chapter eight

I wake up in the morning. Right away, I see I’m not home again. All I have is the teddy bear, the green bedspread, and the pure white walls. Someone knocks on my door. Then the door opens and a lady sticks in her head. I’ve never seen this lady before.

“Good morning, Jason,” she says. “My name is Rose. It’s time to get up for breakfast.”

I get worried. Who is this Rose? Is she like Peter and Sue? Did she hear about the restraint? Did it make her mad?

I feel real stupid about the restraint. Peter is nice. I wish I didn’t kick him. The other boys must think I’m dumb. I think maybe I won’t get up.

Someone knocks on my door again. Rose says, “Are you up, Jason?”

I say, “Yeah.” I get up real slow. I put on my black pants and blue shirt.

Rose knocks on my door and opens it. “Good!” she says. “You’re up! Now you need to make your bed. And clean up your room. When it’s good and clean, I’ll check it. Then you can have breakfast.”

I think that’s a lot to do before breakfast. I’m real hungry. I put all my junk under the bed. But Rose looks there right away. She makes me put everything into my toy box and dresser.

Then I have to wash my hands. I have to sit on the sofa good and straight before I can eat. The other boys are all sitting there, too.

At breakfast, Joe talks to Rose. Rob and Dave joke with each other. I look at the table and eat. I’m surprised—no one tells me that I’m dumb because of the restraint. They act like it never even happened.

After breakfast, Joe rides a bike to his school. Rob and Dave take a school bus to theirs. Rose walks me to my school. I ask her, “Where are Sue and Peter?”

She says, “They don’t work today.”

I say, “How many staff work at this house?”

She says, “Three—Sue, Peter, and me. Sometimes you’ll meet other staff, but not very often. Sue, Peter, and I are there all the time.”

I think, Not all the time. Now I finally know them a bit, Sue and Peter are gone. I want to go home, where it’s only Linda, Mom, and me.

Rose and I get to my new school. But we don’t go to my class. We go to the principal’s office. Mr. Warner is sitting at his desk. He tells me again how bad it is to fight. Then he goes to the door and calls in a lady. She smiles at me.

“Jason, this is Ann,” says Mr. Warner. “She’s here just for you. She’ll help you do your work and catch up with the rest of the class.”

I don’t like this. The other kids will think I’m weird. They’ll think I can’t do the work on my own. They’ll say I’m dumb, and they’ll be right. I am dumb. That’s why my mom hates me. That’s why she wants to get rid of me.

Ann says, “Hello, Jason.” I don’t say anything.

Ann and I walk to my class. I get real mad inside when she puts her chair beside my desk. The other kids stare. But then Mrs. Pell says I can move to the back of the class. She says it’ll be easier for everyone to see the board. Ann is real big—bigger than most ladies. I don’t think anyone could see around her.

So now I get a desk at the back of the room. I’m real glad about this. Finally, I can see what the other kids are doing.

Ann talks quiet and slow. I like this. When she talks, I think maybe I can get the math right. Maybe I can even get it right on a test. I’ll get the test perfect! Then I’ll show the perfect test to my mom. And maybe then she’ll let me come home.