Stacy knew about secrets. She had a best friend and they had a lot of secrets between them. That’s what made them best friends. So when Bethany, a classmate of hers, asked her to keep her secret, Stacy knew how important it was that she honour that. But this secret felt different. Stacy had a feeling in her stomach that told her that maybe she should tell someone else.
It started when the two girls were changing for PE class. All fourth graders had PE after activity time and Stacy was always the last one to finish her activity—except for Bethany. She always seemed to fiddle around and end up at the changing lockers last also. One afternoon as they were changing, Bethany and Stacy were joking around and then Bethany grew quiet. She asked Stacy if she had any special secrets with anyone. Stacy thought of Lindsay, her best friend, and answered that yes, of course she did. But then Bethany asked if she had any secrets with a grown-up that she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. This confused Stacy.
Stacy couldn’t imagine a secret she would share with a grown-up that she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone else. What would that be? Once, her Aunt took her out for ice cream instead of taking her to library like her Mom had told her to do. They decided to keep that a secret. But that was all she could come up with. She asked Bethany if her secret with a grown-up was that sort of secret.
Bethany’s face turned red and she started to cry. She told Stacy that sometimes she plays at the neighbors’ house when her parents have to go on errands now and then. She told her that one time Mrs. Burns wasn’t there and Mr. Burns played with her instead. They played a game where they were supposed to touch each other in places that made Bethany feel uncomfortable. When the game was over, Mr. Burns told Bethany the game was something just for them, and he told her that they weren’t going to tell anyone else because it was their special secret. Bethany explained that sometimes she felt bad inside when she knew she was going to play at the Burns’ house. She had played the game twice more since that first time. She wanted to talk to her mom or dad, or tell Mr. Burns she didn’t want to play the game anymore, but Mr. Burns was nice to her and she didn’t want to get in trouble or make him mad or sad by telling their secret.
Stacy asked Bethany what she was going to do and Bethany just shook her head. Then she said, “You have to promise not to tell anyone I told you Stacy. Promise.” Stacy promised. Just then, the P.E. teacher called their names and Bethany slammed her locker shut and ran toward the gym.
Stacy was left confused and a bit lost. She didn’t know Bethany well but she knew her well enough to be upset to see her so sad and confused. She knew how important keeping a secret was but she had a bad feeling inside of her stomach that she got sometimes when she knew she needed to talk to her parents. Should she keep Bethany’s secret or talk to a grown up? Bethany might be angry and hurt if she told her secret, but what if the bad feeling inside her was right and Mr. Burns was doing something wrong? Now Stacy wished Bethany had never told her anything. She slammed her locker shut and walked slowly toward the gym where she could see Bethany saving a place for her.
- Do you think Stacy should tell Bethany’s secret to someone? Is that what you would do?
- What do you think is making it hard for Bethany to speak up about Mr. Burns?
- What do you think kids should do if someone older than they are does something that makes them uncomfortable?
- If you were going to go to an adult about something that you were scared or confused about, who would that person be? What makes him/her a good person to go to?
- Have you or someone you know ever been uncomfortable or in a situation you knew didn’t feel right? How did you react?
- Have you ever had to make a choice that you might lose a friendship over? What happened? Are you proud and/or satisfied with the choice you made?
- Have you ever had a “gut feeling?” What was the situation? What do you think it was protecting you from?