Henry from the office comes to the classroom door. “D’Arcy, you’re wanted in the office,” Mr. Kelly says from the doorway. I stand up and try to swallow past the huge lump that’s suddenly in my throat. Ms. Henry says something else to him. He nods and closes the door. “Take your things,” he says to me. I fumble with my notebook, trying to get it closed. My pencil hits the floor and rolls away. Seth snags it with his foot. I jam my stuff into my backpack and head for the door. It seems to get farther away every step I take. Everyone’s looking at me. The hallway’s deserted. I start down the stairs to the main floor. My mind is jumping all over the place—anything to avoid thinking about what’s going to happen when I get to the office. I can see my mother talking to Mr. Connell as I get to the bottom step, and I have to grab the banister because suddenly I have spaghetti knees. She turns, sees me and turns back to Mr. Connell to offer her hand. I stay where I am, clutching the railing with one hand and my backpack with the other, until she walks over to me.
