My Best Friend

Leave Him Alone

11 year old Mindy Bailey looked around the playground at her new school. Today was her first day after moving to Travis County with her mother and stepfather. Her first day and she knew she wasn't going to have any friends. No one usually talked to a shy girl like Mindy. She backed up against the wall of the school and slid to the ground. She pulled out a pencil and a journal from her backpack.

Oct. 1951

Dear Journal,

Well, here we are. My first day of school here in Travis County. It's a whole like different than home in Tennessee. For one: this place is a giant desert, two: the kids around here aren't as polite as at home. Jeremy told me to get used to this place because we're going to be staying here for a long time. I still don't see what Mama sees in him. He acts like I don't exist half of the time. Geez, I mean we've known each other for at least four months. You know what? I don't care what Mama says. Jeremy will never replace Daddy.

Think I'll be happy in this town? Don't know yet. At least I have you, journal.

Mindy looked up when she heard some kids shouting. She could see a group of boys chasing another boy. She watched as they pushed him to the ground.

"Get up, you stupid retard!" they yelled. "Freak!"

The boys started kicking the boy on the ground. Mindy glared at them. She got up and ran toward them.

"Leave him alone!"

"You stay out of this", one boy said.

"Pick on someone your own size!" Mindy said.

She pushed him into the other two boys behind them. She looked down at the boy on the ground. He was curled up into a ball with his knees up against his chest and his hands covering his face.

"Hey", Mindy said. "Are you okay?"

The boy whimpered as he shook. Mindy sat down next to him and gently ran her hand up and down his back in a comforting way.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."

He brought his hands away from his eyes to look at Mindy. His hands covered the rest of his face. Mindy gave him a friendly smile.

"What's your name?" she asked.

The boy shook his head.

"What's wrong? Can't you talk?"

He shook his head again. Mindy frowned sadly. She smiled and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil from her backpack.

"You can use this to talk if you want", she said.

The boy shook his head again.

"Why?" Mindy asked.

She noticed the whole time he was covering his face with his hands.

"Is there something wrong with your face?"

He nodded.

"Can I see your face?" Mindy asked.

He shook his head furiously. She frowned and put her hand over one of his face and gently tried to pull it away from his face. The boy pulled away from her and glared. Mindy smiled at him unfazed.

"It can't be that bad."

He looked down at his hands. He slowly pulled them away from his face to show her. Mindy's eyes widened. At the corner of the boy's mouth was deteriorating skin. This went from the corner of his mouth to the bottom of his nose. The boy covered his face again.

"Hey, Mindy said touching his hand. "You don't have to hide from me. You're a nice boy. Would you like to be my friend?"

His eyes widened. He pulled his hands away from his face and nodded. Mindy smiled and shook his hand.

"My name's Mindy. What's yours?"

The boy picked up the pencil and started writing on the paper.

Thomas Hewitt