What's It To You?

By Judy Irwin

What if nothing was the worst thing you could do?

For 13-year old Tim Stockdale, it's all about keeping his head down and fitting in with the friends he's managed to make at his new school. His older brother, Eli, is the opposite. He's trying to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school, where he's a junior. Even though the school board is against it, Eli’s not afraid of what the fallout might be.

So when Tim's new friends start to bully a kid they think is gay, Tim's torn - he doesn't want to do anything to risk being cast out of the crew. But when Eli is hurt in a protest, Tim's own failure to do anything starts to get under his skin. Will he find his way at his new middle school, and figure out what's really worth standing up for?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judy Irwin
• Release date: Nov 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987708885

Judy Irwin

Author Judy Irwin's books are about kids dealing with everyday stuff, like parents and divorce, friendships and bullies, and figuring out how to handle different situations and circumstances. She lives in Toronto with a dog, a cat, and a hamster, plus her husband and two children, ages 11 and 14.She's written three books so far. In the first, called 'What Did You Say?', 12-year-old Tash and her mom are spending a month at a trailer park up north, right after Tash's parents divorce. This is where Tash first meets Luke, Jon and Polly.'We're Done' is about 13-year-old Luke, who gets kicked out of his private school and loses his best friend over an act of bullying. Tash and Jon, from the first book, are also characters in this one.'What's It To You?' is about 13-year-old Tim, who first appears as Luke's classmate in 'We're Done'. Tim has to decide if his new friendship with Harrison (also from 'We're Done') is right for him.For Judy, the middle school years are especially interesting since they can be some of the most challenging for kids. It's a time when kids are faced with new issues, and bigger problems, than many have experienced before. As they figure out how they feel, and decide how to respond, they're also figuring out who they are, and shaping the nature of the person they will grow into.

Book preview

What's It To You?

by Judy Irwin

SMASHWORDS EDITION

PUBLISHED BY

Judy Irwin on SMASHWORDS

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What's It To You?

Copyright 2013 by Judy Irwin

ISBN 978-0-9877088-8-5

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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What's It To You?

Chapter 1

Tim is out on the driveway, playing around with the basketball. So far, he's bounced it hard off the garage door, twice, and each time his mom sticks her head out the side door and shouts, Keep it down! at him.

When he bounces it off the metal garage door for the third time, he keeps an eye on the side door, expecting his mom to pop out, really mad this time. But nothing happens.

Tim dribbles the ball up and down the driveway, he's moving fast enough so that he's breathing hard. Every time he comes up to the top of the driveway, near the hoop, he takes a throw. The first four times it goes right in, but on the fifth throw it goes really wild and bounces off onto the lawn.

As he jogs over to grab the ball, Tim hears the side door open. He turns to face his mom. Sor-ry, he drawls, with a grin. Didn't mean to - Mom, what is it? What's wrong?

Tim stares at his mother.

Her face is blotchy, and her nose is red. She's holding her purse in one hand, and car keys and a tissue in the other. She brings the hand with the tissue and keys up to her face, and rubs at her nose with the tissue.

Tim, it's bad. It's Eli, and it's bad, she says, wiping at her eyes. I have to get over to the hospital. I can't go into all the details, I just have to go. She unlocks the car door, and throws her purse onto the passenger seat.

What - what happened? says Tim. Is he OK?

He's hurt. I don't know how hurt, but he's hurt enough to be in the hospital. Tim, I have to go. You can -

I'm coming. I'm coming too.

Tim throws the basketball back onto the lawn, and jogs around the car to the passenger door. He grabs the door handle and shakes it. Open the door, Mom, let's go. C'mon.

Tim holds his mom's purse on his lap, and he waits until his mother backs the car out of the driveway, and starts driving down their street, before he speaks.

Mom, tell me what happened. What happened to Eli? he says.

Tim, I can barely think, let alone drive. She swings the car onto Dunstan Road, and starts driving faster.

The school called. It happened at school. You know this whole thing about the club for gay kids, the GS-something or other, that Eli's been involved with.

