Richard Montanari Read Online Free PDF Page B

time a little more slowly. 'I'm all right.'
        'We'll
talk in the car?'
        'Okay.'
        As
they walked out of the school, Jessica saw some of the other kids whispering to
each other. Even in this day and age, it seemed, a playground fight still
generated gossip.
        They
left the school grounds, headed down Academy Road. When they made the turn onto
Grant Avenue and the traffic halted for some construction works, Jessica asked,
'Can you tell me what the fight was about?'
        'It
was about Brendan.'
        'Brendan
Hurley?'
        'Yes.'
        Brendan
Hurley was a boy in Sophie's class. Thin and quiet and bespectacled, Brendan
was bully-bait if Jessica had ever seen it. Beyond that, Jessica didn't know a
lot about him. Except that on the previous Valentine's Day Brendan had given
Sophie a card. A big glittery card.
        'What
about Brendan?' Jessica asked.
        'I
don't know,' she said. 'I think he might be ...'
        Traffic
began to move. They pulled off the boulevard, onto Torresdale Avenue.
        'What,
sweetie? You think Brendan might be what?'
        Sophie
looked out the window, then at her mother. 'I think he might be G-A-E.'
         Oh boy, Jessica thought. She had been prepared for a lot of things. The talk about
sharing, the talk about race and class, the talk about money, even the talk
about religion. Jessica was woefully unprepared for the talk about gender
identity. The fact that Sophie spelled the word out instead of saying it -
indicating that, to Sophie, and her classmates, the word belonged in that
special classification of profanities not to be uttered - spoke volumes. 'I
see,' was all that Jessica could come up with at that moment. She decided not
to correct her daughter's spelling at this time. 'What makes you say that?'
        Sophie
straightened her skirt. This was clearly difficult for her. 'He kind of runs
like a girl,' she said. 'And throws like a girl.'
        'Okay.'
        'But
so do I, right?'
        'Yes,
you do.'
        'So
it's not a bad thing.'
        'No,
it's not a bad thing at all.'
        They
pulled into their driveway, cut the engine. Jessica soon realized that she had
no idea how much Sophie knew about sexual orientation. Even thinking about the
words 'sexual orientation' in connection with her little girl freaked her
completely out.
        'So,
what happened?' Jessica asked.
        'Well,
this girl was saying mean things about Brendan.'
        'Who
is this girl?'
        'Monica,'
Sophie said. 'Monica Quagliata.'
        'Is
she in your grade?'
        'No,'
Sophie said. 'She's in third. She's pretty big.' Consciously or subconsciously,
Sophie balled her fists.
        'What
did you say to her?'
        'I
told her to stop saying those things. Then she pushed me and called me a
skank.'
        That bitch , Jessica thought. She secretly hoped that Sophie had cleaned the
little shit's clock. 'What did you do then?'
        'I
pushed her back. She fell down. Everyone laughed.'
        'Did
Brendan laugh?'
        'No,'
Sophie said. 'Brendan is afraid of Monica Quagliata. Everyone's afraid
of Monica Quagliata.'
        'But
not you.'
        Sophie
glanced out the window. It had begun to rain. She traced her finger on the misting
glass, then looked back at her mother. 'No,' she said. 'Not me.'
         Yes, Jessica thought. My tough little girl. 'I want you to listen, okay,
honey?'
        Sophie
sat up straight. 'Is this going to be one of our talks?'
        Jessica
almost laughed. She checked herself at the last second. 'Yes. I guess it is.'
        'Okay.'
        'I
want you to remember that fighting is always the last resort, okay? If you have
to defend yourself, it's all right. Every single time. But sometimes we need to
take care of people who can't take care of themselves. Do you understand what I
mean?'
        Sophie
nodded, but looked confused. 'What about you, Mom? You used to fight all