are hurting yourself!”
Spring 2022
Matty was feeling pain from what he had seen. He cannot stand to see things like this. His innocent mind could not comprehend what he was seeing. He was feeling the pain he thought Matt was feeling. “Matt, take them out!” I shout. I am so upset I cannot stand it. “You have Matty so upset, he is crying, why would you do that?” I howl in anger. I just don’t know what to do. I am angrier than I have ever been before. All my friends have always seen me as the peacemaker. I never get mad. I am always happy. I never get upset, but today I am mad. Very mad. Why would you do something like this to your body and continue to upset someone near you? My young mind just cannot understand. I cannot handle what has happened and my mind has started to boil over. I am stuck in a world that will not fix things for me. I feel alone, wanting to protect those that need protecting. Miss Harp has left the room again and we need her now more than ever. I am at the center of this madness and don’t know what to do. My friends are all shouting. Matt refuses to stop. Matty is crying even more. I look around for a way out. I keep thinking in my mind, What would my mother want me to do? And then it comes to me. I am strong. I am more than this boy who wants to be mean to my friend. I can control this situation. I will handle this situation. I look up at Matt, and say to him, “Matt, are you not going to take those needles out of your hand and sit down?” Matt yells in my face, “No, they feel nice in my hand and look cool!” I shout back at Matt, “FINE,” then punch him in the nose. Matt falls backwards into the class’s pile of pillows, stuffed animals, projects, and fabric that we use for our weekly assignments. I immediately jump on top of him while he is down on the floor and start pulling the needles out of his hand. I have a single-minded determination to get the needles out of his hand. That is all I can think about in that moment. I don’t want Matty to have to see the needles in Matt’s hand anymore. Mark, at the same time, holds a paper towel to Matt’s nose to stop the blood that now pours out. After several minutes, during which we all scramble around the room work-
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