.

‘No, it was more than that,’ said David. The other boy is called Deutsch. We don’t like him because he doesn’t help the others in the team.’

‘But why did Brian say the Wave words?’

‘Because he believes in those words. We all do.’ said David.

‘What about the other boy?’ asked Laurie. ‘Is he in the Wave?’

‘No,’ said David. ‘Deutsch doesn’t believe in the team or the Wave. He only believes in Deutsch.’

Laurie did not say anything. David looked at his watch. ‘It’s time for the Wave rally. Come on!’

Laurie looked away. ‘I’m not going, David,’ she said.

‘What?’ David was surprised and angry. ‘Why not?’ ‘Because I don’t want to.’

‘Laurie, this is a very important rally,’ David said. ‘All the new members of the Wave are going to be there.’ ‘David, I don’t like what’s happening with the Wave. I don’t like what it’s doing to this school.’

Now David was very angry. ‘The Wave is doing great things for Gordon High,’ he said. ‘Now everybody is on the same team.

Perhaps that’s why you don’t like it. Before, you were the best student in the class. You always knew the answers. Now we all work for the team. And you don’t like it!’ ‘David! That’s not true and you know it!’ said Laurie angrily.

‘You’re wrong about the Wave. And you’re wrong about me!’ David turned and walked away. Laurie watched him and felt very sad. She loved David very much. Was this the end between them?