than quantity when it comes to friendship,” said Carla.
“Eight,” Jeff repeated. “And I’m not friends with Bradley anymore either.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Why? I’m not. I hate him. In fact”—he looked around the room—“I gave him a black eye!” He quickly glanced at Carla to see if she knew he was lying, then looked away.
“What happened?” Carla asked.
“Oh, you know, he wouldn’t stop bothering me. I kept telling him to get lost, but he kept hanging around. I never liked him. No one does. Then he said to me, ‘Give me a dollar or I’ll spit on you!’ Well, no one threatens me and gets away with it! I don’t take that from nobody. So he tried to hit me, but I ducked, then punched his face in. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice.”
That was the short version. Jeff had told that same story to his eight new friends, but he usually made it much longer.
“So I don’t think I need to see a counselor anymore,” he said, “since I have eight friends.”
“Okay, Jeff, if that’s how you feel,” said Carla.
“They might think I’m weird or something,” he explained.
“Well, we can’t have them thinking that.”
“Does that mean I can go?”
Carla nodded. “But anytime you want to talk again, please feel free to come and see me.” She smiled. “Even if you just feel like getting out of class for a while.”
He left, glad to be out of there.
On his way back to class, he walked past the girls’ bathroom. He stopped, shook his head, and chuckled to himself. It seemed like it was such a long time ago when he accidentally went in there.
I used to be such a jerk
, he thought.
He smiled a strange smile. He stretched his mouth so wide, it was hard to tell whether it was a smile or a frown.
20 .
Colleen walked into Carla’s office.
“I just came to tell you I can’t talk to you,” she said.
“Your parents didn’t sign the form?”
“No, and they won’t either! You know what they said? They said it was a waste of money for the school to hire you. They said you should get married and have your own children before you start telling other parents how they should raise theirs.”
Carla shrugged.
“They said if I have any problems I should talk to them. But when I try to talk to them, they don’t listen.” She sighed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Jeff has lots of other friends now besides Bradley.”
“Eight,” said Carla with a smile.
“So now I can invite Jeff to my birthday party without having to invite Bradley. I can invite one of Jeff’s other friends. Andy’s nice. I couldn’t invite Bradley even if I wanted to, because Melinda is my best friend, except for Lori, and she gave Bradley a black eye.”
Colleen quickly covered her mouth with her hand, then slowly took it away. “That was supposed to be a secret,” she said. “Melinda doesn’t want anybody to know.”
“I never repeat anything anyone tells me,” Carla assured her.
“Good,” said Colleen. “Melinda would kill me.”
“Have you asked Jeff to your party yet?”
“No, not yet, but I will. I know he likes me because he always says hello to me when I say hello to him. But then I always get so scared. I never know what to say next. I wish you could help me. Why did my parents say such bad things about you? They don’t even know you.”
“Your parents are just trying to do what’s best for you,” said Carla. “A lot of people think counselors don’t belong in schools.” She shrugged. “I guess they’re afraid I might fill your head with all kinds of crazy ideas.”
21 .
“Hello, Bradley,” said Carla. “It’s a pleasure to see you today. I appreciate your coming to see me.” She held out her hand.
“I punched myself in the eye,” he said as he walked past her. He didn’t want her thinking someone else gave it to him. “I’m the only one who can beat me up.”
“Did it hurt?” she asked.
“No,” he said, sitting at the round
“Eight,” Jeff repeated. “And I’m not friends with Bradley anymore either.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Why? I’m not. I hate him. In fact”—he looked around the room—“I gave him a black eye!” He quickly glanced at Carla to see if she knew he was lying, then looked away.
“What happened?” Carla asked.
“Oh, you know, he wouldn’t stop bothering me. I kept telling him to get lost, but he kept hanging around. I never liked him. No one does. Then he said to me, ‘Give me a dollar or I’ll spit on you!’ Well, no one threatens me and gets away with it! I don’t take that from nobody. So he tried to hit me, but I ducked, then punched his face in. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice.”
That was the short version. Jeff had told that same story to his eight new friends, but he usually made it much longer.
“So I don’t think I need to see a counselor anymore,” he said, “since I have eight friends.”
“Okay, Jeff, if that’s how you feel,” said Carla.
“They might think I’m weird or something,” he explained.
“Well, we can’t have them thinking that.”
“Does that mean I can go?”
Carla nodded. “But anytime you want to talk again, please feel free to come and see me.” She smiled. “Even if you just feel like getting out of class for a while.”
He left, glad to be out of there.
On his way back to class, he walked past the girls’ bathroom. He stopped, shook his head, and chuckled to himself. It seemed like it was such a long time ago when he accidentally went in there.
I used to be such a jerk
, he thought.
He smiled a strange smile. He stretched his mouth so wide, it was hard to tell whether it was a smile or a frown.
20 .
Colleen walked into Carla’s office.
“I just came to tell you I can’t talk to you,” she said.
“Your parents didn’t sign the form?”
“No, and they won’t either! You know what they said? They said it was a waste of money for the school to hire you. They said you should get married and have your own children before you start telling other parents how they should raise theirs.”
Carla shrugged.
“They said if I have any problems I should talk to them. But when I try to talk to them, they don’t listen.” She sighed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Jeff has lots of other friends now besides Bradley.”
“Eight,” said Carla with a smile.
“So now I can invite Jeff to my birthday party without having to invite Bradley. I can invite one of Jeff’s other friends. Andy’s nice. I couldn’t invite Bradley even if I wanted to, because Melinda is my best friend, except for Lori, and she gave Bradley a black eye.”
Colleen quickly covered her mouth with her hand, then slowly took it away. “That was supposed to be a secret,” she said. “Melinda doesn’t want anybody to know.”
“I never repeat anything anyone tells me,” Carla assured her.
“Good,” said Colleen. “Melinda would kill me.”
“Have you asked Jeff to your party yet?”
“No, not yet, but I will. I know he likes me because he always says hello to me when I say hello to him. But then I always get so scared. I never know what to say next. I wish you could help me. Why did my parents say such bad things about you? They don’t even know you.”
“Your parents are just trying to do what’s best for you,” said Carla. “A lot of people think counselors don’t belong in schools.” She shrugged. “I guess they’re afraid I might fill your head with all kinds of crazy ideas.”
21 .
“Hello, Bradley,” said Carla. “It’s a pleasure to see you today. I appreciate your coming to see me.” She held out her hand.
“I punched myself in the eye,” he said as he walked past her. He didn’t want her thinking someone else gave it to him. “I’m the only one who can beat me up.”
“Did it hurt?” she asked.
“No,” he said, sitting at the round
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