Chapter 209

“It’s awful,” Billie burst, suddenly on the verge of tears again. “Mom said you shouldn’t be mean to people ‘cause of their skin or ‘cause of whether they’re a boy or a girl or ‘cause of who they love ‘cause nobody can helpthat stuff!”

“Nor would want to, even if we could,” Andy agreed. “Good motive. Wrong response.”

“And it’s good to stick up for your friends,” Scooter said. And he was glad she was making friends. “But part of being a student and a citizen is not hitting people. What he did was bad, I agree. And hurtful. Hitting him was not a good way to react. You can tell a teacher. Discipline is part of their job.”

“Ugggghhh,” she groaned. “Teachers never listen!”