Yeah, yeah, I know about it. So what happened?

His mother turns right onto Leslie Street. Well, you saw the newspaper article, right? Tim nods. After that, your dad told Eli he couldn't lead this club, or this protest, or whatever, anymore. And I thought Eli agreed; I really thought he listened to your dad. So I'm not sure why he was out front on this thing today. Anyway, apparently the kids who want the club staged a protest. They made signs, and they had a march in support of the club. It was in front of the school, right after school let out for the day.

OK, OK, but what happened to Eli? interrupts Tim.

Well, he was leading the protest. He was carrying a big sign - all the kids in the group were carrying signs, they'd made them all over the weekend. Some of the other kids - I don't know who, I don't even know if they go to Montdale - started harassing the kids who were protesting. I guess things got out of hand, and got physical. The other kids grabbed some of the signs, and started swinging them around. I guess the pieces of wood that they were mounted on were pretty substantial, and one of them got Eli in the face. They're worried about his eye. They took him straightaway to the hospital, and he's there now.

Come on, come on, get out of the way, says his mom, as a car in front of them slows to make a turn. Can't we get there any faster? Tim, check in my purse for my cell, I haven't even called your father. Oh my. Tim, call him now. Tell him to meet us here.

His mother puts on the signal to turn into the hospital parking lot. She turns to Tim after she parks the car, and turns off the engine.

Tim, I'm going to run, she says. Sit here, talk to your dad, tell him what happened. I'll meet you in Emergency, it's the first door that you come to.

She reaches for her purse, then opens her door and gets out, tucking her purse under her arm. Tim watches her run toward the hospital, through the parking lot. He keys in his dad's cell number, and listens to it ring.

After he gives the details to his dad on the phone, Tim gets out of the car and locks his door. He walks back through the parking lot, toward the hospital, he can see the 'Emergency' sign above the double doors that lead into the Emergency department.

His stomach feels queasy, and he's a little dizzy. He takes deep breaths as he walks, trying to clear his head and shake off the queasy feeling.

He's scared. Really scared, he realizes. He feels sick, thinking about Eli, about Eli being hurt. His face. His eye. That sounds really bad. It has to be bad - he's in the hospital, and they're rushing a specialist in to see him. For a minute, Tim stops walking. He feels like he's going to throw up. He leans over, his hands on his knees, and breathes deeply. When the feeling subsides, he straightens, and starts walking again.

The double doors to Emergency slide open automatically when Tim steps in front of them. He walks through slowly, and looks around the waiting area. There are lots of people, sitting on the orange plastic seats that line the room.

An old man sits in one of the chairs, his head's tipped back, his eyes are shut. He looks thin and pale. An old woman sits beside him, holding onto his hand, and sniffing into a tissue. A little boy dressed in pajamas sits on the floor, rolling a toy truck back and forth over the floor tiles. He looks up at Tim, and coughs loudly, without covering his mouth.

Tommy, make sure you cover your mouth, says the lady sitting on the orange chair behind him. She doesn't look up from her magazine.

Over by the wall there's a stretcher. A woman's lying on it, on her side. She's moaning softly, over and over. A handbag is tucked behind her knees, on top of the sheet. A teenage girl stands beside the stretcher. Tim hears her say, It's OK, Mommy, and she pats the moaning woman's hand gently.

There's a nurse, sitting behind a counter, at one end of the room. Tim walks up to the counter. Excuse me, I'm -

Take a number, the nurse says. Do you see the numbers there? In the red dispenser? Take a number, and wait to be called.

But - I don't want -

Nobody wants to wait. But everyone has to, says the nurse. It won't be long.

It's my brother. My brother, Eli. He's here - already, Tim says. Have you seen him? He's Eli - Elijah Stockdale.

Oh, yes. He's being seen to. Your mother is here, that's right. Son, just take a seat out here, I'll let your mother know you're here. She'll come and get you a bit later. The doctor's with your brother right now, and it's a bit crowded.

But - is he OK? I mean - is he going to be OK?

"Son, I can't tell you. Take a