Chapter Nine - Show and Tell and Listen

CHAPTER NINE

Show and Tell and Listen

FRIDAY WAS SHOW and Tell.
Everyone brought something.
Pebble brought a rock that sparkled like soda.
Juno brought a bug in a jar that blinked.
Tico brought his uncle’s old medal and said,
“This is from a war where no one won.”

Bluster brought nothing.

No bounce, no bang, no bag full of surprises.
Just himself.
And something else, tucked behind his teeth.

When it was his turn, he stood.
He didn’t look at anyone.
Not at first.

“I didn’t bring anything,” he said.

Someone in the back giggled.
But only once.

Bluster scratched behind his ear.
Then he said:

“One time, when I was little,
my mom got really sick.
And I had to be really loud
to get the ambulance to come.”

He looked up.

“I think maybe I stayed loud.
In case I ever needed help again.”

No one spoke.
Not even to whisper.

It was the quietest the class had ever been.
Even the radiator stopped rattling.

Then Bluster laughed, just a little.
A soft balloon-pop laugh.

And that’s when the class did too.

Because it wasn’t a laugh-at laugh.
It was a laugh-with.
And it was the first time it felt different.

The teacher didn’t say anything.
Just gave Bluster a small nod,
like someone pressing play on a song.

And that was enough.