Chapter 12: A Helping Bag

The class was bustling, fall break was over and the weather demonstrated it as well. Half the class, mostly consisting of the girls, were surrounding Ethan.

"Oh, how did you get hurt?" Ruby Dillard asked, reaching for a pen to sign his right arm cast.

"I can't believe it, really!" Alexandra cries as Ruby grabs a pen that was sticking out of her frizzy and messy puff of a head that carried many bows and items.

"I can believe it! This is such a good story, I had heard it so just now!" Liam smiles as he writes in his notepad hastily, occasionally glancing at Ethan's broken arms. If he was honest, all this attention was a bit much.

"Ethan, I feel so bad for you. I couldn't imagine both of my arms being broken. How could I play baseball or basketball with those?" Jack sympathizes, shaking his head at the thought. Ethan laughs nervously.

"Um, well, I can move my fingers just a bit." He explains, moving his fingers the most he could, which was a pathetic feat in reality.

"I hope you can forgive me, Ethan." Ryder whispers as the girls gossip in front of his desk and Liam enthusiastically writes in his orange notepad. Ethan smiles, "It's okay."

"Class, settle down." Ms. Arvin announces, shushing the talkative class. Everyone rushes to their seats as she walks across the classroom, all eyes trained on her.

"I know we just got back from break but please quit the chatter." She sighs as she begins to write on the black board about the agenda the students would engage in.

"Now, to start our week back in school, take out a sheet of paper and describe what you did over the break." She explains before briskly walking over to Ethan's desk as he struggles to take out a sheet of paper from his binder.

"I understand your situation. Er, are you able to write anything?" Ms. Arvin asks as she helps him take out the paper and slide it on top of his desk.

Ethan gingerly takes his pencil in between his thumb and forefinger, laying it on his middle finger and tries to write, but managing only to scribble unintelligible words on a page.

"Oh dear. Well, we'll have to accommodate your needs, dear. Hopefully you'll be able to pick up a pencil in about a week or two." Ms. Arvin says and Ethan's face drops. Had he totally forgotten that a cast stays on for a long time? Only six weeks, he can last.

After class was dismissed, he was again bombarded by people. Others spelling sympathy and others ask to sign his cast.

"Let me sign, Pinwick!"

"Oh, sure—"

"How horrible that both of your arms broke!"

"Um… Thanks for—"

"I got a pen, let me sign!"

The crowd around him finally dispersed after a long hour of people trying to sign his cast. He had never thought he was that popular to get signed by much of the eighth grade. He needed to get home and he was the only one left in the classroom after taking plenty time trying to collect his books in his hands.

He really needs to get a satchel or something so he can comfortably hold things, since he will have this cast on for at least another four weeks.

The classroom door slides open and he whips his head up to see Irene. She looks at him with her usual scowl and she walks up to his desk, holding a cow print notebook.

"You said you would tutor me so do it." She huffs, placing her hands on her hips. Ethan smiles sheepishly in return.

"I apologize, I'm not able to teach you much with these arms." He says sincerely before his books fall from on top of his casts and onto the floor.

Irene bends down and picks up his book, making Ethan panic slightly internally. "No, it's okay, Irene. Don't do that, I will get it myself." Ethan assures but is not able to do much to stop her from picking them up off the tiled floor.

"Whatever. Come, I guess I will have to walk you home to prevent you from dropping your books again." She mutters, holding his books to her chest. The boy felt his cheeks heat up at the thought of letting her carry his books.

"I suppose." He walks with her down the almost empty halls. Carlos sleeping in one of the classrooms could be heard by his recognizable snoring.

Had he only just begun feeling embarrassed at the fact he had two broken arms and Irene carrying his books, it felt nice in a way but deathly embarrassing.

The afternoon was one of his favorite times of day and night, then again, all of the times of day were beautiful to him. But the feeling of the cold air starting to settle down and the sunset driving into the night was really one of his favorites.

"I'll walk you home." He says softly as they walk side by side, Irene's gaze trained on the ground.

"Why? I suppose you can since Ryder wouldn't shut his trap about apologizing to you. Might I add, it was quite a hilarious story. You seriously broke your arms by using the zipline?" She giggles and Ethan glances at her, she hasn't laughed in his presence before.

"Really? Well, to be honest, I can't remember much. I remember falling and rolling down the hill, that's it." Ethan honestly tells, watching her almost intently as she laughs at his misery.

"I don't care about your memory, you twat. Here, this is where we cut paths." She says firmly as they reach the entrance to her house. The house was a nice blue color, but the wooden walls have seen some wear most definitely.

"Ah, goodbye! I'm sorry I couldn't tutor you and all. In compensation, you can meet us at the ol' park where Priscilla, I, and Jack have our noon talks. Saturday." He offers and she blinks before her eyebrows furrow.

"Whatever, I'll think about it." She grumbles before turning on her heel, his books still against her chest.

"Stay right there, I need to get something. Go anywhere and I will keep your books." She says before prissly walking into the front door of the house, leaving Ethan alone for a few moments.

Then, she exits with a nice blue leather satchel and his books no longer in her arms.

"Here!" She shoves the bag in his arms but stops short once remembering they're broken so she puts it over his neck in a criss-cross fashion.

"Keep it, I don't use it." She grumbles under her breath before pulling away and letting him inspect it. Ethan couldn't exactly move his arms but he was more than grateful.

"Oh, praise you, Irene! I've been meaning to fetch a bag for me to put my stuff in." He smiles at her and she studies his face for a moment before turning the other way.

"Keep it, goodbye." She swiftly turns on her heel and Ethan watches her leave him through the screen and front door of that blue house.

He felt giddy, happy that she gifted him this nice bag. Surely he could repay her, maybe give her that book he'd been meaning to hand over since he bought it for her.