When

11-20-2014

   TWO DAYS LATER DONNY STOOD next to me in the parking lot of Poplar High, armed with his camera phone and a simmering anger that pulsed through the vein at his temple.

   I'd never in my life seen him so angry.

   "Show me," he said, his voice flat and purposely quiet.

   I cleared my throat and resisted the urge to put a hand to my eye, which throbbed in rhythm with Donny's temple. "Over there, at the back entrance," I said.

   Donny took my hand, gripping it with great care. It was a cold day and I was grateful for the warmth of his palm.

   We walked silently across the nearly empty parking lot. It was past five o'clock and most after-school athletic practices had already let out. I led him in a straight line, dreading his reaction. When we got to the bike rack he kept silent, but I saw the muscles in his jaw clench.

   He took a picture of what had once been my bike and was now a ruined mass of metal, toilet paper, eggs, ketchup, mustard, and shaving cream. On the seat there was a smear of something brown and smelly, and it didn't take a genius to guess that someone had found some dog shit and made use of it.

   After photographing my bike, Donny nodded and we went inside. I led him silently down the empty halls, feeling anxious and jumpy. He seemed to notice, because he squeezed my hand, letting me know I was safe.

   We stopped in front of my locker, which was slimed with bits of eggshells and more shaving cream. A foul odor emanated from inside. Donny got out his phone and snapped a few pictures. Then he said, "Now show me where you were attacked."

   I walked him back down the hall we'd just come from, but took a right at the second corridor. At the end was a set of stairs leading down a half flight to the boys' locker room. I pointed to it. "They grabbed me from behind and took me down there," I said, my voice wavering.

   "Walk me through exactly what happened," Donny said, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

   "Eric and Mario grabbed me from over there," I said, pointing now to a water fountain at the entrance to the corridor.

   "Did you have a class around here?" Donny asked.

   I shook my head. "I was coming back from Principal Harris's office after he met with me, and one of the secretaries was nice enough to let me have a hall pass 'cause it was after the bell rang. I was getting scared to walk the hallways, and you saw what they did to my locker."

   Donny closed his eyes, and I could see he was trying very hard to keep calm. "So, Harris essentially tells you that you're on your own, and you come back down this hallway and stop for a drink and then what?"

   "Mario and Eric must've skipped their last class, because I didn't even know they were behind me until they'd grabbed me. Mario had me in a chokehold, and he covered my mouth so I couldn't scream. Eric grabbed my legs and they took me to the stairwell."

   Donny swiveled slightly to stare at the steps leading down to the locker room. Turning back to me, he asked, "Were there any teachers around? Any other kids who witnessed it?"

   "Yeah. I saw Jacob Guttman walk by. I know he saw what was going on."

   "Did he say or do anything to help you?"

   I shook my head. I'd seen with my own eyes while I was kicking and struggling with Mario and Eric how Jacob (5-25-2081) had snickered and kept on walking.

   "Then what happened?" Donny asked.

   I put a hand up to my swollen eye to cool it. I'd had ice packs on it off and on since the day before. "While they were dragging me down the steps I got a leg free and kicked Eric in the groin. He doubled over, and Mario let go of me. That's when Eric got really mad and slapped me. I hit my head on the railing and went down."