Restart by Gordon Korman Chapter 2 p. 13-19 – Transcript

00:01restart like gordon korman chapter 2 Shoshana Weber Josh 466 hey little bro want a smile JW pianoman huh Josh 466 alpharatz took the header off his roof and almost killed himself JW piano man by almost you mean Josh 466 sorry still alive but supposedly messed up

00:28just got out of the hospital yesterday JW piano man any chance beta and gamma rats ville with him Josh 466 nope solo performance don't get greedy smiling yet JW piano man now who's being greedy I exit messages and cold chill because I'm worried about him I always worry about him he's my younger brother 14 minutes younger anyway but if the thought of

00:55chase Ambrose flowing off his stupid roof onto his stupid head doesn't bring a smile to Joel's lips then something is seriously wrong besides usual I mean hey the answers even in that single syllable I can pick up the discouraged tone in his voice he's angry and homesick and who can blame him it's not like going away to boarding school was his first choice or even his 20th his melton getting any better

01:21I asked almost afraid to hear the answer that's Melton prep a musical conservatory in New Britain Connecticut what can I tell you execs I'll I don't argue with him how can i Jules a talented musician who belongs in a place like Melton but that doesn't change the fact that he'd still be at home starting eighth grade and Hiawassee if it wasn't for what happened how are the other kids okay do you applies without much

01:48enthusiasm or losers just like me I'm probably not gonna get picked on if that's what you mean they're no Pickers here only piggies that bugs me you're not losers you're there because you're winners you have talent that's the reason why I can't live in my own town and there's nothing to do with playing the piano it's alpha rat and you know it if he fell off a skyscraper instead of his own roof I'd be on my way home right now I have to let that pass because it's

02:16the bitter truth chase Ambrose and it's too disgusting friends how did my poor brother out of town the thought of it amazes me even though I saw it happen I still can't figure it out chase isn't Darth Vader of Voldemort he doesn't have the force or dark magical powers and yet he Aaron had Khomeini at communion and bare brass key made Joel's life so miserable that my parents had no choice but to find him a

02:43school in another town we tried to fight it my dad spent so much time in the principal's office that it would have made sense for him to leave a change of clothes there but nothing could be done about the bullying most of the time there was no way to prove who was doing it I ran to foot tripping Joel up in a crowded hall a shoulder rammed into his chest as Sentiments rolling sorry man didn't see you dog poop rushed in through the vents of his locker his clothes mysteriously

03:10disappearing from the changing room - replaced by a rabid suit when a science project wound up smashed or painting ruined in the art room it was always Joel's on the night of the talent show when the fire alarm was pulled it was during Joel's piano performance it started with just chase Aaron and bear eventually though it spread the other kids well they couldn't help but notice that every time someone was making it fuss or protesting stepping

03:38into a locker or mummified the toilet paper it was my brother before you knew if Joel was the school victim and the school joke his life was practically unbearable who do you blame the principal dr. fitzwallace did what he could but most of the time there wasn't any evidence sure he could have made the occasional tribe there was this time chase chapter lacrosse stick at Joel's bike in the butt end she got jammed in the spokes Joel went flying over the handlebars and

04:04wound up wound up with a sprained wrist a black eye and a nasty scrape along as draw stretching from chin to ear there were plenty of witnesses to that one dr. fitzwallace was all set to throw the book of chase along suspension the works the school board overruled him they agreed it was wrong to throw the stick but insisting that chase couldn't have predicted it would result in serious injury ha the real reason that Chase was

04:29the town sports hero and the son of the last town sports hero chases dad had a lot of admirers on that board and my family didn't the only time anyone was able to pin something on those three idiots it had less to do with my poor brother than the fact that it cost the district money at the big open house in may Joel was invited to play piano he's by far the best musician around here even if

04:56none of the other kids appreciated anyway chase Aaron and bear planted six cherry bombs inside the school's baby grant time for the middle of the performance I can still hear Joel scream when the big firecrackers went off splintering the wood of the piano I think that's part of what makes him such an irresistible target for the chases of the world they know they can always get a reaction out of him after that Joel couldn't even walk down a hall without a

05:21bunch of football players making fun of how scared he was we were all scared but it's only Joel they remember the iron is that the case against Jason company had nothing to do with the attack of my brother no it was damage to the piano that got the administration upset enough to bring the police the juvenile court sentenced chase Aaron and bear to community service at our town senior citizens home as if the elderly deserved that

05:46you think chase would leave Joel alone after that it would have made sense but since has never been an alpha rat quality so my parents found a new place for Joel because as long as that bully was around my brother would never be safe Jules probably right that have chase had fallen off a skyscraper instead of just a roof he'd be able to leave melton and come home sometimes I feel like I should be up on that tall building pushing

06:12chase over the side but that would make me no better than him and I am better everybody is the night before the first day of school my dad always used to take Joel and me to heaven on ice which is one of those self-service frozen yogurt places even though Joel and I are twins our dessert strategies are totally opposite I get vanilla yogurt with just a handful of chocolate sprinkles

06:38Joel prefers a thimble of yogurt and 99% toppings it's a competition who could see who can load up the most weight I don't want to go this year come on Josh my dad we Dalls it's a tradition all your friends will be there not my best friend he gives me a sad smile so you and Joel you and Joel are best friends now when he's home you two fight like cats and

07:02dogs he should be home now I know dad's trying to help but I'm determined to be miserable we've been over this a million times this is the best thing for Joel whatever the reason he's there he learned to love melton for the music program in the end I let him talk me into going mom and dad are worried enough about my brother I don't need them stressing over me - it's weird to be at heaven on ice without Joel I see

07:29Hugo and Marissa and the first question they ask is how Joel's doing the way they say it it's like he's been shipped off to the moon not Connecticut I don't want to hear the whole sob story again so I changed the subject and asked him about camp they both went to sleepaway this summer right when Hugo was telling me about his life and death struggle with a pup tent I spot him the jerk the worst person in the world Chase has a few small cuts and bruises on his face

07:57although nothing like what I was hoping for his left arm is in the sling that's about it he's standing in front of the row of yogurt dispensers with the timid look on his face like he honestly can't decide what flavour he wants isn't that classic the kid who feasted on joel chewed him up and spit him out can't make up his mind between strawberry banana and rum raisin too bad they didn't have poison he must feel me glaring at him because he glances up and

08:24catches my eye he looks right through me at first was insulting enough and then he does something so horrible that I could hardly believe it even from the likes of him he cast me a shy smile all the anger that's in building inside me since Joel left for melton rises as a surface like magma before I have a chance to think about it and stop myself I stalk over to chase I get right in his

08:50face and tell him you've got some nerve burning at me after what you did you stay out of my way or you'll be sorry I take my beautiful vanilla yogurt with the chocolate sprinkles and dump it over his head and sweep out of the store my father's in conversation with one of the other dads and almost misses me storming past done so soon he asks then he looks back inside as TC our families are Kenna me dripping frozen yogurt and sprinkles all down his face dabbing at himself the

09:17soap napkin in his free one free hand cars around the corner dad mumbles hurrying me away from heaven on ice he's embarrassed sure but maybe also a little bit proud I know I don't how do I feel I thought there was nothing chase could do to make me matter to him than I already am now I stand corrected every time I think about it my blood boils a little bit hotter after all the bad history that went down between him and Joel I swear he looked at me like he'd never seen me before in

09:47his life like he hadn't played a starring role in destroying my family