Chapter 3

Adele finally remembers the combination and manages to open her locker. Frankie sarcastically says aloud to his group, "Bravo…good job there, Einstein." Then he deviously smiles. "Hey…check this out." As Frankie starts to leave, Troy asks, "Whatcha gonna do?" "Just watch." Once again, Frankie deviously smiles as he walks towards Adele. He bumps into her, causing her backpack to fly out of her hands and fall to the floor; causing its contents to scatter all over the floor. Then for his own warped amusement, at Adele's expense, he starts to unjustly scorn her in front of everybody. "Watch out; Retard…what's your problem?" Adele quickly looks to the floor while assuming a subservient stance, with her head bowed down as she instinctively draws it back into her shoulders; like a turtle bringing its head into its shell. This is the typical positioning Adele takes when her fellow classmates cruelly belittle her. Frankie continues his chastisement. "Well…aren't you going to apologize for bumping into me?" Keeping her eyes fixed upon the floor, never leaving that subservient stance, Adele, speaking at a barely audible level, meekly apologizes, "Sorry." Intent on continuing the ‘fun', Frankie leans into Adele and goads, "Huh? What did you say, Retard…I couldn't hear you." Adele apologizes again; a little louder, but still softly, "Sorry." Nadine, who's been witnessing this at her locker, gets a look of utter disgust on her face as she tells her friends, "Frankie's an idiot…why doesn't he just leave that poor girl alone." Meanwhile, back at Adele's locker, Frankie's about ready to end this session of humiliation. "That's more like it. Be more careful, Retard; and watch where you're going next time." Frankie walks back to the group, cockily grinning, and receives a high-five from Troy upon his return. The group disperses laughing. Adele kneels down and begins to collect her things. She once again softly utters aloud to herself… "Sorry." Although she herself has hardly had any social interaction with her, Nadine has always held a soft spot in her heart for Adele. Deep down inside, she has always despised the way most of the people at school treat Adele; though she has never stepped forward to address it before. That is…before today. Nadine walks over and bends down beside Adele. "Are you okay, Adele?" Seemingly in awe, with her mouth partially agape, Adele looks in Nadine's direction. She can't believe Nadine Martin, a girl whom she's always admired, was right there next to her…speaking to her…and calling her "Adele". Sounding almost in shock over it, "You know my name, Nadine?" Nadine lets out a short, kindhearted laugh. "Yeah…and you know my name." Adele looks back to the floor. "Everybody knows your name. Nobody knows mine." "That's not true…I know it." Nadine starts helping Adele gather her things; while Adele desperately tries to avoid making eye contact. "Frankie's a jerk, Adele; don't let him get to you. Just ignore him. Okay?" Not wanting to appear being rude to Nadine Martin, Adele makes brief indirect eye contact and gives a quick nod to acknowledge her; then resumes stuffing the backpack. "Good." Nadine continues to help. Sarah calls from across the hall, "Nadine, come on; we've got to go." She looks to Sarah, "Okay; be there in a sec…" then back at Adele, "Are you going to be alright?" Again, Adele makes quick indirect eye contact and nods. "Alright then; I'll be going now. See you around. Bye." Nadine rejoins her friends. Adele watches as they walk away; softly saying aloud to herself… "Bye…Nadine." While walking down the hallway, Sarah asks Nadine, "So, what was that all about?" "What?" "You helping out the weirdo?" "Sarah." "What? Sorry, Nadine; but you have to admit, that girl's weird." "She's not weird…she's just different." Trish comments, "Yeah; weird different." "Stop it, you guys; she's a nice girl. She's just…" Sarah hastily finishes, "Weird." Nadine emphatically insists, "Different." Sarah decides to end the debate for the time being. "Whatever. Let's just hurry up before we're late to homeroom."