The Boy They Thought Nobody Would Defend

Ethan crossed the hallway before he even realized he was moving.

"Give it back."

Mason turned the watch over in his palm. The old silver face was scratched. The leather band had been repaired twice with dark thread. It was worth almost nothing to anyone else.

To Ethan, it was the last thing his father had worn.

"This?" Mason asked. "I thought it fell out of your junk pile."

"Give it back."

Mason's friends leaned against the stairwell door, grinning.

"Say please."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Please."

"Louder."

Maya stepped beside Ethan. "He said please."

Mason's eyes shifted to her. "This isn't your problem."

"You're making it everybody's problem."

For the first time, his smile weakened.

Then footsteps approached. Ms. Elena Ruiz, Ethan's English teacher, came down the hall carrying a stack of papers.

Mason immediately tossed the watch toward Ethan.

It struck his chest and dropped to the floor.

"Careful, Cole," Mason said loudly. "You should take better care of your stuff."

Ms. Ruiz stopped.

Her eyes moved from Mason to Ethan to the watch.

Ethan waited.

She knew.

He could see it on her face.

"Class," she said at last. "Now."

Mason walked away.

Ethan bent down and picked up the watch. His thumb traced the tiny dent near the crown. His father had made that dent while fixing a kitchen cabinet when Ethan was nine.

Ms. Ruiz waited until the others had gone.

"Are you hurt?"

Ethan laughed once, without humor. "Does it matter?"

Her face changed. "Yes."

"Then why didn't you stop him?"

The question hit harder than he expected.

Ms. Ruiz looked toward the hallway camera.

"Come see me after school."

"Why? So you can tell me to ignore it too?"

"No." Her voice dropped. "Because I need to know how long this has been happening."

Ethan said nothing.

In English class, Mason sat two rows behind him, tapping a pen against his desk every few seconds.