Chapter 19 - ROSALIE ASKS IF SHE IS A SNITCH
The word reached her at school.
Not from Brady.
Another second grader whose older brother heard about the investigation.
“Snitch.”
Rosalie came home.
“What is snitch?”
I considered pretending ignorance.
Did not.
“Someone who tells.”
“Bad?”
“Sometimes people use it like it’s bad.”
“Is telling bad?”
“Depends why and what.”
Too complicated.
She frowned.
I tried again.
“If someone is in danger or being hurt, telling a safe adult is good.”
“What if cards?”
“Still okay.”
“What if fruit snacks?”
“Yes.”
“What if someone says ugly shoes?”
“Maybe tell them to stop first, or tell an adult if it keeps happening.”
She thought.
“Can I punch?”
“No.”
“Push?”
“Only if you need to get away from someone and there isn’t a safer option.”
“Throw hat?”
“No.”
She sighed.
Rules.
Then:
“Did I start it?”
The sentence stopped me.
“No.”
“But I pushed Jasper.”
“You made one wrong choice inside something other people were already doing.”
“Then who started?”
I remembered my words at the bus stop.
Now we know who started it.
Too simple.
“Brady started some things. Jasper started some. You started the hat thing.”
She nodded slowly.
“Different starts.”
“Yes.”
May you like
That was better.
Children deserve more than one villain-shaped answer.
