My Life with the Avengers

The Last Day (?)

"What do you mean, they're taking you out of school?" Caleb asked with wide eyes.

"Unless the situation with Mitchell changes, my family is going to go back to homeschooling me." I told him.

"Do you want to go back to being homeschooled?"

"Of course not! I love it here." I exclaimed. "I just need to figure out a way to stay. Because if I don't, I'm a gonner."

"Did you try telling them that you have a commitment to the football team?"

I nodded. "I tried just about everything. But they seem convinced that enrolling me in public school was a bad idea."

"But it wasn't." Caleb insisted. "It was the best idea anyone has ever had. If they hadn't enrolled you here, then Mitchell would still be bullying everyone here. After you stood up to him in the lunchroom, people started seeing him for what he really is. And if they hadn't enrolled you here, then... I wouldn't have met you."

I looked down at my feet.

"To be honest, Jackie," he said softly. "You're the first real friend that I've ever had. People used to bully me and no one wanted to be seen around me. And then you came along and all of a sudden, I had someone that I could confide in. Someone that I felt would always be there for me when I needed them, someone that I could trust, someone to go on adventures with, And someone who was willing to be my friend."

I didn't know what to say.

"And I know that it's not just me that you've helped." Caleb said. "You inspired the whole JV football team to pull off a win when all the odds were stacked against them. And when you talk to people in the halls, their faces just seem to light up. Like you knew that they were having a bad day and went over to make it better. Just the other day I was talking to Emelie from our history class. When you sat next to her and helped her study before the test, she told me that she was so worried that she was going to get a bad grade. And a bad grade would make her parents upset with her, that's something that she absolutely hates. But you helped her study. And she ended up acing the test. And you even helped Principal Saunders see what was going on right under his nose and he started to fix it automatically. So if your family thinks that enrolling you in this school was a bad idea, they've got another thing coming."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. "There... there's nothing I can do about it, Caleb." I said. "Clint and Natasha are coming on Friday to sign the paper work. It'll be my last day."

Caleb looked shocked then gave me another hug. "Then I'm going to make sure that you have the best week ever."

And he really did. That day, Caleb's mom picked us up during lunch and took us out to eat. On Tuesday, in English, we watched Les Miserables. (We weren't supposed to study that until closer to the end of the year.) On Wednesday, during football practice, Coach Stockton surprised us and we played dodgeball the whole time. Thursday, our physics class set up a nerf gun war in the gym and we played against the other physics classes. It was awesome. But on Friday, the biggest surprise of all came.

When Steve dropped me off at school that day, it seemed like half the school was waiting outside. The Student Council had made a giant poster with the words: "We Love You, Jackie!" Written in school colors. I walked out of the car and everyone started cheering. I saw a ton of people that I knew. Almost all of my friends were there, I saw people from all of my classes, a few of my teachers and all of my teammates were there. Even some people I didn't know very well were there and some members of the Varsity Football team. Then I saw Caleb standing in the front of everyone. I ran over and gave him a great big hug. "Did you do all of this?" I asked in awe.

"It was just my idea." He said shyly. "Everyone else did a lot of the work."

"Oh come on, Caleb." Seth said, clapping him on the back. "You're the one who should take all of the credit for this."

Caleb smiled and I gave him another hug. "You have no idea how hard it's going to be to say goodbye after you guys did all of this for me."

Suddenly, people started Booing and Hissing. I looked over and saw Mitchell walking towards me. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. "Jackie?" He said awkwardly. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Everyone was all of a sudden very silent.

"I just... I... ummm..." He took a deep breath. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way that I acted during the game. I let my temper get the best of me."

I stood there listening while he kept talking.

"I'm also sorry for being a bully. To all of you guys. This past week, people who I thought were my friends wouldn't even be seen next to me. You've taught me that you need to earn people's respect. And not just demand it."

"Mitchell, I want you to answer me honestly." I said. "Were you put up to this? Are you only doing this so you can stay on the football team?"

Mitchell shook his head. "I have already been suspended for a long time because of what I did. But, I want to start over. I'm sorry for hurting you, Jackie. Can you forgive me?" He held out his hand towards me. For a moment, I considered not taking it. After everything he's done to everyone at this school, why should I even think about forgiving him? Then I remembered a talk I had with Steve. I was 12 at the time and Tony had really hurt my feelings. I hadn't talked to him for at least two weeks. Then Steve came around and told me that, no matter what someone did, or how they made you feel, everyone deserves a second chance.

I took Mitchell's hand and gave it a nice good shake. "I forgive you." I said, much to the amazement of everyone there. "But you have to promise me that you'll change and try to be a better person."

Mitchell nodded. "I promise." He said.

With that, everyone cheered and we all went into the school. Before I went in, I turned around and saw Steve was still in the parking lot. He had seen the whole thing.

Towards the end of the day, I was called down to the principal's office and found Clint and Natasha waiting inside for me. "I didn't do something wrong, did I?" I asked Principal Saunders.

"Oh no." Principal Saunders said. "I just wanted you to come down here while we made the decision about whether or not you will be staying at this school." He turned his computer around and showed Natasha and Clint a video. "One of our film students filmed this, this morning. It was a sort of... farewell gift for Jackie."

Natasha and Clint watched carefully. Especially when Mitchell came up and apologized to me. "Isn't that the boy that beat you up?" Clint asked.

I nodded.

The video ended and Principal Saunders turned to Clint and Natasha. "Mitchell went and apologized to Jackie of his own free will. There is nothing he could have gained by doing so. Other than her forgiveness. Jackie has made an amazing impact at this school over the few short weeks that she has been here. I'm begging you to reconsider transferring her."

Clint and Natasha shared a look. "We'll talk about it when we have the whole family together." Clint said. "But I for one, think she should stay. If she has made that much of a difference."

Natasha agreed with him. I breathed a sigh of relief to know that leaving wasn't for sure now.

That night, we had a family meeting to discuss what was going to be done. Then I called Caleb with the news.

"So what's the verdict?" Caleb asked.

I couldn't keep from smiling. "I'M NOT LEAVING ANYMORE!!! I am here to stay!"