“What could happen to me?” Ben asked, startled by the notion.
But Robert seemed to ignore that question. “I know you need a bodyguard,” he insisted. “I could do it, Mr Ross. For the first time in my life I feel ... well, nobody makes jokes about me any more. I feel like I'm part of something special.”
Ben nodded.
“So can't I do it?” Robert asked. “I know you need a bodyguard. I could do it, Mr Ross.”
Ben looked into Robert's face. Where there had once been a withdrawn and unconfident boy, there now stood a serious Wave member, concerned for his leader. But a bodyguard? Ben hesitated a moment. Wasn't that going a little too far? More and more he'd begun to recognize the position of importance his students were unconsciously forcing upon him — the ultimate leader of The Wave. Several times over the last few days he had heard Wave members discussing “orders” he had given: orders to put posters up in the halls, orders to organize The Wave movement in the lower grades, even the order to change the pep rally into a Wave rally.
Except the crazy thing was, he'd never given those orders. Somehow they'd simply evolved in the students' imaginations, and once there, they automatically assumed he'd given them. It was as if The Wave had taken on a life of its own and now he and his students were literally riding it. Ben Ross looked at Robert Billings. Somewhere in his mind he knew that by agreeing to let Robert be his bodyguard, he was also agreeing to become a person who required a bodyguard. But wasn't that what the experiment required as well? “All right, Robert,” he said. “You can be my bodyguard.”
A wide smile appeared on Robert's face. Ben winked at him and continued down the hall. Perhaps having a bodyguard would be helpful. It was essential to the experiment that he maintain the image of leader of The Wave. Having a bodyguard could only enhance that image.
12
The Wave rally would be in the gym, but Laurie Saunders stood by her locker, uncertain that she wanted to go. She still couldn't put into words exactly what bothered her about The Wave, but she could feel it growing inside her. Something was wrong. The anonymous letter that morning was a symptom. It wasn't only that a senior had tried to bully a junior into joining The Wave. It was more — the fact that the junior hadn't put his name on the letter, the fact that he'd been afraid to. It was something Laurie herself had been trying to deny for days, but it just wouldn't go away. The Wave was scary. Oh, it was just great if you were an unquestioning member. But if you weren't ...
Laurie's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flurry of shouts out in the quadrangle. She quickly went to a window and saw that two boys were fighting while a crowd of kids stood watching and yelling at them. Laurie gasped. One of the fighters was Brian Ammon! She watched as they threw punches at each other and then awkwardly wrestled to the ground. What in the world?
Now a teacher ran out and separated the two fighters. Grabbing each tightly by the arm, he started tugging them inside, no doubt to Principal Owens's office. As he went, Brian shouted, “Strength Through Discipline! Strength Through Community! Strength Through Action!”
The other boy shouted back, “Aw, shove it.”
“You see that?”
The sudden sound of a voice so close to her startled Laurie, and she jumped around to find David beside her.
“I hope Principal Owens lets Brian attend The Wave rally after this,” David said.
“Were they fighting about The Wave?” Laurie asked.
David shrugged. “It's more than that. That kid Brian was fighting, he's this junior named Deutsch who's been after Brian's position all year. This thing's been brewing for weeks. I just hope he got what he deserved.”
“But Brian was shouting The Wave motto,” Laurie said.
“Well, sure. He's really into it. We all are.”
“Even the kid he was fighting?”
David shook his head. “Naw, Deutsch is a jerk, Laurie. If he was in The Wave he wouldn't be trying to steal Brian's position. That guy's a real detriment to the team. I wish Schiller would throw him off.”
“Because he isn't in The Wave?” Laurie asked.
“Yeah,” David replied. “If he really wanted the best for the team he'd join The Wave instead of giving Brian such a hard time. He's a one-man team, Laurie. He's just on a big ego trip and he's not helping anyone.” David looked down the hall at a clock. “Come on, we've got to get to that rally. It's gonna start in a second.”
Suddenly Laurie made a decision. “I'm not going,” she said.
“What?” David looked shocked. “Why not?”
“Because I don't want to.”
“Laurie, this is an incredibly important rally,” David said. “All the new members of The Wave are going to be there.”
“David, I think you and everyone else are taking this whole Wave thing a little bit too seriously.”
David shook his head. “No, I'm not. You're not taking this seriously enough. Look, Laurie, you've always been a leader. The other kids, they've always looked up to you. You've got to be at that rally.”
“But that's exactly why I'm not going,” Laurie tried to explain. “Let them make up their own minds about The Wave. They're individuals. They don't need me to help them.”
“I don't understand you,” David said.
“David, I can't believe how crazy everybody's become. The Wave is taking over everything.”
“Sure,” David said. “Because The Wave makes sense, Laurie. It works. Everybody's on the same team. Everybody's equal for once.”
“Oh, that's terrific,” Laurie said sarcastically. “Do we all score a touchdown?”
David stepped back and studied his girl friend. He hadn't expected anything like this. Not from Laurie.
“Don't you see,” Laurie said, mistaking his hesitation for a glimmer of doubt. “You're so idealistic, David. You're so intent on creating some kind of Utopian Wave society full of equal people and great football teams that you don't see it at all. It can't happen, David. There will always be a few people who won't want to join. They have a right not to join.”
David squinted at his girl friend. “You know,” he said, “you're just against this thing because you're not special any more. Because you're not the best and most popular student in the class now.”
“That's not true and you know it!” Laurie gasped.
“I think it is true!” David insisted. “Now you know how the rest of us felt listening to you always giving the right answers. Always being the best. How does it feel not to be the best any more?”
“David, you're being stupid!” Laurie yelled at him.
David nodded. “All right, if I'm so stupid, why don't you go find yourself a smart boyfriend.” He turned and walked away towards the gym.
Laurie stood behind and watched him. It's crazy, she thought. Everything is going out of control.
From what Laurie could hear, The Wave rally was a giant success. She was spending the period in the publications office down the hall. It was the only place she could think of going where she would be safe from the questioning looks of kids wondering why she wasn't at the rally. Laurie did not want to admit that she was hiding, but it was true. That was how crazy this whole thing had become. You had to hide if you weren't part of it.
Laurie took out a pen and chewed on it nervously. She had to do something. The Grapevine had to do something.
A few minutes later the turning of the doorknob shook her from her thoughts. Laurie caught her breath. Had someone come to get her?
The door opened and Alex bopped in to the beat of the music coming through his earphones.
Laurie sank back in her chair and let out a big sigh.
When Alex saw Laurie he smiled and pulled the earphones off his head. “Hey, how come you're not in with the troops?”