Dr Jew

go back to the toy store."
    "Sure. Aren't we best friends?"
    "We are, boy. We are. "

II.

    1961.
    Two years later and the boy was starting 2nd grade. All summer he had been in a bliss, reading books of adventurers and daring science fiction escapades, escaping the dreary miasma of the classroom and its sluggish pace. Already he could see that he was smarter, better than the rest of them. And yet, like gravity, it had dragged him back. He was still too small, physically. Inside he was a burgeoning goliath. But outside… outside.
    "Hey, there 's that Jew with his glasses and stinky self."
    "Hey, Jew! Welcome back, dork."
    "Don 't pick him for baseball."
    "Don 't pick him for anything."
    "Just let him pick his nose!"
    "Ha ha ha ha!"
    Jew squeezed his eyes shut. Another nine months of this. Another ten years of this perhaps. How would he ever survive?
    "Ignore th em," said a robotic voice in his backpack. "They don't exist unless you acknowledge them."
    "What do you mean?" said Jew.
    "I mean they're bugs buzzing around, trying to distract you, and unless you give them attention they have no power."
    Jew tried to ignore the other kids and walked into the classroom. The bell would ring soon. At the front of the class was a tall matchstick of a woman, a stern-looking forty. She was chalking up the board and ignored the students.
    Jew looked around the class and saw faces he recognized from last year. Timmy Brown, who was a cub scout. Al Quinn, whose parents made him take piano lessons. Cheryl Bishop, whose sister was retarded.
    On every desk was a card and each one had a student 's name on it. The desks were arranged in pairs, apparently so every student would have a "partner." He walked around the class until he found his, near the back. He hoped that his partner would be a cute girl. Sara Sloan or Amber Merrill. He looked to see.
    ERIC KNUDSEN.
    No! Not fair! No. Last year he and Eric had sat two seats apart, with Patty Cuss sandwiched between them, and even with that barrier there had been friction. Patty got the brunt of it, but every now and then he would flick paper at Jew's head or run his pen on the back of Jew's neck. Patty got it worse. He would grab her legs, drop ice cream down her shirt, and even once put a piece of crap in her desk.
    But now there was no Patty. Jew had seen her name card on the other side of the room. Now there was only him and Eric Knudsen. No barrier. Pure Eric. Nine months.
    "Settle down, boy, I can feel you shaking," said Robot Raccoon through the bag.
    "But it's Eric. You remember. He's an animal."
    "We 'll figure it out. Just take it slow. He's not here yet. Maybe he won't show."
    It was almost eight o 'clock, and it looked like Robot Raccoon might be right. The students made their way to their seats and started talking and laughing, excited and nervous to see each other again. The seat next to Jew remained empty.
    "See?" said Robot Raccoon. "He probably peed his pants and couldn't make it out of his house."
    The teacher, Mrs. Morbel, began to take roll, spitting out names till she neared Jew's.
    "Martin Isaacson?"
    "Here."
    "Kim Jall?"
    "Here."
    The teacher stopped. At the door a student slithered in. It was Eric Knudsen. He didn't look Mrs. Morbel in the eye and started looking around for an empty seat. She frowned but said nothing and was about to turn and read the next name, Jew's, when she looked again at Eric.
    "Name?"
    "Huh?" said Eric.
    "Name!"
    "I'm Eric."
    "Well, Eric, that is not your seat! Kindly take a look at your name card."
    He looked and saw that she was correct. He stood and wandered around the class until he saw the chair next to Jew.
    "Aw, no, not next to Jew!" said Eric.
    The class laughed and Jew turned red. The teacher looked irritated and continued with the roll. Eric took his seat next to Jew, and Jew saw in that freckled visage next to him all the agony that had been the 1st grade. All because of this boy.
    "Hey, Jew," whispered Eric. "Good to see you."
    Eric punched Jew 's leg.
    "Ow!" said Jew.
    "Quiet back there," said Mrs. Morbel, completing roll and launching into a lesson. "Everyone take out some paper. If you don't have paper today I will let you borrow a piece from your neighbor. But after today you will be punished if you forget basic items like paper and pencils."
    Jew unzipped his bag and looked in Robot Raccoon 's eyes. "Don't let him egg you, kid," said Robot.
    "Hey, Jew, give me some paper," said Eric.
    Jew opened his notebook and tore a piece and