Page 106 of Spotlight
“Why not? Don’t you basically just play with your friends all day?” I ask, keeping my tone playful in hopes she’ll keep answering my questions.
She turns and gives me a very serious stare that reminds me of her mother. “Weonlyget three recesses.”
“My mistake.” I fight a smile.
She picks out pajamas and then heads to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. I wait for her in her room, sitting on the edge of her bed. It’s pink and covered in stuffed animals, including the stuffed Mischief Mustang I gave her. She comes back and moves her stuffed animals, one by one, to the floor in a line next to her bed.
“So, what’s up with school? Why don’t you want to go?”
She keeps focused on her task as she answers, “Sara Stites is telling everyone I’m a liar because I said I knew you.”
My brows pinch together. “Me?”
She moves the last few stuffed animals off her bed and then goes over to her bookshelf and picks up a piece of paper. She brings it to me.
“No way. You drew this?” I ask as I stare down at the picture of Olivia, Greer, and me. The three of us together, adorable little stick people. I’m towering over them, a baseball glove on my left hand. She stands between me and her mom, holding both our hands. My stomach swirls with some unnamed emotion.
“The teacher told us to draw a picture of our family doing something fun. It’s me and mom at your game, when we walked down to the field.”
“Yeah, I remember.” I smile at her, then frown. “What does this have to do with Sara whatever her name is?”
“She called me a liar in front of the entire class and said I was making it up. Even after Ben stood up for me and said he knew you too. Although I’m not sure if that was a lie or not since he only saw you at the birthday party. Does that count as knowing you?”
“Yeah, I think that counts.”
She nods like that makes it final.
“Is that all? Anything else?”
She shrugs one little shoulder.
“It’s okay. You can tell me.”
“That’s pretty much it. Sara keeps calling me a liar and now no one will play with me. Even Ben is avoiding me.”
“I’m sorry.” My heart cracks right down the middle.
“It isn’t fair.” Her temper flares in the most adorable way. “Idoknow you.”
“Of course you do. You’re my favorite kid in the whole world.”
The corners of her mouth pull into a smile, and she wraps her arms around my neck.
Fuck. My entire body hurts at the idea of this sweet little girl being picked on. I don’t have a lot of experience with kids, but there have been plenty of times I’ve had to ignore the naysayers, haters and trolls. Plus, I had four big brothers ready to fuck shit up if I needed it.
“You can’t worry about what people say. The important thing is knowing that you’re being honest. I know that doesn’t make it easier, but it’s true.”
She nods, but I can tell she doesn’t love that answer. No one does. It’s life. Fighting the bullies never gets easier, but sometimes you’re better off just not playing their game.
“But if they bring it up or pick on you again, then you tell your teacher.”
“That’s what my mom would say.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was screwing up this whole babysitting thing.”
She giggles and plops her entire body into my lap, then yawns.
I try to hand her the picture back, but she shakes her head. “You can keep it.”
