Chapter 9: Kindness
Walking back to class was torture. My ribs were killing me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened in the nurse’s office. I had tried to talk to Nina, to maybe get this stupid mission over with, but she just kept telling me to rest.
"You don’t need to talk right now," she had said, looking all worried. "Just focus on feeling better."
I sighed as I limped down the hallway. ’This mission is too much,’ I thought. ’How am I supposed to have a conversation with someone who won’t let me talk?’
I finally made it to my classroom and knocked on the door. The teacher looked up from whatever he was writing on the board.
"Come in, Kofi," he said.
I opened the door and started making my way to my seat. That’s when Ronnie decided to open his big mouth.
"Look who’s back," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Walking like a grandpa now."
The whole class started laughing. Someone else chimed in with "Hey, at least he didn’t puke on anyone." More laughter.
’Great,’ I thought, feeling my face get hot. ’This is exactly what I needed.’