Little Differences

The bell rings for us to go to recess and the kids come filing out of every classroom. “Stop running, children”, shouts Mrs. Rizen. “The playground isn’t going anywhere”. Completely ignoring her, most of the kids continue running all the way out to the playground. I see Jessie and Advik, climbing onto the roundabout. “Hey, there you are”, says Cali coming through the school doors. Jaxson is right behind her. “Hey, let’s go join Jessie and Advik on the roundabout”, I say pointing to the thing that looks like a merry-go-round. As we’re racing across the yard, I notice Alani in the far distance sitting on the swings and she’s all alone. No one is playing with her.

“Alani! Come over here”, I yell across the school yard. She looks up at me and makes her way over to us. “Hey everyone”, she says. “Climb on”, Jaxson says. Alani climbs onto the roundabout and Jaxson begins to spin us. Around and around we go! We all yell and laugh as Jaxson continues to spin us. “Watch out” says Hank, shoving Jaxson out of the way. “Let me show you how it’s done”, he says beginning to spin us fast.

Jaxson falls to the ground and he jumps up fast and runs over to the roundabout and tries to take back control. Every time he does, Hank knocks him back down to the ground. “Leave us alone”, I yell. I attempt to stand up, but the roundabout is going much too fast and I fall back down. “You better stop before someone gets hurt”, Jessie yells. I wonder where the teachers are and why no one is coming to our aid. I’m sure they think it’s just harmless little fun.

“I’m starting to feel sick”, Cali says as she covers her mouth and grabs her stomach. Hank spins us faster, and faster until – thump! I am thrown from the roundabout all the way over to the sandbox. As I come tumbling down, my arm hits the edge of the sandbox and I feel a sharp surge of pain shoot through it. As I try to use my arm to get up, it begins to hurt bad and I can’t move it.

I begin to cry as loud as I can because the pain is so intense. Cali begins to barf and the barf lands right on Hanks shoes. “Ewww!”, he yells. Running away from the playground and into the school to clean himself off or to throw his shoes away, I’m not too sure.

I hear a lot of beeping noises around. I slowly open my eyes and begin to look around. My mom and dad rush over to my side. “Where am I?”, I groan. “You’re in the hospital sweetie”, mom says. “You had an accident on the playground and broke your arm, but you’re going to be okay care bear”, dad explains to me.

That’s when it all starts coming back to me. “I remember what happened. Hank Palsey broke my arm and it was no accident”, I say. “Oh honey, I’m sure he didn’t mean to do it”, mom says. I know better than that. Hank is a bully and he intended on hurting someone with the way he was spinning us. He had us going fast like we were in a NASCAR race. I know better than to talk back so I don’t try to get my point across. I’m going to let it go for now but as soon as I see that Hank, I am going to tell him exactly how I feel.

My arm still aches and feels very uncomfortable. The doctor said that it was an even break and that somehow, this was a good thing. “It sure doesn’t feel good”, I want to say but decide against it. The doctor says that I should go home and get some rest. I’ll go home but I won’t be resting. I must figure out what to do about Hank. “You have messed with the wrong person, Hankie boy!”, I say out loud.